Here’s a fun one for Mac nostalgia fans: a new project by hobbyist Nick Gillard has taken the idea of mini retro builds to a whole micro level. Called the pico-mac-nano, this is a working replica of the original Macintosh that stands just 62 millimeters tall (that’s 2.4 inches for you, Casey Liss). And what’s more, you can actually run MacPaint and MacWrite on it. How awesome is that? The project (via BoingBoing) builds on an earlier open-source emulator by Matt Evans, who had already managed to get a Raspberry Pi Pico running System 1. Gillard took that idea and ran with it, packing it into a shockingly faithful 3D-printed case, complete with a tiny rainbow Apple logo and even a scale replica of the original Picasso-style shipping box. “I just couldn’t resist creating a matching, tiny version of the iconic ‘Picasso’ box that the original 128K Macintosh shipped in. After finally finding a manufacturer (in India!) and having the first batch back, I’m super-happy with the result; a white, full colour printed, corrugated cardboard box.” The guts of the machine are made of a Pi Pico microcontroller, a 2-inch 480×640 TFT screen configured to match the original Mac’s 512×342 resolution, and a speaker capable of those signature startup chimes. Everything runs off a custom firmware that emulates a 68000 CPU, all open-sourced and shared on GitHub. The result is a perfect desktop curiosity you can gift yourself on a special occasion or, if you’re one of these DIY creatures, build on your own. Gillard says he’ll be selling a few pre-assembled kits soon, but if you’re the DIY type, you can also grab the STL files, firmware, and a full parts list for your next weekend project over at 1BitRainbow.com. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

During a severe heat wave in 2023, scientists scuba diving off the coast of Papua New Guinea captured clownfish to measure their bodies. Between February and August, they calculated the length of 134 of these iconic, orange and white fish once a month, taking a total of six measurements for each fish.Those measurements revealed something peculiar: Most of the fish shrank.This week, the researchers reported their findings in Science Advances, concluding that the fish got shorter — on the scale of a few millimeters, or a small, single-digit percent of their length — in response to the heat wave.Morgan Bennett-Smith“We were so surprised to see shrinking in these fish that, to be sure, we measured each fish individual repeatedly over a period of five months,” said Melissa Versteeg, a doctoral researcher at Newcastle University, who led the study in collaboration with Mahonia Na Dari, an environmental organization, and Walindi Resort. “In the end, we discovered [that downsizing] was very common in this population.”Versteeg and her colleagues don’t know how, exactly, the fish are shrinking — one untested idea is that the fish might be reabsorbing some of their bone material or tissue. But getting smaller isn’t a problem. In fact, the study found, it may be an adaptation to help clownfish survive hotter ocean temperatures.Morgan Bennett-SmithWhen it’s good to be smallLast year, the planet was about 2.65 degrees warmer than it was in the late 1800s. This level of warming impacts wild animals in a number of strange, mostly bad, ways, from fueling koala-killing wildfires to causing corals to bleach and then starve.But rising temperatures also appear to be making many species smaller. One especially striking study, published in 2019, found that birds shrank by an average of about 2.6 percent between 1978 and 2016. More recent analyses have linked rising temperatures to a reduction in body size of small mammals in North America and marine fish. Most of these existing studies report that animals, on average, are simply not growing as large.The new study on clownfish, however, suggests individual fish are shrinking over mere weeks in response to a heat wave, which, in the case of the Papua New Guinea event, pushed temperatures in the bay about 7 degrees (4 degrees Celsius) above average.Why do they do this?Being tiny has its advantages in a hot climate: Warm-blooded animals, like mammals, shed heat more easily when they’re small and this helps them cool down. The benefits for cold-blooded creatures, such as clownfish, aren’t as clear, though researchers think they may have an easier time meeting their bodies’ energy requirements when they’re small.Morgan Bennett-SmithRegardless of the reason, being small seems to help clownfish when it’s hot. The fish that shrank, the study found, had a much higher chance of surviving.“It was a surprise to see how rapidly clownfish can adapt to a changing environment,” Versteeg said. “We witnessed how flexibly they regulated their size, as individuals and as breeding pairs, in response to heat stress as a successful technique to help them survive.”The study adds a layer of complexity to what is otherwise a depressing tale about the world’s oceans. Heat waves linked to climate change, like the one that occurred during this study, are utterly devastating coral reefs — and in severe cases, are nearly wiping out entire reef sections. These colorful ecosystems are home to countless marine animals, including those we eat, like snappers, and clownfish.Amid that loss, animals are proving highly resilient. They’re trying hard to hold on. Yet if warming continues, even the best adaptations may not be enough.See More:

When I first heard Samsung was bringing back the Edge name as a new super-thin member of the S25 family, all I could think was: Why? Honestly, I thought phone makers had gotten over their hunger for thinness nearly a decade ago. The quest to shave millimeters off devices resulted in worse battery life, extra heat and more limited features. So what gives? On a certain level, just like fashion, older trends can over time become fresh and stylish again. Additionally, after phones made the transition to 5G — which required extra power, more complex modems and larger antennas — modern components have started shrinking again, essentially paving the way for the return of slimmer handsets. But then it hit me. While thinness may be the most striking thing about the Galaxy S25 Edge, that's not enough to justify the creation of a whole new device. Instead, I believe this phone is a part of a larger mission by Samsung to make the middle child of its flagship mobile lineup a more appealing member of the family. And when viewed in that light, I actually think it's largely a success. Design Now don't get me wrong, despite my gripes about how thinner phones are less practical, the S25 Edge is beautifully designed. At just 5.8mm thick (0.23 inches), it feels impossibly sleek. What might be even more