3+ mon, 2+ day ago (419+ words) A new innovation is aiming to redefine earbuds " not just in function but in form. Meet The PIN, a pair of wireless buds handcrafted from real wood and packed with AI-powered features including real-time translation, virtual assistants and a sleep aid. These sustainable buds are also affordable, starting at US$134. And it's no surprise they've been a hit with Kickstarter backers " the campaign was fully funded within two hours, and after a week had nearly 500 pledges. The PIN is the work of Sudeshna Naik, a UC Berkeley Development Engineering graduate who studied sustainable product development. "At Berkeley, I learned a hard truth: Why so many sustainable products fail," Naik said. "The lesson was clear: If people feel they're compromising on performance, they won't choose sustainability. The PIN was designed to change that." The earbuds are built with housings made from…...

2+ mon, 6+ day ago (465+ words) Lava Music caused a glitch in the Matrix a few years back with an oddball carbon-fiber acoustic guitar rocking built-in digital effects. Now the company is looking to reshape the amplification landscape with "the world's most advanced amp." It kind of combines a desktop guitar amp with digital modelers and multiFX units, along with an interactive learning platform, a recording studio, looper and jam box, and a whole lot more. We have seen similar before from the likes of Orange and Positive Grid, but this one can work all on its own " without you needing to plug in peripherals or squint at your smartphone. Out of the box, the system boasts more than 30 amp models courtesy of the company's own lavaAI neural brains ""each trained using advanced algorithms that replicate the tonal nuances of iconic vintage and modern amplifiers, cabinets,…...

3+ mon, 1+ week ago (443+ words) There's a lot to love about the conventional lithium-ion batteries we use in our gadgets and electric cars, but they still pose a fire hazard because of the flammable liquid electrolyte inside. Solid-state batteries have an edge over them, thanks to the use of a (mostly) solid electrolyte sandwiched between the cathode and anode. Hardware upstart BMX is taking a stab at packing this tech into a power bank that can juice up your phone anywhere you go, without the chance of self-combusting. With a solid state battery, you don't have to worry about thermal runaway incidents that can cause it to swell, explode, or catch fire. BMX says its SolidSafe power bank is heat, shock, and fire resistant. Heck, in a video by 9to5Mac, you can see it survive having a nail hammered into it and even have a corner…...

1+ mon, 4+ week ago (452+ words) Desktop smart amps from the likes of Yamaha, Boss and Positive Grid are great for solo practice and group rehearsals. Tone upstart Chaos Audio is challenging the big boys with the Nimbus, a 70-W app-driven "music studio in a box" built on an open platform. Like the THR, Katana and Spark models, the idea here is to negate the need for a bunch of floor stomps, multiple amps, mixers, interfaces, and other gear " and cram everything you need for bedroom practice into one portable box. The custom amp processor inside the box features ARM Cortex brains that run at 1 GHz, reportedly much more powerful than chips found in competitors like the THR30 and Lava Studio. This is supported by 512 MB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Impulse Responses of treasured amps can be loaded into the system, and there's support for…...

10+ mon, 4+ week ago (264+ words) TL;DR: Study 14 new languages with a lifetime subscription to Babbel, on sale for $149.97 with code LEARN25. Learning a new language isn't easy, but it can be so useful whether you're traveling ... Thanks to StackSocial, a Babbel lifetime subscription is $449 off TL;DR: Study 14 new languages with a lifetime subscription to Babbel, on sale for $149.97 with code LEARN25. Learning a new language isn't easy, but it can be so useful whether you're traveling, working, or connecting with new friends. Don't know how to get started? A lifetime subscription to Babbel is now down to $149.97 (reg. $599). How Babbel makes learning a language easy By logging on for only 10 minutes a day (of course, you can go longer if you want to), you can access short language lessons that cover a number of real-life topics like transportation, dining, shopping, directions, making friends, and much…...

5+ mon, 1+ week ago (504+ words) More than a decade ago, a startup launched on Kickstarter to fund an automated guitar tuner called the Roadie. Now the company has returned to the platform with the smarter, faster, smoother and more powerful fourth generation. Though there are many crowdfunding horror stories, the Roadie guitar tuner is not one of them. The first app-controlled tuner and peg turner in one successfully navigated its Kickstarter in 2013 and subsequently went on sale about a year later. So yes, you can plug into a tuner or fire up an app and either turn the pegs by hand or use a crank-like device. But the Roadie automated much of that, in a handy form factor that didn't take up much room in the gig bag. I loved the review unit that Band Industries sent over, but it relied on the microphone of…...

3+ mon, 1+ week ago (463+ words) I can't imagine my desktop setup without a second screen. It's made researching and writing a whole lot easier, particularly when I'm looking at multiple browser tabs, videos, and a note-taking app all at once. The new KeyGo might be a good way to recreate that configuration when I'm away from my home office. It's a portable keyboard with a fold-out display that connects to your computer, phone, or tablet, and acts as a secondary screen to extend your workspace. The display also happens to be a touchscreen, so you can scroll through documents and code, swipe through videos, and scrub through media project timelines conveniently. If I were to travel with the KeyGo to get some writing done, I'd have my browser open on my laptop screen, and my notes zoomed in on the touchscreen closer to me. I…...

10+ mon, 2+ week ago (435+ words) Vacuum sealing your food is a great way to store fresh ingredients as well as prepared meals " but maybe you don't want to deal with plastic bags every time. Fresiio's vacuum sealer pulls off the same trick, but with reusable lunchboxes. Currently crowdfunding via a Kickstarter campaign, the Fresiio features a 9-inch square base " about the size of a kitchen weighing scale " that supports compatible lunchboxes and food containers. Simply drop one of those into place on the base with anything you'd like to preserve " like fruits, vegetables, or meal prep servings " and tap a button. The base will quickly extract air inside the container to lock in freshness, and stop automatically when it's done. That's all there is to it. You can then store your vacuum-sealed food in the fridge, where it'll last longer and stay fresher than usual,…...

10+ mon, 2+ week ago (412+ words) You don't have to be an EDC nerd to appreciate this little knife. The BladeNex is a compact folding scalpel made from CNC machined titanium that's small enough to fit on your keychain and go wherever you do. We've featured other compact knives on our pages over the years, but what's particularly neat about this one is that it supports replaceable blades. That means you should be able to get years of use out of this durable knife, and always have a sharp edge on hand when you need it. Measuring just 2.42 in (6.1 cm) when closed, the BladeNex is made from premium GR5 titanium alloy that's light yet strong, and corrosion resistant to boot. It's designed with a hole that lets you attach it to a keyring, zipper, or even a necklace. There's also a stainless steel clip on the back to…...

3+ mon, 1+ week ago (461+ words) A startup dipped its toe into crowdfunding waters more than a decade ago, to fund a quirky compact MIDI guitar for tunes while you travel. The idea grew into S-type hybrids a few years back, and now Zivix is back with its "most accessible MIDI guitar yet." The Jamstik Core reportedly sports the same kind of MIDI technology found in its higher-end S-type instruments, but comes in a stripped back plug-and-play format. "We've taken everything musicians love about our higher-end MIDI guitars and streamlined it into a sleek, plug-and-play package," said the company's Jonathan Keller. "The Jamstik Core offers a level of tracking precision and software integration that simply hasn't been available in this price range until now." The Core can be used like a regular 22-fret electric guitar, and features a single humbucker with volume control that outputs through…...