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This Titanium EDC Rolling Ruler Makes Your Traditional Measuring Tape Look Pathetic

Titanium has this weird gravitational pull in the EDC world. Drop the T-word into any product description and suddenly your everyday pocket tool becomes aerospace-grade, surgical-precision, heirloom-quality gear that costs three times what steel would. But here’s the thing about titanium: when it’s done right, when someone actually leverages its properties rather than just slapping it on for prestige, the material delivers on its promises. The Titaner Tiroler 2.0 rolling ruler lands squarely in that sweet spot where premium materials meet genuinely clever engineering, creating something that feels both futuristic and oddly nostalgic. You roll it across a surface, it clicks with each revolution, and suddenly measuring becomes tactile, precise, and strangely satisfying in a way that digital tools never quite manage.

The original Tiroler was already a head-turner in EDC circles, but version 2.0 feels like that iterative improvement, making it closer to being perfect. For starters, it completely solves the issue in the first version where it slipped on smooth surfaces and couldn’t measure accurately. They even conducted a crazy 500,000-meter durability test on the silicone ring. The readout window now also sits on the top instead of the bottom, allowing for direct reading during use. A louder “click” sound makes feedback multisensory, so you can pretty much measure away without obsessively looking at the display, turning the act of gauging distances into a ritualistic interaction. Finally, larger bearings and PTFE lubrication make the rolling smooth as silk, and the aerospace-grade titanium structure almost guarantees that the Tiroler 2.0 will outlast you and probably even the generation after you.

Designer: Titaner

Click Here to Buy Now: $65 $108 (40% off). Hurry, only 30/200 left! Raised over $97,000.

EDC culture has this fascinating relationship with analog tools that do digital jobs better. While your smartphone can measure distances through the camera, try getting an accurate reading on a curved surface or the circumference of a pipe. Apps work great for flat planes and straight lines, but the real world is full of contours, curves, and irregular shapes that demand physical contact. The Tiroler 2.0 thrives in exactly those situations where digital falls short, rolling smoothly over bike frames, model parts, furniture edges, or any surface that isn’t perfectly flat.

Using the Tiroler 2.0 hasn’t really changed over the years. After all, anyone who used the original had absolutely no complaints with how intuitive, fun, and accurate it was. The Tiroler 2.0 is no different – place it on any surface, roll down a given path, count the clicks, read the measurement window. Each complete revolution triggers an audible and tactile click that you can count, eliminating the guesswork that comes with bending and flexing metal measuring tapes and hoping for the best.

The Tiroler 2.0 comes in 2 sizes – a smaller variant for metric measurements, where each ‘click’ represents 10cm (or 100mm), while the slightly larger imperial Tiroler 2.0 has the clicks occur every 5 inches. Its “stress-relieving” nature also gives this measuring tool a kind of charm that makes people want to carry it around and play with it all the time. The titanium surface feels silky smooth, the bearing spins effortlessly, and that crisp “click” seems to trigger a kind of pleasure loop – it’s addictive. Titaner’s perfected the balance between utility and toyish charm, building EDC that has instant appeal. Just like their titanium pry bars and multi-tools, the Tiroler 2.0 delivers a satisfying tactile experience through precision mechanics – you might even find yourself rolling it over your desk, wall corners, or backpack just to hear that “click.”

Compared to the original version, 2.0 is not a complete overhaul – it’s the result of detailed polishing again and again. For example, moving the readout window to the top might seem like a small change, but in actual use, it’s much more convenient; the louder click responds directly to user complaints about lack of tactile feedback; the addition of PTFE lubrication and larger bearings ensures that the patented rolling mechanism remains smooth even after thousands of uses.

According to Titaner’s description, the reason they added a silicone ring in version 2.0 is because some users of version 1.0 reported that it would sometimes slide on smooth surfaces, resulting in slightly difficult measuring. The improvement now features a dual-scenario setup – use the Tiroler 2.0 with the silicone ring, or pop it off to reveal a textured rim that offers a better grip than before. Titaner’s currently running a 500,000-meter test on the silicone ring – status update, it’s still running fine.