impressive is that Samsung hasn't sacrificed durability to get here either. Just like the S25 Ultra, the Edge features a titanium frame, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and an even stronger Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 panel covering its display. The one difference is that the Edge's screen has a glossy finish instead of matte like on the Ultra because — and I kid you not — Samsung says an anti-reflective coating would have increased its thickness. Kudos to sticking to a strict design philosophy, because in terms of sheer feel and aesthetics, S25 Edge is undeniably enchanting. Sam Rutherford for Engadget However, while the S25 Edge shares some characteristics with the Ultra, like its frame and main camera, at least when it comes to its overall size, it's really more of a refreshed take on the S25+. It has the same 6.7-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate that's just as vibrant and wonderfully colorful as before. Although it does weigh a bit less at 163 grams or 5.75 ounces versus the S25+ (190g or 6.7 oz). Performance Like the rest of the S25 family, the Edge is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip with 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. Despite the compact dimensions, Samsung still found room to squeeze a vapor chamber inside to prevent throttling and overheating. So even when pushed, the back of the phone rarely got more than lukewarm while delivering strong performance as I was gaming, multitasking or doing pretty much anything else you can think of. Cameras Sam Rutherford for Engadget The other major departure from the S25+'s basic template is that the Edge features the 200MP main sensor from the Ultra, along with a 12MP ultra-wide cam. But there's no dedicated zoom. Now at first, I was a bit upset because I think any phone this expensive should have a telephoto lens. That said, the massive amount of pixels the Edge's primary sensor can capture means you have quite a bit of freedom to crop in without degrading image quality. You just need to remember to tell the camera to shoot in full 200MP mode instead of the standard 12MP setting. One other small change is that Edge features a slightly wider-angle 12MP selfie cam than the S25+ and Ultra, which allows you to fit more people in group shots, but that's really the main difference. In general use, the S25 Edge takes great pics. Colors are rich and details are crisp, though you still get Samsung's slightly oversaturated hues and warmer tones. The same goes for low-light shots. For this review, instead of comparing it to a Pixel or iPhone, I pitted the Edge against the Motorola Razr Ultra. I feel like both are attempting to woo people who want a sleek and stylish device, but they are doing it in very different ways. What immediately jumped out is that foldable phones (at least the Razr) still lag behind more traditional glass bricks, even ones as thin as the Edge. In nearly every shot, Samsung's handset produced brighter, sharper and better-exposed images than Motorola's. So if you're the kind of person who wants a compact phone without needing to sacrifice image quality, the S25 Edge is a stronger pick. Battery life The biggest trade-off when making a phone this skinny is having less room for its battery. As such, the S25 Edge has the smallest power pack in the family at 3,900 mAh, which is 100mAh less than what’s in a base S25. This led to a time of just 25 hours and 59 minutes on our local video rundown test. That's not terrible, but it is three and a half hours less than what we got from the S25 Ultra (29:27) and two hours worse than a standard S25. For those who care a lot about longevity, you have been warned. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Thankfully, the S25 Edge still has support for wireless charging at an acceptable 15 watts, though its wired speeds are just average at 25 watts. However, as the phone is merely "Qi2 ready," anyone who wants to use compatible magnetic wireless accessories will need to buy a case or an adhesive mount with a built-in magnet, because there isn't one inside the phone itself. Wrap-up The S25 Edge is a divisive phone. I still don't fully grasp the desire to make modern phones thinner than they already are. Particularly if you're like most folks and you throw the thing in a case as soon as you get it (even when accounting for Samsung's new super slim option). Shaving off an extra 1.5mm over the standard S25 doesn't really make a tangible difference in how you use it, unless you consider the phone's reduced battery life a good thing. Sam Rutherford for Engadget But as an alternative to the humdrum S25+, suddenly things get a lot more interesting. Samsung's previous middle child costs significantly more than a base S25, but it doesn't have the fancy features like a super high-res main camera or a titanium frame like you get on the S25 Ultra. Really, the S25+'s most attractive feature is a nicely-sized 6.7-inch screen. Now here's where the Galaxy S25 Edge comes in. It has all of those things alongside a super thin and wonderfully crafted chassis for the same $1,100 starting price as the S25+. Yes, Samsung sacrificed some battery capacity and the phone's dedicated zoom to get here, but those aren't straight-up dealbreakers. That's because with the Edge, the new in-between member of Samsung's flagship mobile family is more than just skinny — it has a stylish identity that can stand on its own.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s25-edge-review-more-than-just-super-thin-180042172.html?src=rss

Even though Apple DID make a 5.3mm iPad Pro, let’s just remember that they didn’t have as much success slimming down their keyboards. Remember the infamous butterfly keys on the MacBooks of 2015? Well, after that travesty, Apple just went back to what worked – relying on good-old scissor switches that resulted in a marginally thicker, yet more practical and functional device. At just 8 millimeters thick, the ‘mikefive’ doesn’t look like it should be real—let alone functional. But it is. It’s 37% slimmer than Apple’s Magic Keyboard and still manages to pack in 1.8mm of key travel, tactile mechanical switches, wireless connectivity, and a cyberpunk-grade metal chassis. It’s the kind of gear that looks like it came from a movie prop shop specializing in dystopian sci-fi—only it types better than most of what’s on your desk. The mastermind behind it is Reddit user dynam1keNL, an industrial product designer who clearly decided the mechanical keyboard rabbit hole didn’t go deep enough. Built from scratch around Kailh’s obscure PG1316 laptop switches, the mikefive is what happens when obsessive design meets precision engineering. The custom transparent