What ChatGPT did to search, what Midjourney did to photography, what iPhones did to cameras, the Bored Keyboard is doing to mechanical keyboards. Designed to be the first mechanical keyboard with built-in predictive models, the Bored Keyboard supercharges your workflow by making you type faster, switch between tasks faster, and game more lethally. A touch-sensitive display along the top of the keyboard serves up autocomplete suggestions as you type, boosting your typing speed by nearly 3x. The display also stores items in your clipboard, allowing you to copy-paste text more efficiently, and even lets you toggle between multiple keyboard modes as you work. Think of it as the MacBook TouchBar, but with MUCH more potential, within a mechanical keyboard that’s like a symphony for your fingertips.

Designer: Marzex Bored Inc.

Click Here to Buy Now: $169 $252 (33% Off) Hurry, only 5 days left!

The reason why the Bored Keyboard is so exciting is because it thinks outside the box. To be straight, there’s nothing wrong with conventional mechanical keyboards. I’m using one right now, and it serves its purpose well… but it doesn’t explore its potential. The Bored Keyboard does just that – it explores the idea of a keyboard on a much more fundamental yet broad level. It supercharges your typing with autocomplete, gives you a lengthy clipboard that lets you paste stuff you copied 5 hours ago, and even has RGB backlit keys that do everything from highlighting predictive keys to lighting up in zones during games to help you understand where your enemies are located. Not a single mechanical keyboard can boast those features, and let’s face it, Apple clearly didn’t explore the full potential of the TouchBar either.

The Autocomplete feature is easily the Bored Keyboard’s biggest USP. Borrowing from the experience of typing on a smartphone, the mechanical keyboard’s lateral display lights up with word suggestions as you type. See something you like, hit it instead of typing out the entire word. The predictive models get better with time as you keep using the keyboard, shooting up predictions faster and more accurately, effectively reducing the time between thinking and typing so you can work as fast as you think. The autocomplete model doesn’t just work with the English language, it works while coding too, helping you type and push out code fast simply by letting the keyboard complete lines of code for you. Things get even better with the keyboard’s RGB backlights as they predict the next key you want to type before you do. The lights highlight the key for you so you can find the right key faster – a feature that’s incredibly useful for people who aren’t quick typers and who spend time scanning the keyboard as they click each key.

The Bored Keyboard’s Clipboard feature is perhaps its most underrated. Think about working with spreadsheets and needing to copy multiple pieces of data and paste them in individual cells. The traditional way of doing it would be to copy one item, go to the sheet, paste it, then go back and copy item number two, paste it again, and repeat the process multiple times. The Bored Keyboard’s clipboard feature eliminates that back and forth. Copy multiple pieces of data, go to your final document, and access each individual copied item through the display on top. Just hit CTRL and the Bored Keyboard reveals its entire clipboard of all the stuff you copied. Click on an item to paste it, or select another item to paste that instead… your clipboard can hold more than one element now, allowing you to bulk-copy and then bulk-paste.

When you begin using the Bored Keyboard for gaming, you realize what I meant when I spoke about a keyboard’s ‘potential’. While gaming, the keyboard’s entire canvas becomes an audio ‘heat-map’. The keyboard listens to in-game sounds to determine where footsteps and gunshots are coming from, lighting up those respective areas. This helps you track your enemies in a much more intuitive way, often even without headphones. The keyboard becomes your pair of extra eyes, keeping tabs on the whereabouts of your enemies for you. Follow the lights and they literally lead to victory.

The Bored Keyboard just continues to tick all the right boxes with its design and software. On the software front, the Bored Keyboard is designed to be entirely open-source. You can customize the autocomplete settings, configure key mappings, set shortcuts and macros, run your own custom scripts/actions, and obviously tinker with the RGB backlight settings. The folks behind the Bored Keyboard encourage you to hack the keyboard to suit your needs, giving you a piece of hardware that truly fits your exact requirements.

On the hardware front, it’s delightfully mechanical, with Gateron switches (red/brown/yellow/blue) and double-shot PBT keycaps that can be hot-swapped to retrofit keycaps of your own. Depending on whether you choose the standard or the premium variant, the keyboard’s body comes made either from ABS plastic or machined Aluminum, houses either a 6000mAh or a 10,000mAh battery, and has either an LCD or a PMOLED lateral display up top. The standard version connects to machines via USB-C or Bluetooth, while the premium model also packs a 2.4GHz receiver.

The Bored Keyboard has a compact 75% layout, which means it loses the number pad, but packs an entire row of function keys. It measures 320mm across (12.5 inches) and 171mm in depth (6.7 inches) thanks to the presence of that added touchscreen. The Bored Keyboard is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS devices, starting at $169 for the standard/basic variant, or $363 for the premium variant, with global shipping included.

Click Here to Buy Now: $169 $252 (33% Off) Hurry, only 5 days left!

The post World’s First Mechanical Keyboard with Built-In Autocomplete Lets You Type (and Code) 3x Faster first appeared on Yanko Design.

