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Screen Test
As the average size of a home television has grown from about 22 inches to over 50 inches over the past 25 years, it’s clear that the idea that bigger is better is a commonly accepted idea. Sure, in some ways that may be true, but there’s also great stuff happening on the other end of the spectrum. While the TinyTV 2’s 1-inch screen and half-inch speakers are totally outlandish (and there’s no way Paul Thomas Anderson is going to watch There Will Be Blood), they represent a triumph of ingenuity. Plus, they’re cute. People love them.
TinyTV 2 1-inch screen
Tiny Circuit Tiny TV 2
Price: £48
Click: tinycircuits.com
“It brings joy,” says TinyCircuits founder Ken Burns. “Some people say, ‘I don’t get it,’ but others say, ‘I don’t know why I need this, but I do.'” The case, which resembles an early 1960s TV with legs that fold out, houses a Raspberry Pi RP2040 processor and 8GB of video storage. After powering it on, you turn the “channel” rotary knob, which cycles through the video files stored there, popping out real noises with each turn. The left knob controls the volume, and the USB-C connector on the back doubles as a charging port and a way to transfer video from your computer (a software converter, available for download from the TinyCircuits website, will upscale MP4s and AVIs to the right size). There’s no fast-forward or rewind, and no other connectivity options. But the whole point of this product is to make something fun, within very strict standards, so it feels rude to point out its flaws. “We’re riding a wave of advancements in consumer electronics,” says Burns. “Raspberry Pi has a new processor that’s powerful enough to do what you need it to do at a low price.” It’s not a replacement for a TV, tablet or phone; it’s just in its own fascinating little category. And the no-nonsense mini remote, weighing just three grams, only adds to that appeal.
Who is Moss?
Moslove Mosair
Moslove Mosair
Price: £85
Click: mosslab.com
Taking up less space on your desktop than a smartphone, the Moss Air is a very compact humidifier. Admittedly, you may wonder how much humidification it can provide, but let’s talk about moss. A green living tray of moss sits vertically inside the device and is softly lit by LEDs. By moving the magnetic metal ball on top, you can switch between terrarium mode (which automatically moistens the moss every 3 hours) and humidifier mode (which pumps steam into the room). Moss is known to be one of nature’s best air filters. I don’t know if the presence of moss has a concrete effect on the air I breathe, but I feel like there is a positive effect on my mind when I look at it from time to time.
Mac Restoration
Ayane Retro Mini PC
Ayane Retro Mini PC
Price: £299
Click: ayaneo.com
Putting a Windows PC in a case that looks like a shrunken 1984 Macintosh is a bold move, but I appreciate Ayaneo’s rejection of the age-old Mac vs. PC platform wars and its healthy celebration of retro computing. What’s more, this machine is powerful. My test unit is equipped with a snappy Ryzen 7 processor, which outperforms my (five-year-old) desktop machine. Everything ran very smoothly, from office apps (that come with Windows 11) to online games. But the AM01’s small footprint makes it very useful. Use it as an office desktop, a living room entertainment hub, a standalone gaming machine, or a smart home controller. It’s expandable and versatile, so you can use it however you like.
Satisfy your Atari addiction
Atari 400 Mini
Atari 400 Mini
Price: £99.99
Click: retrogames.biz
The slogan when the Atari 400 launched in 1979 was “Big ideas made simple.” UK-based Retro Games has made it even simpler. The company has built a 400 emulator inside a half-sized replica of the original that’s faithfully recreated, though the keys don’t work. Powered by USB and connected to the screen via HDMI, with a full-sized joystick modelled on the original, it plays a range of original Atari games (including the hugely influential Miner 2049er) right out of the box. Old, forgotten Atari games you find online can also be imported into the unit via a USB stick. The graphics are blocky, the sound is bleepy and it’s just as addictive as the first time you played it.
Instant winner
Instax Mini 99
Instax Mini 99
Price: £175
Click: instax.co.uk
While Polaroid was embroiled in legal troubles in the early 2000s, Fujifilm’s Instax continued to fly the instant camera flag. The latest fully analog model (no memory cards, no USB) shoots onto tiny Instax Mini film (images measure 46mm x 62mm) and cleverly incorporates non-digital versions of the features we of the Instagram generation have come to rely on. The built-in LED lets you shoot in a variety of color modes, from sepia to faded green, and a mechanical vignette switch on the front lets you soften the edges of your photos. Exposure and shutter speed settings give you flexibility, but like other instant cameras, you don’t have complete control over the photos you capture. Its appeal lies in its unconventional behavior.
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