caps, the CNC-machined aluminum chassis, the completely flush PCB layout—it’s all been meticulously dialed in to create a keyboard that doesn’t just challenge what a mechanical board can be. It redefines it. Designer: dynam1keNL To start, the mikefive is built around the Kailh PG1316 switches—a lesser-known, laptop-style mechanical switch that isn’t just slim, it’s shockingly tactile. These things have a travel of 1.8mm, and despite their wafer-thin profile, they pack a surprisingly aggressive tactile bump. It’s a bold choice that bucks the trend of soft, mushy low-profile inputs. You feel every keypress, and not in a nagging way—more like a firm handshake with every letter. The design language leans into a sleek cyberpunk aesthetic: a CNC-machined aluminum chassis that feels like it belongs on the deck of a spaceship, paired with transparent keycaps that hint at the internals while catching ambient light like crystal circuitry. The keycaps are proprietary, square-shaped, and clear, subtly marked with mold letters from the inside. What makes this keyboard doubly fascinating is that it isn’t some big brand prototype or crowdfunding darling, it’s a homebrew labor of love from a designer-engineer with a background in industrial product design. The entire board, including its impossibly compact controller and 301230 battery, is laid out like a masterclass in minimalism. The switch mounts directly to the PCB with no pins poking through, letting the board itself double as the bottom plate. Both halves of the unibody design are angled 15 degrees for comfort, creating a total ergonomic tilt of 30 degrees. The bottom edge has been subtly shaved down near the thumb cluster to avoid interference. And while there’s a slight warp on one end from hotplate soldering (just old-fashioned human error), it’s barely a blemish on an otherwise refined build. Despite its experimental nature, the keyboard’s wireless connection (courtesy of a nicenano v2) works flawlessly, even with the metal chassis surrounding the internals. Clever placement of the Bluetooth antenna and strategic removal of ground planes near it help the signal escape. Typing on the mikefive is a tactile revelation. Coming from linear switches, the force required by the PG1316s might be a shock, but there’s a tactile clarity here that’s hard to ignore. And when you realize your wrists aren’t straining after hours of use, the ultra-low height starts to feel like a long-overdue standard. The post Ultra-Slim Cyberpunk Keyboard is 37% slimmer than Apple’s own Magic Keyboard first appeared on Yanko Design.

not enough Paris Agreement target won’t protect polar ice sheets, scientists warn Calls for a more ambitious climate goal are rising as Earth hits several tipping points. Bob Berwyn, Inside Climate News – May 21, 2025 11:35 am | 21 A slurry mix of sand and seawater is pumped via barge onto the main public beach during a sand replenishment project along eroding shoreline on November 21, 2024, in San Clemente, California. Credit: Mario Tama / Getty Images A slurry mix of sand and seawater is pumped via barge onto the main public beach during a sand replenishment project along eroding shoreline on November 21, 2024, in San Clemente, California. Credit: Mario Tama / Getty Images Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers climate, energy, and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. Sea levels in some parts of the world could be rising by as much as 8 to 12 inches per decade within the lifetime of today’s youngest generations, outpacing the ability of many coastal communities to adapt, scientists warned in a new study published this week. The research by an international team of sea level and polar ice experts suggests that limiting warming to 2.7° Fahrenheit (1.5° Celsius) above the pre-industrial temperature—the Paris Climate Agreement’s target—isn’t low enough to prevent a worst-case meltdown of Earth’s polar ice sheets. A better target for maintaining a safe climate, at least for the long term, might be closer to 1.8° Fahrenheit, said Durham University geographer and glacier expert Chris Stokes, a co-author of the new paper. “There have been a couple of quite high-profile papers recently, including a synthesis in Nature looking at safe planetary boundaries,” he said. “They made the argument that 1° Celsius is a better goal. And a couple of other papers have come out suggesting that we need a stricter temperature limit or a long-term goal. And I think the evidence is building towards that.” It’s not a new argument, he said, noting that climate research predating the first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report in 1990 already highlighted the high risks of more than 1° C of warming. “Those studies were saying, ‘We’re warming. We really don’t want to go past 1°. We really don’t want to exceed 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide,’” he said. “Because we know what could happen looking at past warm periods and at simple calculations of ice sheet mass balance. And, you know, 30 years later, 40 years later, here we are seeing the problem.” Scientific calls for a more ambitious long-term climate goal are rising just as Earth’s average global temperature has breached the Paris Agreement target of 1.5° C of warming over the pre-industrial level nearly every consecutive month for the past two years. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has reached a concentration of 430 ppm, a 50 percent increase over pre-industrial levels. But missing those goals doesn’t diminish the importance of potentially revising the target, for which the Paris Agreement includes a review mechanism, Stokes said. Even if the global temperature overshoots the 1.5° mark, it’s important to know for the long term how much it would have to be lowered to return to a safe climate range. The new study focused on how melting polar ice masses drives sea level rise by combining evidence from past warm periods that were similar to the present, measurements of how much ice is being lost under the present level of warming, and projections of how much ice would be lost at different warming levels over the next few centuries. Sea level rise of several inches per decade would likely overwhelm adaptation efforts by many coastal communities in the US, said co-author Andrea Dutton, a geoscientist and sea level expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Coastal communities that are adapting to and preparing for future sea level rise are largely adapting to the amount of sea level rise that has already occurred,” she said. In a best-case scenario, she added, they are preparing for sea level rise at the current rate of a few millimeters per year, while the research suggests that