July, 2025 - Faz Business | فاز الأعمال

Flagship power or foldable flop?

Posted on July 12, 2025 by faz_business

In a first for Samsung’s foldables, the new Galaxy Z Flip 7 sports a Samsung Exynos processor instead of its usual Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. I’m reasonably convinced the Exynos 2500 looks more than good enough on paper, even if it won’t quite match the Snapdragon 8 Elite inside the Galaxy S25 series and Z Fold 7.

But the real proof is in the testing, so I’ve run the Galaxy Z Flip 7 through our usual suite of benchmarks to see just how far off the top spot it really is. For comparison, we’ve grabbed results from the latest flagships by Apple, Google, Samsung, and the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 found in vivo’s newest flagship. Let’s dive in.

Off-the-shelf vs custom CPU cores

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE in both Black and White colorways unfolded partially on table

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

The biggest divide in mobile chipsets these days is between those using “off-the-shelf” Arm Cortex CPU designs and those licensing Arm’s architecture to build custom CPUs. Apple and now Qualcomm fall into the latter camp, while Google, MediaTek, and Samsung stick with their configurations of Arm Cortex cores.

Historically, custom cores have outperformed the Cortex-X series in single-core tasks, which in turn often leads to strong multi-core scores — even when up against Cortex clusters packing more total cores. That’s still true today, and it matters because while most apps are multi-threaded, few come close to maxing out eight or ten cores. So single-core muscle still drives responsiveness and is a boon for gaming.

The Exynos 2500 uses the same Cortex-X925 core as the Dimensity 9400 (listed as Cortex-X5 on Samsung’s sheet). It’s not quite as quick as Qualcomm’s Phoenix CPU core, but the gap isn’t huge overall.

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

As you can see, the Exynos 2500 in the Z Flip 7 is about 18% slower than the 8 Elite in the S25, but it isn’t as far off the vivo X200 Pro’s MediaTek flagship. The lower single-core score likely comes down to clock speed (3.3GHz vs 3.6GHz) and some cache differences, but multi-core performance is surprisingly close.

Expectedly, the Exynos 2500’s Cortex-X trails the custom cores in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite and is even further behind Apple’s A18 Pro in single-core power. Despite having fewer cores, those chips’ sheer individual performances keeps them ahead in heavy multi-threaded loads too. This means the mainstream Galaxy S25 actually outpaces the pricier Flip 7 — at least in benchmarks. Still, the Exynos 2500 and Dimensity 9400 are only about 12% slower than Apple’s best, which is pretty nippy.

The Exynos 2500 CPU scores surprisingly close to MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9400.

Another perspective? The Exynos 2500 easily clears Google’s Tensor G4 by a comfortable margin, with a huge 64% lead in multi-core performance. While beating Google’s Tenor is hardly worthy of an award, it highlights that the chip is plenty fast for day-to-day use.

Modern flagship chips have long passed the point of simply being “fast enough.” Even if the new Exynos doesn’t top the charts, it’ll easily handle multitasking and future apps over its projected seven-year software lifespan. For a style-first phone like the Z Flip 7, that’s arguably right where it needs to be.

Another try at AMD graphics for mobile

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE side view thickness

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

One especially interesting part of recent Exynos chips is the use of AMD’s RDNA architecture for its Xclipse GPUs. It was among the first to bring ray-tracing to mobile, and Samsung claims the latest version is up to 28% faster than before. The Xclipse 950 GPU has grown this year — going from six Work Group Processors (WGP) and four Render Back-ends (RB) to 8WGP/8RB.

So what does that mean for actual performance, and can it keep up with Arm’s Immortalis and Qualcomm’s Adreno? The answer is… complicated.

Looking at the first test runs on their own, the Exynos 2500 does pretty well. It matches Apple’s A18 Pro in Wild Life Extreme and even outperforms it by 17% in ray-tracing. That lands it roughly between Apple’s chip and the even faster Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400. Not bad. However, the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S25 is still 43% faster at standard rasterization, meaning way higher frame rates on Samsung’s mainstream flagship.

As before, the Exynos easily tops Google’s Tensor G4, scoring 76% higher in Wild Life Extreme. And we’ve rarely had complaints about real-world gaming on Pixels, aside from lowering settings in the most demanding titles. For typical gaming, the Exynos 2500 seems plenty solid, with AMD’s RDNA doing great work on ray-tracing that helps keep it competitive with the best.

Exynos 2500 bests Apple’s graphics performance, but is a long way off the fastest.

Unfortunately, once the stress tests kick in, the Exynos 2500’s performance drops sharply — falling even below the G4. This is almost certainly due to the compact Galaxy Z Flip 7 throttling to avoid overheating. We saw the same thing last year with the Z Flip 6’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Even the Galaxy S25 reins in its Snapdragon 8 Elite pretty quickly. Samsung is more conservative than most with regards to temperatures. As a result, we can’t draw too many conclusions about sustained GPU performance beyond noting the Flip clearly isn’t continually tapping into the Exynos 2500’s full graphics potential once things heat up.

Exynos 2500, the right choice for foldables?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs Flip 7 FE vs Fold 7

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority

There’s no doubt the Exynos 2500 is a capable chip, competing near the top for CPU tasks and even besting the iPhone in some GPU scores. It’s flagship-class silicon, even if it’s not the absolute fastest. Whether it’s the best choice for the Z Flip 7, though, is less clear.

Samsung has quite a chipset mix in its high-end products now: the Exynos 2400e in the Galaxy S FE, the Snapdragon 8 Elite in this year’s Galaxy S and Fold flagships, and the widespread use of last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 — including in the Z Flip 6.

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

For everyday apps, the Z Flip 7 sits in the middle. It’s not as snappy as the 8 Elite but decidedly more powerful than the Exynos 2400e. Compared to last year’s Flip 6, however, there’s barely any uplift — just an 8% bump in multi-tasking performance. Hardly headline stuff.

Graphics arguably paint an even worse picture. The Exynos 2500 offers about an 11% ray-tracing improvement over the Flip 6, but it’s actually around 6% slower in standard rasterization. Thermal throttling hits hard, too — both Flip models end up worse off than even the budget Galaxy S24 FE under stress. That’s a testament to how tough the clamshell form factor is for heat. Equally, Samsung’s claim of a 28% uplift to ray-tracing over the 2400 is pretty optimistic; our result is closer to 22% coming from the FE, and even less from the flagship Exynos S24 model.

I can’t say for certain if the Exynos 2500 runs hotter than the 8 Gen 3, though its larger GPU core might not help. Either way, it’s clear the Exynos 2500 has much more potential than last year’s 2400, but it’s really just caught up to 2024’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The $1,099 Z Flip 7 is effectively running last-gen performance — if that — especially considering its inability to sustain power under load.

The Z Flip 7 isn’t really any faster than the Flip 6, which is disappointing.

That doesn’t mean the Exynos 2500 is a bad match for the Z Flip 7. It’s just that it hasn’t meaningfully pushed the phone forward, and powerful chips always face heat constraints in small clamshells. Still, last year we noted that 8 Gen 3 performance was bountiful for typical flip-phone use — and the Exynos 2500 will handle those same workloads just as well. It’s definitely “good enough,” even if that won’t satisfy everyone. Personally, I’d love to see what the Exynos 2500’s GPU could do in a phone with proper cooling.

Whether Samsung’s Exynos-foldable gamble pays off might come down to battery life. With a larger 4,300mAh cell and a new chip, maybe the Flip will finally comfortably last into a second day. That’s something we’ll have to test, as Exynos has historically outperformed rival chipsets in the energy efficiency department.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7

Largest ever Flex Window • 6.9-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X folding screen • 7 years of updates

Melds Galaxy AI with the new edge-to-edge FlexWindow

With a 6.9-inch main display and a 4.1-inch FlexWindow outer display, the Samsung Galaxy Flip 7 focuses on putting AI smarts in your pocket. Measuring just 13.74mm thick when folded, it’s the slimmest Z Flip phone yet. Packed with a 50MP camera and a suite of AI tools, Samsung calls the Z Flip 7 a “pocket-sized selfie studio.”

Two Point Museum’s latest update lets you manage a museum atop a massive mountain, and allows all players a taste of its upcoming fantasy-themed DLC

Posted on July 12, 2025 by faz_business

Late last month, Two Point Studios unveiled the first paid DLC for its excellent management sim Two Point Museum. Titled Fantasy Finds, it adds a dungeon’s worth of treasures to discover and display. While impressed by the expansion’s showing, I questioned the apparent lack of a new museum scenario for the campaign, which would have rounded off the package nicely.

Well, excuse me while I wipe the dragon’s egg off my face, as it turns out Two Point Studios planned to add a new museum all along. Instead of arriving as part of the DLC, however, it’s bundled into the game’s free 4.0 update.

This museum is called Pointy Mountains, and it drops into the end of vanilla TPM as the game’s new finale, unlocked when you reach curator rank 7. Perched on the precipice of an icy crevasse, Pointy Mountains is the game’s largest museum so far. The scenario involves investigating the fate of a curator who went missing on the slopes, and introduces a new exhibit to discover while expanding the museum and catering to your guests.