Say whatever you want about the GPU market or the general atmosphere of the games industry at the moment, but gaming (particularly, PC gaming) probably isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

It’s just unfortunate that some of the best-looking and best-feeling screens that’ve ever existed are finally coming down in price at a time when so many people are unable to get their hands on high-end video game hardware and gaming PC components.

That’s why I compiled a list of the top 10 best designed gaming monitors on the market in 2023, spanning everything from 1080p to 4k and ultrawide – making room for gamers on a budget while showcasing some of the best gaming displays you can find. Note that it’s a little bit different than the list I already created that specifically targets ultrawide monitors that use OLED displays.

1. Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (Best all around)

Alienware’s AW3423DWF is the best all-around PC gaming monitor, featuring a curved 34-inch 3440x1440p 21:9 ultrawide display with 1800R curvature, HDR 400 support, VRR, 0.1 ms response times, and support for both DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0.

Why is it noteworthy?

The AW3423DWF hits that incredibly hard-to-reach sweet spot in PC gaming monitors, blending the richness of QD-OLED with the wide field of view provided by ultrawide monitors. It somehow manages to juggle all the best parts of high-end gaming displays while remaining, miraculously, under the $1000 MSRP ballpark.

What we like

• Low price for the volume of modern features
• Ultrawide
• QD-OLED display with 1000 nits peak brightness
• Extremely low 0.1 ms response time

What we dislike

• Relatively low maximum (165 Hz DisplayPort 1.4 / 100 Hz HDMI 2.0) refresh rates
• You have to choose between FreeSync Premium Pro support and Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate support

2. ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM (Best 1440p)

ASUS’s ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM is a feature-packed 27-inch 2k OLED gaming display that pushes impressive refresh rates and over 1000 nits peak brightness in HDR mode.

Why is it noteworthy?

OLED is still an expensive luxury in modern gaming monitors, and the ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM packs a lot of high-end goodies like a 240 Hz refresh rate, 0.03 ms response times, and intelligent voltage optimization (to combat burn-in) to name just a few – all for $999.

What we like

• Fantastic price performance
• OLED display with 1000 nits peak brightness
• Blazing fast

What we dislike

• No FreeSync support out of the box

3. LG UltraGear 32GN650-B (Best budget 1440p)

LG UltraGear monitors are generally great across the board, but if you want to play games in 2k for a low price, the 32-inch LG UltraGear 32GN650-B is a fantastic option at between $250-400, depending on whether you find a good deal.

Why is it noteworthy?

It balances strong performance with a relatively low asking price, featuring a relatively high maximum refresh rate of 165 Hz, HDR 10 support, and 1 ms Motion Blur Reduction.

What we like

• It’s a 32-inch 2k monitor with decent specs for less than $400
• 165 Hz refresh rate and 5 ms GtG response times are great for this price range

What we dislike

• Underwhelming contrast ratio
• Low peak brightness

4. LG UltraGear OLED 45GR95QE (Best 21:9 ultrawide)

The LG UltraGear OLED 45GR95QE is a bit more feature-packed than the Alienware we mentioned earlier, only narrowly taking the trophy for best 21:9 ultrawide. It’s a fantastic 45-inch ultrawide 2k monitor, both blazing fast and featuring incredible HDR support thanks to its OLED display.

Why is it noteworthy?

The UltraGear OLED 45GR95QE is a massive, 45-inch OLED 3440x1440p gaming display with support for 240 Hz refresh rates, all types of VRR out of the box, HDR 400 with a 1500000:1 contrast ratio, and a 0.03 ms response time.

What we like

• It’s probably the best 45-inch ultrawide gaming display you can buy right now without delving into 32:9 or 4k territory

What we dislike

• Only 800R curvature, meaning the far edges of the screen will seem farther apart

5. Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (Best 32:9 ultrawide)

The Samsung OLED G9 is an absurdly impressive super ultrawide (5440x1440p) gaming display, spanning a 32:9 aspect ratio with a visual style that makes it look like a piece of futuristic art, thanks to its chrome look and LED back array.

Why is it noteworthy?

It’s the world’s first OLED super ultrawide display. That alone is a huge deal, but it even has all the bells and whistles you could want: 240 Hz refresh rate, 0.03 response time, TrueBlack HDR 400, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

What we like

• 32:9 aspect ratio looks incredible with QD-OLED
• Samsung Gaming Hub means you don’t even need a PC to play games on it

What we dislike

• It costs $1799 – even though the price is coming down slowly

6. ASRock PHANTOM GAMING PG34WQ15R2B (Best budget ultrawide)

The ASRock PHANTOM GAMING PG34WQ15R2B is a powerful 34-inch 3440x1440p ultrawide gaming monitor that gets rid of a few bells and whistles to maintain wildly good cost performance.

Why is it noteworthy?

It’s hard to call this a bad purchase when it’s literally a 2k ultrawide gaming monitor for $379. It doesn’t include an OLED display or G-Sync Ultimate support, and its VESA DisplayHDR 400 is probably questionable without the former – but that’s a ridiculously low price for something this feature-packed. Its 165 Hz refresh rate, FreeSync support, and 1 ms response times make it a steal at that price.

