In a cluttered workspace, finding the perfect desk organizer can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Most options available today prioritize function over environmental impact, leaving eco-conscious stationery enthusiasts in a difficult position. This desk organizer concept offers a refreshing alternative, harnessing the natural properties of cork to create a solution thats both practical and planet-friendly, without resorting to the plastic materials that dominate store shelves and eventually our landfills.Cork remains surprisingly underutilized in our daily lives, typically relegated to wine bottles, bulletin boards, and occasional packaging materials. Yet this remarkable natural material possesses unique qualities that make it ideal for so much more than these limited applications. The Korka concept brilliantly reimagines corks potential, transforming this renewable resource into a thoughtful desk companion that organizes your workspace while aligning with sustainable values.Designer: Fatih DemirciThe genius of Korka lies in its clever exploitation of corks natural texture. Unlike smooth plastic or metal organizers that require additional components like clips or dividers to secure items, Korkas slightly rough surface creates natural friction that gently grips your belongings. This inherent quality eliminates the need for extra parts or materials, resulting in a simpler design that works effortlessly while reducing environmental impact through minimalist construction.Structurally, Korka features a grid of cork cubes arranged in a visually pleasing pattern thats as functional as it is attractive. At the intersections of these cubes sit perfectly sized circular holes, designed to hold cylindrical items like pens, pencils, and markers in an upright position for easy access. The thoughtful spacing between cubes creates natural slots that securely hold papers, cards, and other flat items without bending or damaging them.For smaller items that tend to get lost in the shuffle, Korka incorporates clever concave recesses within each 22 grid of cork cubes. These shallow depressions provide the perfect nesting spots for erasers, paper clips, thumbtacks, and other diminutive desk essentials that typically end up scattered across your workspace. The natural grip of the cork surface ensures these items stay put until you need them.The warm, natural appearance of cork brings an organic element to any desk setup, complementing both minimalist aesthetics and more eclectic office styles. Its neutral tone works harmoniously with virtually any color scheme, while its distinctive texture adds visual interest without overwhelming the space. For those tired of cold, clinical plastic organizers, Korka offers a welcome touch of nature that transforms a utilitarian object into a design statement.Beyond its practical benefits, Korka represents a shift toward more thoughtful consumption. The renewable nature of cork, which regrows after harvesting, stands in stark contrast to petroleum-based plastics that persist in our environment for centuries after disposal. Its intuitive organization system requires no instruction manualsimply place your items in the appropriate spaces, and the natural properties of cork do the rest. Korka demonstrates how good design can solve everyday problems without compromising our planets health.The post Cork Desk Organizer Combines Sustainability with Simple Yet Smart Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

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MacworldAmazons Big Spring Sale event is dropping prices left and right, including one of our favorite MacBook Pro configurations. Amazon is selling the 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 512GB of storage and 24GB of RAM for $2,199, a savings of $300 and the best price weve ever seen.The laptop comes with an excellent M4 Pro chip, 512GB of storage, and 24GB of memory. Even though its the entry-level option for the 16-inch model, its still a fantastic machine with an excellent set of specs perfect for anyone. When we reviewed the M4 Pro MacBook Pro, we gave it a 4.5-star rating and loved just about everything about it, from its excellent performance to the Thunderbolt 5 ports and the 12MP CenterStage FaceTime camera. Even though our unit had a bit more juice with the 48GB memory, our opinion stands: Its an incredible machine with a gorgeous screen and tremendous power.Whether youre a high-end video creator, a professional coder, or just want a high-end laptop thatll last for years, this MacBook Pro is a fantastic machine at a great price, the very best price weve seen for this laptop. So go grab one before Amazons Big Spring Sale bounces away.The 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro is $300 offBuy now at Amazon