This isn’t the only freebie added by the update either. Two Point Studios is also opening up a portion of Fantasy Finds for all players to try. This “taster” pack allows players to access the first three points of interest on the DLC’s fantasy-themed expedition map, and retrieve six fairytale exhibits to plonk in among your dinosaur skeletons and giant carnivorous plants. The taster also adds the DLC’s new guest types, which includes wandering goblins, as well as gift shop items like gnomish onesies for your museum’s younger visitors, and one of its fantasy experts (plus its various subclasses).

Two Point Studios stresses that this taster is “not a demo”, and that everything unlocked from those first three POIs is “yours to keep”. But if you want to see beyond the horizon of that third point of interest, then you’ll have to fork over some gold for the full DLC when it launches on July 17. Both update 4.0 and the Fantasy Finds teaser, by comparison, are live now.

Our top picks on headphones, TVs, robot vacuums and more

Posted on July 12, 2025 by faz_business

Amazon Prime Day is almost over, so now’s the time for members to stock up on discounted home essentials, clothing, shoes, and of course, tech. It’s safe to say that Amazon’s website has been overwhelming for the entirety of the event, so we wouldn’t blame you if you got distracted immediately upon opening it.

If you’ve got gadgets on your wishlist, Engadget has you covered. We’re surfacing the best Prime Day deals on gadgets and gear we can find for the whole of the shopping event. As in years past, Prime Day has brought solid discounts on some of our favorite tech including earbuds, tablets, robot vacuums and home devices. These are the best Prime Day deals you can get before the sale ends tonight.

Prime Day deals: Engadget’s top picks

Samsung 55-inch The Frame QLED 4K smart TV for $798 (47 percent off): This is the set that spurred all of the art TV copycats, and it’s been a favorite of our staff for a long time. Samsung’s set looks like a piece of art hanging on your wall when you’re not watching TV, and you can cycle through thousands of images to show on the TV so you’ll always have something new to display.

Dyson V15 Detect Plus for $570 ($180 off): You can’t get much better than a Dyson if you’re on the market for a cordless stick vacuum, and the V15 Detect delivers. It’s our current top pick for the best cordless vacuum overall thanks to its excellent suction power, lightweight design, good battery life and the included Fluffy Optic cleaning head that uses a laser to show you where all the debris is while you’re using it.

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $248 (38 percent off): While the XM6 headphones are the latest and greatest, they only make small changes to the already stellar XM5. These were our top pick for the best wireless headphones for a long time before the XM6 launched earlier this year, and we still like them for their excellent sound quality, strong ANC, multi-device connectivity and good battery life. Note that the black model is the only one down to $248 at the moment; all other colors are on sale for $298.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $149 (40 percent off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid now.

Leebein Electric Spin Scrubber for $38 (46 percent off): This was my favorite thing I bought last year because it makes the must-detested chore of cleaning my shower less of a pain. It’s an electric spin scrubber that comes with multiple cleaning heads so you can use it on your countertops, sinks, tubs and showers and more. It also has an adjustable arm so you can reach tough spots in hard-to-reach places, and it convenient recharges via USB-C.

Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $23 (21 percent off): Jisulife makes handheld fans we’ve recommended in past gift guides and this is one of its newer models. It can be held, folded so it sits flat on a table or worn around your neck for a cool breeze wherever you’re going. It has an easy-to-read display in its center that will show you the fan speed level or current battery life, and its 5,000 mAh battery can last up to 19.5 hours on a single charge when you’re running the fan on its lowest setting.

Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle for $500: We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the fact that Amazon has the Nintendo Switch 2 available to order “by invitation” now. The Mario Kart World bundle is available for the standard $500 price, so it’s not a Prime Day deal per se, but considering Amazon was (supposedly) shut out of the initial Switch 2 order process earlier this year, it’s notable to see the console listed on the site at all.

Prime Day deals under $50

Amazon Smart Plug for $13 ($12 off): This plug and an Alexa Echo device makes a perfect smart home starter kit (and a number of Echos are on sale for Prime Day, too). Snap this into your outlet and Alexa should automatically detect it (if not, a few taps in the Alexa app should get things connected). Then you can use it to control any lamp, fan or other simple device you plug into it — just by asking the assistant.

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18 (49 percent off): Our favorite budget streaming stick, the Fire TV Stick HD is an easy, dirt-cheap way to upgrade an aging TV set. It supports HD video and its revamped remote can control the power and volume of your TV, so you don’t have to keep track of two controllers.

Anker iPhone Nano Power Bank with Built-in USB-C Connector for $20 ($10 off): One of these little guys could represent the difference between a dead phone and a not-dead phone. It’s the size of an oldey-timey lipstick case and delivers a partial charge to any USB-C phone. We tested it out and awarded it a spot in our guide to power banks.

Blink Mini 2 security camera (two-pack) for $35 (50 percent off): Our pick for the best budget security camera is now even more budget friendly. We appreciated this diminutive camera’s ease of setup and excellent integration with Alexa devices, like Echo speakers and displays. It requires a subscription for person detection and cloud storage, and the image quality wasn’t the best of the bunch. If you just need one camera, you can pick one up for $20.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $35 ($25 off): This stick handles Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, 4K video and HDR10+ and supports Wi-Fi 6E. It has the fastest processor of any Fire TV Stick and Engadget’s Jeff Dunn has gotten a lot of use from the stick as a retro gaming emulator. Of course, Amazon’s user interface is less elegant (and less democratic) than others. And it highly prioritizes Prime Video content.

Lexar Professional Silver Plus for $38 ($35 off): Our tests showed this to be the fastest microSD card on the market, beating out the whole Samsung line. Not only is it fast enough to download and upload 4K files without trying your patience, it’s also waterproof, cheap and squeezes in both USB-A and USB-C ports.

Amazon Echo Spot for $45 (44 percent off): Amazon revived the Spot smart alarm clock last year, which features a half-circle shaped display that shows the time, weather and other information like song titles when you’re using the speaker to play music. It has a compact design that will make it easy to fit on a desk or a nightstand, and as with any Alexa smart speaker, you can use it to control IoT devices like smart lights, locks and more.

Meater SE smart meat thermometer for $45 (43 percent off): This lets you wirelessly monitor the temperature of your food while it’s cooking, which could make it an essential tool for aspiring grillmasters. It has a Bluetooth range of 165 feet, a dishwasher-safe design and its companion mobile app lets you keep an eye on foods even if you’re a few rooms away.

Prime Day Apple deals

Apple Watch Series 10 for $280 ($120 off): We consider Apple’s flagship wearable to be the best smartwatch you can buy, period. It’s a mostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer design and a marginally larger display than the prior Series 9. That said, it’s still a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices.

Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $479 ($120 off): In our opinion, the iPad Air is the best iPad for most people as it strikes an ideal balance between performance, price and features. The M3 chip is almost overkill for a tablet, but it means performance should never be an issue. And upcoming productivity gains from iPadOS 26 should make the tablet even more powerful.

Apple iPad (A16) for $280 (20 percent off): The latest base model iPad comes with a faster A16 chip, 2GB more RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. It earned a score of 84 in our review — if you only need an iPad for roaming the internet, watching shows and doing some lighter productivity tasks, it’s a good starter tablet.

Prime Day audio deals

Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $369 (26 percent off): The second-gen Beam soundbar has support for Dolby Atmos and it has a relatively streamlined design that should be easy to fit into most home entertainment setups.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $160 (30 percent off): The best earbuds for Pixel phone users are down to $160, which makes them a great purchase right now. Live translate and hands-free access to Gemini might be the highlight, but these earbuds have great sound and capable ANC too.

Beats Pill for $99 (34 percent off): The Beats Pill is one of the few portable bluetooth speakers we liked enough to give it a full review. Those of you who love the classic Beats bluetooth speakers will be happy to know they’re back in fine form. Nobody can beat the Pill for bass, and its sound is crisp and lossless at almost any frequency and volume. For some reason, only the Kim Kardashian branded version is on sale, but it’s the exact same speaker.

Sony WH-CH720N headphones for $78 (48 percent off): The cheapest Sony headphones we’d recommend that are no slouch. They’re lightweight and comfy with respectable sound for the price. You also get Adaptive Sound Control, 360 Reality Audio and multipoint Bluetooth on this budget model.

Prime Day laptop deals

Microsoft Surface Laptop (13.8-inch, Snapdragon X Plus) for $880 (27 percent off): In addition to running on a Snapdragon X Plus processor, this 2024 Surface Laptop has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It’s a Copilot+ PC that also has a 13.8-inch touchscreen, and it should last up to 20 hours on a single charge.

Google Pixelbook Go (13-inch, Intel Core M3) for $319 (51 percent off): The Pixelbook Go is a bit old at this point, but if you’re a Chrome OS lover and want a Google-made laptop, this is a solid option. It includes an Intel Core M3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 12-hour battery life.