rate will double within decades. The last time atmospheric carbon dioxide was at a concentration similar to now was in the mid-Pliocene warm period, just over 3 million years ago, when average global sea level rose 35 to 70 feet higher than today over the course of thousands of years. But the current rate of warming is far faster than any other time identified in the geological record. How the ice sheets will respond to warming at that speed is not clear, but nearly every new study in the past few decades has shown changes in the Arctic happening faster than expected. The United States’ ability to prepare for sea level rise is also profoundly threatened by the cuts to federal science agencies and staffing, Dutton said. The current cuts to science research, the retraction of funds already promised to communities through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the abandonment of the congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment, and changes to federal rules on air pollution “collectively threaten our ability to project future sea level rise, to prepare our communities, and to mitigate climate change and stem the rate at which sea-level is rising,” she said via email. Many researchers are working closely with coastal communities, but as federal grants continue to get cut, these collaborations will founder, she added. “The ice sheets won’t care what different political parties ‘believe’ about climate change,” she said. “Like it or not, they are simply at the mercy of rising temperatures.” The mass of ice lost from the polar ice sheets has quadrupled since the 1990s, and they are currently losing around 370 billion metric tons of ice per year, said co-author Jonathan Bamber, a physicist at the University of Bristol who focuses on studying how Earth’s frozen regions interact with the rest of the climate system. “We switched on some new technology 30 years ago, and we discovered that the ice sheets are responding with a large amplitude and rather rapidly,” he said. The extent of the changes to the ice sheet are much greater than models had ever suggested they would be, he noted. “That was a bit of a shock for the whole community.” Most of the climate models of the past three decades projected only about half as much melting as has actually been observed during that time, he said. That suggests the “safe operating zone for humanity is about 350 ppm” of atmospheric carbon dioxide, corresponding to about 1° C of warming. “I think we’ve known for a long time that we’re interfering with the climate system in a very dangerous way,” he said. “And one of the points of our paper is to demonstrate that one part of the climate system, the ice sheets, are showing some very disturbing signals right now.” Some of the most vulnerable places are far from any melting ice sheets, including Belize City, home to about 65,000 people, where just 3 feet of sea level rise would swamp 500 square miles of land. In some low-lying tropical regions around the equator, sea level is rising three times as fast as the global average. That’s because the water is expanding as it warms, and as the ice sheets melt, their gravitational pull is reduced, allowing more water to flow away from the poles toward the equator. “At low latitudes, it goes up more than the average,” Bamber said. “It’s bad news for places like Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, and the Nile Delta.” Global policymakers need to be more aware of the effects of a 1.5° C temperature increase, Ambassador Carlos Fuller, long-time climate negotiator for Belize, said of the new study. Belize already moved its capital inland, but its largest city will be inundated at just 1 meter of sea-level rise, he said. “Findings such as these only sharpen the need to remain within the 1.5° Paris Agreement limit, or as close as possible, so we can return to lower temperatures and protect our coastal cities,” Fuller said. While the new study is focused on ice sheets, Durham University’s Stokes notes that recent research shows other parts of the Earth system are already at, or very near, tipping points that are irreversible on a timescale relevant to human civilizations. That includes changes to freshwater systems and ocean acidification. “I think somebody used the analogy that it’s like you’re wandering around in a dark room,” he said. “You know there’s a monster there, but you don’t know when you’re going to encounter it. It’s a little bit like that with these tipping points. We don’t know exactly where they are. We may have even crossed them, and we do know that we will hit them if we keep warming.” Bob Berwyn, Inside Climate News 21 Comments

What’s the Best Way to Cut Onions Without Crying? New Research Suggests That Thin, Sharp Blades Are Key to Minimizing Tears For a new study, physicists visualized and quantified the tear-producing droplets that get expelled from onions when they’re cut New research suggests using a thin, sharp knife and cutting slowly could help prevent crying while cutting onions. Pexels From wearing goggles to rubbing the knife with lemon juice, home cooks have come up with a wide variety of clever tricks to keep themselves from crying while cutting onions in the kitchen. Now, physicists have come up with another possible solution. Using a sharp knife while making slow, controlled cuts seems to be the best way to minimize the spray of tear-producing compounds in onions, according to a new study. The paper has been published on the preprint server arXiv and has not yet been peer reviewed. Scientists know why onions make us cry: When cut, these spherical alliums produce a chemical that stimulates the nerves responsible for producing tears. The volatile, irritating compound is called syn-propanethial-S-oxide. But, recently, a team of physicists decided to explore the underlying mechanisms at play when syn-propanethial-S-oxide gets released from onions. Using techniques known as high-speed particle tracking velocimetry and digital image correlation, they were able to visualize and count droplets as they were being expelled from cut onions, per IFLScience’s Russell Moul. They also studied the onions themselves, making note of strain and deformations on the flesh during chopping. To start, the team gathered fresh onions from local vendors, cut them into halves or quarters, then coated them in black spray paint. (This step made it easier for them to see and track what was happening when the alliums got cut.) Then, they set up a high-speed camera and started chopping. “Cutting is a really strange process,” says Anne Juel, a physicist at the University of Manchester who was not involved with the research, to NewScientist’s Alex Wilkins. “We cut things with knives every day, but to