Running SteamOS on a Mac might sound unconventional, but ETA Prime demonstrates how Apple Silicon Macs can effectively support Valve’s Linux-based operating system through a virtual machine (VM). This setup uses the “Steam Mac” project on GitHub, which integrates Proton, Valve’s compatibility layer and DXVK, a DirectX-to-Vulkan translation layer, to enable x86 games to run […]
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Apple’s HomePod Mini 2 marks the first update to its compact smart speaker since its debut in 2020. Priced at $149, this latest version introduces enhanced audio performance, faster connectivity, and new features while maintaining the familiar design of its predecessor. Whether you’re exploring smart speakers for the first time or are a dedicated Apple […]
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Knife people love to argue, and the oldest argument in the book is fixed blade versus folder. Fixed blades win on trust, because a solid piece of steel with no pivot can’t fold shut on your fingers. Folders win on pocket-friendliness, and both camps have been yelling about it on forums since dial-up. Zyac Design’s Z01S tries to end the fight by being a bit of both. It’s a Grade 5 titanium folding knife with a handle you can shorten while the blade is open, engaging an additional lock designed to keep it from folding. I’d call it a peace treaty, but knife forums would probably find a way to argue about that too.
Zyac has been chasing one particular ratio across several knives. The original Z01 and the later Z05 both used sliding parts to fit more blade into less handle, with the Z05 getting close to a 1:1 blade-to-handle ratio on a compact frame. The Z01S lets you adjust that ratio, offering a full-length grip one minute and a stubby one the next. It pairs that mechanism with Böhler M390 steel, a choice of drop point or tanto blade, and every screw and plate left proudly on display. It’s aimed at collectors who buy knives for their mechanisms, which, if you’ve read this far, probably includes you.
Designer: Zyac Design
Click Here to Buy Now: $379 $499 (24% off) Hurry! Only 5 of 50 left.
With the blade open, you press a release button, slide the rear section of the handle forward, and it locks into its shorter position. Press the button again to extend the handle back to full size, with no tools, loose parts, or screws to undo. The full-length mode gives you a conventional grip, the setting I’d reach for when breaking down a mountain of delivery boxes. The short mode brings your hand closer to the edge, changing the grip for controlled cuts. Zyac describes the two modes as different personalities. The blade stays identical, but the way you hold it changes.
A standard liner lock holds the blade open in either mode, while a second lock engages when you shorten the handle. According to Zyac, that interlock prevents the blade from folding while the handle is short, even if the liner lock is released. Closing the knife becomes a deliberate two-step move: extend the handle first, then release the liner. Zyac also says the release button can’t be pressed while the knife is closed, preventing the handle from sliding into the blade’s edge inside your pocket. It’s the sort of interlock you’d expect on a power tool, and I appreciate a knife designer considering what happens if a lock is accidentally released.
Zyac calls its approach “deconstructed design,” leaving the screws, frame, plates, liner lock, and sliding structure exposed instead of tucking them behind smooth scales. Architecture fans will recognize the logic from Paris’s Centre Pompidou, the building that famously wears its pipes and ducts on the outside. On the Z01S, the exposed hardware lets you follow what moves when you press the button. Deployment offers plenty of options too, with a back flipper, a front flipper, and thumb studs that also allow a middle-finger flick. I like that Zyac skipped picking a favorite and left that debate to your fingers.
Each side of the handle carries three slots for tritium or photoluminescent tubes measuring roughly 0.06 x 0.24 inch (1.5 x 6mm), six in total. Tritium glows without charging, which can help you spot the knife in a dark tent or drawer, while the cheaper photoluminescent tubes recharge through exposure to light. Leave the slots empty and they still read as part of the handle’s industrial pattern. The Z01S ships without a pocket clip, relying on a lanyard hole and knife bead to keep its profile clean. An optional clip replaces the middle spine piece, integrating into the existing structure rather than attaching to the side.
The standard Z01S handle is machined from Grade 5 titanium and stonewashed to help disguise scuffs. Grade 5 is titanium alloyed with aluminum and vanadium, making it stronger than pure titanium without adding much weight. The blade uses Böhler M390, a powder metallurgy steel containing chromium, vanadium, and molybdenum, chosen for its edge retention and corrosion resistance. You can pick a drop point, whose lowered tip and curved belly suit everyday slicing, or a tanto, with an angular, reinforced tip suited to piercing. I’d lean tanto here, since its geometry matches the knife’s machined, angular look.
Collectors get three premium editions beyond the standard titanium model: black zirconium with a gold titanium frame, full black zirconium, and a ZircuTi frame paired with a Damascus blade. ZircuTi is a layered titanium and zirconium laminate that gives each handle a distinct striped pattern. Kickstarter pledges for the Z01S start at $299, with blade shape selected in the post-campaign survey. Shipping is charged separately, while the pocket clip and tritium tubes are optional extras. My advice is to pick the metal you’ll enjoy staring at, because you’ll be sliding that handle back and forth far more often than you’ll be cutting anything.
Click Here to Buy Now: $379 $499 (24% off) Hurry! Only 5 of 50 left.
The post This shapeshifting pocket knife becomes a fixed blade when you shorten its handle first appeared on Yanko Design.
Buying a notebook for a notebook person is a surprisingly delicate holiday assignment. The cover might be gorgeous, but the pages could have the wrong ruling, the binding might not open the way they prefer, or the size could be completely wrong for their bag. I’d rather leave those decisions to someone who already knows what they like. An accessory for their favorite notebook feels like a better place to start.