Measuring tools occupy this weird space in design where function absolutely has to come first, but the best ones manage to make the process genuinely pleasant. The Tiroler 2.0 succeeds because it makes measuring feel like playing with a high-end fidget spinner that happens to be incredibly accurate. The titanium construction means it can handle daily pocket carry without showing wear, while the circular design eliminates the bulk and fragility of traditional rulers or measuring tapes. For makers, designers, or anyone who regularly works with their hands, this represents the kind of thoughtful engineering that makes everyday tasks better. The clicks count your progress, the titanium feels substantial without being heavy, and the whole experience turns measuring from a chore into something you’ll enjoy doing, whether for work or just as a fidget interaction to keep your brain occupied.

The Tiroler 2.0 starts at $65 for the metric variant and $76 for the slightly larger imperial variant. Sure, it’s more expensive than your standard measuring tape, but then again, your measuring tape doesn’t A. double as a fidget toy, B. look like haute EDC that you can wear too, and C. last long enough to measure the entire earth, and then get passed down to your grandchildren with minimal wear and tear. Each Tiroler 2.0 ships in an elegant gift box (making it perfect for gifting your architect/engineer/designer/tinkerer friend or family member. Although Titaner doesn’t officially offer a lifetime warranty, their past products have lasted for years without any complaints, making this one no different. Snag yours now, and the Tiroler 2.0 will ship globally starting September 2025… just weeks before World Architecture Day in October!

Click Here to Buy Now: $65 $108 (40% off). Hurry, only 30/200 left! Raised over $97,000.

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Nothing announces the CMF Watch Pro 3 – The world’s only $79 Flagship-Killer Smartwatch

I’ve got a bone to pick with the smartwatch industry. For years, we’ve been forced to choose between ridiculously priced Apple Watches with their walled garden or budget options that feel like Fisher-Price toys strapped to our wrists. Then along comes Nothing, Carl Pei’s rebellious tech outfit, with their CMF sub-brand that’s been quietly redefining what “budget” should mean. Their latest offering, the CMF Watch Pro 3, might just be the sweet spot many of us have been waiting for, a $79 smartwatch that doesn’t look or feel like a compromise, undercutting even our expectations of what a sub-$100 wearable can deliver.

The CMF Watch Pro 3 represents Nothing’s design philosophy distilled into wearable form: simplicity with personality, functionality without unnecessary frills, and quality materials that belie the price point. Nothing has always understood that good design isn’t about cramming in features or mimicking competitors; it’s about making intentional choices that enhance the user experience. This watch embodies that ethos perfectly, bringing substantial upgrades over its predecessor while maintaining an accessible price point that makes premium smartwatch features available to the masses.

Designer: CMF by Nothing

The first thing you’ll notice about the Watch Pro 3 is its gorgeous 1.43-inch AMOLED display with a crisp 466 x 466 resolution. While the 675 nits of brightness might struggle slightly in direct sunlight, it’s more than adequate for most daily situations. Nothing has opted for a cleaner approach this time around, with a metal case featuring flat frames available in light gray, dark gray, or the signature Nothing-esque orange accents that stand out in a sea of boring black wearables. The IP68 water resistance rating means you’re protected against splashes and rain, though Nothing doesn’t officially recommend taking it swimming. The minimalist aesthetic carries through the UI as well, with clean typography and a library of over 120 watch faces to personalize your experience.

Battery life has always been the Achilles heel of smartwatches, forcing users into nightly charging rituals that feel like technological handcuffs. The CMF Watch Pro 3 breaks those chains with up to 13 days of battery life under normal use, and an astounding 60 days when power-saving mode is activated. This performance comes courtesy of a 350 mAh battery that punches well above its weight class. For context, that’s roughly three times what you’d get from an Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch under normal use. The extended battery life fundamentally changes how you interact with a smartwatch, transforming it from another device that demands daily attention to something that quietly serves you without constant maintenance.

Under the hood, Nothing has equipped the Watch Pro 3 with a heart rate monitor and SpO2 sensor for basic health tracking. While not as comprehensive as some premium offerings, these sensors cover the essentials that most users actually care about. The watch supports 131 sports modes with automatic recognition for popular activities like running and cycling. The integrated GPS module is particularly impressive at this price point, providing route tracking without needing to carry your phone. This feature alone typically adds $50+ to the price of competing smartwatches, making its inclusion here remarkable. The watch also counts steps, monitors calories burned, and can be set to provide hydration and wake-up reminders to keep you on track throughout your day.