Prime Day tech deals

Samsung The Frame Pro (65-inch) for $1,898 (14 percent off): New for 2025, Samsung’s Frame Pro sets offer brighter and higher-quality Mini LED panels for a superior TV watching experience. The 65-inch Frame Pro is a great option for most living rooms since it’s large enough to deliver an immersive viewing experience, and it also comes with Samsung’s wireless One Connect box for less cable clutter. While there’s still no OLED Frame TV yet, this Mini LED set is the closest you’ll get today. (If you’re looking for something larger, the 75-inch Frame Pro is down to $2,699, and the 85-inch is $4,061.)

Hisense S7N Canvas TV (65-inch) for $898 (31 percent off): Hisense’s spin on Samsung’s Frame sets, the CanvasTV, comes in much cheaper and with a boatload of features. The S7N sports an anti-glare display and art mode, as you’d expect, but there’s also 144Hz support for a bit of gaming. It also comes with a slim wall mount so you can hang it on your wall like a genuine work of art. (The 55-inch model is also a great deal at $689, and the 77-inch is down to $1,399.)

Kindle Scribe for $260 ($140 off): The Scribe is one of the best E-Ink tablets you can buy at the moment, and certainly the top pick if you want a writable table that also excels as an ereader. It provides a great reading and writing experience, thanks in part to its ability to access the entire Kindle ebook library, and it has handy Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox integration.

iRobot Roomba 104 Combo robot vacuum and mop for $250 (44 percent off): This combo machine will vacuum and mop on its own, plus it comes with an auto-empty base as well. That means it will automatically empty the dry debris it collects into the base after every cleaning job.

Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $183 ($37 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier, Levoit’s Core 400S reliably improved air quality in our testing, plus it has easy to use onboard controls and replaceable filters that are not too expensive. We also found it to not be offensively loud, even on its highest setting.

Ninja Dual-Zone air fryer (10 quart) for $160 ($90 off): This model is one of our favorite air fryers thanks to its dual-zone cooking system, which allows you to prepare two separate foods at different temperatures and settings. There’s even a Match Cook feature that ensures both foods will be done at the same time, regardless of their cooking settings.

Samsung 990 Pro for $150 (29 percent off): The whole Samsung Pro line of SSDs is excellent for gamers, with PS5s in particular seeming to run much faster with one installed. The 990 Pro can reach read speeds of up to 1,400 KB/s — and yes, that’s kilobytes, not megabytes.

Crucial X9 Pro 2TB for $120 ($60 off): The Crucial X9 Pro with 2TB storage space is marked down 33 percent for Prime Day. It’s our top pick for the best portable SSD right now thanks to its excellent speeds, compact yet rugged design and five-year warranty.

Kindle for $85 ($25 off): Our favorite budget option in our guide to the best ereaders, the latest base Kindle has 16GB of storage — more than enough to hold hundreds of books at a time. It has a compact and durable design that’s easy to take anywhere, and the latest model is faster than before with speedy page turns and a more seamless navigation between books, your library and other parts of the UI.

Ring Doorbell Battery + Indoor Cam 2 for $70 (50 percent off): If you’re looking to build out a security system in your home, this bundle is a good place to start, giving you a video doorbell and an indoor security camera. You’ll be able to see both live feeds in the Ring app, and they can send you motion alerts and let you speak to people on the other end of the camera when you’re not at home.

What is Prime Day?

Prime Day is Amazon’s members-only shopping event, which means you’ll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of most of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial closer to July and participate in the event.

When is Prime Day 2025?

Amazon Prime Day 2025 will be back this year on July 8 through July 11.

When does Prime Day 2025 end?

Amazon Prime Day ends on July 11 at the end of the day.

How often is Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day typically comes around annually in July. In the last few years, Amazon has also had its “Big Deal Days” in October, which is effectively a second Prime Day and the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

How does Prime Day work?

Prime subscribers can go to Amazon’s site on Prime Day to see all of the exclusive deals they have access to. Prime subscribers do not have to do anything additional to get Prime Day sales: the discounts you see on product pages will show up in your cart automatically. If you’re not a Prime subscriber and you go to Amazon to shop on Prime Day, you’ll likely see tons of items on sale but only “with Prime;” those discounts will not be available to those who are not active Prime subscribers.

Is Prime Day only for Prime members?

Technically yes, but even if you do not pay for a Prime membership, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day. While most Prime Day deals will be exclusively available to subscribers, there are always a handful of sales available to all shoppers. Amazon distinguishes between them very clearly: you’ll see “Prime exclusive” on product pages near the deal pricing on the discounts that are only available to paying members.

Separately, it’s very likely that other retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too. So if you’re not keen on shopping at Amazon at all, it’s worth checking out other retailers during the week of Prime Day to see if they are matching Prime Day deal prices.

It’s the Last Day Of Amazon Prime Day: We Still Have Hot Tech Deals

Posted on July 12, 2025 by faz_business

Amazon Prime Day is almost over, and the megaretailer’s massive summer event lasted four full days this time. You’re running out of time to snag some of the year’s best prices on well-reviewed hardware from major brands. Here are dozens of the deepest tech discounts you can get on day 4—and don’t forget to check back before the sale ends, as new offers are coming in all the time, even on the final day.

Laptops and Chromebooks

Asus ROG Strix G18 Gaming Laptop

Credit: Amazon

Gaming laptops are a product where you can expect to shell out a ton of cash, but that extra expense guarantees you a future-proof piece of kit that will keep you entertained for many years. This potent Asus ROG Strix laptop has a 17% Prime Day price drop, the lowest we’ve seen in 2025. It features a speedy Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and a new Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU for seamless 250Hz output to the crisp, bright 2.5K-resolution display. 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD are also well worth the price. Read PCMag’s positive review for all the details.

Check out more last-minute gaming laptop deals for Prime Day.

Apple MacBook Air M3

Credit: Amazon

Apple’s MacBook Air has become the go-to portable for creatives, with impeccable performance thanks to its bespoke processors that are built from the ground up to optimize macOS performance. The 2024 iteration of the Air got an Editors’ Choice award from PCMag in its review, with praise going to the lightweight and stylish all-metal design, all-day battery, a great screen with better compatibility with external displays, and the addition of Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports for lightning-fast data transfer. It’s one of the best laptops you can buy, and a 26% discount makes it even more appealing.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook

Credit: Amazon

Lenovo makes some of the best portable hardware on the market, and that attention to quality extends even to their super-budget Chromebooks. In PCMag’s review of the IdeaPad 3i, the site said that it “feels much more solid than your average $250 laptop,” with a responsive, spill-resistant keyboard and lots of ports. This model ups the onboard storage to 64GB, which still isn’t huge, but you’re supposed to keep everything in your Google Drive anyway.

More Prime Day Laptop and Chromebook Deals

Tablets

Lenovo Tab M9

Credit: Amazon

A budget tablet with Lenovo’s trademark ultra-solid build quality? And a 42% discount to boot? The Lenovo Tab M9 is an absolutely solid slate for media watching, web browsing, and casual gaming, with a bright nine-inch screen, solid MTK G80 processor, and a 5,100mAh battery for up to 13 hours of video playback. While it doesn’t have the juice for creative apps like a high-end iPad, it’ll more than do the job for everyday computing, and weighs in at just 0.76 pounds, so it’s easy to carry around all day. This offer even includes a free folio case to keep the screen protected when you’re not using it.

More Prime Day Tablet Deals

PC Components and Accessories

Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB SSD

Credit: Amazon

Samsung is one of the leading names in storage, with both internal and external drives delivering reliable performance at fair prices. If you’re building a new machine and want a budget-minded SSD solution, the 990 Evo Plus is a top choice. PCMag gave it an Editors’ Choice award in its review, saying that the slim M.2 drive boasts “whizzy performance and the class-leading warranty, software, and security that you’d expect from Samsung.” Support for AES 256-bit full-disk hardware encryption lets you keep your private data safe, and Samsung’s Magician device management software keeps its firmware up to date.

Check out more last-minute SSD deals for Prime Day.

XFX Speedster MERC310 RX 7900XTX Graphics Card

XFX Speedster MERC310 GPU with triple-fan cooling shown on white background

Credit: Amazon

Specs: 24GB GDDR6 | AMD RDNA 3 | Triple-fan cooling | PCIe 4.0

The XFX Speedster MERC310 RX 7900XTX is a serious piece of hardware for anyone chasing ultra settings and 4K performance. With 24GB of GDDR6 memory and AMD’s RDNA 3 architecture, it chews through modern games with ease and stays cool while doing it thanks to its triple-fan design. You also get support for DisplayPort 2.1, which helps future-proof your setup for next-gen monitors. It’s now 21% off for Prime Day, which is no small drop when you’re building a premium rig.

Check out more GPU deals for Prime Day.

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X Desktop Processor

Credit: Amazon

AMD’s processors have been steadily catching up to Intel’s benchmarks, and in PCMag’s review, the site said that the Ryzen 9 9900X “matches Intel’s Core i7-14700K on performance while remaining far cooler and drawing less power, making it a compelling option for your desktop.” This 12-core processor runs at a 4.4 GHz base clock speed, with boosts up to
5.6 GHz. A 25% price cut makes it an even more attractive option to build your next gaming desktop around.