The Inseparable Notebook Pen makes a case for that approach. It addresses a familiar problem: bringing your notebook along doesn’t necessarily mean remembering a pen. Its magnetic attachment keeps the two together, giving the writing instrument a designated spot rather than another pocket to disappear into. As a stocking stuffer, that’s a more useful pitch than simply being another nice pen.
The mechanism centers on a magnetic clip that attaches to the notebook. That arrangement is the interesting design choice here, because the pen’s usefulness extends beyond what happens when its tip meets paper. It also considers where the pen goes between writing sessions. I appreciate that kind of thinking in an everyday object. The moment before you use something deserves attention, particularly when that moment otherwise involves emptying half your bag onto a table.
For a gift, the distinction matters. You’re acknowledging a habit the recipient already has rather than handing them a project. A new planner can come with an implied assignment to get organized. A journal can feel like a suggestion to start journaling. Neither is necessarily unwelcome, but I’d choose this for the person whose notebook is already full of appointments, sketches, grocery lists, or whatever else they need to get out of their head.
There’s a smaller detail in the attachment system that deserves a mention, too. The product listing describes a built-in silencer intended to quiet the act of attaching and detaching the pen. I happen to enjoy a satisfying click from a pen, so silence wouldn’t be my main selling point. Still, it’s an unusually specific detail to consider in an accessory whose main job could have stopped at staying attached.
The color choices offer a little room to make the gift personal: black, white, blue, and orange are listed. Matching the pen to someone’s notebook would be the obvious approach, although I’m partial to the idea of choosing a contrasting color. That gives the accessory an identity of its own. It’s also a manageable decision for the giver, unlike trying to determine which page layout someone wants to live with for the next year.
I wouldn’t sell this to a stationery enthusiast on the assumption that it will replace their favorite writing instrument. Pen preferences can be every bit as particular as notebook preferences. The appeal is the attachment system, and that’s where I’d keep the recommendation focused. If the recipient cares most about a particular nib or ink, that preference should take priority over a clever way to carry a pen.
I’d also check the notebook before buying. The shop describes the magnetic attachment but doesn’t provide a clear range of compatible cover thicknesses in the listing. A thoughtful gift still needs to fit the object it’s meant to accompany. The price makes this an approachable little present, but it doesn’t make that detail irrelevant.
My preferred finishing touch would be a handwritten note with the Inseparable Notebook Pen, not another notebook purchased just to make the gift look more substantial. Explain that you noticed how often they carry theirs. That gives a small accessory a specific reason for being in their stocking. They can keep choosing their own paper, their own layouts, and their own covers. You’ve simply paid attention to what they already enjoy using.
The post A $20 Magnetic Pen That’s Actually a Useful Stocking Stuffer first appeared on Yanko Design.
Buying a notebook for a notebook person is a surprisingly delicate holiday assignment. The cover might be gorgeous, but the pages could have the wrong ruling, the binding might not open the way they prefer, or the size could be completely wrong for their bag. I’d rather leave those decisions to someone who already knows what they like. An accessory for their favorite notebook feels like a better place to start.
The Inseparable Notebook Pen makes a case for that approach. It addresses a familiar problem: bringing your notebook along doesn’t necessarily mean remembering a pen. Its magnetic attachment keeps the two together, giving the writing instrument a designated spot rather than another pocket to disappear into. As a stocking stuffer, that’s a more useful pitch than simply being another nice pen.
The mechanism centers on a magnetic clip that attaches to the notebook. That arrangement is the interesting design choice here, because the pen’s usefulness extends beyond what happens when its tip meets paper. It also considers where the pen goes between writing sessions. I appreciate that kind of thinking in an everyday object. The moment before you use something deserves attention, particularly when that moment otherwise involves emptying half your bag onto a table.
For a gift, the distinction matters. You’re acknowledging a habit the recipient already has rather than handing them a project. A new planner can come with an implied assignment to get organized. A journal can feel like a suggestion to start journaling. Neither is necessarily unwelcome, but I’d choose this for the person whose notebook is already full of appointments, sketches, grocery lists, or whatever else they need to get out of their head.
There’s a smaller detail in the attachment system that deserves a mention, too. The product listing describes a built-in silencer intended to quiet the act of attaching and detaching the pen. I happen to enjoy a satisfying click from a pen, so silence wouldn’t be my main selling point. Still, it’s an unusually specific detail to consider in an accessory whose main job could have stopped at staying attached.
The color choices offer a little room to make the gift personal: black, white, blue, and orange are listed. Matching the pen to someone’s notebook would be the obvious approach, although I’m partial to the idea of choosing a contrasting color. That gives the accessory an identity of its own. It’s also a manageable decision for the giver, unlike trying to determine which page layout someone wants to live with for the next year.
I wouldn’t sell this to a stationery enthusiast on the assumption that it will replace their favorite writing instrument. Pen preferences can be every bit as particular as notebook preferences. The appeal is the attachment system, and that’s where I’d keep the recommendation focused. If the recipient cares most about a particular nib or ink, that preference should take priority over a clever way to carry a pen.
I’d also check the notebook before buying. The shop describes the magnetic attachment but doesn’t provide a clear range of compatible cover thicknesses in the listing. A thoughtful gift still needs to fit the object it’s meant to accompany. The price makes this an approachable little present, but it doesn’t make that detail irrelevant.
My preferred finishing touch would be a handwritten note with the Inseparable Notebook Pen, not another notebook purchased just to make the gift look more substantial. Explain that you noticed how often they carry theirs. That gives a small accessory a specific reason for being in their stocking. They can keep choosing their own paper, their own layouts, and their own covers. You’ve simply paid attention to what they already enjoy using.
The post A $20 Magnetic Pen That’s Actually a Useful Stocking Stuffer first appeared on Yanko Design.
