If you’ve been waiting for Apple to drop a new MacBook Pro, the company’s latest release is probably going to make you very happy. It’s been two years since the company updated its most advanced laptop, but it’s clear that the latest iteration was worth the wait. Powered by the all-new M1Pro and M1Max chips, these fresh 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are more powerful than ever, featuring incredible battery life along with the return of the popular MagSafe charging connector.

“We set out to create the world’s best pro notebook, and today we’re excited to introduce the all-new MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max — a game-changing combination of phenomenal performance, unrivaled battery life, and groundbreaking features,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, during the company’s October 18th online event. “The all-new MacBook Pro adds a breathtaking XDR display, more ports like MagSafe 3, an advanced 1080p camera, and a sensational six-speaker sound system, all in a stunning new design. The new MacBook Pro simply has no equal and is by far the best pro notebook we’ve ever built.”

The redesigned 14-inch MacBook Pro boasts a 120Hz ProMotion Mini LED display, which Apple calls “Liquid Retina Pro XDR.” The bezels on the sides of the screen are slimmer than those of the last generation, but at the top, you’ll find an iPhone-style notch housing a 1080p FaceTime HD webcam (but not Face ID). Apparently, Apple heard our pleas to give us back a built-in SD card reader and HDMI port, on top of offering three Thunderbolt ports, so you can still use your USB-C chargers if you want, or use the MagSafe so you can stop worrying about tripping over the charging cable.

You can configure the MacBook with either the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip, with the Pro offering a 14 or 16-core GPU and the Max boasting 24 and 32-core GPU options. The M1Pro delivers up to 70 percent faster CPU performance than the M1 chip used in the previous-generation MacBook Pro to dramatically speed up pro video workflows, but the M1 Max is even more powerful. Offering the same 10-core CPU, it doubles the GPU to 32 cores for up to four times faster performance, and offers 400GB/s of memory bandwidth (twice that of M1 Pro and nearly 6 times that of the M1). Its 64GB of fast unified memory is a “game changer” for pro workloads, Apple says, “allowing pros to do things that were previously unimaginable on a notebook.”

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro release offers everything the 14-inch version does, but in addition to a larger screen, you’ll get up to 21 hours of battery life (compared to the 14-inch’s 17 hours). The previous 13-inch generation with an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and 16GB unified memory is currently still available. Your choice between the three sizes and the M1Pro or M1Max will depend on how much power you need from your laptop, and how much you can afford to spend. While you can still snag a 13-inch for a base price of $1,299, the 14-inch base model will cost you $1,999, and the 16-inch starts even steeper at $2,499.

The post Apple Unveils Its Most Powerful MacBook Pro Series Yet first appeared on Dornob.

The post See-Through Screens: Invisible Laptop Art first appeared on Dornob.

Finding yourself in need of a new laptop stand? You don’t have to spend any money at all. Before you go shopping for a product that’s little more than a platform to elevate your computer off your work surface, check out this simple DIY laptop stand tutorial that makes use of a common waste material.

It might not look terribly impressive at first glance, but think for a second on how functional – and cheap – this basic laptop stand design is. It is highly portable, requires nothing you do not already own and costs next to nothing to construct.

The essential steps are fairly self-explanatory: collect a pair of scissors, a used cardboard box and print out the simple shapes you will need to overlay on the cardboard in order to begin cutting out the three pieces to create the stand. Since corrugated cardboard is surprisingly strong for its weight, just two pieces will effectively do all the work to support your laptop.

Fitting together like a puzzle, the recycled cardboard pieces require no glue or fasteners, which means they can come apart as easily as they go together for maximum portability and future reuse. Just slot them together and voila, you’ve got a stand that will last you a while and didn’t cost you a cent.

If you’re not crazy about the look of this one, it would be easy to take the idea and customize it to your liking, with a different shape or size. You really don’t even have to have the pattern or print out any pieces; you might be able to eyeball the example and reproduce it on your own.

The instructions for the version pictured here can be found in greater detail at Green Upgrader, and a slightly more complex (but cooler-looking) Steampunk version can be seen at Thingiverse. 