Check out more last-minute CPU deals for Prime Day.

More Prime Day PC Component and Accessory Deals

Smart Home and Security

Blink Outdoor 4 Security Camera

Credit: Amazon

If you’ve got packages coming on Prime Day, pick up one of these compact outdoor security cameras to alert you when they arrive. The Blink Outdoor 4 is on sale at Amazon for a sizzling 61% discount, and in PCMag’s review, the site said that this unit “captures sharp daytime video, with a wider field of view than its predecessor and optional people alerts,” but you’ll need a Blink subscription to enable those. Long battery life and simple integration make it a snap to put just about anywhere, and it plays nice with Amazon Alexa devices and IFTTT smart homes.

More Prime Day Smart Home Security Deals

Check out more security camera deals for Prime Day.

Router and Mesh Deals

TP-Link Deco AXE5400 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System

Credit: Amazon

If you’re shopping on Prime Day, you’re going to want to maximize your internet speed no matter where you are in the house. That’s where a mesh network comes in. The TP-Link Deco AXE5400 is one of the most reliable systems on the market, with three nodes that can cover up to 7,200 square feet and 200 simultaneous connected devices. That’s a lot, even for the smartest smart home. With maximum data speeds of 5,400MBps, it’ll handle gaming, streaming, Zoom meetings, and more with ease, and a 29% discount makes it even more attractive.

More Prime Day Router and Mesh Deals

Check out more router and mesh deals for Prime Day.

Gaming Desktops and Monitors

MSI Aegis Z2 Gaming Desktop

Credit: Amazon

Looking to set aside some summer hours for gaming? We’ve got a really nice midrange machine at a $150 discount. A zippy AMD Ryzen R7-7700 processor and a solid last-generation GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card will give you many hours of performance at 1080p and even 1440p (but don’t think that this baby is going to give you 4K fun). The case quality is solid, with tempered glass front and side panels and a ton of customizable RGB-lit fans. This comes bundled with a gratis keyboard and mouse so you can get going right out of the box.

MSI 27″ QHD Gaming Monitor

Credit: Amazon

19% isn’t the biggest discount we’ve ever seen, but the base price of this MSI display is so low already, especially compared with its specs, that it’s our top Prime Day pick. With crystal-clear WQHD resolution on a gently curved VA panel, it delivers crisp contrasts and reliable color with a speedy 170Hz refresh rate. The viewing angle is also especially wide for a curved monitor at 178 degrees, and support for AMD FreeSync lets it lock in with your graphics card for glitchless output.

Check out more gaming desktop deals and more gaming monitor deals for Prime Day.

More Prime Day Gaming Desktop And Monitor Deals

TVs

Samsung Neo QLED 50″ 4K TV

Credit: Amazon

This might seem like a lofty price for a 50-inch television, but what you lose in size you get back a hundredfold in image quality. Samsung’s Neo QLED displays use quantum dot LED technology for some of the crispest contrast, deepest blacks, and most realistic colors you’ll ever get, and being able to save 43% off retail price makes it even more attractive. With a speedy 144Hz refresh rate, it’s great for gaming as well. In PCMag’s review, the site said that this screen “is an excellent all-around performer with loads of features.” We’ve rarely seen the price on this one drop as low.

More Prime Day TV Deals

Check out even more TV deals for Prime Day.

Audio and Wearables

Beats Pill Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Credit: Amazon

Here’s a lucky 13% discount on a durable Bluetooth speaker that PCMag said delivered “angled drivers, hearty bass response, a capable speakerphone, and a waterproof build” in its Editors’ Choice-winning review. This is one of the absolute best boomboxes you can pick for a day at the beach, as it’ll make your music sound spectacular, has solid battery life that’ll last until the sun goes down, and is IP67 rated to be dustproof and survive at depths of up to a meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. It is a mono speaker, but at this price, you can snag two and pair them for true stereo sound.

Garmin Venu Sq 2

Credit: Amazon

Garmin’s pivot from GPS devices to wearable electronics has been super-successful, and PCMag gave the Venu Sq 2 an Editors’ Choice award in its review as one of the best fitness-focused budget smartwatches on the market. With a plethora of sensors to help you track health and exercise metrics, as well as a big and bright AMOLED touch screen and week-long battery, it’s a killer option that easily competes with the Apple Watch SE. Of course, you also get built-in GPS from dual antennas so you can navigate through sticky situations. A 40% Prime Day discount is fantastic.

More Prime Day Audio And Wearable Deals

Gaming Chairs

Respawn Flexx Mesh Gaming Chair

Credit: Amazon

The majority of gaming chairs are made with artificial leather upholstery, which is good for stain resistance and durable but doesn’t necessarily make for good airflow. If you’re gaming in a hot zone this summer, you might want to check out the Respawn Flexx instead, especially when it’s on sale at Amazon for a 42% discount. With double-strong performance mesh all over the back, it’ll keep you cool no matter how heated your gaming moments get. Throw in a 115-degree tilt recline and adjustable armrests, headrest, and lumbar support and you’ve got a top pick.

More Prime Day Gaming Chair Deals

Check out even more last-minute gaming chair deals for Prime Day.

OpenAI delays the release of its open model, again

Posted on July 12, 2025 by faz_business

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Friday the company is delaying the release of its open model, which was already pushed back a month earlier in this summer. OpenAI had planned to release the model next week, however Altman said the company is pushing it back indefinitely for further safety testing.

“We need time to run additional safety tests and review high-risk areas. we are not yet sure how long it will take us,” said Altman in a post on X. “While we trust the community will build great things with this model, once weights are out, they can’t be pulled back. This is new for us and we want to get it right.”

OpenAI’s open model release is one of the most highly anticipated AI events of the summer, alongside the ChatGPT-maker’s expected release of GPT-5. Unlike GPT-5, OpenAI’s open model will be available for developers to freely download and run locally. Through both of these launches, OpenAI will attempt to demonstrate that it is still Silicon Valley’s leading AI lab — an increasingly difficult task as xAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic invest billions of dollars in their own efforts.

The delay means developers will have to wait a little longer to try the first open model OpenAI has released in years. TechCrunch previously reported that OpenAI’s open model is expected to have similar reasoning capabilities to the company’s o-series of models, and that OpenAI planned for it to be best-in-class compared to other open models.

The ecosystem of open AI models became a little more competitive this week. Earlier on Friday, Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI launched Kimi K2, a one trillion parameter open AI model that outperforms OpenAI’s GPT-4.1 AI model on several agentic-coding benchmarks.

In June, when Altman announced the initial delays around OpenAI’s open model, he noted that the company had achieved something “unexpected and quite amazing,” but didn’t elaborate on what that was.

“Capability wise, we think the model is phenomenal — but our bar for an open source model is high and we think we need some more time to make sure we’re releasing a model we’re proud of along every axis,” said Aidan Clark, OpenAI’s VP of research who is leading the open model team, in a post on X Friday.

TechCrunch previously reported that OpenAI leaders have discussed enabling the open AI model to connect to the company’s cloud-hosted AI models for complex queries. However, it’s unclear if these features will make it into the final open model.

How to Activate AI-Assisted Writing with Robert Riggs [MAICON 2025 Speaker Series]

Posted on July 12, 2025 by faz_business

MAICON brings together top visionaries and experts in the field of AI during a three-day conference packed with actionable sessions and networking events—all to position you as the change agent your organization (and career) needs. In this ongoing speaker series, we’re featuring these extraordinary leaders, with forward-looking predictions, actionable tips you can use today, and a preview of their MAICON 2025 sessions. Continue reading “How to Activate AI-Assisted Writing with Robert Riggs [MAICON 2025 Speaker Series]”

Top 50 Industrial Design Services Firms for New Product Design & Development in the US

Posted on July 11, 2025 by faz_business

A product’s real strength isn’t even in what it can do, it’s in how it makes us feel, the spark it creates when you touch it for the first time, and how easily it integrates itself into our lives. That’s the magic industrial design provides: turning raw concepts into products that delight, inspire, and linger on in our lives long after the buzz is gone.

Today, we’re launching on a colorful adventure through 50 industrial design services companies, coast to coast. We’ll dive into each studio’s spark: who they are, what they do, and why they create products that don’t merely work, they glow. Whether they’re crafting sophisticated consumer devices, innovative mobility ideas, or easy-to-use healthcare devices, each company on this roster shares one mission: designing experiences that connect.

1. Whipsaw (Hayward, CA)

Whipsaw injects Silicon Valley style into industrial design with a winning combination of sexy minimalism and profound functionality. With dozens of Red Dot, iF, and IDEA awards to its credit, Whipsaw designs range from consumer electronics to medical devices, robots, and even kitchen utensils. They’re the designers behind iconic faces for companies such as Google, Brita, and Tonal, crafting bold silhouettes with understated ergonomic sophistication. Their studio lives on intuitive design that appears effortless but has substantial engineering behind it. A smartwatch or a surgery system, Whipsaw makes things seem like they’ve just bounded into the future, without leaving the current behind.