What truly separates Nothing’s approach from other budget wearables is the attention to software experience and cross-platform compatibility. The CMF Watch Pro 3 works with both Android and iOS devices, a flexibility that many competitors lack. The inclusion of speakers and microphones for Bluetooth calling functionality allows you to take calls directly from your wrist when your phone is nearby. The companion app is clean, intuitive, and refreshingly free of the subscription paywalls that have infected much of the wearable ecosystem. Nothing has built a reputation for consistent firmware updates that actually improve functionality over time, suggesting the Watch Pro 3 will get better with age rather than becoming obsolete shortly after purchase.

At just $79, the CMF Watch Pro 3 represents an almost unreasonable value proposition in today’s market. It outperforms competitors at twice the price while maintaining the distinctive design language that has made Nothing a darling of the tech design community. Carl Pei’s vision of creating products that challenge industry norms without bankrupting consumers continues to materialize in meaningful ways. The Watch Pro 3 isn’t trying to be an Apple Watch killer; it’s carving its own path by focusing on what actually matters to users: battery life, display quality, fitness tracking, and thoughtful design. For anyone seeking a capable smartwatch without the premium price tag, the CMF Watch Pro 3 isn’t merely a viable option; it’s rapidly becoming the obvious choice in a crowded market of overpriced alternatives.

The post Nothing announces the CMF Watch Pro 3 – The world’s only $79 Flagship-Killer Smartwatch first appeared on Yanko Design.

From Pop Star to Furniture Empire: David King’s Design Philosophy That Built King Living

David King’s journey from 1960s pop star to furniture mogul represents one of the most unconventional paths in design history. At age 16, King was part of the psych-pop band King Fox, whose 1969 hit “Unforgotten Dreams” became a Top 5 hit in Sydney, charting for over four months. After the band split, he shifted to furniture, establishing King Living in 1977 alongside his mother, Gwen King, creating foam furniture at home and selling it at Sydney’s Paddy’s Markets.

Designer: King Living

King can trace the decades by the configuration of Australia’s living rooms, as he tells The Sydney Morning Herald’s Jessica Yun. The 1960s and ’70s were all modular furniture and “conversation pits.” During the recession of the early 1990s, Australians stayed indoors and preferred more traditional two-seaters and armchairs. Natural leather and adjustable backs were all the rage. Some things, though, never go out of fashion. “Australians want comfort,” King said. “You live your life on these things. You spend the best moments of your life on a sofa.” His philosophy is direct: “Why would you buy a bit of generic rubbish to spend the best hours of your life? I wouldn’t do it. So we just tried to make better and better furniture.”

Learning from Street-Side Failures to Inform Better Design

King’s design education was unconventional and driven by direct, practical exploration rather than formal classroom training. He and his mother Gwen began creating foam furniture at home and selling it at Sydney’s Paddy’s Markets, marking the humble start of what would become King Living. King was struck by the amount of broken, discarded furniture on Sydney’s streets and used this as a learning tool to understand structural failures.

“The way we studied furniture was looking at what people were throwing away,” he said. His early research included studying discarded furniture at second-hand stores and op-shops, analyzing why pieces failed and designing to avoid those weaknesses, especially with timber frames. “Most furniture is timber frames. They break or they creak. The webbing goes saggy and the seats are soggy, or the fabric’s torn, and Mum and I wanted to make something that would last.”

This investigative approach fundamentally shaped King Living’s product philosophy and innovative features. The company’s designs specifically address structural weaknesses King identified in conventional furniture. It led to the luxury seat-suspension inspired by luxury car seats and protected by a patent that forms the foundation of his popular, and pricy, modular sofa ranges such as the Jasper or Delta.

King’s mother provided the philosophical foundation that guides the company’s quality standards. “My mother always said, ‘If you want to do something, do it well first time.’ That’s how we’re set up,” King recalls. His father was a judge and his mother a “very elegant woman.” This mother-son partnership became the foundation for King Living’s global success.