The post How to Make a Recycled Cardboard Laptop Stand first appeared on Dornob.

Here are a few of the gadgets you can expect to see flying off the shelves this December:

TVs

Even though 96 percent of Americans already own at least one, TV is CTA’s number one holiday tech gift. As TV technology continues to evolve so drastically year after year, most of us are upgrading to the newest models far before our original sets stop working.

While most of us are watching high-definition TVs with a pixel resolution of 1920 x 1080, the new category of 4K Ultra HD TVs have display resolutions of 3840 x 2160. The catch is that the broadcast quality of most visual content is only just beginning to catch up with the technology.

Laptops

For years it’s been Dell versus MacBook in the laptop arena. Now, there’s a new contender in town: the Huawei MateBook X Pro. It’s showing up as a surprise knockout on many of this year’s “Top Gifts” lists. According to TechRadar, “Huawei has delivered the most luxurious, speedy, and long-lasting laptop we’ve seen since the Dell XPS 13.” And at $1,499.99, the laptop is “a veritable bargain next to the most expensive 13-inch MacBook Pro configuration, [which] costs $2,299.”

Smartphones and Tablets

Turns out that smartphones are more complicated gadgets to gift than TVs, laptops, or tablets — mostly because they don’t function without a service plan. Oftentimes you can’t even complete a purchase without one. On top of that, many people are extremely loyal to their carriers. Some even get downright emotional about this, especially if they’ve had negative experiences with a particular carrier in the past. For that reason, you’ll want to be sure to pick out a phone that works with the recipient’s carrier of choice. With all of the fine print in cell phone contracts, you’ll also have to be careful to avoid making a choice that ends up costing your loved one money further down the road.

Smartwatches

The watch remains one of the most popular and accessible tech wearables on the global market. Apple, not surprisingly, continues to reign supreme here. Fitbit is also holding steady since the 2018 launch of Versa, which has more features than the basic fitness band. Still, an increasing number of people are considering the Chinese brands Xiaomi and Huawei, both of which focus on markets outside of China.

Desktop Computers and Any Type of Camera (Tied)

Interestingly enough, a lot of millennials are taking up photography, whether they’re experimenting with vintage film cameras or just looking to something outside their smartphone lens. Also, if you’ve spent any time with children lately, you’ll know that YouTube videos are becoming more popular with them than regular old TV shows. If you know an aspiring YouTube star, MusicCritic.com suggests that “The Canon EOS Rebel T6 Digital SLR Camera for YouTube is a pretty amazing camera for both taking pictures and video recording.”

The post Top 5 Tech Gifts for the 2018 Holidays first appeared on Dornob.

Has using laptops instead of desktop computers made us lazier, so we can’t even sit up straight while we’re working? It’s definitely true that many of us, given a choice, would choose to work in a recliner instead of at a conventional desk. ‘The Desk’ by Minna Magnusson accommodates this trend in a practical way while also making a comment on it.

The desk features a gently angled top that’s meant for lounging rather than using as a work surface for your computer. Unlike a regular recliner, it’s got storage underneath in the form of shelves and drawers.

This unusual design not only reflects how changing technology has altered the way we work and even the way we sit, but also diminishes a bit of the power structure that the image of a person working at a desk can convey. Says the designer, “What responsibility does a designer have, when creating objects that are inevitably placed within power structures such as race, gender and class?”

“Spaces and objects carry history; descended directions that generate patterns, layers of inclusions and exclusions. Bodies in and around those ‘trail behind;’ perform alike, execute habitual acts. THE DESK carries out an action of resistance to these habituations; against the direction in which bodies have trailed behind, in opposition to the desk as a place for the ‘thinking, white man.'”

“I am very passionate about solving or rephrasing problems through widening the perspective of understanding human behaviors, feelings and thoughts. I want to understand the world at large and is often inspired by sources beyond the design business and industry such as art, culture and technology that can contribute with new perspectives. I am interested in the intersection between identity and user centered design – with accessibility and equality as a lens.”

The post Recliner Desk Offers a New Working Angle first appeared on Dornob.