MacworldThe iPhones and Macs we use today arent mere smartphones and desktop computerstheyre the fruit of decades worth of research and testing behind the scenes at Apple HQ. Like most corporations in this field, Apple spends large sums of money trialing all sorts of wild and innovative prototypes. Naturally, many of these experiments never make it to the consumer market and instead act as lessons or even foundations for future devices. While there are numerous unreleased products concealed in Apples secret basement, here are six notable products Apple developed that never saw the light of dayand one that might top the list soon.1. Apple CarThe most recent instance of a product that failed to get out the door is Apples self-driving car project. For many years, the company was rumored to be working on a self-driving vehicle dubbed Project Titan that integrates seamlessly with its ecosystem. The electric automobile couldve potentially featured a CarPlay-like dashboard interface and relied on advanced sensors utilizing the power of four M2 Ultra chipsets to detect surrounding objects. Apple reportedly poured more than a billion dollars into researching it over the span of a decade, and thousands of employees were involved in its development.A year ago, Apple reportedly killed the car project and decided to reallocate its resources to develop artificial intelligence technology. Given the intense competition in AI right nowand presumably due to the challenging, complex nature of releasing an autonomous vehicle that matches Apples high standardspivoting away from a car makes more sense for the company. Additionally, Apple never referenced the car publicly or made any relevant promises it couldnt keep. As a result, the firm didnt face any significant user backlash for discontinuing it.2. AirPowerWhile most unreleased Apple products were never officially unveiled to the public, Apples Airpower charging mat was one instance where a promised device was teased during a keynote only to be axed before its launch.First previewed during the iPhone launch event in 2017, AirPower was supposed to act as a multipurpose wireless charging mat capable of charging an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods case simultaneously. This futuristic vision, however, was riddled with technological obstacles that made executing it unfeasible.AirPower was hailed as the next big thing in charging but Apple quietly killed it before it hit shelves.AppleFor starters, Apple had to internally distribute coils all over the mat, as Qi wireless charging requires precise coil alignment to work. This wouldve allowed users to place their iPhones anywhere on AirPower rather than positioning them in a very specific spot. Another hurdle was the Apple Watchs proprietary wireless charging standard, which, for reasons unknown, is incompatible with Qi. Consequently, the company had to stack two layers of charging tech in a thin matreportedly causing unmanageable overheating issues.While Apple officially declared it wont release the AirPower in 2019, its vision lived on. In 2020, the company launched the foldable MagSafe Duo Charger, bundling a MagSafe pad and an Apple Watch charging puck. However, that was discontinued in 2023 due to its high price, dubious hinge, and lack of support for fast Apple Watch charging and the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max.3. Magic ChargerAnother official charging accessory that never saw the light of day is the Magic Charger. Unlike AirPower, Apple never unveiled this gadget publicly, but a collector who came across a prototype shed light on the accessory in 2022.The Magic Charger basically integrated a flexible MagSafe pad into a metallic stand. Like the MagSafe Duo Charger, users wouldve been able to attach an iPhone to a flat surface or stand it vertically by folding it. Its unclear why Apple never released the accessory, especially given its practicality and the lack of major engineering obstacles. It wouldve complemented the StandBy feature introduced with iOS 17.Apples Magic Charger is the portable MagSage stand we always wanted.@TheBlueMister4. PaladinWay back in 1995, Apple was reportedly working on an all-in-one device for small businesses. The Paladin was designed to function as a computer, fax machine, scanner, and phone. The device wouldve let business owners do all of their productivity tasks with a single device.The Paladin could have done for offices what the iMac did for boxy PCs.Jim Abeles/FlickrApple Paladin reportedly ran software dubbed Complete Office, letting users switch between its various modes with the click of a button. This would cause the interface to change depending on whether the fax or computing functions were in use. While Paladin had a basic monochrome LCD, it reportedly supported external, full-color displays through a dedicated port. It would have been revolutionary back in the 90s but alas it never saw the light of day.5. PowerBook G5During the early 2000s, Apple was heavily rumored to be working on a PowerBook G5 laptop to succeed the popular G4 model. That never came to fruition, though. Instead, Apple released its first MacBook Pro in 2006 withIntel Core 2Duo processors, marking a shift in its laptop branding and design. Two years later, the iconic MacBook Air followed, offering users balanced power in a competitively sleek and timeless design.The PowerBook G5 was the rumored successor to the PowerBook G4 (left) but Apple released the MacBook Pro instead.Foundry6. iPod phoneBefore releasing the original iPhone, Apple seemingly explored an iPod phone. Building on the success of its portable music player, the company is rumored to have considered adding a cellular modem to the iPod design. However, the Click Wheel input made dialing phone numbers unintuitive, and as a result, it never made it out of the R&D stage. Interestingly, during the unveiling of the first-generation iPhone, Steve Jobs humorously previewed a mockup of a click-wheel-equipped phone, portraying its ridiculousness and impracticalitywith a wink to the rumors that were circulating at the time.The iPod phone make an appearance in the keynote to announce the original iPhone.AppleWill Siri 2.0 join the list?Of all the items on this list, only one, the AirPower charging mat, was actually announced. Apple doesnt typically unveil new products until theyre ready to ship, a policy that gives Apple the time and space it needs to perfect them while also maintaining its credibility and users trust.During last years WWDC, Apple promised that iOS 18 would bring a massive Siri update, giving it awareness of on-screen content, work within third-party apps, and fetch personal data from various parts of the systemsuch as emails and messages. There was even an ad campaign, but earlier this month, Apple delayed the upgraded Siri until the coming year, suggesting it might not arrive until iOS 19 in 2026.It gets worse: A recent report even suggested the new Siri is so far behind, that Apple might have to rebuild the project from scratch. Given the sensitivity of user data and how unpredictable AI can be, Apple is evidently struggling to build an assistant that can reliably and securely perform the promised tasks. If Siri 2.0 is back to square one, what guarantees that things will be any different a year from now?The delays are bad enough, but failing to deliver Siri 2.0 will be a much bigger hit on Apples reputation than AirPower, especially when considering Googles and other rivals advances in AI. Siri is already lagging behind its peers, and a failure to deliver on its promises for a smarter and more aware assistant could be Apples biggest failure ever.