What we like

• Mind-boggling cost performance at $379
• 21:9 ultrawide with 1500R for immersive 2k gaming
• Relatively high refresh rate/response time for cost

What we dislike

• It’s not an OLED, and the HDR probably suffers for it

7. Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 UHD (Best 4k)

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 UHD is a high-performance 32-inch 4k curved gaming display – which even won a CES Best of Innovation award in 2022.

Why is it noteworthy?

It was the world’s first 4k gaming display with a 240 Hz refresh rate. More importantly, it’s also an ultrawide display with HDR 2000 support – meaning its peak brightness goes up to 2000 nits.

What we like

• High performance 4k ultrawide
• Deeply impressive HDR 2000 support thanks to Quantum Dot technology
• 240 Hz refresh rate

What we dislike

• A bit small for an ultrawide with 4k resolution
• Like all 4k monitors, it’s quite expensive at around $1499

8. GIGABYTE M27U Gaming Monitor (Best budget 4k)

The Gigabyte M27U is a well-balanced 27-inch 4k gaming display that does some genuinely interesting stuff for its low price of $549.99.

Why is it noteworthy?

It pushes 2160p resolutions at 160 Hz, while maintaining a tight 1 ms response time. At a price below $600, this makes it one of the stronger performers, and is a great alternative to a similarly-priced 2k monitor if you have the horsepower to drive games in 4k.

What we like

• Strong cost performance
• Multiple HDMI connections – making it a good console gaming monitor

What we dislike

• It’s a bit small for a 4k display at 27 inches

9. ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM (Best 1080p)

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM is an impressive 27-inch 1080p gaming display that checks every single box you could possibly want, minus OLED.

Why is it noteworthy?

If you value extremely high frame rates over fidelity, you can’t get a much better display than the ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM. Not only does its 1080p max resolution make it a lot friendlier with older gaming hardware, but it can also run at up to 280 Hz refresh rates, has excellent support for motion blur reduction, and it even does HDR 400.

What we like

• One of the fastest monitors on the market thanks to 280 Hz max refresh
• Gorgeous IPS display

What we dislike

• At $299, it’s a bit pricy for a 1080p display

10. Samsung Odyssey Ark (Most excessive)

The Samsung Odyssey Ark is an oddity; this 55-inch Quantum Mini LED monitor shifts between being a 1000R 4k ultrawide display and something totally different once it turns vertically and enters cockpit mode.

Why is it noteworthy?

It’s an absurdly large 4k ultrawide monitor with a 1000R “sound dome” and the ability to turn vertically, enabling cockpit mode – which lets you stack up to three 16:9 windows vertically instead of having a single 55-inch 21:9 view. This allows it a level of versatility unseen in any other monitor that – mixed with its Quantum Mini-LED display – combines to produce an experience that can only be described as excessive for most gamers in 2023.

What we like

• Its Quantum Mini-LED display makes its colors pop and produces incredibly rich blacks
• It’s huge at 55 inches
• You can switch between ultrawide and cockpit mode

What we dislike

• It probably won’t fit on smaller desks
• Its 165 Hz refresh and 1 ms response times underwhelm for the price and size
• It’s expensive at $2699

The post Top 10 best designed gaming monitors to deck out your desktop in 2023 first appeared on Yanko Design.

The average human makes roughly 1 million keystrokes each year… marking a major area for an ergonomic intervention. Unveiled today, the Logitech Wave Keys wireless keyboard joins the company’s Ergo line-up as a budget-friendly ergonomic keyboard to create a comfortable, reliable, and tactile typing experience. Designed to pair perfectly with the Lift Vertical mouse, the $59.99 Wave Keys offers a budget-friendly alternative Logitech’s $119.99 Ergo K860 split ergonomic keyboard launched back in 2020. Adopting a similar form factor, the Wave Keys gets its name from the unique wave-shaped form factor that’s a cross between traditional flat keyboards and those ergonomic spherical keyboards from the 1970s. This unique curved shape, along with the padded palm rest allows your hands to rest more naturally on the keyboard, enabling a comfortable experience for your fingers, wrists, and your palms… and I say this with a certain degree of confidence as I type this article out on the Wave Keys myself!

Designer: Logitech

The first impression you get with the Wave Keys is how comfortably petite it is. The keyboard measures less than 13 inches across (375.97mm), occupying the same horizontal space as a conventional 15.6″ laptop, but has a 96% layout, putting it in compact full-sized territory. That means the keyboard sports a num-pad along with a function row, giving you every key you could need. The function row is also feature-optimized to do useful things like take screenshots, toggle the emoji menu, mute/unmute your microphone during audio/video calls, and even play-pause actively playing content.

The keyboard’s biggest highlight is its wave-shaped design, a feature it borrows (and refines) from its predecessor, the Ergo K860. Unlike the K860’s split-key format, the Wave Keys has a continuous key layout and features larger mechanical keycaps that offer a comfortably tactile experience. It’s not as quiet as the K860’s chiclet-style keycap, but it isn’t as noisy as some other mechanical keyboards either.

