LEGO-like modular dollhouse lets you build the miniature home of your dreams

Posted on 16/10/2024 by JC Torres

It’s pretty amazing how many things you can make if you’re given the right tools and materials. LEGO blocks have inspired creativity and shaped minds for generations in the physical world, while sandbox games like Minecraft have pulled the same feat in the digital world. These two creative platforms, in turn, have inspired many other toys and experiences that try to bring this freedom of creation to other designs. This particular design concept, for example, has a similar vibe to LEGO but caters to the young and young at heart who want to build their ideal doll houses.

Designers: Gavin Portillo, Mario Ledo

LEGO blocks started out as literal block-shaped pieces that you could combine in different ways to create structures, animals, vehicles, and anything your mind can imagine. More specialized pieces came later on that somewhat deviated from squares and rectangles, including wheels and gears, but the overall aesthetic remained the same. The same is true with the game Minecraft, where you can build almost anything imaginable, such as a primitive computer, but still look blocky overall.

BLUID-IT is a design concept that tries to expand those shapes to allow for more expressive combinations. The goal, however, isn’t just to build anything but to build dollhouses specifically. There are already plenty of dollhouses, most of them designed for kids, that allow a bit of customization, but you can only use what comes with the package, or maybe buy some additional accessories. And almost all of them revolve around a specific theme or style.

But what if you had hundreds of small objects to choose from, ranging from pillars to spiral staircases to magnetic walls? You can, in theory, build almost any house interior possible, one that can even span more than just a single level. No two houses would be identical, unless you intentionally copied, of course, allowing greater freedom in designing the perfect living space for miniature people.

It’s not completely free-form, though. The aluminum platforms and walls have perforations where you can insert tiny walls, furniture, and other pieces. This makes the design easier to use for younger audiences, giving them some guidelines to follow. It may even be useful as a tool for interior designers or architects, giving them a quick and easy way to create models for their desired arrangements as well.

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Miniature digital camera lets you add filters to your media

Posted on 15/03/2024 by Ida Torres

In the middle of a concert where I was surrounded by Gen Z and younger millennials, I noticed that what some of the kids were using to take photos and videos were not their smartphones but digital cameras. That’s when I realized that the adage that “everything old is new again” is still very much true and that the younger generation was discovering gadgets that my generation thought was already dead. We’re seeing brands come up with different variants of digital cameras and now we’re seeing what might be the smallest yet.

Designer: Kenko Tokina

The Pieni M may seem like a toy at first given its tiny size but it’s actually a fully functional miniature digital camera. The name itself, Pieni, is actually the Finnish word for “small” even though the brand is Japanese. Lest you think that it’s just purely for aesthetic purposes, the tiny camera lets you take photos and videos and can even give you filters to make your multimedia look even more hipster than you initially intended. It looks like just any regular camera except that it’s a miniature version.

The camera even has an LCD display that can show you what it is you’re actually taking a photo or video of. Well, given its size, you may have to squint a bit to be able to fully see what’s on the screen. There is a button on the side that lets you switch between video recording and photographing. And if you’re using it for the former, you can actually record voices and ambient sounds. It also has a feature that gives your photos a watercolor-like look or you can use the other filters available including monochrome, orange, blue, or green.

The device is small enough for regular hands to hold it between your two fingers. There’s a USB port so you can easily transfer your media to your laptop or tablet or you can save it on a microSD card for easy storage and transfer. The Pieni M is available in black or grayish blue but it would also be nice to have it in other cuter colors eventually. Personally, I’d probably still use my smartphone to take photos or videos for better quality but if I wanted something more hipster, then this would be a good device to have.

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This adorable miniature Macintosh is actually an innovative multi-functional docking station

Posted on 30/09/2023 by JC Torres

Laptops have become so powerful that they’ve started to rival some desktops, except for the part that they’re forever limited in how many devices you can attach to them. At most, you’ll probably have five to seven, depending on how thin the laptop tries to be. It’s not really unusual for many owners to expand their portable computer’s capabilities using hubs and docks, especially now with the use of USB-C and the related Thunderbolt technologies almost everywhere. These accessories, small as they may be, still take up space on your desk and can be a source of distraction. So why not put an eye-catching and enviable design on that dock, turning it into a unique homage to the original Apple Macintosh, one of if not the first to blaze a trail for personal computing.