Premium Positioning and the Graduation Market

King Living’s success at the top end owes its continuity to outlasting some of the Australian furniture brands that have faded into obscurity. The company focuses on delivering the best of the best if customers can afford to pay. Priced about $6000 for a three-seater couch, most customers can’t buy a King Living sofa until their mid-30s, when they’re looking to “graduate” from their pre-loved, poorer-quality furniture that has started falling apart.

“I want something, you realise it’s got to be something that’s going to last,” King said. “And people always ask me if a lounge is expensive. But the issue is not whether it’s expensive – it’s value for money.” There’s even for people who can afford it, a perception that “these sofas are out of the market,” he said. “I prefer to be on the side of the value for money, because that’s why people buy Kings.”

“They think it’s the Rolls-Royce of furniture, but how do you appeal to the younger market?” King questions. When asked if that’s how he wants King Living to be seen, he responds: “We think we can do that, and then we think we always do that.”

The company generated approximately $343.5 million AUD in total revenue in 2024, demonstrating the viability of premium positioning in the furniture industry.

Strategic Global Expansion Without Compromising Quality

The business is working on expanding its range “without compromising.” “We cannot make a product that isn’t brilliant, that people don’t love,” he said. “We never go into super luxury, quite expensive stuff, but people expect that of us.”

By the end of the year, King Living will have 40 showrooms around the world. Half of these are in Australia, which last year sold $208.7 million worth of furniture, 7.8 per cent more than the year beforehand. The rest are overseas, in Singapore, Canada and the US. Britain, Canada and the US are priority markets. Japan is also planned for 2026.

There are currently two King Living stores in the US, with a new showroom in Los Angeles opening later this year. “It’s like playing a big game of chess,” King said. King Living’s slower approach to its global rollout has largely met success, even where it wasn’t expected.

You’ll find a King Living showroom in Calgary, Canada, where it doesn’t seem to make sense for its population of 1.7 million until you learn that a quarter of its population migrates south for six months of the year and people spend more time indoors in the northern hemisphere.

There were plenty of moments of doubt opening in London and Vancouver were some of them. “I always get that feeling: Have I done the wrong thing here? Is this wrong?”

Singapore Expansion and Market Understanding

As preparations were made to launch in Singapore in 2015, King Living’s international market research had found locals preferred European design and smaller furniture to fit their smaller apartments. Despite this research, King Living proceeded with their established approach and found success in the Singapore market, validating the company’s belief in the global appeal of quality comfort furniture.

King Living Singapore has become an established part of the company’s international presence, with David King quoted as being “thrilled to expand the KING offering in Singapore” and expressing excitement about the community response and demand for King Living’s philosophy.

Legacy-Minded Design Philosophy

King’s preferred style of ruling has always been gentle yet old fashioned. A former talent coordinator for Young Talent Time and a former child pop star, he recalls a time when his father was a judge and his mother a “very elegant woman.”

King believes furniture isn’t about filling space but about shaping how people live. The business has grown through product quality and word-of-mouth rather than flashy advertising. King isn’t aiming for quick exits or IPOs but sees King Living as a multi-generational design house.

Questions We’d Love to Explore with David King for our Yanko Design readers and aspiring designers:

Unconventional Design Education:

Your systematic analysis of discarded furniture at op-shops and on Sydney streets provided unique insights into failure patterns. How would you advise young designers to develop this investigative approach to understanding product weaknesses?

Mother-Son Partnership:

Your mother Gwen was your business partner from the Paddy’s Markets days and provided the ‘do it well first time’ philosophy. How did this family collaboration shape King Living’s approach to quality and customer relationships?

Design Philosophy:

You describe furniture as a ‘life partner’ and focus on pieces built to last decades. How does this long-term thinking inform your technical design decisions and engineering innovations?

Market Positioning:

You’ve successfully positioned King Living as the ‘Rolls-Royce of furniture’ while growing from weekend markets to global showrooms. What advice would you give designers about premium positioning without losing authenticity?

