Monthly Archives: September 2021

This chair is assembled with a cargo strap – no hardware, screws, no glue, no packaging!

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The TEMP chair has been designed as an eco-focused seating solution that makes use of an unlikely material to blend packaging and assembly into one piece. The chair is made by cutting OSB (oriented strand board) and is assembled by tying a single cargo strap with ratchets. The luggage strap, which can withstand more than 700kg, makes for a super sturdy chair without the use of screws, glue, or any hardware!

OSB is stronger and more waterproof than plywood. It is a versatile, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative manufactured by compressing precisely engineered strands of woods with exterior resins at high temperatures to create an incredibly strong panel.

The cargo strap is also used to wrap the panels effectively reducing packaging for the chair. The five panels that make up the chair can be grouped together, and one panel has a handle, so it can be easily moved while packed.

It is designed to be wider than the existing chair, so you can take a break in various postures, and the lower part of the seat can be used as a storage space.

The reasonably priced OSB has enough strength to make up the chair, and the wood chip pattern makes it hard to see scratches, so it could be shipped without additional packaging.

Joo Hoyoung said, “I ordered plywood cut from a carpentry shop. I tied the cut plywood with a cargo string to bring home. When I came home, I untied the string, put the plywood in the right place, and tied the string again. I am sitting in the chair that has been completed just like that and writing this!” – could it BE any simpler?!

Designer: Joo Hoyoung

This chair is assembled with a cargo strap – no hardware, screws, no glue, no packaging!

Posted on by

The TEMP chair has been designed as an eco-focused seating solution that makes use of an unlikely material to blend packaging and assembly into one piece. The chair is made by cutting OSB (oriented strand board) and is assembled by tying a single cargo strap with ratchets. The luggage strap, which can withstand more than 700kg, makes for a super sturdy chair without the use of screws, glue, or any hardware!

OSB is stronger and more waterproof than plywood. It is a versatile, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative manufactured by compressing precisely engineered strands of woods with exterior resins at high temperatures to create an incredibly strong panel.

The cargo strap is also used to wrap the panels effectively reducing packaging for the chair. The five panels that make up the chair can be grouped together, and one panel has a handle, so it can be easily moved while packed.

It is designed to be wider than the existing chair, so you can take a break in various postures, and the lower part of the seat can be used as a storage space.

The reasonably priced OSB has enough strength to make up the chair, and the wood chip pattern makes it hard to see scratches, so it could be shipped without additional packaging.

Joo Hoyoung said, “I ordered plywood cut from a carpentry shop. I tied the cut plywood with a cargo string to bring home. When I came home, I untied the string, put the plywood in the right place, and tied the string again. I am sitting in the chair that has been completed just like that and writing this!” – could it BE any simpler?!

Designer: Joo Hoyoung

Razer’s new entry-level gear was made for streaming newbies

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Razer is looking to lower the barrier to entry for live streaming with a budget webcam and capture card. Streaming newbies can add a video feed of themselves to their broadcast with the Kiyo X USB webcam.

As with a lot of current games, you can choose between optimizing your webcam feed for fidelity or framerate with 1080p 30 fps and 720p 60 fps options. The auto focus feature should keep the image sharp and you can adjust settings on the fly. With the Razer Virtual Ring Light app, you'll be able to use the glare from your monitor as a lighting source.

Razer Ripsaw X capture card
Razer

Also new is the Ripsaw X capture card. It can capture footage at up to 30 frames per second in 4K. Razer says the device delivers "near-zero latency" through its HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectivity. You can hook it up to a camera with HDMI output to use it as a high-end webcam, or capture gameplay from a console.

These are more budget-friendly versions of other Razer devices, such as the Kiyo webcam, which has a built-in light ring, and the 60 fps-capable Ripsaw HD capture card. Kiyo X costs $80, while Ripsaw X will run you $140. Both are available now from Razer's website and they'll ship on the next business day.

Razer’s new entry-level gear was made for streaming newbies

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Razer is looking to lower the barrier to entry for live streaming with a budget webcam and capture card. Streaming newbies can add a video feed of themselves to their broadcast with the Kiyo X USB webcam.

As with a lot of current games, you can choose between optimizing your webcam feed for fidelity or framerate with 1080p 30 fps and 720p 60 fps options. The auto focus feature should keep the image sharp and you can adjust settings on the fly. With the Razer Virtual Ring Light app, you'll be able to use the glare from your monitor as a lighting source.