Whipsaw.com

2. IDEO (Palo Alto, CA & Worldwide)

IDEO is not merely a design company—it’s a movement founded upon people-first innovation. With more than 350 designers worldwide, they’ve reimagined everything from medical devices and gadgets to systems and startup strategies. Their secret sauce is combining empathy with quick prototyping, always driven by curiosity. It’s not about getting things to work; it’s about getting things to matter. IDEO’s process is playful-looking, but the outcomes are potent—breakthroughs that, in retrospect, feel like they were destined to happen. No matter the challenge, from product redesign to culture transformation, IDEO makes imagination become impact via deliberate, incremental design thinking.

Ideo.com

3. Frog (San Francisco, CA)

Frog, established by German designer Hartmut Esslinger in 1969, is where beautiful form and wise function converge. Recognized for the design of great Apple, GE, and Disney’s MyMagic+ experiences, Frog’s design heritage extends far. Now under the umbrella of Capgemini Invent, its 2,000+ designers and engineers collaborate on digital services and physical products, bringing bold visions to stunningly engineered life. But Frog doesn’t just concern itself with aesthetics; it concerns itself with meaning. From easy-to-use hospital wearables to intelligent home solutions, each project is a dialogue in design. They don’t merely create products; they create stories, demonstrating that elegance mixed with empathy doesn’t weaken, it strengthens.

Frog.co

4. Teague (Seattle, WA)

Teague has been designing iconic products since 1926, with a heritage that stretches from aviation to gaming and daily goods. From designing the Boeing 787 interior to forming Xbox consoles and even redesigning the Pringles can, Teague’s designs are where innovation and daily life converge. Their 300-person workforce combines mechanical, electrical, and interaction design to provide solutions that not only work but have a story to tell. It’s this unusual blend of profound engineering and imaginative understanding that establishes Teague as an established authority for brands looking for more than a product—their customers want a completely integrated design experience that really speaks to them.

Teague.com

5. Designworks (Santa Monica, CA + Global)

BMW Group’s creative force, Designworks, is about more than beautiful automobiles; it’s about crafting the future. This forward-thinking design studio creates everything from Asus ROG gaming laptops to revolutionary camper designs constructed using nano-fiber technology. Though they started in precision automotive design, their hand doesn’t stop there. From tech to travel to lifestyle accessories, Designworks applies a fearless, visionary mindset to each project. Their work changes what products can do, turning mere tools into experiences. With every idea, they break rules, demonstrating that great design can go beyond the road,it can be how we live, play, and think about tomorrow.

Designworks.com

6. ELEVEN, LLC (Boston, MA & NYC)

ELEVEN is not an ordinary industrial design shop. Okay, so they design everything from modern snowboarding equipment to offbeat smart pet products—but what distinguishes them is their in-house invention lab and bold business model. They don’t simply execute on briefs; they pursue ideas that they’re passionate about, creating proof-of-concepts and selling the top ones outright. That combination of creativity and hustle is scarce in the design community. By combining entrepreneurial bravado with unadulterated passion for design, they produce products that are not only functional but really fun. It’s this edgy, outside-the-box thinking that makes ELEVEN a unique hybrid in the space of innovation.

Eleven.net

7. RKS Design (Thousand Oaks, CA)

RKS has been defining how we emotionally relate to products since 1980, when Ravi Sawhney started the company. Famous for designing such icons as Teddy Ruxpin and Lego packaging, RKS was the first to pioneer “Psycho-Aesthetics”, a design approach that’s concerned with how something makes you feel before you even put your hands on it. Their work ranges from sophisticated medical equipment to elegant app experiences, with a single goal in mind: to forge an emotional handshake between user and product. It’s not about looks or function, it’s about igniting a connection, providing delight, and introducing just the right amount of surprise to make the experience worthwhile and memorable.

RKSdesign.in

8. Smart Design (New York, NY)

Smart Design is one of New York City’s top design studios, famous for giving the look and feel of ordinary products a dash of brilliance. They’ve touched everything from Gillette razors to Gatorade bottles and even NYC’s famous Taxi of Tomorrow. This company combines industrial design, branding, and user interaction so well that the final product feels intuitive and beautiful. At its core is a conviction that fine design is not merely utilitarian, it’s compassionate, stunning, and hard to resist. Even the most intricate innovation becomes user-friendly in their capable hands, transforming mundane objects into design icons.

Smartdesignworldwide.com

9. Sigma Design (Camas, WA)

Sigma encompasses all fields of engineering while offering a high level of refined usability. From innovative consumer electronics to fitness technology and industrial systems, their 200+ person team designs with purpose. They don’t only strategize and prototype, they consider manufacturability first, ensuring each design is designed to succeed in the real world. Sigma is different because. They won’t compromise. Technical excellence is always paired with a keen eye for user needs. This fusion of innovation and functionality isn’t an aspiration; it’s in their DNA. Engineering and real-world impact meet with intention at Sigma.

Sigmadzn.com

10. Kaleidoscope Innovation (Cincinnati, OH)

Kaleidoscope is where creativity and technology come together to create experiences that cannot be forgotten. With expertise in UX, VR/AR, prototyping, and UI, they have a fully integrated solution that turns ideas into compelling realities. From creating revolutionary industrial sensors to designing engaging virtual shopping experiences, their team builds every detail with the user in mind. By mashing disciplines together, Kaleidoscope makes products that don’t just look great—they function stunningly. Businesses seeking end-to-end innovation have a partner they can count on at Kaleidoscope, where user-centric design isn’t an added feature but the underpinning of all they do. Here, innovation is daring and considerate.

Kascope.com

11. Speck Design (San Jose, CA)

For more than 25 years, one exceptional Silicon Valley studio has been working behind the scenes to create the future, designing everything from healthcare equipment to robotics and common consumer tools. This team combines rich UX research with powerful industrial design and sound engineering. They’re not merely about aesthetics; everything from injection molding to New Product Introduction (NPI) is done by them. Heavy hitters such as Google, Medtronic, Ford, and Apple rely on Speck to design products that don’t merely function, but also impress on the shelf. It’s about combining functionality with polish, and Speck has nailed the balance every time, across categories.

Speckdesign.com

12. Ammunition Group (San Francisco, CA & Brooklyn, NY)

Established in 2007 by design legend Robert Brunner, Ammunition has earned a reputation for merging form, function, and emotion into each product. Based in San Francisco, the firm integrates hardware, graphic identity, UX, and packaging into a single cohesive creative process. Their portfolio is filled with familiar hits, be it Beats earbuds, razor-thin Polaroid cameras, and most recently, a Core77-winning espresso machine in 2024. Every product isn’t only beautiful; it’s emotional. Ammunition’s design approach extends beyond beauty; it’s about creating experiences that people love, demonstrating that great design is equally about emotion as it is about innovation.

Ammunitiongroup.com

13. Fuseproject (San Francisco & NY)

In 1999, Yves Béhar founded fuseproject with a vision: creating design that speaks to both culture and functionality. Since day one, the studio has moved far beyond form. Whether designing sustainable wearables, small EVs for emerging companies like TELO, or developing healthcare robots that redefine patient treatment, fuseproject combines innovation with purpose. They’re not designers, they’re storytellers and visionaries. Their design typically defines completely new product categories, taking ideas from concept spark to launch. It’s this bold, boundary-shattering mentality that keeps fuseproject at the leading edge of design innovation.

Fuseproject.com

14. Pentagram (NYC & International)

With every project at Pentagram, it’s not just a job, it’s personal. Their distinctive partner-driven model means every piece of work is an expression of the vision and passion of a creative leader. Though they’re most famous for trailblazing identity design, their skill don’t end there. From minimalist headphones to refined furniture, their product design portfolios are equally well-crafted. The flat structure of the studio ensures no red tape of corporate proportions, only uncomplicated collaboration. This combination of creative liberty and industrial flair enables Pentagram to deliver designs not only beautiful to look at but also carefully engineered.

Pentagram.com

15. Astro Studios (San Francisco, CA)

Astro, established in 1994, is where entertainment, tech, and lifestyle intersect in the most fearless manner. From futuristic VR headsets to electric shavers and gaming devices, all that they do has a kick of West Coast cool. It’s not about how things look; it’s the vibe, the edge, the cultural cool infusing each design. Their equipment is an expression of personality, rather than simply a device. With Astro, functionality meets bold creativity, transforming everyday technology into a statement. This is a design that doesn’t quietly rest upon a shelf; it lives loud, expresses attitude, and travels at the beat of contemporary life.

Astrostudios.com

16. NewDealDesign (San Francisco, CA)

NewDealDesign combines art, engineering, and design with a creative voice that’s uniquely Californian. Renowned for their work with Fitbit and other health tech companies, they make complicated technologies into stunningly functional products. The company delights in solving real-world issues, usually creating devices that feel intuitive from day one. Whatever it is, a wearable, smart home device, or consumer electronic goodie, NewDealDesign’s ability to get the aesthetics and functionality right keeps them among the best. Their cross-disciplinary approach means that engineers and designers work side-by-side from day one, so nothing gets lost in translation from sketch to shelf.