Manufacturing Strategy:

Your vertical integration approach is rare in furniture. How does controlling the entire process from design to retail impact your ability to address the structural failures you identified in conventional furniture?

Global Expansion:

Your Singapore success contradicted market research predictions. How do you balance cultural adaptation with maintaining the core quality principles developed through your street-side furniture analysis?

Sustainability:

Your focus on repairability and modular design addresses the throwaway furniture problems you observed. How do you see the furniture industry evolving toward more sustainable practices?

Legacy Building:

You’re building King Living as a multi-generational design house rather than seeking quick exits. What principles guide decisions when thinking in decades rather than quarters?

These insights reveal how unconventional education methods, family partnerships, and systematic problem analysis can create sustainable competitive advantages in mature industries.

Sources: The Sydney Morning Herald, “King reigns supreme with upmarket furniture showroom growth plans” by Jessica Yun, July 18, 2025; The Sydney Morning Herald Business & Entrepreneurship, “‘You live your life on these things’: The King assembling the Rolls-Royce of furniture,” July 11, 2025; King Living company records and verified industry sources

The post From Pop Star to Furniture Empire: David King’s Design Philosophy That Built King Living first appeared on Yanko Design.

Tiny Vertical Cabin In Chile’s Rainforest: The Ultimate Vacation Escape For Nature Lovers

Deep within Chile’s Valdivian rainforest, where ancient trees form cathedral-like canopies and humidity permeates every surface, Tomás de Iruarrizaga has designed something captivating. The Calfuco Refuge stands as a 50-square-meter testament to architectural restraint and environmental sensitivity. Positioned near Valdivia on the Pacific coast, this compact structure gives a whole new meaning to the concept of a holiday retreat. Its sharp, geometric form cuts through the organic chaos of the forest with surgical precision. The building functions as a sanctuary and statement, redefining what it means to inhabit such a delicate ecosystem.

Iruarrizaga conceived the refuge as a slender tower, a vertical prism that soars above the forest floor on concrete supports. This isn’t just aesthetic bravado—the elevated stance serves multiple functions with elegant efficiency. The angular geometry creates a stark dialogue with the rounded, organic forms surrounding it, establishing the structure as an intentional counterpoint to the natural world. The prismatic form maximizes interior volume while minimizing ground contact, preserving the forest’s integrity. Northern light floods the interior through carefully positioned openings, transforming the compact space into a luminous retreat.

Designer: Tomás de Iruarrizaga

The concrete pillar foundation system elevates the entire structure, creating a protective barrier against the region’s persistent moisture while reducing environmental impact. This ensures that the forest floor remains largely undisturbed, preserving natural drainage patterns and root systems. The minimal ground footprint allows the cabin to coexist with sensitive ecosystems without compromise. The supports anchor the building firmly while allowing it to float above the landscape like a geometric bird perched among the trees. Wind flows beneath the structure, preventing moisture accumulation and ensuring longevity in this humid climate.

Inside, laurel wood transforms the interior into a warm, tactile environment that contrasts beautifully with the building’s stark exterior. Every surface serves multiple purposes, echoing the efficiency found in yacht design, where space is precious and functionality paramount. Built-in furnishings maximize usable area while creating seamless transitions between different zones. The exposed wooden ribs and structural elements become decorative features, celebrating the construction process rather than hiding it. Natural light plays across the wood surfaces, creating an ever-changing interior atmosphere throughout the day.

The refuge unfolds across two precisely orchestrated levels, each serving different functions while maintaining spatial continuity. The ground floor houses essential private zones—a compact entry sequence that flows seamlessly into bedrooms and bathroom facilities, with stairs ascending like a sculptural spine.

This lower level forms cocoon-like spaces for retreat from the forest’s overwhelming sensory richness. The upper level transforms into the center of daily life, where the kitchen and living areas merge into a single, open expanse. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the canopy at eye level, bringing inhabitants into direct dialogue with the treetops.

The refuge’s spatial organization is proof of exceptional planning within severe constraints. Each square meter works harder than in conventional buildings, with furniture that folds, surfaces that transform, and storage that integrates invisibly into walls and floors. The vertical orientation allows for distinct zones—sleeping, cooking, relaxing—while maintaining visual continuity throughout the space. Windows frame specific views of the surrounding forest, turning the landscape into a living artwork. The compact plan eliminates wasted circulation space, ensuring every inch contributes to the occupant’s experience.

