5 (Impossibly Cute) Mini Gadgets

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screen test

With the average size of TV screens in the country increasing over the past 25 years from about 22 inches to more than 50 inches, it’s clear that we’re buying into the idea that bigger is better. In some ways that is true, but there are beautiful things happening on the other side of the spectrum as well. The TinyTV 2’s 1-inch screen and 0.5-inch speakers are completely ridiculous (obviously not what Paul Thomas Anderson intended us to watch) there will be blood) But it represents a triumph of ingenuity – and what’s more, it’s cute. people love this.

“It brings joy,” says Ken Burns, founder of TinyCircuits. “Some people say, ‘What’s the point?'” The case, which resembles an early 1960s split-leg TV, includes a Raspberry Pi RP2040 processor and 8 GB of video storage. After that, turning the “Channel” rotary knob will cycle through the video files stored on the rotary knob, with each turn accompanied by a burst of real static. The knob on the left controls the volume, and the USB-C connector on the back also serves as a charging port and a way to transfer video from your computer. (A software converter, available for download from the TinyCircuits website, adjusts MP4 and AVI to the appropriate size.) There is no fast forwarding or rewinding, and there are no other connectivity options. But the essence of the product is to create something fun within very strict parameters, so it feels rude to point out supposed flaws. “We’re riding the wave of advances in consumer electronics,” Burns says. “Raspberry Pi is here with a new processor powerful enough to do what you need it to do at a low price.” It’s not meant to replace your TV, tablet, or cell phone. It just belongs to a small category that has its own charm. And a functional mini remote control weighing only 3 grams is a bonus.

Who is Moss?

With a desktop footprint smaller than a smartphone, Moss Air is an extremely compact humidifier. True, questions may arise about its ability to effectively humidify, but let’s talk about moss. It comes with a green living tray that sits vertically within the unit and is gently illuminated with LEDs. By moving the position of the magnetic metal ball on top, you can switch between terrarium mode (the moss is automatically humidified every 3 hours) and humidifier mode (which pumps steam into the room). Moss is known as one of nature’s best air filters. I can’t confirm whether its presence here has a concrete effect on the air I breathe, but I do feel it has a positive effect mentally when I look at it from time to time.

Mack’s return

It’s a cheeky move to put a Windows PC in a case that looks like a shrunken version of the 1984 Macintosh, but I reject Ayaneo’s age-old Mac vs. PC platform wars and healthy glorification of retro computing. Support your posture. Plus, it’s powerful. The test unit had a high-performance Ryzen 7 processor, and my (5-year-old) desktop machine was in the shade. Everything from office apps (which comes with Windows 11) to online games worked very smoothly. However, the AM01’s small footprint allows it to be used as an office desktop, living room entertainment hub, standalone game console, or smart home controller. Scalable, versatile, and at your disposal.

Feed your Atari addiction

The slogan accompanying the launch of the Atari 400 in 1979 was, “We took a big idea and made it simple.” UK-based Retro Games has made this even simpler. The company included a 400 emulator inside a half-sized replica of the original case, which was faithfully recreated, but with keys that didn’t work. It’s powered by USB, connected to the screen via HDMI, and uses a full-sized joystick, also modeled after the original, to play a variety of original Atari games (a hugely influential including the Miner 2049er with Old forgotten Atari games you find online can also be imported into the unit via USB stick. The graphics are blocky, the sounds are bumpy, and it’s just as addictive as it was in the beginning.

instant winner

While Polaroid was embroiled in legal troubles in the early 2000s, Fujifilm’s Instax camera continued to fly the flag for instant cameras. The latest all-analog model (no memory card or USB) shoots on flimsy Instax Mini film (images are 46 mm x 62 mm) and cleverly incorporates a feature of the non-digital version that the Instagram generation has come to rely on: internal LEDs. It is incorporated into. You can shoot in a variety of color modes from sepia to faded green, and a mechanical vignette switch on the front softens the edges of your shots. Exposure and shutter speed settings give you even more flexibility, but like other instant cameras, you don’t have full control over the photos that pop out. Its charm lies in its unconventional behavior.

@Rhodri