One of the benefits of using a laptop computer is its ability to be used just about anywhere. But finding a way to balance it and keep your lap from getting really, really hot when you aren’t at a desk or table has been a long-standing problem. The Envol from designer Thibaut Rouganne is a kind of foldable desk that also acts as a minimalist laptop case.

The polypropylene shell protects your computer from accidental bumps as you’re moving from one workspace to another. Two curved plywood legs fold down to create an elevated desk surface. When you’re sitting on the sofa, floor or bed these legs fit on either side of your legs, elevating your laptop to a comfortable working height.

You also have the option of leaving the legs folded so that the workspace remains flat on whatever surface it sits. But the case still provides some protection from the wicked heat that can emanate from the bottom of the machine.

A couple of handy compartments beneath the space where your laptop sits give you room to store a portable mouse, pens, glasses or whatever else you need to carry around with you as you work in one room of your home and then another.

More from the designer

“When you work from home, you can work on your bed, sofa or at terrace its raises a serious usability issue, related to transportation, physical posture, or storage of equipment.”

“Envol is a modular and foldable desk that lets you work anywhere inside or outside your house.  Envol prioritizes case of use with folding sides and space for user’s legs. The desk is locked in all 4 different positions and you can stock some basic working supplies in two different storages. The aesthetic is very elegant and simple, the format compact when its closed. Envol is available in different colors and can match with your own personality.”

The post An Entire Desk Springs Out of This Unassuming Laptop Case first appeared on Dornob.

When the weather is perfect outside, being stuck in the office is a terrible thing. But how many of us want to balance a laptop on our knees as we sit on a filthy park bench? The Openaire from NICK+BEAU is a very clever solution that integrates a portable workstation into an easily carryable laptop bag.

Openaire has a rather ingenious design that incorporates everything you need to work away from your desk. After you remove the strap, the bag transforms into a small seat and a comfy lap desk complete with a space for a mouse and a space for other accessories.

When it’s all folded up and slung over the shoulder, it looks similar to any other laptop bag. It might be slightly heavier than other bags, but the components all strike a balance between sturdiness and light weight to be the perfect work-away-from-work solution.

“Openaire is a hybrid of a laptop carrying case, work surface, and chair. The system consists of a semi-rigid protective sleeve designed as an ergonomic laptop work surface and a protective shell that also functions as a comfortable seat. Together, they offer the portability and comfort to support work anywhere. NICK+BEAU is a collaboration between brothers, Nick and Beau Trincia.”

Nick Trincia, who also designed popular objects like the Fluid Rocker, explains some of his process in an interview with Yanko Design:

“My process depends on the nature of what I am trying to design and what issues I want it to overcome, but it follows a fairly defined procedure. If there is a specific problem that I am trying to solve, I usually start by researching the problem and determine how the object needs to function in order to overcome the problem. From the function I begin to develop the form, starting with loose gestural sketching and refining as I go.”

The post Laptop Bag Turns Into Portable Desk + Chair first appeared on Dornob.

In our endless quest to simplify and slim laptop computers and other portable devices, sometimes functionality gets sacrificed in the name of sleek efficiency.

Instead of suggesting you add more USB ports to your ultra-thin device, Gonglue Jiang proposes you simple stack more USB devices into a single port.

A color-coding system helps keep track of which cord is running which extension, though beyond three of four this otherwise-brilliant solution could start to seem a tad awkward. A neat extension (no pun intended) of this idea would be to have the first in line be a storage device – something you might leave plugged in much or most of the time anyway, and that wouldn’t add another cord to the mix.

The post Stackable USB Solution Lets You Do More with Just One Port first appeared on Dornob.

Even if you are a relative technology novice, the chances are good that you have at least one technology gadget with you every day – and all of its associated accessories. Add to that your normal daily pocket-fillers like pens, gum, matches, ear buds and whatever else is important to keep on you, and you’ve got a whole jumble of stuff.

Cocoon launched the GRID-IT Wrap to help you wrangle all of that clutter with a minimum amount of frustration. The design is enticingly simple: a neoprene wrap holds your iPad, e-reader or MacBook air securely inside and snugly hangs onto the rest of your essentials on the outside.