cut something, you need to go down to the atomic scale.” Using a custom guillotine, the researchers experimented with cutting speeds ranging from 1.3 and 6.5 feet per second and blade thicknesses between 5 and 200 millimeters. They changed the steel blades manually and modified the speed by adjusting the height of the blade, which was released from above. By analyzing the footage from the high-speed camera, they could investigate the dynamics of tear-producing particles that sprayed out from the onion as it was cut. The thinner, sharper blades produced fewer droplets that moved more slowly and with less energy, they found. Meanwhile, the thicker, duller blades caused an explosion of high-speed particles that moved at up to 141 feet per second. This is because the dull blade initially bent the onion skin, which caused pressure to build up inside. When the blade finally sliced through, it released all that built-up energy and sent onion juice flying. Then, once the particles were in the air, they also fragmented into smaller pieces to create “an even more diffuse mist of all-natural mace,” writes Andrew Paul for Popular Science. The duller blades produced as much as 40 times more particles than the sharper blades. Faster cutting speeds produced up to four times as many droplets as slower speeds. This suggests that the best way to minimize tear-producing chemicals while chopping onions is to cut slowly with a thin, sharp knife. However, the researchers did not test this theory in their experiments, per NewScientist. Refrigerated onions released a “noticeably larger volume” of droplets compared to room-temperature onions, the researchers write. Pixabay Home cooks are often advised to chill their onions before cutting them to minimize crying. So, the researchers also experimented with onions that had been refrigerated for 12 hours. However, in their tests, the refrigerated onions released a “noticeably larger volume” of droplets compared to room-temperature onions. Preventing tears while cutting onions might seem like a trivial research topic. But the scientists say their work could also have important implications for food safety. The fragmented droplets that spray out of raw foods while they’re being cut could contribute to the spread of disease-causing pathogens, the researchers write in the paper. “Ejected droplets can come into direct contact with contaminated blades or carry surface-borne pathogens as they leave the food surface,” they write. “Lighter droplets [are] readily suspended and can be transported by ambient air currents, thereby posing a potential risk for airborne transmission.” Keeping knife blades sharp, then, might be an easy way to help reduce food-borne illnesses, they posit. “Sharper blades reduce not only the number of droplets but also their speed and kinetic energy,” the scientists write in the paper. “This is particularly relevant for fruits and vegetables, which can carry food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella.” Many other recent research projects have attempted to use science to solve everyday problems. Scientists have visualized the plume of aerosolized particles ejected from commercial toilets during flushing, and some are even coming up with new urinal designs to help reduce urine splashing. And in the realm of enhancing food, Italian physicists came up with the perfect cacio e pepe recipe, while others have figured out the best way to make pour-over coffee and boil an egg. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. More about: Food Food Science New Research Physics

Cases News Noctua Case x Antec Flux Pro, New Antec 900, & High Airflow CasesMay 20, 2025Last Updated: 2025-05-20We take a look at the new Antec x Noctua case along with Antec’s new 900 chassisThe HighlightsAntec and Noctua are partnering to make the Antec Flux Pro with NF-A12 G2 and NF-A14 G2 fans, 6 total, for a high airflow PC case with brown accentsAntec also showed off its new Antec 900 case, which uses a lot of aluminum and will have a variant that will come with 200mm Noctua fansTable of ContentsAutoTOC Grab a GN15 All-Over Print Component Mouse Mat for a high-quality mousing surface that'll fit your keyboard & mouse. These mouse mats use a high-quality yellow rubber underside, a blue stitched border for fray resistance, and are covered in PC parts. This is the best way to support our work and keeps us ad-free to support consumer-first reviews!IntroWe visited Antec’s booth at Computex where the company is showing off 2 new cases. Antec X Noctua Flux ProThe first case is a new version of the Antec Flux Pro, which we’ve previously reviewed. What makes it different is that it’s made in collaboration with Noctua and comes with Noctua’s fans.Editor's note: This was originally published on May 19, 2025 as a video. This content has been adapted to written format for this article and is unchanged from the original publication.CreditsHost, WritingSteve BurkeCamera, Video EditingMike GaglioneVitalii MakhnovetsWriting, Web EditingJimmy ThangThis is an interesting case because the Flux Pro was already a thermal chart topper and now the company is adding very expensive, but very high performing fans to it. We’re looking forward to testing it. In terms of changes Antec has made, besides changing the fans, they’ve added the word Noctua to it. The panel covering is also different. Antec tells us that the steel brown paneling on the case was difficult to match with Noctua’s brown hue. In general, we’ve heard that color matching for manufacturing is apparently very hard. Pretty much every factory we’ve been to has told us this. Antec told us it spent over a month trying to get the correct brown to make Noctua happy with how the color came out. It sounds like everyone is happy with the end result. Internally, the brown rubber grommets were apparently more difficult than the steel panels to be the correct shade of brown. You can’t use the same mixture between the 2 materials. The top of the power supply shroud is another steel component that is also brown. They are removable mesh inserts, which we talked about in our review of the Flux Pro. Other than the fans and color difference, the tooling of the case is the same.Noctua is also probably going to include the fan hub pictured above. There’s no ARGB support, which makes sense given their fans don’t have RGB LEDs. It’s simply an 8 PWM fan connector. The PCB has SATA power on one side. The case itself will ship with 6 fans, which is the same amount of fans that the original Flux Pro offered.    