Here's what we looked at this week:Resketch notepads: Reclaimed paper from architectural blueprints and misprints. This Cubo lighting, by Articolo Studios, is made by pouring molten glass into hand-gouged wooden molds.Longbow Motors' British EVs blur the line between footwear and automotive design.A projector that borrows from the Rubik's Cube. Is this really the best way to provide angle adjustability?Japanese overdesign: Bookends that don't let the books fall over when one is removed.The Stacked chandelier, by furniture designer Richard Haining, is made from decommissioned NYC water towers.Industrial Design student work: The ThinBike, by Antonius Glufke, is an easy-to-store urban bike.Small space design: Camper Schmiede's Marylin Onroad is a camper van with the bathroom in the center.Strange interface: This WP200Pro 5G is a ruggedized smartphone with a removable screen that fits in your ear.Smart design improvement: MOFT's Dynamic Folio adds angles to a tablet folio for improved ergonomics.A new form factor for drones: Ascent's Helius goes vertical and coaxial.GOB's Core Pack: Sustainable, mycelium-based earplugs.ResMed's N30i is a minimalist and well-designed C-PAP mask (for a change).Transformer Table's "The Savouring" is a dual workstation that transforms into a dining table. There's a couple of caveats with this design.Industrial design case study: Speck Design tackles a smart frying pan.

As a backpacker, you can go wrong with so many things out there. One thing that you dont want to go wrong with is the tent youre hauling. If its cumbersome to pitch and heavy to carry, youve made certain that your trips ruined. This is why hikers embrace the freedom that comes with lightweight backpacking tents such as the X-Mid 2. Developed by Canadian outdoor gear manufacturer Durston, the tent is way ahead of the curve owing to its exceptionally lightweight, spacious, and storm-worthy construction.In its updated version, the spaciousness, novel construction, and material usage remain undisturbed, while the X-Mid 2 is skimmed off some pounds to make it an even more compelling backpacking partner. Since its launch in 2019, the two-person tent has grown into a fan favorite with its solid, ultralight approach. Without giving up on any of its inherent qualities, the 2025 X-Mid 2 now weighs just 1.9 lbs (880 g), which is a good 5 oz (140 g) less than the previous 2.2 lb (1 kg) model.Designer: DurstonFor us on a diet that would seem like insignificant weight loss, but if you ask a hiker, its enough shaving to put the tent into the league of the most efficient and functional trekking pole shelters. X-Mid 2 achieves this sub 2 lb weight proposition by lighter and stronger trekking pole structure instead of traditional tent poles, and the use of 15D high tenacity silpoly fabric, which makes the weight difference while retaining similar strength and durability. The latter is ensured by the X-Mid shape where every panel is at a 50-55 degrees slope which makes it suitable for windy and snowy conditions.In a broader light, ultralight tents are conjured up by shrinking the size and compromising durability, but the X-Mid 2 stays strong with a functional and spacious design that can withstand all weather conditions. Unfolding into a durable shelter from a compact ball wrapped up, the X-Mid 2 pitches in seconds using only four stakes at the corners and a pair of height-adjustable trekking poles diagonally placed left and right of the sizable zipper entrance.The tent comprises a fly and mesh inner tent; a double-wall design wherein the outer rainfly extends low to the ground to avoid drafts and splatter. It can also be set up standalone (with only one composition) depending on the time of the year youre using it. Given its convenience, it can be used in different orientations by rolling up the sides for stargazing, idling, or soaking up the sun. On the inside of the X-Mid 2 you get 52 inches wide and 92 inches long floor space, and 45 inches of headroom to easily accommodate two full gown individuals. The revised edition of the ultralightweight X-Mid 2 is currently available for preorder starting at $280. Delivery is expected to begin in April. The post 2025 X-Mid 2 tent weighs just 1.9 lbs and is easily the most efficient and functional trekking pole shelter first appeared on Yanko Design.

