Awesome Gadgets

Hozo Design’s compact NeoRulerGO digital ruler can measure just about anything. Its tip rolls across straight, curved, or irregular surfaces, sending precision data to its built-in display. It also works as a scale ruler, with conversions for numerous Imperial and Metric scales. Pair it with the optional NeoPencil case for a longer grip and a long-lasting graphite pencil.

Anker’s upcoming Bluetooth speaker is for people who often make calls in noisy environments, such as at home or in public places. The S600 uses AI to learn the sound of your voice and prioritize it in calls. Anker claims the S600 recognizes and cuts down over 300 kinds of background noise. Lifehacker tried a demo unit and came away impressed.

This Nite Ize gadget makes quick work of tying down objects. It has a carabiner clip on one side and a ratcheting cam mechanism for tightening a length of rope. It can work in a fixed-end or looped configuration and has a working load limit of 250 lb. The kit includes 10 feet of smooth-gliding 1/4″ rope.

This modular multitool uses stacks of titanium tool cards onto a spinning magnetic disc. The result is an incredibly versatile pocket gadget that doubles as a fidget toy. Five available cards provide a total of 80 functions, smartly organized into EDC, outdoor, tech, survival, and fishing tool sets. Carry one, or carry them all. The full set is quite pricey, though.

Swagkeys reminds us just how far custom keyboards – and their prices – have come. The company’s upcoming Transition Lite TKL will take you back to the ’90s with its transparent polycarbonate case. It’s a kit, so you’ll have to get stabilizers, switches, and keycaps separately and then put it all together yourself. But for only $50, this is an awesome deal.

Elgato’s new Neo line features beginner and budget-friendly versions of its gadgets. The star of the show, of course, is the Stream Deck Neo. Aside from the trademark programmable LCD shortcut keys, it has an equally versatile info bar and something that no other Stream Deck has: two dedicated touchpads for switching between sets of shortcuts.

The Insta360 X4 dual-lens action camera can take 360° videos at up to 8K at 30fps. Combine this with all of its user-friendly features, such as the selfie stick remover, image stabilization, and HDR mode, and you get a truly versatile outdoor shooter. It can also act as a 4K camera that can capture angles you simply cannot take on single lens cameras.

Customizing is the point of modern mechanical keyboards. But Wired In’s Protagonist takes it to a different level. This 60% keyboard has a swappable hybrid faceplate and case top called a keyframe. Not only does the keyframe come in a ton of colors and material options, it also comes in Winkey, Winkeyless and HHKB layouts.

Samsung made a little brother for the Frame TV. Behind the Music Frame’s 8″ x 10″ photo holder is a surprisingly punchy Dolby Atmos speaker. It has two tweeters, two mid-range drivers, and two subwoofers. It can stream music from most services including Spotify and Chromecast, as well as via Bluetooth.

This cool, single-purpose device connects to your phone and displays album art. Instead of a standard screen, it uses a grid of 4096 individual RGB LEDs to create artful, pixelated images. It works with iOS and Android devices and is compatible with Spotify, Apple Music, Sonos, and last.fm.

E-paper, or E-ink displays, use tiny color-changing capsules to display high-contrast, daylight-readable images with a minimum of electricity. David Zhang shows off a neat use for an E-paper screen—an always-on desktop display with widgets for the time, date, weather, and device status of his computer. It’s not for sale, but David did share source code.

Don’t be fooled by the LG Cinebeam Q’s throwback design. It’s packed with features that allow you to enjoy a 4K 120″ screen anywhere. One of the smallest 4K laser projectors in the market, it has a 360° handle that doubles as a stand and a lightning fast automatic screen adjustment. It runs LG’s webOS smart TV platform, and supports AirPlay 2 and Miracast.

You probably know that Nintendo came up with the A and B buttons in video game controllers. But did you know that they were not the first to use Start and Select? Or that we have Sega to thank for the ergonomics of the Xbox controller layout? Learn all that and more from YouTuber Lextorias’ deep dive into the origins of video game controller buttons.

Anker’s compact MagGo power bank delivers up to 15W wireless charging for Qi-compatible devices. The 10,000mAh portable charger can also recharge devices via USB-C. Its sturdy folding stand makes it easy to use your device while charging, and its compact display shows its remaining capacity by percentage and duration.

There are lots of gadgets on the market which are marketed as rugged, durable, or indestructible. But are shockproof and waterproof devices really better? Mrwhosetheboss purchased a bunch of these items, including cables, watches, keyboards, speakers, and a laptop, and put them to the test to see how just much torture they could withstand.

Hexcal makes a strong case for a $900 desk shelf. The Hexcal Studio isn’t just a fancy monitor riser. It has eight AC outlets (each with its own circuit breaker), two USB charging ports, a wireless charger, a 40″ wide chamber for routing and storing cables and adapters, two USB passthrough ports, and an adjustable LED lamp below its top surface.

Wooting’s new 80% gaming keyboard has the same instant reset Hall Effect switches from the 60HE. But the 80HE also debuts a new setting that can further reduce mistakes and allow for rapid multiple inputs. The 80HE can be set to detect multiple key presses but activate only the one that was pressed furthest.

The latest version of the Boox Palma is shaped like a smartphone, making it easier to take with you and read one-handed. It has a 6.13″ 824 x 1648 eInk touchscreen, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, a microSD card slot, a USB-C port, a built-in speaker, and connects via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. It runs Android, making it equally great for listening to music and podcasts.

Uncrate and DC Comics teamed up with some of the best clothing and accessory brands to create the Wayne Enterprises collection. They feature subtle branding in the form of Bruce Wayne’s company’s logo and emphasize style and class over vengeance. Standouts include a leather folder, a brass and leather punching bag, and translucent gray sunglasses.

Leica’s follow-up to its SL2 camera is smaller, lighter, and has a much larger hand grip, making it more comfortable for extended use. The SL3 also has a new, hand-built full metal housing rated IP54 for water and dust resistance. The 60MP hybrid autofocus shooter also debuts Leica’s clearer and more intuitive touchscreen user interface.

Dreamfarm is always coming up with useful and unique kitchen gadgets. The Flegg is designed to cook perfectly round eggs for breakfast sandwiches and topping off ramen. Made from heat-resistant, non-stick silicone, it perfectly contains a single egg, can flip it over and deposit it onto your plate. Sold as a set of two.

Zenlet’s Memo X is unique gadget that turns any paper you want into removable sticky notes. It combines cutting and adhesive application into a single step. Slide a sheet of paper into its slot, press down, and in a second you’ll have a custom sticky note in one of three sizes. A $4 roll of tape makes about 250 notes.

Yarro Studios’ mechanical dice spinner is a modern spin on a vintage gadget. Push its button, and its flywheels go spinning. Let go, and two random numbers appear in its windows. The Dice-o-Matic is made from aluminum and comes in D20/D20, D10/D10, D12/D8, D6/D4, and D6/D6 with pips. There’s also a Zoltar Dice-o-Matic decision-maker.