WWDC event marketing intensifies, and as we head toward that event in a little over two months, it looks as if were being told to expect a new paint job (aka user interface change)s for iOS.But will those tweaks really be enough to move the needle on flatlining iPhone sales? Is Apple concerned in case these changes dont impress? Is there any reason the big names in Apple rumor all jumped into this freshwater pool of speculation at more or less the same time, like synchronized swimmers?Somewhere in the Apple Universe there must now be a place where all rumors go to die. There must also be at least one place where they all get created in the first place.Across the universeIf youve been watching Apple over the last few years, you will have seen that the vast majority of its news announcements all seem to get leaked in advance, with a tiny minority of tales that never get officially teased but could still happen. Ive not added it up, but I now think that the number of times any given Apple speculations are shown to be false can probably be measured on one hand. Even the rumors that dont happen in one time frame turn true later.The connection between speculation and fact seems so strong its hard not to think Apple is planting at least some of these rumors to seed speculation. Well, its that, or at some high-level point within Apple there is a civil war going on and rumor has become a weapon to undermine company leadership. Apple is made up of some of the most talented and competitive people on the planet.Perhaps controlling click bait is just another string to the company bow? It is also quite amusing that Apple has managed to carve out a global reputation for secrecy at the same time as leaking just about every step it takes. Can both things be true?Words like rainSpeculation is such fun; however, this is what were currently beingtold to expect in iOS 19 and, no, its not about AI.Changes across the interface might include:A more rounded aesthetic (no, I dont know what that really means, either).Glassy reflective surfaces.An interface similar to visionOS for apps, buttons, and more.A new interface for the Camera app again, more in tune with visionOS.A sense of what it looks like in existing tools, including the new Apple Sports and Invites apps.BloombergsMark Gurman has previously promised iOS 19 will be the most significant upgrade in years, and now says the latest crop of speculation misses key details and Applehas even more planned.I certainly hope so. I imagine one surprise might be the addition of more Accessibility options, potentially including gesture and movement-based controls bought over to iOS from visionOS. We know these work on Apples headsets; can some also logically work on iPhones? Accessibility isnt just about doing the right thing at Apple; again and again, the tools Apple provides there end up feeding into its products, too.Change my worldIt is also interesting how much of the work Apple did on visionOS is now feeding outwards across the company Apple Intelligence is, after all, now run by the former leaders of Vision Pro development, and if the ideas they had around user interfaces are now to be deployed across the rest of the companys products then this reflects the importance of spatial computing to Apples future.However, if all Apple is promising does turn out to be some slight user interface changes, then 2025 may yet go down as a slightly fallow year. Thats going to hurt Apple financially, though its big enough to take a little headwind; it may still benefit it in the long term with more time to bring Apple Intelligence up to speed. A few months in calmer waters could also give Apples teams a little breathing space as they prepare the biggest iPhone redesign yet.But no doubt well know all about all of these announcements well before they are officially announced, thanks to the Apple speculation machine.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn, andMastodon.

When the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeff Goldberg, was accidentally added to a Signal conversation, things took a surprising turn. The journalist could not initially believe the authenticity of the invitation, but the chat apparently involving high-ranking US politicians and government officials discussed specific targets for attacking Huti forces in Yemen and a few hours later, airstrikes did indeed take place.Due to the nature of the information exchanged, his doubts were raised both by the fact that top-secret plans were discussed using an app that is not designed to transmit classified data, and by the free-form statements of the politicians, including Vice President J.D. Vance. The messages even included emoticons, symbolizing the celebration of the operation carried out.The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic reactedGoldberg refrained from publishing details about specific targets and weaponry in his article about the chat, fearing that the safety of those involved would be compromised. His description of the leaked news shows that Vice President JD Vance, one of the participants in the conversation, was critical of President Donald Trumps decision to carry out the attacks, stressing that their effects could benefit Europe more than the United States.The event instantly sparked a wave of discussion about security rules and possible violations of laws protecting classified information. Legal experts pointed out that transmitting secret data in this way could violate at least the Espionage Act, especially if the apps configuration provides for automatic deletion of messages.Trump, however, defended the use of Signal, explaining that access to secure devices and premises is not always possible at short notice.Meredith Whittaker defends Signal appSignals CEO, Meredith Whittaker, defended the app in an interview with Polish media, stressing that Signal maintains full end-to-end encryption and prioritizes user privacy.She pointed out that while WhatsApp also uses encryption technologies designed by Signal, it does not protect metadata to the same extent and does not guarantee such a strict policy against collecting or sharing user information.Whittaker at the same time pointed out that no application can eliminate human error. The accidental invitation of a journalist to a government chat room is precisely one example of a risk that cannot be excluded by technological measures alone.(This story was originally published by Computerworld Poland.)

How Geoff Richman, lead editor on the Apple Original, Severance, created the frenetic world of the hit shows season two finale.