The wave-shaped hump at the center of the keyboard is something the Logitech design team arrived at after years of designing, prototyping, and refining. The keyboard was carefully crafted with multiple rounds of user testing including at Logitech’s Ergo Lab and has a stamp of approval from US Ergonomics.

Other ergonomic considerations are the padded palm-rest along with height-adjustable tilt-legs that give the keyboard up to 4° of elevation for easier typing over longer periods of time. The palm rest (yet another feature extended from the K860 line) does make the keyboard wider than most, measuring 8.6 inches (218.9 mm) from top to bottom, but it vastly enhances the keyboard’s comfort levels, allowing it to live up to its ergonomic character.

The Wave Keys runs on Bluetooth as well as Logitech’s Bolt receiver, which additionally supports the Lift Vertical mouse.

The Wave Keys supports connections to up to 3 devices at the same time, allowing you to switch between them using the first three buttons on the function row. The keyboard connects to different devices using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), supporting operating systems like Windows, MacOS, iPadOS, Chrome OS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Alternatively, it ships with the Logi Bolt USB receiver that plugs into a USB-A port, letting you connect using Logitech’s more secure wireless protocol. Additionally, the free Logi Options+ app lets you customize your keyboard experience by changing what the function buttons do, adding software/program-specific shortcuts, or even enabling Smart Actions that allow you to automate multiple tasks with a single keystroke so you can streamline your workflow. The Wave Keys runs on two AAA batteries, and Logitech touts an impressive 3-year lifespan before the batteries need to be replaced.

Sustainability also forms a core part of Logitech’s design and innovation approach. The company has touted using PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastics in their products and the Wave Keys is no different, with up to 61% of recycled plastic in its Graphite version, and 46% in its off-white version. The Wave Keys are also certified carbon-neutral and ship with zero-plastic packaging.

The Logitech Wave Keys launches today in two colorways – Graphite and Off White, with a third option named Rose launching in the spring of 2024. The Wave Keys starts at a retail price of $59.99 in North America and €79.99 in Europe, making it a perfect budget pick for individuals as well as for businesses. Visit the Logitech website to learn more.

The post Logitech Wave Keys Wireless Keyboard Hands-On: Comfortable and Compact, both in Size and Price first appeared on Yanko Design.

Cooler Master is getting extra creative with its case designs lately, and it’s all thanks to mods. Back in February 2022, we reported on a Cooler Master case shaped like a giant shoe that was initially invented by a modder named JMDF during Cooler Master’s 2020 Case Mod World Series competition. At some point along the way, Cooler Master decided to lean fully into the sneaker aesthetic – and now we have Sneaker X, a fully-fledged Mini-ITX gaming desktop that represents the inevitable logical endpoint of designing computers to look like footwear.

Designer: JMDF and Steve Chiang (via Cooler Master)

Cooler Master’s design ethos is made clear in its official Sneaker X video, where it’s shown just how intricate this truly ridiculous-looking desktop needs to be in order to function. The interior is packed with components that look difficult to keep cool given how little airflow is allowed to exist between them. However, an exposed side-vent plus the open roof of the chassis (which unfortunately doesn’t provide enough room for an actual human foot) both likely help heat rise out of the computer’s internal components. There’s also a complex-looking integrated AIO water cooling system connected to a single RGB intake fan on the right side of the case. Yes, you read that correctly: there’s only one visible case fan in the entire build.

The Sneaker X comes in two models, with a few shared technical specifications between them. Every Sneaker X ships with a custom Z790 ITX mobo containing 32 gigs of DDR5 RAM (which, according to an Amazon listing, runs at a base clock of 5600Mhz), a 2TB PCEe 4.0 NVME storage drive, an Intel Core i7-13700K CPU, and the proprietary Master Liquid PL360 Flux “Sneaker Edition” cooling system, all powered by a Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold PSU.

That all sounds great on paper, but for a base price of $3499, the Sneaker X is probably not every PC gamer’s first choice. The base model includes a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 with 12GB of VRAM, whereas the $3799 edition bumps that GeForce RTX 4070 up to a far more powerful GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. You can now buy either PC from Cooler Master’s website to make your sneaker collection a little more high-tech.

The post The Cooler Master Sneaker X PC case is now a fully-fledged gaming rig first appeared on Yanko Design.

“Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one, they fell into darkness…” The Middle-Earth Ringwraith’s fate gets captured beautifully on this greed-eliciting keyboard that I definitely want to get my hands on. Designed as a limited-edition drop, the Ringwraith Keyboard features exceptional build quality, exclusive components, and brand-new case artwork thanks to a collaboration between the folks at Drop.com and Middle Earth Enterprises.

The 80% keyboard boasts a TKL layout and comes with meticulously printed keycaps containing the Quenya language, embedded within a stunning red aluminum outer case. The escape key comes adorned with the eye of Sauron, the enter key with the shards of the sword Narsil, the function key is the ring itself, while the spacebar has the ring’s inscription printed on it. Don’t get too tempted, though… there are only 9 such keyboards forged into existence.