Designer: RayCue

Click Here to Buy Now: $169 ~~$249~~ (32% off). Hurry, for a limited time only! Raised over $145,000.

You’d be forgiven for mistaking this docking station as a fancy desktop toy, given how cute and attractive it is. The RayCue 128K is basically inspired by the design of the pioneering Macintosh from 1984, from its chunky and boxy design to its off-white paint job. There’s even a keyboard-like partner that uses the same motif to complete the faithful recreation. That design alone already makes it a worthy addition to your desk, bringing life and fun to your work, but it’s more than just a piece of eye candy. It is, after all, a docking station, but it goes above and beyond the call of duty compared to your standard docks.

The RayCue 128K Pro, for example, boasts 14 ports of different kinds, including three different types of USB ports, SD/TF card readers, an Ethernet port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and not one, not even two, but three 4K 60Hz HDMI ports. As if that number wasn’t already impressive, these video out ports support DisplayLink Apple MST (multi-stream transport), making it possible to connect that many extra monitors to your MacBook. With a powerful DC-in capable of accepting up to 130W of power, the RayCue 128K can charge not only your laptop but also other devices for a total of 100W of output.

But as they say on TV, “there’s more!” The screen on the RayCue 128K isn’t just for show and is, in fact, a 3.5-inch IPS color screen that can display the time, calendar, media information, and even photos, turning the dock into a true decorative accessory to enhance your working experience. It doesn’t end there either, since the box also hides a Bluetooth Speaker, making it a jukebox to help keep your focus. It’s going to keep you entertained and productive and might even turn you into the envy of your friends.

Given how it works, you can’t really take the RayCue 128K with you wherever you go. That’s where the RayCue 128K Pocket comes in, a portable 7-in-1 hub that comes in the form of a miniature Macintosh keyboard. It might not have all the bells and whistles of the Pro dock, but it still has plenty to offer, including a 4K 60Hz HDMI port and card readers. If you’re going to put a docking station on your desk, you might as well put something that offers the best impact and experience. With the RayCue 128K Pro and Pocket, not only are you getting a powerful dock and hub, you’re also getting an adorable yet functional decoration that gives a nod to the personal computer that started it all.

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TinyTV Miniature Video Displays

Posted on 10/11/2022 by hite

TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini are miniature video displays in the form of old CRT televisions. Currently, an already heavily funded Kickstarter project, prices start at $49 and go up from there depending on the style and color of the television case and the inclusion of an equally tiny remote control. Obviously, I might just be receiving that World’s Best Uncle award sooner than I thought if I get one of these for my niece’s dollhouse.

The TinyTV 2 (the larger of the two tiny models) features a 216×135 pixel display, functional rotary knobs on the front for adjusting volume and changing the channel (next video file), a forward-facing speaker, 8GB storage (~10 hours of video) and a Li-polymer battery with about 2 hours of power. The TinyTV Mini features a 64×64 pixel OLED display, volume and channel buttons on top, an internal speaker, 8GB storage (~40 hours of video at this resolution), and a Li-polymer battery with about 1 hour of power. Both can easily have video footage uploaded, and their batteries recharged via USB-C cable, as well as be operated using an IR remote.

Most people want as large a TV as they can fit in front of the sofa, so it’s refreshing to see ultra-miniature televisions for a change. Plus, they’re much more budget-friendly. Sure I’ll likely miss a lot of the finer details watching House of the Dragon, but those dragons would probably scare me on the big screen anyways.

This literally Tiny TV comes with a cute but miniature screen that plays real videos

Posted on 08/11/2022 by Ida Torres

When I watch my TV shows, movies, and all sorts of videos, I prefer to watch it on the biggest screen that I have in my home. If I could buy a bigger screen smart TV, I most probably would. But maybe that’s just me or at least those with poor eyesight like me because it seems like people want to watch on their mobile phones and for a certain market, they want to watch on something even smaller.

Designer: TinyCircuits

This means that there is a market for something like the TinyTV, a miniature screen that can play different kinds of videos. In fact, they are releasing the second version of this which has upgraded features but is still tiny as heck. There is even a tinier version with the TinyTV Mini as small as a grape so I don’t know what you can actually watch there.