What do ultra-thin laptops and large pro tablets have in common? They both have impressive capabilities and a scarcity of connectivity options. USB-C was dreamed of being the one connection technology to rule them all and keep devices slim, but the harsh reality is that we have too many standards and connectors now to ignore other plugs and ports. Thats not even considering how different versions of USB-C have different capabilities as well.Docks and hubs expand those connectivity options, but they bring another problem to the table, quite literally. Now you have cables coming out all over the place. ZAGG just launched a new dock and stand combo that not only offers a more ergonomic way to use laptops and tablets but also hides those unsightly cables using a design thats genius in its simplicity.Designer: ZAGGIts no longer rare for laptop and tablet stands to offer additional ports. The idea is that you just need a single USB-C or Thunderbolt cable to connect the device to the stand to have an additional five or more ports at your disposal. That sounds neat until you consider that other cables will be snaking out from the base of the stand, making your desk look like a tangled mess.The ZAGG Pro Dock Stand, as its name suggests, is actually two designs in one. Its primarily a stand that raises a laptops screen to a more ergonomic eye level. Unlike most laptop stands, however, it includes an attached folding stand to support holding a tablet at an angle, allowing you to enjoy the same ergonomic benefits regardless of your device.Its second function is a dock for additional ports, but instead of having them all on the base, it offloads some of them to a satellite hub that you can hide under a desk or anywhere out of sight. The Stand itself has two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an audio jack, and an SD card reader, while the Hub is home to two HDMI ports, one USB-C port, and an Ethernet port. These two parts are connected with a single cable that can deliver 150W of power to charge attached devices.This split of ports mirrors how some docks split connections between the front and back of a box. This ensures that the most frequently used ports are always within reach, while those that are only occasionally touched can be hidden away. Its a simple but effective trick that allows the ZAGG Pro Dock Stand to deliver both comfort and convenience in a neat and minimalist package.The post ZAGG Pro Dock Stand for Laptops and Tablets Come with a Satellite Hub to Hide Cables Away first appeared on Yanko Design.

This already budget power bank just got even more affordable.

This was on nobody's bingo card.

This just might be the perfect monitor for the home office.

For the motocross-minded, the Bronco eBike is equal parts blast-from-the-past and harbinger of the future.