The case is the same size and layout as the original Flux Pro and has 2x120mm fans on the bottom (the original featured reverse blade fans on the bottom). The fans used here are the NF-A12 G2s, which are new fans. The rest of the case uses NF A14 G2 fans. This includes 3 of them in the front and 1 in the back. The G2 model we talked about in our NH-D15 G2 review has its fans slightly offset the RPM intentionally to try and avoid beat-frequency phenomenon and such that will create an undesirable noise. Looking at the back side panel of the case, the unit we saw had extension cables for its fans, which Noctua may also use, but that’s not certain at the moment given the build we saw is early. They’re pretty nice and we use them in our test benches. The case is essentially the same case we liked but with fans that should perform a little better or at least roughly the same with a different RPM. The price is currently TBD. The original Flux Pro is about $180 with its 6 fans. The Noctua case, however, comes with roughly $200 worth of Noctua fans. Doing the math, it seemingly adds up to a case amounting to around high $300s or $400s, we think. The case will be sold by Noctua and they are targeting a Q4 release date. The case is also supposed to include a tiny Noctua keychain. (New) Antec 900 Grab a GN15 Large Anti-Static Modmat to celebrate our 15th Anniversary and for a high-quality PC building work surface. The Modmat features useful PC building diagrams and is anti-static conductive. Purchases directly fund our work! (or consider a direct donation or a Patreon contribution!)Antec is also bringing back the Antec 900, which originally came out way back in 2006. We know a lot of people in our audience had it.  There were 2 versions of the Antec 900. The 2006 model is the one most people probably remember. It was a very different time and the case was very well liked. If they launched it today, however, it wouldn’t work. Cable management back then didn’t exist as it wasn’t really a thing yet. It did get the thermal side right as they went with larger fans and it was heavily ventilated. So the company is trying to bring that back with a TBD named Antec 900 model. The case has a lot of aluminum in it. The model at Computex also came with Noctua fans, but they’re not brown. Specifically, the case featured Noctua’s black NF-A20s, which are fans we’ve reviewed and benchmarked. They did pretty well in our testing. Antec told us it will also provide a 6-fan variant of the case with the same fans used in the original Flux Pro, which is pictured above. Antec sort of disappeared for several years in the mid 2010s and then came back with the Antec C8 (read our review), in particular, and has re-emerged on our radar. This new version of the 900 is pretty different from the old one, which is a good thing at this point. The old one was a great case but isn't anymore. There’s going to be 2 versions of the case. 1 will come with dual 200 mm fans, potentially using Noctua ones. Pricing on the case is still TBD. We imagine one with Noctua fans will cost at least $300 or so and we don’t have pricing on the model that will come with 6 fans. The case will have fan rails for its front fans. The fan rails can be offset to different locations via a couple screws. The case we saw was set up for 200mm fans but they can also be moved to accommodate 180mm, 140mm, and 120mm fans. Looking at the top panel, it uses massive holes in its design coupled with a dust filter. In some ways, this is traditional. The upside is that the actual panel itself isn’t doing a whole lot other than just providing the structure, which means it’s not really getting in the way of airflow because of how huge the holes are. It’s really going to come down to the dust filter for how much air can get through. If you’re going to use the top panel for exhaust, we would recommend pulling the dust filter off because it’s not stopping a whole lot of dust. One other thing we wanted to point out is an inner plastic on the filter as it actually ends up completely obstructing the outermost row of holes. Antec has got to cover something to get it in there and we guess that they covered the outer row on all sides to create a symmetry aesthetic. This does make it lose a little bit of accessibility. Looking at the top of the case with the filter removed, you can see that there’s partial obstruction for motherboard clearance. The top of the case can accommodate 120 or 140mm fans. The top tray is held together by a couple of removable screws, which allow you to pull it out.   Removing the glass side panel, which is a gigantic piece of glass, gives us a better look at the inside of the case and exposes the region for the possible shroud top fans. Fortunately, Antec has ventilated the bottom side panel, which is good. There’s no filter included on it so it’s just a mesh panel. Antec has also punched a bunch of holes into the bottom of the case. So if the case uses shroud top fans, they should be able to breathe.  Visit our Patreon page to contribute a few dollars toward this website's operation (or consider a direct donation or buying something from our GN Store!) Additionally, when you purchase through links to retailers on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Another thing we liked is that the dust filter is accessible and pulls out from the front. This is nice so you don’t have to pull the case away from a wall to remove it. The case also has big rubber standoffs for the power supply to sit on top of. It also has the iSHIFT PSU mount, which is also seen in Antec’s Flux series of cases.   For drives, it has 2 SSD mounts on top of the shroud and 3 on the back side of the case. The “cheese grater” of holes that you see in the image above means that it’s BTF compatible. The case also has 2 sets of grommets, which we like as it accommodates larger motherboards in case the board covers the first set of grommets. The back panel is also humongous and is perforated on the bottom, which is a good thing for breathability if there’s a shroud top fan. Our understanding is that in the 6-fan model, Antec wants to do the same exact configuration as in the Flux Pro. This means 2x120mm (probably reverse blade) on the shroud top and 4x140mm fans. The frame is aluminum and the motherboard tray is steel, which we think is .8 millimeters thick. Aluminum is very expensive. Sometimes case companies use it to employ a “premium” feel to cases. The plus side is that it makes the case a little lighter but will also make it more expensive. Currently, there are also additional tariffs on aluminum imports into the US, which could affect pricing even further. The case will be over $300. We’ll find out more probably towards the end of the year.  The last feature worth pointing out is that the front top panel with the front IO pops out. This provides access to the top, which is good for open-loop access and getting a radiator in and out.