Unlike the first version of TinyTV, this new one is not so DIY anymore. It has a better resolution and brighter display and comes with two rotary knobs that can control the different “channels” as well as the volume of this device, since it does come with a speaker at the front part of the TV if you don’t want to use headphones. There is even a remote control that you can connect through the infrared system and comes with a rechargeable battery.

It comes pre-loaded with videos with each one serving as the aforementioned “channel”. But you can also upload your own videos since it has a built-in 8GB microSD where you can save up to 10 hours of videos. You might have to convert some of this to be able to play on the TV. You can also plug in the cable included into your computer to convert and transfer the videos. You can also use it as a second screen as it can mirror what’s in your computer screen if you use the software.

I most likely will not be able to properly watch anything on the TinyTV but as a cute accessory, I wouldn’t say no to one. The one enclosed in the crystal-like transparent case is definitely eye-catching. I’d have to draw the line at the grape-sized tinier version though.

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Wilsdorf Collection is a stylish fusion of cufflinks and miniature watches

Posted on 31/08/2022 by JC Torres

There is a certain appeal to products shrunken down to a fraction of their original size. Their petite forms can easily be described as cute or eccentric, but functional miniatures also inspire awe and wonder, especially the more complex ones. Even with today’s modern tools and technologies, it takes a high level of craftsmanship to pull off a smaller version of a design, especially one with dozens of intricate moving parts. A miniature mechanical watch, for example, requires a greater deal of attention to detail precisely because of its size, requiring uncommon parts and careful assembly. That is the magnificent accomplishment achieved by these four tiny luxury watches attached to stylish cufflinks that will easily make you the center of attraction at any gathering.

Designer: Creamy Patina/Imran Haq

Click Here to Buy Now: $88 ~~$118~~ (25% off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

Almost everyone wants to be able to tell the time at a glance, and most people wear watches on their wrists for that purpose. It’s not always by choice, though, because some might prefer to have nothing wrapped around their wrists. In some situations, wearing a watch might not even be practical, like when you’re wearing dress shirts with closed cuffs.

The Wilsdorf Collection solves that problem in a very elegant way by combining a cufflink and a watch into a single piece. Of course, it can’t just be any watch since you’ll most likely use it in a formal function. Each of the four pieces in this fashionable set is a homage to an iconic Rolex luxury watch, giving each miniature watch not only a luxurious appearance but also a clear connection to some of the industry’s most-loved timepieces from the brand.

The Cuffmariner, for example, brings the luminous markers and hands of the 1953 Rolex Submariner, as well as its distinctive three-pointed star hour hand. The Cufftona exudes a spirit of speed and boldness even in its small size, inspired by the Rolex Daytona worn by the famed Paul Newman. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the fashionable Cufftany with its “Tiffany Blue” motif, a nod to the Rolex Oyster Perpetual. And then there’s the Cuffgauss, an homage to the Rolex Milgauss, bearing the original’s unique lightning bolt second hand.

These watches are more than just decorative luxury pieces, of course. Moved by a Quartz Japanese Seiko PC21 mechanism, the watches are guaranteed to highly accurate. The combination of a stainless steel exterior and a mineral glass crystal cover ensures that the cufflink cum watch won’t be easily damaged despite always being exposed. And despite their diminutive size, the watches use standard batteries, making replacement easy and providing longevity to each timepiece.

Given its luxurious design and excellent craftsmanship, the $88 price tag on a single cufflink watch in this set almost feels like a steal. Whether you’re the type that simply loves to wear dress shirts with cufflinks or want to feel like James Bond at every meeting or gala, the Wilsdorf Collection promises to deliver a unique marriage of style and function that’s sure to catch people’s attention all the time, pun intended.

Click Here to Buy Now: $88 ~~$118~~ (25% off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left! Raised over $130,000.

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These hand-crafted miniature animals move when you turn the crank

Posted on 17/06/2022 by Rei Padla

Penny Thomson Miniature Automata
The fascination with miniature stuff continues to grow among many hobbyists and creatives from all over the world. Even if you are not into making little versions of objects, houses, villages, or just about anything you can think of that would look cute on a smaller scale, you can still find joy in exploring the little details and every nook and cranny of a set or figure. While the most famous scene is probably the home, animals come next as another exciting subject. Making smaller animal figures is not easy because of all the details, but one fantastic artist can even make versions that move. Believe it or not, no small electronics or batteries were added, but Penny Thomson only used wires to allow movement.