Designer: Drop + Middle Earth Enterprises (Artwork by OSHETART)

The keyboard isn’t quite for everyone – you’ll either need to have great muscle memory or a working knowledge of the Quenya language, given that all the keys feature the Quenyan script (the real symbols are written in small subscript in the bottom right corner, however). The keyboard features Holy Panda X Switches with Phantom Stabilizers, providing a uniquely tactile bump and ultra-smooth keystroke. The keycaps, however, are swappable and Drop even provides extra caps for the arrow, escape, enter, and spacebar keys.

The 87-key keyboard also comes with an optional set of artisan keycaps (shown in the top corner below), allowing you to add actual 3D imagery to your board. The keyboard has a white backlight for easy typing even in the dark, comes with a USB-C cable and a keycap switcher. The entire set (excluding the artisan keycaps) starts at $149, and is limited to 9 units.

The graphics on the keyboard stay true to the LOTR series with Quenyan inscriptions

The post Limited Edition “Lord of the Rings” Mechanical Keyboard is STRICTLY for the True Nerds first appeared on Yanko Design.

Computers are now at the heart and center of our civilization, not only enabling technologies that make our lives more comfortable but also empowering people to turn their creative visions into reality. Despite these seemingly magical capabilities, computers like PCs and Macs remain almost stuck in the past, with forms and designs meant more for manufacturing efficiency than user convenience. Laptops, while portable, lock you forever into the configuration that you purchased, and although desktops offer nearly limitless upgrade potential, you are still left stuck with the box that the computer came in, which is more often than not something that ties you down to your desk. Fortunately, there are innovative and creative minds who won’t settle for anything less, and they have designed an advanced modular system that lets the PC adjust to your needs, whatever and wherever they are, rather than the other way around.

Designer: Khadas Design

Click Here to Buy Khadas Dock Combo: $928 $1278 ($350 off). Hurry, only 19/90 left! Raised over $270,000.

Khadas Mind – The perfect blend of high-speed computing and exceptional portability.

The Khadas Mind Module PC offers three distinct modes tailored to your specific needs. Opt for ‘Mind Only Mode’ when you need extreme portability, switch to ‘Mind Dock Mode’ for multitasking prowess, or choose ‘Mind Graphics’ when you’re ready to unleash your creativity in design and gaming.

Khadas Mind

At the heart of this groundbreaking computer system is the Khadas Mind itself, a mini PC that already pushes the envelope of its category. At only 0.99lbs (450g) light and with a compact size of 5.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches (146x105x20mm), this extra slim box can slip easily inside any bag or even a coat pocket, allowing you to bring your work and entertainment with you anywhere you need to be. Despite that diminutive size, the Kadas Mind is no underdog, powered by a 13th-gen Intel Core i7-1360P processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics, up to 32GB of fast LPDDR5 RAM, and capable of holding up to 4TB of NVMe SSD storage. It has its own set of ports, so all you really need to do is plug in peripherals and a power cable and you’ll be up and running in no time. The built-in 5.55Wh standby battery even lets the Khadas Mind sleep for up to 5 hours without an external power source, allowing you to unplug the mini PC and be on the move in a snap.

Mind Dock

Easy Docking for Minimal Downtime – Simply slot your Mind to the multifunctional base. Mind Dock instantly supplies power and connectivity without the fuss of fiddling with an intricate tangle of cables.

Enhance Mind’s I/O Capabilities – Maximize productivity by effortlessly connecting external devices for monitoring and editing tasks, all facilitated by 8 high-speed I/O ports on the Mind Dock.

Access-friendly Design – Experience enhanced security with Mind Dock’s built-in fingerprint scanner.

Physical volume button for quick adjustments.

While the Khadas Mind is already impressive on its own, it becomes even more powerful once you start combining it with the other modules in this flexible system. Khadas’ patented Mind Link Interface drives this connection between the Khadas Mind and other modules, opening the doors to even more potential and use cases. The Mind Dock, for example, expands the selection of ports so you can connect almost any peripheral or cable you need. The dock even features a fingerprint scanner for added security, a volume dial, built-in AAC speakers, and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port for a faster and more stable network connection, providing you with a complete desktop PC experience at only a fraction of the size.

Mind Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060Ti Graphics – Elevate your design and gaming experience by slotting your Mind into Mind Graphics — a dedicated external GPU bay hosting the formidable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060Ti.

USB4 Supported – Mind Graphics also includes Thunderbolt 3.0 / 4.0 support, so it can be used to turbocharge not only your Mind experience but also your other devices.

The Mind Graphics module, on the other hand, transforms the Khadas Mind from a productivity tool into a creativity powerhouse. Inside the box lies a desktop-grade NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060Ti that not only makes games pop but also brings your creativity to life. Along with the Khadas Mind Link, the Mind Graphics features an electronic switch lock that firmly keeps the two pieces together, preventing accidental disconnections that could ruin your day and throw you off your groove. The graphics box doesn’t skimp on the connectivity ports either, featuring USB-C with USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 support, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 x3, two HDMI 2.0, 2.5Gbps Ethernet RJ45 ports, and an SD card reader. It also features high-quality, full-range 5W speakers so that you’ll have a complete entertainment and content creation package in a compact box.