PROS: High-quality display Expandable storage via micro-SD card NFC for contactless payment Excellent battery life CONS: No wireless charging Underwhelming zoom camera performance Mediocre ultra-wide camera RATINGS: AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:While most budget devices settle for generic designs and modest features, CMF doubles down on personality, usability, and thoughtful design. Smartphones under the $300 mark often blur together: plastic builds, uninspired aesthetics, and safe, forgettable designs. But CMF, the design-focused sub-brand of Nothing, broke that mold with the original Phone 1. Now, it’s raising the bar even further with the CMF Phone 2 Pro. From the moment you pick it up, it’s clear that CMF isn’t just chasing specs on a budget. It’s bringing back personality, purpose, and a sense of play to the affordable smartphone space. Building on the modular concept introduced with the Phone 1 and its swappable back panels, the CMF Phone 2 Pro embraces customizability and visual flair in a category that usually plays it safe. With its bold design, vibrant display, and user-focused features, it’s a refreshing reminder that budget-friendly doesn’t have to mean boring. But bold claims and striking aesthetics only go so far; what really matters is how the phone performs in everyday use. So, does the CMF Phone 2 Pro live up to the promise of offering both style and substance on a budget? Let’s dive into the details. Designer: CMF by Nothing Aesthetics The most talked-about design element of the CMF Phone 1 was its removable back panel, secured by visible screws. This immediately set it apart in a smartphone market filled with similar-looking devices. The modularity was not just for appearance. CMF offered swappable back panels, and functional accessories such as a kickstand, lanyard, and card case that could be attached using the “Accessory Point,” a screw, at the right bottom corner, which is covered with the circular element. CMF also provided CAD data, allowing users to design and create their own back panels and accessories. The CMF Phone 2 Pro retains some design cues from its predecessor, such as the plastic back panel and exposed screws, but the modular concept has been reworked. Instead of the fully removable back panel from the Phone 1, the Phone 2 Pro now features an add-on back panel with a MagSafe-like magnetic attachment (though it lacks wireless charging). Unfortunately, this means that custom back panels from the Phone 1 are not compatible with the Phone 2 Pro, which may disappoint users who valued the original’s modularity. If you’re looking for the MagSafe-like feature and don’t mind adding a bit of thickness to the device, you can opt for a magnetic case that easily snaps on and off. In contrast, the add-on back panel requires screws for attachment, making it less convenient for those who prefer quick swaps. While it lacks the same level of customization as its predecessor, the CMF Phone 2 Pro still includes the Attachment Point in the lower right corner, which is compatible with accessories like the kickstand and lanyard from the previous model. This keeps some of the continuity in terms of accessories, even if the modularity has been dialed back. The camera layout has been updated as well. Each lens is now housed in its own circular aluminum enclosure, and a third camera has been added, offering more versatility compared to the dual-camera setup on the Phone 1. With the new add-on back panel, users can attach optional macro or fisheye lenses to the main camera, expanding their creative photography options. Another new feature on the CMF Phone 2 Pro is the Essential Key, a dedicated button that allows for quick screenshot capture. These screenshots are automatically stored in the Essential Space (more on that feature later), making it easier to organize and access your media. The CMF Phone 2 Pro comes in White, Black, Light Green, and Orange. The White and Orange models feature a two-tone finish that adds extra visual interest. The Light Green variant we received has a matte reflective surface. It is a soft and pleasant shade that gives the device a clean, fresh look. Ergonomics Weighing just 185 grams and measuring only 7.8 millimeters thick, the CMF Phone 2 Pro offers a perfect balance between lightness and solid construction. The phone feels surprisingly light in hand, which I really appreciate. Its flat side frame and fully flat display contribute to a clean, modern aesthetic while enhancing ergonomics. It sits comfortably in the hand, making one-handed use easy for most users. Although the CMF Phone 2 Pro features a plastic back panel, it feels more premium than its price suggests. The attention to detail in its finish and the thoughtful design of the hardware set it apart from many other budget devices, which often compromise on materials and build quality. The matte finish of the back panel is particularly noteworthy, as it resists fingerprints and smudges, keeping the phone looking clean. As for the in-display fingerprint scanner, it’s located near the bottom edge of the screen. While it works reliably and unlocks the phone quickly, the placement may require some adjustment, especially for users with larger hands. Despite this minor quirk, the fingerprint scanner remains a convenient and functional feature overall. Performance The CMF Phone 2 features a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2392 and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It supports 10-bit color and HDR10+, and reaches a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits, with a typical brightness of 800 nits. The display also has symmetrical bezels, which is a design detail rarely seen at this price point. This contributes to a more balanced and premium look. The screen is vibrant and remains clearly visible even in bright outdoor conditions. While the phone lacks stereo speakers, this is to be expected at its price range. Under the hood, the CMF Phone 2 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset. It comes with 8 GB of RAM and offers either 128 GB or 256 GB of storage. Storage is expandable via microSD card up to 2 TB, a flexible and cost-effective solution for users seeking to enhance their device’s capabilities without significant investment. Another welcome addition is NFC, which enhances convenience for contactless payments and device pairing. On