Elastic straps adorn the exterior and will stretch to accommodate most of the items you would otherwise throw into a purse or laptop bag like power cords, screen wipes and sunglasses. There are no pre-defined places for anything, just a highly customizable “object retention system” that lets you keep your most important stuff close at hand. Plus, Cocoon has begun offering Grid-It bags in various sizes, incorporating these features.

The entire GRID-IT slips right into your laptop bag, backpack or briefcase once it is loaded up with your gear. Besides being satisfyingly geeky and suitably stylish, the tough organization system will save countless people from the frustration of finding that lone unwrapped piece of gum sticking to the bottom of their iPads.

“Do you love tech and have lots of gadgets and accessories you can’t live without? Then you’ll love Cocoon’s line of bags and cases. Each of our products is designed to store, carry, and protect your gadgets and accessories better than any other product out there. Every one of our products features a GRID-IT!^®, the most intelligent organization system ever invented. With endless maneuverability and storage options, the GRID-IT!^® keeps your gadgets and accessories safe, secure, and organized inside an already ingeniously designed bag.”

“The GRID-IT!^® organization system is a proprietary patent pending object retention system. A unique weave of rubberized elastic bands made specifically to hold personal objects firmly in place. Designed to provide endless configurations of objects, digital devices and personal effects,
GRID-IT!^® is as versatile as life itself!”

The post Organize Your Electronics & Clutter with Grid-It first appeared on Dornob.

Desktop (or would that be counter-top?) kitchens are so 2000s. Drawing design inspiration from that most familiar of everyday portable devices, this conceptual portable kitchen contains a four-tier induction cooking element, built-in cutting board, ingredient grater and, of course, a touchscreen interface and wireless connectivity.

A few button touches bring up favorite recipes or new cooking ideas and nutritional information on ingredients or menus.  Bluetooth, wifi and camera included, of course (what device doesn’t come with those these days?).

It may yet be a bit of a daydream, though, to suppose that such a thing would really work – there are issues such as safety (including separation of the heating element), power requirements and, maybe most of all, cleaning that need to be contended with before this work by Dragan Trenchevski could become a reality. And, alas, food means weight and space, as do pots and pans, so the portability needs some additional thought as well.

Whatever you may think of its practicality, this weird laptop kitchen was a finalist in the 2011 Electrolux Design Lab Awards.

From Pocket Lint:

“The idea is that the display is touchscreen and, with mobile (3G) and Wi-Fi connectivity on board, the laptop can access a vast database of recipes and cooking tips so that you can see instructions as you go. A webcam is also housed at the top of the screen so that you can video-call a friend while cooking, either for advice, or a cook-off.”

“Trenchevski suggests that it could come with different coloured trims, and has even added a cheese grater to the chopping board element, giving you as many options for portable cookery as possible in such a small form factor. Of course, there’s plenty of pitfalls involved: Would you really want to splash a touchscreen display with boiling oil? And wouldn’t the induction plates overheat any computer gubbins inside?”

The post This Laptop Cooks Food & Displays Recipes first appeared on Dornob.

In nature, the scaled mammals of the Manidae family feature a curious combination of hard and soft, firm but flexible. The applications to luggage are at once obvious and relatively untapped.

Well, here are a few examples that are outrageously unique, and made of upcycled, reclaimed waste materials to boot. You may not have thought you wanted a backpack shaped like a pangolin, but maybe you were wrong.

Recycled rubber inner tubes form the material basis for this series of backpacks, brief cases, hand bags and purses from Cyclus (and inspired by the work of the Biomimicry Institute). “By joining together layers or surfaces with a membrane, the structure, form, movement and a container space is generated.”

“The Original. Uniquely designed backpack inspired by the Pangolin animal’s biomechanics, made principally out of reused tyre inner tubes. Inspired by an armored animal, the Pangolin Backpack is the edgiest way to show off daring, urban style.”

A central axis provides a pivot point around which each rounded piece of the exterior shell can wrap and rotate, containing precious items in an impact-proof case while offering easy access to the contents.

The whole series of Pangolin products is nearly architectural in nature, not just for its substantial physicality and expressive shape, but also in the way it builds a bridge between the environment and design.