Razer Ripsaw X capture card
Razer

Also new is the Ripsaw X capture card. It can capture footage at up to 30 frames per second in 4K. Razer says the device delivers "near-zero latency" through its HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectivity. You can hook it up to a camera with HDMI output to use it as a high-end webcam, or capture gameplay from a console.

These are more budget-friendly versions of other Razer devices, such as the Kiyo webcam, which has a built-in light ring, and the 60 fps-capable Ripsaw HD capture card. Kiyo X costs $80, while Ripsaw X will run you $140. Both are available now from Razer's website and they'll ship on the next business day.

The 2021 Game Awards ceremony takes place on December 9th

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This year's edition of The Game Awards will take place on December 9th. As always, you'll be able to stream it live in up to 4K on dozens of platforms. After last year's online-only event, Geoff Keighley's show will once again have an in-person audience. The ceremony is returning to its old haunt of the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

As always, The Game Awards will feature world premieres and new title announcements, as well as some musical performances. In addition to looking toward the future, the ceremony will reward the talent behind the best games of 2021 with awards across a bunch of categories. The Game Awards will also offer fans free playable game content and a way to interact with the show on some streaming services.

“We are very excited to return to the Microsoft Theater for a special night to celebrate the past, present and future of video games,” said Keighley, who is creator, host and executive producer of The Game Awards. “Our goal is to bring the entire community together to celebrate the most powerful form of entertainment in the world, and recognize emerging voices that represent the future of the medium.”

The 2021 Game Awards ceremony takes place on December 9th

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This year's edition of The Game Awards will take place on December 9th. As always, you'll be able to stream it live in up to 4K on dozens of platforms. After last year's online-only event, Geoff Keighley's show will once again have an in-person audience. The ceremony is returning to its old haunt of the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

As always, The Game Awards will feature world premieres and new title announcements, as well as some musical performances. In addition to looking toward the future, the ceremony will reward the talent behind the best games of 2021 with awards across a bunch of categories. The Game Awards will also offer fans free playable game content and a way to interact with the show on some streaming services.

“We are very excited to return to the Microsoft Theater for a special night to celebrate the past, present and future of video games,” said Keighley, who is creator, host and executive producer of The Game Awards. “Our goal is to bring the entire community together to celebrate the most powerful form of entertainment in the world, and recognize emerging voices that represent the future of the medium.”

Sony buys remake and remaster studio Bluepoint Games

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Sony has acquired Bluepoint Games, the Austin-based studio best known for remaking Demon’s Souls and Shadow of the Colossus. Financial terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed. Rumors that Sony was buying Bluepoint started to spread online right around the time the company acquired Returnal developer Housemarque in late June. Sony didn’t say whether Bluepoint will continue to focus its efforts on remastering past titles or if it will work on an entirely new IP now that it’s part of the PlayStation Studios family.

“PlayStation has such an iconic gaming catalog and for us there’s been nothing better than to bring some of gaming’s masterpieces to new players,” said Marco Thrush, the president of Bluepoint Games. “Becoming a part of PlayStation Studios empowers our team to raise the quality-bar even further and create even more impactful experiences for the PlayStation community.”

With the announcement of today’s deal, Sony has acquired three studios in the past year. That number increases to four over more than two years if you include its 2019 purchase of Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games. That’s a significant change of pace for a company that was previously much slower to buy up external developers to bolster its first-party lineup. But then a lot has changed in just the last year. Microsoft’s recent $7.5 billion deal to buy Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media means many highly anticipated games like Starfield aren’t coming to PlayStation anymore. Sony needs the kind of talent that’s at Bluepoint to keep pace.

Sony buys remake and remaster studio Bluepoint Games

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Sony has acquired Bluepoint Games, the Austin-based studio best known for remaking Demon’s Souls and Shadow of the Colossus. Financial terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed. Rumors that Sony was buying Bluepoint started to spread online right around the time the company acquired Returnal developer Housemarque in late June. Sony didn’t say whether Bluepoint will continue to focus its efforts on remastering past titles or if it will work on an entirely new IP now that it’s part of the PlayStation Studios family.