Mind xPlay, Mind Talk & Mind Studio

The fun and creativity don’t stop there, thanks to the ingenious modular design of the Khadas Mind. The Mind xPlay, for example, will provide a portable display with a built-in battery, and dock for the Khadas Mind to fit into, letting you work and collaborate with others anywhere. The Mind Talk, on the other hand, upgrades office meetings with its array of microphones and audio hardware specially designed for this setting. Finally, the Mind Studio Display really takes your creative pursuits to the next level with an extra-large touchscreen with support for stylus input. Wherever you are and whatever computing power you need, the Khadas Mind modular workstation will be ready to open your mind to a world of possibilities.

Click Here to Buy Khadas Dock Combo: $928 $1278 ($350 off). Hurry, only 19/90 left! Raised over $270,000.

The post This innovative modular PC lets you set up workstations that adapt to your needs first appeared on Yanko Design.

CORSAIR might have just created the most insane standing desk you could wish for. Yes, a modular desk tailored for PC gamers, digital artists, content creators, streamers and professionals from all walks of life who spend a lot of time in front of the screen.

The elegant accessory revealed during Gamescom, instantly peps up any work-from-home setup or for that matter even an office setup if your organization is generous enough. Called the CORSAIR Platfrom:6 Modular Computer Desk, it’s designed to leave nothing to chance. Something right out of the Hasbro universe.

Designer: CORSAIR

The desk comes with a range of attachments including RapidRoute cable management system, monitor arms, in-desk storage cubby with built-in USB Type-A and Type-C ports. The addition of more accessories to the desk is possible with the modular rail system, so you’ll never be left longing for more. That’s what we presume comes with the base model of the desk.

Creator Edition offers even more like the motorized height adjustment and the option to map height presets for particular times of the day. This version also includes 30 x 70cm side extensions for a wider work area, hanging pegboards for headphones, gaming controllers, or anything else you can hook on. Since the desk supports Elagto’s multi-mount range accessories, you can attach cameras, lights and microphones too.

Clearly, Platfrom:6 offers more than any other desk on the market and it’s like a dream come true for streamers who always crib for more space and option to expand their accessory set. In fact, this could be the last PC desk you’d buy for a long time to come, as it even offers the users the ability to 3D print custom accessories to be used with the desk!

If already you’re excited, the Platform:6 desk backed by five years of warranty is coming in the fourth quarter of this year for an undisclosed price. What’s known, so far indicates the desk will come in black laminate or dark walnut-stained rubberwood.

The post CORSAIR Platfrom:6 Modular Computer Desk is the ultimate customizable workstation for gamers, streamers and content creators first appeared on Yanko Design.

In the ever-changing office environment and work-from-home setups, the fundamental structure of chairs and tables has remained remarkably unaltered, culminating in vertical pressure on the spine. Of course, standing desks lend a helping hand, but that’s not too exciting for the lazy ones like me.

A pathbreaking progress for ones like me was made with the LEVUS, a chair featuring a distinct laid-back design. This innovative solution presented a reclined work arrangement; however, it seems, that was just the beginning! A Michigan-based furniture manufacturer, ErgoQuest, has transcended all boundaries to introduce an even more astonishing creation: the ZGW-0b zero-gravity reclining workstation.

Designer: ErgoQuest

This new workstation is engineered to liberate us from the shackles of back and neck pain, reigniting productivity with the choice of customizable adjustments. It is a solution designed to facilitate work in positions all the way from zero degrees to upright, ninety degrees.

Central to this innovation is the ErgoQuest ZGC-1 motorized chair surrounded by a robust steel mast capable of accommodating up to three 34-inch monitors. Those who seek the pinnacle of multitasking can mount a fourth monitor. Enhancing the workstation’s functionality further are two side tables, providing room for your essential tools and laptop(s).

ZGW-0b pays meticulous attention to comfort and convenience by adding in a padded wrap-around keyboard tray. ErgoQuest ZGC-1 chair’s motorized recline and a motorized leg rest offer the laziest amid us a workstation to reckon their own. But for the price tag of $6,595, it may just be out of the reach of… well it’s anybody’s guess! Weighing 650 pounds, ZGW-0b is a gateway to a new way of working, one that upholds the future of laziness in the name of postural wellness and enhanced productivity!

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When people hear the word computer or PC, most will probably think either of laptops or towering desktops (and their Apple equivalents). Of course, computers today come in sorts of forms and sizes, not even counting the powerful slab of metal and glass in your pocket. Long before the Steam Deck popularized the idea of handheld PCs designed specifically for gaming, mini PCs tried to compress as much computing power into significantly smaller boxes compared to the typical desktop PC towers in the market. These boxes, however, have had a reputation for sacrificing power too much for the sake of size, which was an unfortunate consequence of the technical limitations of their time. Fortunately, things have changed a lot for the better, and the new XULU XR1 LITE promises the most powerful computer in a compact size and at an affordable price. So we turn the power on and give its fans a spin to find out just how much it pushes the limits of technology and design in such a small package.