the other hand, the lack of eSIM support may be a drawback for some users. The phone runs Nothing OS 3.2 based on Android 15 right out of the box. As expected from Nothing OS, it offers a clean interface with a wide range of customization options. A useful addition is the Smart (Beta) app drawer, which automatically categorizes and organizes apps into logical groups. Always-on display is now supported as well, adding to the phone’s usability. A standout new feature is Essential Space, which first debuted on the Nothing Phone 3a series and now makes its way to CMF. It is an AI-powered hub where you can store screenshots, photos, voice memos, notes, and reminders. The AI intelligently analyzes and organizes this content, surfacing key information so you can easily access everything in one place. The CMF Phone 2 Pro features a triple-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 50 MP main camera, a 50 MP telephoto camera, and an 8 MP ultra-wide camera. It’s impressive to see a triple-camera configuration at this price point. However, the camera performance doesn’t quite live up to expectations, with the results being somewhat underwhelming. The 24mm equivalent main camera features a 1/1.57-inch sensor and an f/1.88 aperture. It captures decent photos across different lighting conditions, with a good dynamic range, though the color temperature tends to lean towards warm undertones. While the details could be sharper, the overall image quality is acceptable. In bright daylight, the shutter speed is quick, but in low-light conditions, it slows down, even when not using night mode. The 50mm equivalent 2x telephoto camera is equipped with a 1/2.88-inch sensor and an f/1.85 aperture. While it can zoom up to 20x, image quality significantly drops beyond 2x, with noticeable loss of detail. The telephoto lens struggles with color consistency and focus, even in well-lit conditions. As for the 15mm equivalent ultra-wide camera, it underperforms, but that’s to be expected at this price point. The portrait mode on the CMF Phone 2 Pro delivers surprisingly good results. It offers four different focal lengths (1x, 2x, 3x, and 4x), giving you flexibility in framing your subject. The background blur is smooth, and edge detection is fairly accurate, making for more natural-looking portraits. While it may not rival flagship devices in terms of detail and precision, the results are still impressive, with pleasing contrast and sharpness. The CMF Phone 2 Pro supports video recording up to 4K at 30 FPS with stabilization on both the main and telephoto cameras. The ultra-wide camera, however, is limited to 1080p at 60 FPS. Video quality in good lighting conditions is generally solid, but in low light, footage can appear jittery. The 16 MP front-facing camera records at up to 1080p at 60 FPS. With a robust 5,000 mAh battery, the CMF Phone 2 Pro delivers excellent battery life, easily lasting a full day of use. The 33W wired charging isn’t the fastest on the market, but it’s efficient and gets the job done. While the absence of wireless charging is understandable at this price point, the phone compensates with a handy 5W reverse charging feature via USB-C, allowing you to top up other devices when needed. Overall, the battery performance is solid and practical for everyday use. Sustainability The Panda Glass display improves durability by resisting scratches, helping the phone last longer. With an IP54 rating, it can handle light splashes and dust, which is solid for this price range, though not as durable as higher-end devices with IP68 or IP69 ratings. The battery retains over 90% of its capacity after 1,200 charging cycles, ensuring the phone lasts for years without significant degradation and reducing the need for replacements. CMF also offers three years of Android updates and six years of security updates for long-term software support. However, the removable back panel from the CMF Phone 1 has been replaced with a more traditional design, limiting repairability. While this improves the phone’s structural integrity, it sacrifices some of the modularity that was a key feature of the Phone 1. It’s also worth noting that while the Phone 1 had a non-replaceable battery, its modular design allowed for some flexibility in the phone’s upkeep. Overall, while the CMF Phone 2 Pro is built with durable materials and has a long-lasting battery, it lacks the deep eco-friendly focus and modularity seen in its predecessor. Value Priced starting at 249 GBP, the CMF Phone 2 Pro offers excellent value with its unique design, solid performance, and long battery life, making it an appealing option for budget-conscious consumers looking for a distinctive smartphone experience. While the camera may not match the capabilities of high-end devices, the overall package delivers impressive quality for its price. One downside is that the CMF Phone 2 Pro is currently only available in the U.S. through Nothing’s “US Beta Program,” similar to the CMF Phone 1. Additionally, only the 8GB/256GB version is available in the U.S., priced at $279, which may limit options for those looking for a more affordable configuration. Despite these limitations, the CMF Phone 2 Pro remains a solid choice for users seeking a distinctive smartphone experience at an affordable price. Verdict The CMF Phone 2 Pro is a rare standout in the crowded sub-$300 smartphone space. While most budget devices settle for generic designs and modest features, CMF doubles down on personality, usability, and thoughtful design. With its optional magnetic back panel, Essential Space, and vibrant AMOLED display, it offers a user experience that feels far more premium than its price tag suggests. Performance is reliable, battery life is excellent, and the playful hardware customization, while dialed back from the original, still adds charm and utility. Camera performance is a mixed bag, especially in low light, but that’s a common compromise at this price point. The phone’s build quality, ergonomic design, and extended software support make it an even more compelling choice. For users who value both form and function on a budget, the CMF Phone 2 Pro proves that affordable doesn’t have to mean ordinary. It’s not perfect, but it’s refreshingly different, and that counts for a lot. The post CMF Phone 2 Pro Review: Affordable Innovation with Style and Substance Under $300 first appeared on Yanko Design.