The Calfuco Refuge is more than a successful holiday retreat; it creates new possibilities for sensitive site intervention. Iruarrizaga has shown us how contemporary architecture can respect environmental constraints while pushing formal boundaries. The vertical cabin serves as evidence that small-scale projects can carry profound architectural significance. Its influence extends beyond its modest footprint, offering lessons about restraint, functionality, and the poetry possible when form serves both human needs and ecological responsibility.

FAQs

1. What are the benefits of a vertical compact cabin for vacation retreats?

A vertical compact cabin offers a unique blend of efficiency and immersion in nature, making it ideal for vacation retreats. Its small footprint minimizes environmental impact, preserving the natural landscape while maximizing usable interior space. The vertical design allows for distinct living zones on separate levels, enhancing privacy and comfort. Elevated above the forest floor, these cabins often provide better views, increased natural light, and improved protection from moisture. The result is a retreat that feels spacious, sustainable, and deeply connected to its surroundings.

2. How does a vertical cabin design enhance the experience of staying in a forest or nature setting?

The vertical cabin’s design brings guests into direct dialogue with the forest canopy, offering panoramic views and a sense of elevation among the trees. Floor-to-ceiling windows and open-plan living spaces frame the surrounding landscape, turning nature into a living artwork. The compact, multi-level layout creates cozy, cocoon-like spaces for rest while maintaining openness in shared areas. This architectural style heightens the sensory experience of the forest—light, sound, and scenery—making each stay feel both intimate and extraordinary.

3. What should I consider when building or renting a vertical compact cabin for a getaway?

When building or renting a vertical compact cabin, consider factors like site sensitivity, material choices, and interior functionality. Look for designs that use sustainable materials and minimize ground disturbance, such as elevated concrete supports. Interior layouts should maximize space with built-in furnishings and multi-functional zones. Natural light, ventilation, and views are essential for comfort and ambiance. Finally, ensure the cabin’s location offers the tranquility and immersion in nature you seek for a memorable retreat experience.

The post Tiny Vertical Cabin In Chile’s Rainforest: The Ultimate Vacation Escape For Nature Lovers first appeared on Yanko Design.

Google Pixel Headphones concept with Gemini AI compete directly with AirPods Max and Nothing Headphone (1)

Is it just me or has Google sort of dropped the ball on its audio hardware range? The company hasn’t updated its Nest smart speaker lineup in more than 4 years, and it’s only ever made tiny improvements to its Pixel Buds TWS earphones. The Pixel Tab was supposed to be a spiritual successor to the smart speaker (with its docking station), but I can venture a guess that Google’s barely sold any. Not to mention the fact that their current product offering has a gaping headphone-shaped void.

Sony’s launched headphones, Microsoft has too, Apple’s AirPods Max are quite literally a cult statement, and Nothing just recently unveiled their Headphones (1). Samsung doesn’t ‘need’ to launch dedicated headphones because they literally own Harman, but Google… Google hasn’t entered (or even flirted with entering) this space. So to fill the void, Sidhant Patnaik designed the perfect Pixel Headphones concept.

Designer: Sidhant Patnaik

Let me just point out that this might just be the PERFECT time for Google to launch headphones. The headphone space is very lucrative, with devices costing upwards of $200 providing enough of a profit margin. A lot of people overwhelmingly prefer over-ear audio to in-ear buds that are tinny, sound weak, and have low battery lives. And more importantly, the headphones are the perfect delivery platform for Google’s AI service, Gemini.

Sidhant’s concept captures the Pixel Buds Pro’s design aesthetic perfectly, translating its soft, pebble-esque form into a larger, over-ear headset. The iconic pebble shape can be found in the headset’s individual ‘cans’, with the Google monogram sitting perfectly in the center, as usual. However, the headphones also have a hint of metal interplaying with the plastic. The metal elements connect each individual earpiece to the headband in a way that reminds me of the parrot ZIk headphones, designed by Philippe Starck. However, while Starck often relied on oddly whimsical design elements, this one treads the balance carefully, not venturing into ‘polarizing design’ territory like the Nothing Headphone (1).