“PlayStation has such an iconic gaming catalog and for us there’s been nothing better than to bring some of gaming’s masterpieces to new players,” said Marco Thrush, the president of Bluepoint Games. “Becoming a part of PlayStation Studios empowers our team to raise the quality-bar even further and create even more impactful experiences for the PlayStation community.”

With the announcement of today’s deal, Sony has acquired three studios in the past year. That number increases to four over more than two years if you include its 2019 purchase of Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games. That’s a significant change of pace for a company that was previously much slower to buy up external developers to bolster its first-party lineup. But then a lot has changed in just the last year. Microsoft’s recent $7.5 billion deal to buy Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media means many highly anticipated games like Starfield aren’t coming to PlayStation anymore. Sony needs the kind of talent that’s at Bluepoint to keep pace.

Google’s original Nest Hub drops to $40 at Best Buy

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If you've wanted to add to your Google Assistant home setup without spending too much money, Best Buy has a new way that you could do that. The retailer has the original Nest Hub smart display for $40, or $50 off its normal price. This gadget came out in 2018 and has since been replaced by the sleep-tracking, second-generation Nest Hub — but if you're willing to skip a few new features, you can get a largely similar device for one of the best prices we've seen.

Buy Nest Hub (1st-gen) at Best Buy - $40

We gave the original Nest Hub, formerly known as the Google Home Hub, a score of 87 when it first came out for its lovely 7-inch display, charming minimalist design and extra privacy thanks to a lack of a camera. It makes a good smart alarm clock, even if it is slightly larger than something like the Echo Show 5, but it also won't look out of place on your kitchen countertop. It can even act as a digital photo frame if you use Google's Live Albums feature. Plus, you can control smart home devices from its touchscreen, and it'll show feeds from Nest security cameras so you can check in on any area of your home more easily.

So what will you miss out on if you opt for the previous-generation device instead of the new, $100 Nest Hub? It comes down to three main things: the Soli motion sensor, improved audio and a speedier Google Assistant. The Soli sensor enables gesture controls as well as sleep tracking, so you could position the new Nest Hub on your nightstand and it will track things like time asleep, sleep quality and snoring. We weren't super impressed by the device's nighttime tracking abilities, but we expect improvements to be made in future software updates.

As for sound and the Assistant, the new Nest Hub has the same audio system as the Nest Audio speaker, so it's a big improvement over the original. Plus, the onboard machine-learning chip allows the Assistant to respond more quickly to queries and commands. Overall, the latest Nest Hub is an improvement on the original, but the first-generation device remains a solid option if you're on a strict budget or if you feel you can safely skip the latest upgrades.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Google’s original Nest Hub drops to $40 at Best Buy

Posted on by

If you've wanted to add to your Google Assistant home setup without spending too much money, Best Buy has a new way that you could do that. The retailer has the original Nest Hub smart display for $40, or $50 off its normal price. This gadget came out in 2018 and has since been replaced by the sleep-tracking, second-generation Nest Hub — but if you're willing to skip a few new features, you can get a largely similar device for one of the best prices we've seen.

Buy Nest Hub (1st-gen) at Best Buy - $40

We gave the original Nest Hub, formerly known as the Google Home Hub, a score of 87 when it first came out for its lovely 7-inch display, charming minimalist design and extra privacy thanks to a lack of a camera. It makes a good smart alarm clock, even if it is slightly larger than something like the Echo Show 5, but it also won't look out of place on your kitchen countertop. It can even act as a digital photo frame if you use Google's Live Albums feature. Plus, you can control smart home devices from its touchscreen, and it'll show feeds from Nest security cameras so you can check in on any area of your home more easily.

So what will you miss out on if you opt for the previous-generation device instead of the new, $100 Nest Hub? It comes down to three main things: the Soli motion sensor, improved audio and a speedier Google Assistant. The Soli sensor enables gesture controls as well as sleep tracking, so you could position the new Nest Hub on your nightstand and it will track things like time asleep, sleep quality and snoring. We weren't super impressed by the device's nighttime tracking abilities, but we expect improvements to be made in future software updates.

As for sound and the Assistant, the new Nest Hub has the same audio system as the Nest Audio speaker, so it's a big improvement over the original. Plus, the onboard machine-learning chip allows the Assistant to respond more quickly to queries and commands. Overall, the latest Nest Hub is an improvement on the original, but the first-generation device remains a solid option if you're on a strict budget or if you feel you can safely skip the latest upgrades.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.