Newdealdesign.com

17. Whipsaw (San Jose, CA)

When your client list includes Google, Dell, and Samsung, you’re clearly doing something right. Whipsaw, based in the heart of Silicon Valley, turns high-tech dreams into usable, gorgeous products. They’ve won over 300 design awards—and not just for looking pretty. Form, function, and emotional resonance all share equal space. Their experience includes consumer electronics, medical devices, and robots. Want a user experience that’s intuitive? They’ve developed a reputation for designing products as brilliant as they are beautiful. Whipsaw’s secret? A design process that’s strategy-driven with user empathy no less critical than engineering acuity.

Whipsaw.com

18. Altitude Inc. (Somerville, MA)

This Boston-based company assists major brands such as LG and DeWalt ascend higher through intelligent strategy, killer research, and next-generation industrial design. Altitude is distinguished by its in-depth process. Before a single sketch goes onto the page, they delve into the user’s life to find unspoken aspirations. They work across industries ranging from power tools to biotech, always returning real value. When you’re aiming for products that are grounded in human behavior but still look like they came from the future, Altitude’s your go-to.

Altitudeinc.ca

19. M3 Design (Austin, TX)

M3 Design is as Texan as brisket and longhorns, but a lot more futuristic. Located in Austin, this firm focuses on innovation through collaboration. They blend industrial design, UX, and mechanical engineering to provide solid product solutions in fields such as medical, consumer, and enterprise technology. M3’s efficient process keeps them nimble and quick to respond, ideal for organizations wishing to transition from a napkin sketch to a completed prototype without bureaucratic slowdowns. Their dedication to vigorous user testing and technical viability makes them a go-to for Fortune 500s and startups. If you’re looking for sleek products with real-world grit, M3 is the destination.

M3design.com

20. Nectar Product Development (Long Beach, CA)

Nectar doesn’t merely construct products, they craft solutions to wicked problems with human-first design. Working in healthcare, industrial, and consumer technology, they apply design thinking to close the gap between function and feel. Strategists, engineers, and UX masters make up their team, united under a single vision: enabling companies to create better stuff. Clients love their thorough approach—research-heavy and insights-driven, with a focus on inclusive, user-centered outcomes. From medical wearables to robotics, Nectar’s multidisciplinary touch turns head-scratchers into head-turners. If you’re in need of strategic problem-solving paired with sleek, manufacturable designs, Nectar brings the right mix of empathy and precision.

Nectarpd.com

21. Herbst Produkt (Santa Cruz, CA)

Think minimalist. Think eco-conscious. Think seriously cool consumer products. Herbst Produkt goes West Coast, making clean, conscious industrial designs with broad appeal. This Santa Cruz design firm is an expert at making cutting-edge tech into lifestyle essentials. From smart thermostats to eco-friendly baby monitors to wireless earbuds, they emphasize simplicity and manufacturability. Their designs are crisp, branding is tight, and product aesthetics are on point. Herbst Produkt’s studio atmosphere is boutique-tinged, but their clientele varies from starving startups to huge international players. Clean lines and clean thinking? That’s the Herbst signature.

Herbstprodukt.com

22. Karten Design (Los Angeles, CA)

Karten Design applies industrial design with an injection of empathy, particularly in the healthcare industry. They excel at creating medical products that are less clinical device-like and more like normal objects. But don’t let that fool you, they’re experts in regulatory and technical constraints too. The LA-based firm blends emotional intelligence with functional design, creating intuitive interfaces and devices that foster trust. From surgical instruments to diagnostic tools, Karten’s work is rooted in real human needs. If you’re developing health tech or user-focused med devices, Karten will make sure your innovation meets compassion at every turn.

Kartendesign.com

23. Bould Design (Mountain View, CA)

Bould Design shook things up with the Nest thermostat. Based in the technology hub of Mountain View, this company is a darling of Silicon Valley startups. Their designs cry out modernism with a conscience: sleek, tech-savvy, and extremely functional. They are fanatics about details, particularly those that enhance daily interactions. Bould also does a great job of wedging brand identity and form together, so that all of their products appear to be part of the company that sponsors them. Consider high-end consumer electronics, home automation, and IoT. If you’re developing a smart product, Bould makes it smarter.

Bould.com

24. Inertia Product Development (Toronto, Canada)

When you’re low on internal horsepower but high on product aspirations, Inertia’s full-service approach is a godsend. They’re headquartered in Toronto, but reach clients all over North America with end-to-end industrial design and engineering. From napkin sketch to shipping box, Inertia’s nimble development process brings products to market quickly. Their secret? An in-house team that doesn’t rest on aesthetics alone, they also do prototyping, sourcing, and even small-batch manufacturing. From robotics to medical to consumer tech, with specialties in between, Inertia assists customers in crossing the finish line without losing design integrity or budget sanity.

Inertiapd.com

25. Pensar Development (Seattle, WA)

Pensar exists where engineering and creativity collide. They work with a combination of Fortune 500s and startups in healthcare, security, and smart home. Seattle-based Pensar has a pragmatic bent in designing for real-world limitations with a sleek, user-focused aesthetic. They’re experts at mechanical engineering, electrical systems, and embedded firmware, essentially a one-stop shop for end-to-end product development. Their team loves tinkering and testing, often turning the impossible into the inevitable. If you want a team that loves getting into the weeds while still dreaming big, Pensar’s your best bet in the Pacific Northwest.

Builtinseattle.com

26. Priority Designs (Columbus, OH)

Priority Designs doesn’t just make products they fine-tune entire user experiences from the first touch to the last detail. Based in Columbus, Ohio, they’ve earned a reputation for both technical proficiency and profound creativity. From consumer product monsters to specialty medical firms, their clients include all sorts of businesses, and all the work carries profound ergonomic investigation and considerate design. Whether it’s power equipment, wearable technology, or sporting goods, Priority prioritizes usability. Bonus: they have their own in-house prototyping and testing lab, which translates to faster iterations and closer integration between what’s conceptualized and what’s manufactured.

Prioritydesigns.com

27. Radius Innovation & Development (San Jose, CA)

Radius is the industrial design division of Jabil, one of the largest manufacturing goliaths on the planet. But don’t let the corporate connection deceive you—this studio thinks fast and outside the box. With offices in San Jose and Boston, Radius combines design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise into elegant, market-capable solutions. They focus on bringing ideas from sketch to shelf with practical manufacturing in mind. From medical devices to cutting-edge IoT hardware, Radius prioritizes design that’s scalable, usable, and always rooted in what people really need. They excel particularly in regulated markets, where compliance and creativity collide.

Radiusinsights.com

28. Beyond Design (Chicago, IL)

More than Design is living up to its name by providing so much more than skin-deep looks. With roots in Chicago, their team immerses itself in user research, trends, and manufacturing issues to provide industrial designs that function. They excel at collaboration, collaborating across industries such as housewares, consumer goods, and medical devices. They’ve assisted startups in disrupting markets and led Fortune 500s through complete product overhauls. If you’re looking for intelligent, manufacturable products that still impress users with intuitive form and design, Beyond Design marries Midwestern practicality with a designer’s creativity.

Beyonddesign.com

29. MINIMAL (Chicago, IL)

Scott Wilson, a former global design director at Nike, founded MINIMAL and merged fashion-first design with sound engineering. This Windy City-based team is all about pushing boundaries. Their Moment watch collection and breathtaking Xbox Kinect sensor demonstrate just how versatile their scope truly is. They partner with the likes of Fortune 100 corporations to hungry startups alike, frequently blending branding strategy into the industrial design discussion. If your project demands iconic form that still delivers under stress, MINIMAL doesn’t merely get the job done, MINIMAL raises the bar.

Mnml.com

30. THRIVE (Atlanta, GA)

THRIVE’s name is no coincidence: this Atlanta startup is dedicated to aiding businesses in their growth via intelligent, strategic design. They’re not simply drawing nice things, polished gadgets; they’re mining ethnographic studies, behavioral science, and intimate user understanding. Their methodology combines strategy with industrial design and innovation advising. THRIVE has taken on challenges in healthcare, consumer products, and enterprise software, always focused on functionality that serves real user requirements. Their magic ingredient? Human-centered design with business-astute execution. For businesses seeking to innovate from the inside out, THRIVE brings purpose-driven products with polish.

Thrivethinking.com

31. Fish & Neave Design (Brooklyn, NY)

Brooklyn’s Fish & Neave is the type of boutique design agency that is like a secret weapon. They tackle physical and digital product ecosystems with an extremely personalized strategy. Their power is in intensely collaborative partnerships, close work with clients in wearables, consumer electronics, and kitchen technology. Their minimalist design does not equate to simple; it equates to refined. And their work ethic? Exactness. Fish & Neave is ideal for brands that are as interested in the feel of a dial or button as they are in what’s inside. Look for elegance, engineered.