MacworldApples Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is coming soon, and thats when we will learn all about macOS 16, the next version of the Mac operating system (and iOS 19 the new iPhone OS). This version could include some big changes for the Mac, in addition to more Apple Intelligence features.Apple hasnt made any formal announcements about macOS 16 so far, but rumors are starting to leak. This article keeps track of the reports so you can get an idea of what to look forward to when macOS 16 is revealed in June and arrives on Mac later in the year.macOS 16: Release dateApple official release of macOS 16 will be in the fall, as is usually the case. It is likely to coincide with the release of iOS 19, although Apple has previously scheduled the update to macOS after iOS, sometimes as short as a week, sometimes as long as a month.Here is the recent shipping history for macOS.macOS 15 Sequoia: September 16, 2024macOS 14 Sonoma: September 26, 2023macOS 13 Ventura: October 24, 2022macOS 12 Monterey: October 25, 2021macOS 11 Big Sur: November 12, 2020macOS 10.15 Catalina: October 7, 2019macOS 10.14 Mojave: September 24, 2018macOS 16: Developer and Public BetasHowever, you wont have to wait until the full release to try the new software out. Apple will run a developer beta as well as a public beta, so if you want to try out the new features before they are released to the general public you will be able to do so. Apple announces the new version of macOS at WWDC in June. A macOS Beta is released to developers at that time, with a public beta released about a month later, usually after the developer beta moves to a second stage (beta 2).The first developer beta is usually shipped at the beginning of WWDC. Last year the WWDC keynote took place on June 10, this year we think it will start on June 9. The public beta usually comes a month later (in 2024 the pubic beta arrived on July 15). Between WWDC and the official release in the fall, Apple will release beta updates to developers and the public. Anyone using the beta is encouraged to file bug reports using the included Apples Feedback Assistant app so that the company can address them. Learn more about participating in Apples beta software program so you can test the new software as soon as the beta arrives. macOS 16: New nameUnlike its other operating systems, Apple attaches a name to macOS. The current name is macOS Sequoia, which is version 15 of the software. Since OS X 10.9 in 2013, Apple has used names that are associated with California.Rumors of the new name will swirl before the official release. Some reportedly trademarked names that have circulated in recent years include California, Condor, Diablo, Farallon, Grizzly, Mammoth, Miramar, Pacific, Redwood, Redtail, Rincon, Skyline, and Shasta. These names have been registered by a company that is believed to be a shell for Apple. Internally at the company, macOS 16 is referred to as Cheer.Will Apple continue with the California-based names? Count on it.AppleHere is a list of the recent macOS names based on places in California:OS X Mavericks (version 10.9)OS X Yosemite (version 10.10)OS X El Capitan (version 10.11)macOS Sierra (version 10.12)macOS High Sierra (version 10.13)macOS Mojave (version 10.14)macOS Catalina (version 10.15)macOS Big Sur (version 11)macOS Monterey (version 12)macOS Ventura (version 13)macOS Sonoma (version 14)macOS Sequoia (version 15)macOS 16: CompatibilityBecause macOS 16 may feature major interface changes, Apple may decide to make this the first version of macOS that does not run on Intel-based Macs. The signs of this started appearing a couple of years ago. Apple wants to move any users of these Macs over to M-Series Macs and could use this version of macOS as a cutoff point. Its unknown if the UI changes depend on hardware found only on M-series Macs.With that in mind, you can check the specifications of your Mac, then take a look at what we expect macOS 16 to be compatible with:MacBook Air (M1 or later)MacBook Pro (M1 or later)iMac (M1 or later)Mac mini (M1 or later)Mac Studio (M1 Max or later)Mac Pro (M2 Ultra or later)This could be the year Apple decides to make future versions of macOS for M-series Macs only.FoundrymacOS 16: New featuresHere are some of the new features expected in macOS 16. This list will be updated as more features are reported.Major UI changeAccording to a report by Bloombergs Mark Gurman, macOS 16 (along with iOS 19 and iPadOS 19) will have a redesigned user interface that is based loosely on visionOS, Apples operating system for its Vision Pro headset. Apple wants to make its operating systems more consistent across platforms, and visionOS will be the inspiration for it.Details on how Apple will implement this new design arent available yet, but Apple wont simply just port over the visionOS UI to the Mac and be done with it. It will combine the best of both worlds and possibly allow Mac users to do more.Because of the visionOSs touch implementation, its easy to conclude that Apple is working on a touchscreen Mac. Hardware rumors are more prevalent than software ones, and touchscreen capability has not been mentioned about future MacBooks or Apple displays.Are round icons coming to macOS?AppleApple Intelligence and SiriApple Intelligence made its debut with macOS 15 Sequoia and Apple is on a continuous development path with these features. However, reports on what these new Apple Intelligence features will have not appeared.Tied to Apple Intelligence, a major update to Siri was expected to be released prior to WWDC25, but those efforts require more time. Apple usually introduces Siri updates first on iOS, so this delay means that Siri updates in macOS have been pushed back even further.Home app upgradesA lot of what is planned for the iOS 19 update will make its way into macOS 16. While specifics about the Home app have not been reported, several reports of new smart home hardware have been made, so it would follow that Apple will update the Home app. However, the Home app is more often used on the iPad and iPhone, so Apple could release the Mac version of the Home app at a later date.

MacworldThe accumulated failures and humiliations that have dogged Siri in recent years have finally proved too much for Apples senior management, who have decided to oust John Giannandrea from his role as Siri boss.The news was broken Thursday by the Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, citing the usual anonymous people familiar with the situation. Gurmans sources say Apple CEO Tim Cook has lost faith with Giannandreas ability to execute on product development and is replacing him as Siri lead with Mike Rockwell, currently vice-president of the Vision Products Group. Gurman adds that Apple responded to his initial article by announcing the move internally, but it hasnt yet made any public statement.It appears from the report that Giannandrea is not being fired, and will remain with the company in a more limited role covering other aspects of Apples AI work. His future prospects at Apple, however, might be less than stellar after this setback. Giannandrea, who at time of writing remains on the Apple Leadership page as Senior Vice President, Machine Learning and AI Strategy, was brought in from Google in 2018 with a remit to get Apples AI efforts up to scratch.Mike Rockwell is an interesting and in many ways less obvious choice as his replacement. He oversaw the successful completion of the Vision Pro project, which gives him considerable kudos within the companyas Steve Jobs once said, real artists shipbut it can hardly be said to have set the world alight and remains a niche product with (as expected) few sales. As Gurman notes, he had little experience in AI and machine learning before starting work on Vision Pro, whereas Giannandrea spent eight years running Googles Machine Intelligence, Research and Search department before arriving at Apple Park.But something had to change. Siri has been an unreliable voice assistant for many years and shows little sign of improvement, with the much-touted and AI-powered new Siri endlessly delayed and currently not expected until 2026 at the earliest. A truly modernised version might not be here until 2027. (Another Siri exec, Robby Walker, reportedly called these delays ugly and embarrassing, and hes not wrong.) Giannandrea has been given plenty of time to sort this out, and now that time has run out.