“Three years ago, in the northernmost corner of South America, a dream called Cyclus materialized. Since 2014, in the capital of Colombia, that cold but cozy Bogotá that is 2,600 meters closer to the stars, creativity was added to high quality standards, which with 100% natural and recycled materials, gave rise to comfortable bags durable and consistent with contemporary lifestyles.”

“The hands of Colombians from different regions of the country carefully make our products. Cotton and natural leather are present in each of them, in addition to the iconic recycled tire.”

The post Armadillo-Shelled Recycled Rubber Backpack first appeared on Dornob.

Slides were once our main means of capturing visual memories – from slide images taken by individuals at home and on trips to (now rare and collectible) souvenir slides of famous places around the world. One talented designer (RedCamper) has skillfully taken these classic icons of nostalgia to create contemporary custom handbag designs.

Fun Nostalgic Accessories

Comprised of high-quality materials all around, the slides that are used in each unique bag have been gathered and grouped by all kinds of themes including regional collections, specific trips and world tours. Customers can also send in their own slides to have a personalized, customized one-of-a-kind bag created for them. Each slide is individually vacuum-sealed off-site to ensure an archival seal and shipped back for sale.

Some bags come with the story relating the origin of the slides – a last-minute vacation to Hawaii, a special one-time trip taken by a group of women or the rare, limited-edition lunar landing slide from Life Magazine after man first touched down on the surface of the moon.

Totally Unique Travel-Themed Fashion

What started with a handbag has expanded into an entirely line now sold around the world in stores. Something this unique was bound to be just the beginning, as the creative laptop slide bags below demonstrate. These handy contemporary shoulder bags use the same vintage elements, blending retro style with modern functionality.

Whether you want something for your own next world tour or a unique present for a friend or loved one, these bags are certainly a spectacular blend of original and innovative, old and new, funky but high-quality. RedCamper has also used its slides for new products, like postcards.

“Life is funny. It is. Look at anyone’s basement collection of family images and you will see, life..is..funny. All the photos used in the U.S. HWY 89 correspondence line are original family snapshots discovered while making the RedCamper Original handbags from vintage 35mm slides. True gems just too good to be hidden in a crowd. Yep that could be your mom in that sexy bathing suit pointing at the ground. Holy smokes she’s hot.”

Check out the online store at RedCamper for more.

The post Unique and Stylish Custom Handbags with Vintage Slides first appeared on Dornob.

Kodudesign has made a professional art out of inexpensive interior decor and object decoration, with crisp surface stickers that can turn anything from your laptop to your living room into a unique and colorful work of design. These decorative decals can instantly upgrade any boring surface. From mind-boggling optical illusions and giant refrigerator stickers to wall-mounted canvases and semi-transparent designs, here are some of their most impressive offerings.

The company’s latest release is a wonderful combination of individualized decoration and optical illusion – a ‘see-through’ laptop sticker that makes it appear as though your laptop were a transparent surface, with the same image displayed both on your screen and on the back of your computer (a great conversation-starter and double-take-generator in public places). Aren’t you sick of just displaying a company logo everywhere you go?

The individual sticker designs by Kodu Design come in every color and pattern combination you can imagine and can be customized to individual needs. More than merely decorations, they provide a protective surface for appliances and a cheap-but-classy way to integrate them visually in with surrounding interior spaces and design elements. No more plain and boring dishwasher or refrigerator.

Semi-transparent stickers are available for placing on mirrors and other reflective surfaces, selectively allowing some light through while creating an opaque pattern on the rest of a surface. Canvas-mounted stickers make for easy-and-inexpensive works of wall-mounted two-dimensional art, far cheaper than buying an expensive painting – an expansion of the same printing process simply to a difference surface. What if you used them in a window to let in some light, but create privacy and visual interest?

The proof, however, is always in the product. Shown above are some great examples of client-purchased custom stickers ranging from elegant to snarky, creative to camouflaged, selectively standing out as bold backdrops or blending into the background. See and learn more at Kodu Design dot com.

The post Beautiful Decorative Decals Instantly Transform Laptops, Walls and More first appeared on Dornob.