Designer: XULU

Aesthetics

Just like the majority of computers in the early stages of the industry’s history, the design of mini PCs has largely been driven by practical and technical considerations, which is to say they all come in box shapes. Thanks to advancements that have seen many of these components shrink down in size, allowing for not only smaller sizes but also variations in forms. The XULU XR1 LITE doesn’t exactly stray too far from that standard but makes enough changes that make it look more distinctive and memorable.

What you’ll immediately notice is the computer’s small size, probably falling more under “tiny PC” than “mini PC” at this point. It’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, though you aren’t going to use it that way, of course. And while you might argue that there are technically much smaller computers like the Raspberry Pi, the XR1 LITE and its siblings are exponentially more powerful than that single-board computer.

This small, compact form is more than just for boasting, though. It means that you won’t have to sacrifice too much desk or shelf space for your new desktop or media server. It also means you can carry it almost anywhere you need it, with the right peripherals, of course. You can easily hide it somewhere if you really need to make it invisible, but you might not want to anyway. Unlike earlier generations of mini PCs, the XULU XR1 is designed to actually stand out and add some visual flair wherever it stands. It’s available in 7 colors, including “normal” black and gray.

It isn’t a straightforward box shape either, with an incline in the front for an informative display panel. The sides are pretty clean except for the XULU branding and a single row of vents at the bottom. The rest of the airflow vents are located at the back and on the top, right above the large cooling fan, away from your direct line of sight. Its design is pretty minimal and it’s actually impressive how they managed to still make it look neat and tidy despite the plethora of ports available.

Ergonomics

You won’t be holding the XULU XR1 LITE in your hands while using it, so the usual ergonomics standards don’t really apply here. You might, however, find yourself carrying it around a lot, whether transferring from one desk or office to another or actually carrying the computer with you wherever you go. At less than half a kilogram, it’s not a difficult feat to pull off, especially when XULU provides a nice hard carry case where you can put not just the tiny PC itself but also the power adapter, HDMI cable, and maybe a foldable keyboard. If you have a large phone, tablet, or portable monitor, you can probably set up a workstation anywhere there’s a power socket available.

Of course, the XULU XR1 isn’t that useful on its own and you’ll have to plug in peripherals, particularly monitors, a keyboard, and a mouse at the very least. Thankfully, the XULU XR1 LITE makes that super easy, not just with the number of available ports but also because of their placement. The most important ports, such as the lone USB-C port, two full-sized USB ports, and a headphone jack, are all located on the front for instant access. The rest, including the HDMI ports, are on the back. This means that peripherals that you will rarely remove can be conveniently hidden from view, while more transient devices have easy access to essential ports.

One small but important part of the tiny PC’s ease of use is access to the computer’s internals. With a simple Allen wrench, you can easily remove the top and back plates when you need to upgrade or replace some parts. Admittedly, you have limited options in this regard, but it’s still a lot more compared to a more closed system like a laptop.

Performance

Just a few years ago, it would have been unimaginable for a computer of this size to do anything beyond browsing, email, and document processing. Today, we have the XULU XR1 LITE, which is capable of doing a lot more than those, including some gaming and content creation. There are three models available in the XULU XR1 line, and while the LITE is clearly the more budget-friendly of the three, it is hardly an underdog in performance.

This particular model is powered by an AMD Ryzen 3 5300U which comes with a Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics. It’s definitely no powerhouse, but it has enough muscle for light to moderate computing tasks of all sorts. There are options for 8 or 16GB of RAM (our review unit came with the lower configuration), and 512GB of SSD storage, both of which are upgradable. You’ll have to set limits, of course, like lowering game settings or limiting Photoshop layers, but most apps will remain usable. And since it’s a normal PC, you can install any application you need, or any operating system for that matter. The XULU XR1 is compatible with Microsoft Windows and Linux distributions, but it comes without any OS installed, leaving that up to the decision and cost of the owner.

One of the biggest appeals of this extra small computer is that, despite its size, it has a nearly complete set of ports for all your computing needs. There are two HDMI ports, both of which are capable of 4K resolutions, one USB-C port, six USB ports (Gen 3 and Gen 2), an Ethernet port, and a good old-fashioned 3.5mm headphone jack. This should fit most of your needs and more, especially when you consider you can have a triple 4K monitor setup thanks to DisplayPort support on that lone USB-C connection. Sadly, there is indeed only a single USB-C port, which is disappointing in an age where almost everything is turning to the universal connector.

The mini PC is powered by a 19V adapter with a typical barrel-type DC plug, again a minor disappointment since it runs the risk of not finding a suitable replacement if the power brick or cord gets damaged. There is a small OLED screen in front of the box that lets you quickly see important stats like temperature, fan speed, and others. Strangely enough, there is no indicator for storage drive activity, not even the typical flashing light on many computers. It’s a very minor nitpick, however, considering all the other features the small but powerful box offers.

Sustainability

The XULU XR1 LITE stands in between desktops and laptops not just in size and portability but also in their flexibility. Laptops are locked systems that offer very few options to change parts while desktops have nearly limitless possibilities. Although you can’t exactly upgrade the CPU and GPU, the XULU XR1 at least easily lets you change the two other most important parts that affect a computer’s overall performance.