Were now in the century sci-fi writers made their fortunes writing about and hardware manufacturers seem keen to explore new products and processes that make some of those predictions a reality. Just asMinority Reportcomes pretty close to predicting visionOS and Spatial Computing, so too will a whisper ofRingworldbe reflected in the hard but soft metal substance Apple might use in future devices, principally thefolding iPhone.Liquid Metal has been around in the Apple-verse for a long time. Its a zirconium- and titanium-based alloy stronger than steel and more flexible than aluminium; the company has licensed it since around 2010 for use as the SIM card removal tool that looks like it wants to be a paper clip and once found in the box with iPhones. While it doesnt shareallthe same qualities as Larry Nivens Unobtanium used to make the Ringworld space station, it does at least deliver resilience and flexibility and its the latter that matters according to Apple analyst,Ming-Chi Kuo.He says Apple will use liquid metal to make the foldable hinge in the so-far-unannounced or confirmed folding iPhone it hopes to introduce next year.Pour me anotherKuo explains that Apple wants to use the substance to build a folding device that is flatter and more durable than existing devices of its type, as well as having a hardly discernible crease. Bloombergs Mark Gurman has previously told us that Apple really wants to build a fold mechanism that isnt visible when unfolded anddoes not deterioratein use. To achieve this, key iPhone fold components including hinges will be crafted from liquid metal. The analyst predicts Android device makers will soon follow suit, which is good news for exclusive liquid metal supplier, Dongguan EonTec, the analyst said. Apples 21st-century take on a folding device is likely to be thin, like the iPhone 16e, and almost certainly built to the high-end design aesthetic Apple maintains across its product range. It will also have a high-end price to match, which implies this will be the device to slam ostentatiously on the table during board meetings.Et tu, Siri?While the hardware seems to be coming into view, its clear that one essential component isnt yet in place, and thats Siri. Only two weeks ago, Kuo told us Apple wants to position the device as a true AI-driven iPhone, with the power of artificial intelligence artfully combined with the large display. The snag? Siri isnt ready yet, which has made forbig staffing changes within Apples Siri team. Reflecting the strategic importance of AI to Apple, CEO Tim Cook has put Apples best product designers in to sort Siri out, moving former Siri boss John Giannandrea aside to make way for genius engineer Mike Rockwell, who led Vision Pro development. (Giannandrea hasnt left the company, incidentally, but seems to have been given a more limited sphere of responsibility and is no longer reporting directly to Cook, who has lost confidence in his ability to execute on product development.)Apples Game Of Thrones is interesting, but what it truly represents is the importance the company attaches to Siri on iPhones and not just iPhones. Apple has a number of additional products in the pipeline, including a home control device, some of which have allegedly also been delayed due to contextual Siris no-show. In that light, the fact that a folding iPhone is expected to become a poster child for AI on a mobile device depends on what the new Siri team can build.No pressure, then.Whatelse do we know about the folding iPhone? In development intermittentlysince at least 2014, Apples hardware engineers now seem to feel the tech and the time is right for the device. Kuo tells us to expect a 7.8-in. display when unfolded and a 5.5-inch display at rest. Youll have rear and front camera, eSIM,Apples C2 5G modem,and Touch ID as a side button. The device should be as slim as 9mm when closed but isnt expected to appear until next years main iPhone refresh cycle in late 2026. Final specifications will be set in stone later this year. Apple will likely follow this up by developing and optimizing the manufacturing process in preparation for mass production next year.But a lot depends on getting those Siri improvements in place. You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn, andMastodon.