Awesome Tech

It may not have the best name, but this mid-size mechanical keyboard has got it where it counts. The 98-key S98 has quiet green switches with multi-layer dampeners to reduce noise and vibrations. It offers colorful backlighting and a programmable OLED screen. Connectivity support includes USB-C wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz wireless.

Kinetic art studio Breakfast created this series exploring the origins of video gaming and the multi-billion-dollar industry it has evolved into. Billion Dollar Arcade uses an array of mechanical dots to play Pong, Breakout, and Space Invaders, along with real-time stock market data tracking the industry’s valuation. For sale in a limited edition of eight each.

This versatile computer accessory combines a macro controller and a 10-in-1 USB-C docking station. It has six programmable keys with LCD screens, three knobs, and three navigation buttons. The hub has numerous outputs, including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, 2.5GBps Ethernet, 3.5mm audio, and an SD/TF memory card slot. Compatible with MacOS and Windows.

The latest 3D printer from Creality has a massive 400 mm x 400 mm x 400 mm (15.75″ x 15.75″ x 15.75″) build area for printing large objects. It prints at speeds up to 700 mm/second and has precise automated bed leveling and a 1000-watt heated build plate for printing in a wide variety of materials.

This expressive controller gives musicians an incredible amount of control and looks amazing while performing. The ERAE II has 16,000 force sensors to detect movements and pressure across its multitouch surface. A colorful LED grid provides visual feedback and can be programmed with virtual keys, drum pads, faders, and buttons. It also has a built-in 8-track looper.

This compact machine brings computer-controlled carving to any desktop without breaking the bank. Starting under $300, SainSmart’s ready-to-use CNC carves wood and soft metals and can also mill precise traces into circuit boards. Add-on modules turn the Cubiko into a laser engraver, polisher, or drawing tool.

This geeky tabletop clock from Etsy seller PitStop3D tells time using Tetris blocks. As the minutes and hours change, colorful blocks fall into place to form the digits. Its LED dot-matrix display sits beneath a smoked acrylic cover, while its 3D-printed case is available in black, white, or the faux woodgrain shown here. Measures 10.5″ x 5.5″ x 1.75″.

This custom build from Brick Machines combines two of our favorite pastimes – LEGO and candy. Built primarily from LEGO Technic and Mindstorms parts, the tabletop factory includes a mechanical candy hopper, an optical color sorter, a conveyor belt, color-matched lights, and an elevator to keep the sweet treats flowing in an endless loop.

After Handy Geng’s brother rigged a leaf blower to give him an advantage in a snowball fight, the inventor felt outgunned. So he got to work building a drivable mech that fires frozen projectiles. The armored lucky cat rolls along on caterpillar tracks and makes snowballs by gathering snow from the ground and shaping it with motorized scoopers. (Turn captions on.)

This modern LED desk lamp provides ambient light on a set of three nested rings. Each ring has an array of RGB lights that can change color, but what makes it really interesting is Lepro’s mobile app and LightGPM tech, which uses AI to design color schemes and effects based on voice prompts. Unbox Therapy explains how it works.

This controller is designed to improve workflows with drawing tablets but can speed up any creative process. It has eight buttons, which can be programmed for shortcuts for up to 40 functions per application, OLED function displays, and a four-mode knob with LED lighting to indicate which mode has been selected. Works with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux PCs.

Do you long for the days when social media wasn’t filled with influencer videos and endless doomscrolling? Developed by Anton Röhm, SpaceHey is an old-school social networking website built to look like an early version of MySpace. The site features personal blogs, bulletin boards, forums, messaging, and groups. There’s also a mobile version.

Casetify teamed up with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts to create this playful tribute to Warhol’s pop art banana prints. The ridiculously oversized case won’t fit in your pocket, but if you buy one of these, you’ll want it to be seen. The case comes in iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro sizes and includes three Chiquita-inspired stickers.

If you used a computer in the 1990s or early 2000s, you’re likely familiar with that screensaver that turns your screen into an aquarium. LGR dives into the deep end of the aquarium with a history lesson on the popular screensaver and how it evolved over the years. The first time we saw digital fish swimming around was using After Dark on an early Macintosh.

This premium desktop charging station reduces clutter and looks cool doing it. The Moonbase helps reduce the need for charging bricks by providing four USB-C ports and 240 watts of efficient GaN power on board. It has three well-spaced AC outlets for devices that still need their own charger, each accented with a colorful ring of light.

Brick Machines is back with another awesome LEGO Technic and Mindstorms creation. He shows how he built a fully functional LEGO laptop with a working keyboard and a mouse that uses a magnetic X/Y track and a hall-effect sensor to detect its position and button clicks. Both the keyboard and mouse pad have programmable RGB backlighting.