The XULU XR1 LITE can support up to 64GB of DDR4 memory and up to 2TB of NVMe SSD storage, which is pretty much the standard for many workstations today. More importantly, getting access to these parts doesn’t require extensive surgery, just four screws to be precise. That’s true whether you want to upgrade or need to replace broken memory, helping extend the life of the computer for years.

Other than that, however, repairing any other part of the XULU XR1 will be a challenge that requires mastery of electronics. Not that the computer is prone to damage, especially given its sturdy metal chassis and adequate cooling system. The only worry you might have is the entry of dust into the box, especially with big vents on all sides. Then again, that is also a consideration for most desktop computers, and the XULU XR1 doesn’t really escape that fate.

Value

The XULU XR1 LITE comes at a rather odd moment in the mini PC market. Intel has just announced the retirement of its NUC mini PC hardware, while Apple just updated its most powerful mini Mac yet, the Mac Mini. Some of the bigger PC brands seem to be stepping back from this market, giving plenty of opportunity for others to take up the cause. But with new products popping up left and right, what value does the XULU XR1 LITE bring to the table?

Simply put, this tiny PC brings the trifecta of performance, portability, and price to computer users of all levels and needs. While there are more powerful options in the market, including the XULU XR1 Pro and Max variants, the $300 price tag on the most basic configuration makes it accessible to anyone looking for a reliable computer with a very small footprint. The fact that you can practically carry it anywhere or that it looks quite stylish on your desk definitely adds to its appeal, helping set it apart from the myriad mini PCs with forgettable faces and unrealistic price tags.

Verdict

Computers have become an important part of our lives, even for those who probably wouldn’t consider themselves proper computer users. This has created a need for products that can meet not only varied use cases but also varied lifestyles and tastes. Not everyone will be OK with a towering box on or below their desks, and some might also be dissatisfied with a portable yet locked-down laptop. The XULU XR1 LITE offers a cozy middle ground, but one that doesn’t sacrifice too much to get there.

Armed with capable hardware, a near-exhaustive selection of ports, and a charming, small form, this tiny PC brings a new face to the market that tries to appeal to all classes of users, especially budget-conscious buyers. It’s far from perfect, of course, and there are places where XULU clearly cut corners to reach that sweet price, but these are the small compromises some might be willing to make to get their hands on a computer that can meet their computing needs and last them for a very long time.

The post XULU XR1 LITE Mini PC Review: Good Things Can Come in Tiny Packages first appeared on Yanko Design.

Our reliance on smartphones these days means that we have another screen to pay attention to even when we’re already focused on the computer monitor in front of us. Productivity gurus naturally discourage anything that would distract us from the work at hand, but they don’t always consider cases where the smartphone is actually an integral part of that work. Rather than fighting the flow, some designs have instead embraced this kind of multi-screen setup, creating a special nook on our desks for smartphones. This rather lopsided monitor is one such example, keeping your mobile companion charged while also holding it up, putting it at a more comfortable eye level to stop you from bending and craning your neck so often.

Designer: Nex Computers

It’s not uncommon to keep our phones on our desks, presuming office policies don’t bar you from having them out in the open. Disregarding real distractions from social media and incessant but unnecessary notifications, some people do need to keep tabs on their mobile devices for some information or communication, without having those apps clutter their work screen. At the same time, however, most of these people probably don’t want to leave work with a nearly empty battery because they forgot to top up the work while using it at work.

The NexMonitor addresses both use cases in a way that’s both more ergonomic and also a little more stylish. Rather than just a simple stand that props up the phone off the side of your workspace, the monitor actually holds up the smartphone at the same height as the screen itself. That saves you from having to look down and away from your monitor, minimizing the time it takes to glance at the phone. At the same time, it helps reduce potential neck strain and injury from repeatedly switching between a monitor at eye level and a phone closer to the desk’s surface.

The monitor holds the phone up almost by magic, but of course, it’s all about magnets. That clearly marks it for MagSafe-compatible phones, which are primarily recent iPhones, though the company also says that Android phones are welcome to the party. Presuming they support magnetic wireless charging. And yes, the NexMonitor also charges the phone while it’s up there, so it’s pretty much a vertical magnetic wireless charging pad attached to the side of a monitor.

The NexMonitor’s design is quite intriguing in how it doesn’t go for visual balance, though it is definitely stable in its construction. The “stem” of the monitor is off to the right side, nearer to the phone than in the middle. Even the stand itself isn’t centered, which could potentially stress out some people because of its asymmetrical composition. That stand is designed to match the size and the color of Apple’s Mac Mini and the new Mac Studio, but any other mini PC can also find a home there, even if it clashes with the brushed metal look. The NexMonitor was announced back in 2022 but has yet to become available for purchase, which unfortunately leaves plenty of opportunities for other monitor makers to put out something similar, presuming there’s actually a good market for such an ergonomic yet unusual design.

The post This distinctive, asymmetrical monitor will hold up your phone while charging it first appeared on Yanko Design.