Although conceptual, Sidhant gave his design a fair amount of detail so as to not take the entire thing at face value. The Pixel Headphones come with physical controls – none of that touch panel nonsense. One button toggles ANC, one works as a power button as well as the Gemini AI button, and a set of volume rockers let you control the output of the headphones. There’s a USB-C port for charging, and an aux in for wired listening.

The headphones come in a variety of muted-yet-fun colors, quite like the Pixel Buds lineup. They’re high-end, but I’m assuming they weren’t designed to be cost-prohibitive. After all, splurging upwards of $400 on AirPods Max feels somewhat justified given that they’re made from metal. The Pixel Headphones are much more pragmatic, keeping both cost and overall weight down with a plastic-friendly design that’s matte, resulting in soft shadows and zero fingerprints.

I can’t stress enough how this is just the most opportune moment for a set of Pixel headphones. There’s really no truly ideal Android headset on the market. The Nothing headphones are expensive and polarizing, the Sony headphones are great, but I can’t assume they have any good AI integration. If the AirPods Max are the perfect headphones for your iPhone, the Pixel Headphones can quite easily take up the mantle of being the most well-suited headphones for the entire Android lineup. Throw Gemini in too and you have a real winner on your hands… even more so considering Apple’s still dropping the ball on how much its Apple Intelligence AI assistant can do. Google – THIS is your moment!

The post Google Pixel Headphones concept with Gemini AI compete directly with AirPods Max and Nothing Headphone (1) first appeared on Yanko Design.

This quirky traffic light bench would probably confuse every single self-driving car around

When I cover Muddycap’s quirky chair designs, I’m usually of the opinion that they definitely need to be built out as prototypes. This one, I’m sort of on the fence. Now here’s the deal, I love the designer’s Traffic Light Bench, it’s cool, edgy, creative, and just has enough whimsy to charm everyone who sees it. Like every single Muddycap design I’ve covered on this website, it’s uniquely brilliant and captures the designer’s eccentric vision perfectly. However, it does impair the vision of another subset of characters – self-driving cars.

I vaguely remember reading a few years back that most self-driving cars today can’t tell the difference between a traffic stop light and a red balloon. Something about how they look makes their difference imperceivable to a self-driving vehicle. As unintended as that was, some people have even weaponized this blind spot in EVs to prank car companies by simply either installing their own fake lights on their yards, or even wearing shirts with graphics of traffic lights. Apparently this works when it comes to fooling cars that rely on complicated algorithms rather than common sense. Besides, if your car doesn’t have LiDAR (yes you, Tesla), telling the difference between a real traffic light and a photo of a traffic light can get a tad bit more challenging.

Designer: Muddycap

Muddycap’s Traffic Light Bench is a 3-seater, designed to look like a set of traffic lights hanging off a light pole. Each light is technically a seat, or rather, the light’s sunshade is a seat, while the light is a backrest. From afar, the bench honestly looks like a perfect replica of a traffic light. Although, for the sake of functionality, Muddycap shifted the sun-covers to the bottom, creating comfortable, curved seats in the process.

The avant-garde furniture designer has amassed nearly 300k followers on his Instagram. There’s not a single selfie, not one video. Just a series of carousel-style posts with images of creatively visualized chairs. Everyone who follows Muddycap agrees that they’re one of the most creative, talented furniture artists on the app. “You deserve a showroom,” says one commenter. To be honest, I’d love to see some of their pieces built out as real prototypes you can sit on.

However, what I’m more interested to see is the effect this particular light has on self-driving vehicles. Current autonomous cars tend to overcorrect or err on the side of caution. They’ll stop and park themselves on the side rather than disobey the law. They’ll get stuck in a feedback loop if someone pranks them with wrong road lines. You can literally trap a car simply by placing traffic cones around it.

So I wonder whether this light will have a similar ‘disarming’ effect on self-driving algorithms. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, a human will probably stop and admire this bench for what it truly is – creatively visualized roadside furniture. A car will probably stop and stare at this bench too… however, not for the same reasons.

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