Ropesgrey.com

32. Pulse Design Group (Lenexa, KS)

Pulse Design Group can be in the heartland, but their client roster beats out the coastal elites. Based in Kansas, this company is a standout in healthcare with an emphasis on interior and equipment-driven industrial design for medical settings. Be it creating a friendly user surgical suite plan or ergonomic diagnostic gear, Pulse aced it. They are great at merging technical sophistication with warmth so that daunting technology becomes accessible to patients and clinicians alike. Their focus on user flow, hygiene, and efficiency makes them a valuable partner in creating healthcare systems that actually heal.

Pulsedesigngroup.com

33. Notto Studio (San Francisco, CA)

Notto Studio is boutique industrial design with a generous helping of personality. San Francisco-based, they work with early-stage startups to help them create everything from connected hardware to lifestyle products. Their products are character-filled, imaginative, fun, clean, and refreshing, uncorporate. Notto boasts rapid turnarounds without compromising on creativity or technical viability. From ideation to production management, they provide an efficient, founder-centric process. Perfect for small firms and VC darlings seeking to disrupt, Notto Studio combines a spot of quirk with high quality to make products stand out.

34. Momentum Product Development (Albuquerque, NM)

From Albuquerque, this industrial design and engineering company assists customers in getting to market quicker, wiser, and more assertively. They excel in consumer electronics, wearables, and even defense-related devices. What makes them unique is their vertically integrated service: from CAD modeling and mechanical engineering to complete prototyping, they do it all in-house. Their practical and meticulous approach is balanced by a focus on great design and intuitive user interfaces. Momentum empowers underdog entrepreneurs and heavy hitters to bring elegant, uncomplicated products to market without the filler.

Designmomentum.com

35. Goddard Technologies (Beverly, MA)

Goddard Technologies does more than dress products up they ensure products work elegantly too. Located just outside Boston, Goddard focuses on end-to-end product development through concept design, mechanical engineering, and prototyping. They operate extensively in medical equipment, surgical instruments, and robotics, where the stakes are high and tolerances are tight. Customers rely on Goddard for technically demanding design problems that require creativity, conformance, and craftsmanship. Their design philosophy combines engineering rigor with customer-centric innovation, ensuring that every button, seam, and material selection speaks to a larger purpose.

Goddardtech.com

36. Axiom Product Development (Santa Barbara, CA)

Axiom Product Development infuses the sometimes frenzied environment of new product launch with a Californian cool. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, they provide industrial design, engineering, prototyping, and product strategy to both startups and corporations. Their team works on wearable technology, home automation, and green products, designing sleek, functional devices that align with contemporary lifestyles. Axiom’s secret sauce? One-stop integration of design and engineering. That translates to fewer hand-offs, fewer hold-ups, and wiser design decisions up front. They’re especially adept at seeing white space in markets and leading clients to successful differentiation.

Axiomconsult.com

37. Matter (Providence, RI)

Matter, rooted in Providence, Rhode Island’s creative hub, dwells where purpose and design intersect. Many of their projects have a robust sustainability orientation, materials innovation, circular economy strategy, and products designed with lifecycle considerations. Matter’s projects range from consumer technology to wellness products and packaging, but always with a respect for user experience. They rely on strategic research, considered aesthetics, and sustainable engineering to create memorable designs. Customers who believe that doing good should also look great have a kindred spirit here. When your brand prioritizes impact as much as it does impression, Matter will make it real.

Mattersupply.com

38. Ziba Design (Portland, OR & San Francisco, CA)

Ziba Design has been a constant in the industrial design community since its founding in 1984. With studio headquarters in Portland and San Francisco, Ziba is recognized for merging brand story, product innovation, and user experience into integrated, empathetic solutions. They work in consumer electronics, wellness devices, and service ecosystems. Ziba’s approach begins with storytelling, user journey mapping, dramatic prototypes, and brand resonance and continues through to engineering-ready designs. They’ve partnered with giants such as Intel, Nike, and Nike-owned brands, all balanced with cultural understanding and physical expression. Decades of design excellence ensure Ziba remains an evergreen resource for visionary brands.

Ziba.com

39. Speck Design (San Jose, CA)

Speck Design feeds on complexity. From wearables, medical devices, and connected hardware, this Silicon Valley company delights in solving large problems with simple solutions. They marry industrial design, UX, and strategic branding to create standout user experiences. What distinguishes Speck? They don’t shy away from posing hard questions, and equally aren’t afraid of answering them with smart, pragmatic design. Their client roster runs the gamut from scrappy startups to behemoth corporations, and they adapt their process to fit. If you’re building a smart device or attempting to redefine how humans engage with technology, Speck is a good bet.

Speckdesign.com

40. StudioRed (San Francisco, CA)

StudioRed may have “studio” in its name, but its impact is worldwide. Having origins in Silicon Valley, they focus on industrial design and product development for technology and medical device firms. From mobile devices to entire kiosks, StudioRed combines aesthetics, usability, and manufacturability in each project. Their iterative prototyping process ensures that form and function move in tandem. And, with their regulatory know-how, they’re particularly well-suited for medtech products that need FDA filing. The attitude? Hip, cool, and innovative. StudioRed brings the type of slick, accurate product that appears as if it were constructed in the future.

Studiored.com

41. Worrell (Minneapolis, MN)

Worrell is where diagnostics and design come together, particularly in the medical sphere. Headquartered in Minneapolis, this company has made a name for itself in medical innovation, assisting in the creation of insulin pumps, surgical robots, and wearable sensors that are as elegant as they are powerful. They’re design thinkers who honor limitations, blending design, engineering, and usability with FDA-friendly process discipline. Worrell’s reach is internationalizing, but it has a Midwestern, hands-on sensibility. Their work is not only to serve, but to empower—because intelligent medical design saves lives, not merely clicks.

Veranex.com

42. SonicRim (Columbus, OH)

This Columbus-area design consulting firm is all about design research, co-creation, and human-centered innovation. They excel at what they define as “design futures,” guiding companies to envision not only what’s next, but what’s possible. Though less focused on CAD and more on concept, their impact is vital in developing feasible industrial design. Their services complement more conventional ID companies with strong user insights, prototyping validation, and service ecosystem thinking. If your team requires that key “aha” moment toward the start of development, SonicRim clarifies complexity.

Sonicrim.com

43. BlackHägen Design (Dunedin, FL)

Based outside of Tampa, BlackHägen Design combines design research, usability engineering, and industrial design with an industrial-strength bias toward medtech. They’ve assisted in Class II and III medical device development for decades, such as surgical robotics and imaging. They specialize in interface design, ergonomic optimization, and taking extremely complicated technology and making it usable, even during stressful moments. They don’t follow trends, they pursue real-world, high-impact solutions that fit compliance standards. If you’re up against FDA challenges and you still desire to create gorgeous, human-oriented tech, BlackHägen is the low-key giant you need on your side.

Blackhagendesign.com

44. Design Central (Columbus, OH)

Another Columbus-area Ohio treasure, Design Central, is all about strategic innovation with a pragmatic twist. They work in mobility, medical, industrial, and consumer goods, creating products that are both inspired and producible. They have deep roots in research and prototyping, providing clients the opportunity to test, refine, and iterate in quick cycles. Clients adore their methodical process and capacity to provide insights that truly impact design. With a model shop in-house and a deep engineering bench, Design Central is perfect for clients who don’t just want nice pictures—they want working products that land on the market with a bang.

Designcentral.com

45. Elephant (San Francisco, CA)

Elephant is half creative agency, half product design studio, and 100% fixated on big ideas. While perhaps better known for brand storytelling and digital innovation, their industrial design services aid intelligent, networked consumer products with high visual and emotional appeal. San Francisco-based, they’ve assisted in developing everything from smart lighting to wellness devices. Their specialty is designing products people wish to live with, rather than simply use. If your brand’s industrial design needs to harmonize with marketing, digital UX, and packaging, Elephant will get it all to sing in perfect harmony.

Elephantdesign.com

46. Sputnik Design (London, UK)

Based in East London, Sputnik Design designs ordinary objects with a sculptural edge. From bold kitchenware to robots of the future, their designs straddle art and function. They preserve the mundane as museum pieces, bold outlines, luxury materials, and ergonomic function. Their collaborative ethos with tech entrepreneurs and established brands provides their products with an intelligent edge. Sputnik’s design is unashamedly expressive, but earthed: pieces that grab your attention but naturally slot into your home. In a big-ticket design market, they bring unexpected sophistication—testimony that practicality can still bear emotional value without tipping over into excess.

Sputnikdesignteam.com

47. PDT Europe (Eindhoven, Netherlands)

Born out of Philips’ own innovative force and set in Eindhoven’s vibrant design community, PDT Europe specializes in lighting, electronics, and mobility innovation. Their prototyping facility is a playground for the future: trying things out with form, material, and UX simultaneously. They excel at creating concrete prototypes out of abstract concepts that defy categories. Whether they’re designing a smart home lighting installation or a theoretical transit vehicle, PDT’s team of multidisciplinary artists toes the line between redefined nostalgia and next-gen tech. Their designs prove that even heritage-kernelled studios can drive experimental innovation.

Pdteurope.com

48. Artifact (Vancouver, Canada)

Artifact in Vancouver combines industrial design and digital experiences like a beautifully choreographed dance duet. They don’t merely design products—they build ecosystems. Whether it’s interactive public installations, health-tech wearables, or smart appliances, each Artefact project is meticulously user-empathic. Minimalism conceals in-depth research and technical sophistication. They’re experts at marrying physical hardware with intuitive interfaces, making form, function, and code cohere as a single entity. Amidst a city that’s famous for technology and culture, Artefact produces products that are silent on the shelf but robust in interaction.

Adg.in

49. Frost*collective (Sydney, Australia)

Frost*collective is a triad of design, branding and environments under one Sydney roof. For them, industrial design isn’t about objects; it’s experiences in places, services, and systems. They’ve rebranded property developers, redesigned stations, and reworked retail products, always with a high awareness of local tastes. Their values are contextual and humane: interactive kiosks feel approachable, consumer products feel locally rooted. In a high-cost market, Frost*collective’s cross-disciplinary edge delivers integrated experiences, not isolated products.

Frostcollective.com

50. Designworks Studio Munich (Germany)

BMW’s Munich studio, part of Designworks, is a multidisciplinary platform that bridges precision engineering and future speculations. They bring car-grade rigor to non-car designs: furniture, appliances, urban mobility hubs, even air-taxis. Operating in three locations across the world, they operate as “architects of the future,” focusing on mobility, sustainability, and future materials. Their process marries systems thinking, human research, and brand storytelling with functional, visionary prototypes. Designworks Munich demonstrates how industrial design, when combined with strategic foresight, can influence entire ecosystems, rather than products.

Bmwdesigngroups.com

Conclusion

Our journey through 50 industrial design studios presents a world where craftsmanship and creativity intersect, where the virtual empathy of digital meets the hands-on tangibility of the physical. Each of the studios—from a 2-person Vancouver boutique to a Behemoth like Frog adds a distinct voice to the vocabulary of product design. They are united in this core principle: a product isn’t an object, but an experience to be experienced.

From city to city, and culture to culture, these studios are redefining how we relate to technology, medicine, our homes, and even the transit systems that move us. Whether your next business requires stylish user-led design, green material thinking, cultural sensitivity, or out-of-the-box concept exploration, this list provides a studio that’s already cracking that code and forging the future.

MacKenzie Brown is the founder and CEO of Cad Crowd. With over 18 years of experience in launching and scaling platforms specializing in CAD services, product design, manufacturing, hardware, and software development, MacKenzie is a recognized authority in the engineering industry. Under his leadership, Cad Crowd serves esteemed clients like NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, and Fortune 500 companies, empowering innovators with access to high-quality design and engineering talent.

Connect with me: LinkedIn ✦ X ✦ Cad Crowd

The Dark Crystal 4K Collector’s Set Is Still On Sale For Prime Day’s Final Hours

Posted on July 11, 2025 by faz_business

Prime Day ends today, July 11, but before the event closes out, might as well grab a deal on th 4K Colelctor’s Edition the weirdest fantasy films of the 1980s, Jim Henson’s delightful epic The Dark Crystal. Normally $100, the Dark Crystal 4K Collector’s Edition is discounted to $51.76, almost half its usual price. Not only do you get the film in ultra-high-definition, but it also comes with a wide range of physical goodies that fans will appreciate. The standard edition 4K Blu-ray is also on sale for just $25 (was $31)

$54.49 (was $100)

Inside the special edition box you’ll find a 1:1 replica of the infamous crystal from the film, stickers, several art cards, and the movie on both 4K Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray discs. For the special features, you’re getting a deep dive into the 1982 film with audio commentary, documentaries, photo galleries, and vintage promotional materials. One of the new features here is a Q&A session from a fan event with The Jim Henson Company. Here’s the full list of everything included on the discs:

4K version of the film
Standard Blu-ray version of the film
Fan event Q&A with Lisa Henson
Audio commentary with conceptual designer Brian Froud
The myth, magic, and Henson legacy feature
The world of The Dark Crystal documentary
Reflections of The Dark Crystal: Light on the path of creation
Reflections of The Dark Crystal: Shard of Illusion
Picture-in-picture storyboard track
Original Skeksis language scenes with introduction by screenwriter David Odell
Deleted scenes
Photo galleries
Theatrical trailers

$25 (was $31)

If you don’t feel like grabbing the edition above, The Dark Crystal is also available as a standalone 4K Blu-ray, which also comes with a standard Blu-ray and digital streaming code for the film. While you aren’t getting any of the extra physical goodies, you are getting all of the bonus materials listed above.

Labyrinth is also on sale for Prime Day

Labyrinth Collector's Edition — Labyrinth Collector’s Edition

It’s also worth mentioning that Labyrinth is available to purchase right now in standard and Collector’s Editions. The special edition also comes with a range of fun extras, like the iconic glass orb seen throughout the movie, stickers, and art cards, all contained inside of an illustrated display box. Labyrinth starred Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie, and for the extras, you’re getting audio commentary, a fan event Q&A, and a guide on how to do build some neat juggling skills.

4K version of the film
Standard Blu-ray version of the film
Fan event Q&A with Brian Henson and Toby Froud
Contact juggling tutorial
Audio commentary with conceptual designer Brian Froud
Reordering time: Looking back at Labyrinth
The Henson Legacy
Remembering the Goblin King
Anniversary Q&A
Inside the Labyrinth documentary
Journey through the Labyrinth: Kingdom of Characters
Journey through the Labyrinth: The quest for the Goblin City
The Storytellers: Picture-in-picture track
Deleted and alternate scenes, including audio commentary with Brian Henson
Theatrical trailers

For more last-minute Prime Day deals on Blu-rays, video games, electronics, and more, be sure to check GameSpot’s Prime Day Deals Hub, or browse the full sale at Amazon.

Shop all Prime Day Deals at Amazon

Visual Studio does not show errors in the code anymore

Posted on July 11, 2025 by faz_business

I’ve been using Visual Studio (2017) for quite a long time now, to program mostly in C#, for Unity games. Recently though, I noticed that it was not displaying any errors in the code anymore, or at least most of them. I initially started making some small tests, for example removing variables that were being used multiple times in the scripts. Visual Studio was not showing any errors, while when going back to Unity, it was showing all the correct errors in the console (as always). Instead, if I tried to remove a parenthese, it was, after a bit, showing errors all over the place. Again, it was really strange.

After one day, I was still testing, and I noticed that if I first opened Visual Studio, and then in “recent” I clicked on the the .sln file, that opened all the scripts for one Unity project, it was immediately showing all the right errors, like it had always done and how (I think) it should always do. I started looking for some differences between what I was seeing there, and what I was seeing when opening the .cs files (in the way that wasn’t working):

At the top, I wasn’t seeing “Debug” and “Any CPU” how I was when it was working:

Another thing was that, between the “Project” and the “Debug” buttons (at the top, that open the drop-down lists), I didn’t have the “Compile” button.
Also, under the the “Debug” drop-down many options like “start debug” were not available / disabled.
At the top left, under the left-most script name, I have “External files” instead of “Assembly-CSharp”
At the right of where there should be “Debug” and “Any CPU”, I have “Connect” instead of “Start” (Or something similar, my system’s language is not english, these are translations)

Another (maybe less relevant) thing that has changed from before, when it was working:

I have installed Visual Studio 2019, and uninstalled after a few minutes (I’ve always preferred Visual Studio 2017!).

Programming without seeing the errors realtime takes much more time, so I’d really like to fix this problem, if it is possible to do so. Is there anything that I have to activate? Did I accidentally press a combination of keys?

Thanks in advance! 🙂

Best Prime Day outdoor deals: Yeti, ooni, Jackery, more

Posted on July 11, 2025 by faz_business

It’s the fourth and final day of Amazon Prime Day, giving you one last chance to score major deals on outdoor gear before the sale ends tonight. As an informal celebration of summer, it’s no surprise that tons of great outdoor deals have been leading the charge all week.

This year’s four-day shopping event brought record-low discounts on popular products like LifeStraw personal water filters, Yeti coolers, and Jackery power stations. The good news is that many of those deals are still live, along with steep discounts on other top brands like Ooni, Coleman, Owala, and Solo Stove.

We’re rounding up all of the best Prime Day outdoor deals you can still grab below, from coolers and cookware to hydration essentials and portable speakers. Stock is limited on some of these hot-ticket items, so if you see something you like, we recommend acting fast before the price goes back up when the sale ends. Be sure to also follow Mashable’s complete coverage in our Prime Day hub.

Mashable Trend Report

Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices, while ~~struck-through~~ deals were sold out or expired at the time of writing.

Best Prime Day outdoor deal at Amazon

Why we like it

Power up your campsite, tailgate, or beach day with the portable Jackery Explorer 300. It’s down to its best price ever at just $159 — a savings of 39%. Weighing in at just seven pounds, it’s a great companion for outdoor adventures. It packs six output ports (two AC outlets, one PD 60W USB-C port, one fast charge 3.0 port, one USB-A port, and one DC car port), so you can juice up six devices at once while the power station charges itself. Plus, it’s compatible with the Jackery SolarSaga 100 solar panel, so you can stay connected even when you go off the grid.