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It’s already raised over $700,000 on Kickstarter. | Image: Bastl Make no mistake, the Bastl Kalimba is a synthesizer, you just play it like a kalimba. Its tines don't really make much sound. There is an internal mic that you can blend in for a little acoustic spice, but it's mostly driven by the synth engine that combines physical modeling and FM. The tines are actually touch and velocity-sensitive triggers. And, while it can sound somewhat like a real kalimba, it's a lot more sonically versatile and offers features you can only find on a synth. Beyond the synth sounds that range from pluck to pads, there are also built-in effects covering basic spatial effects like delay and reverb, as well as distortio … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/927638/the-bastl-kalimba-is-a-wild-synth-that-thinks-its-a-thumb-piano

I can’t wait for a proper full length. | Image: Blitzcat Records I've got to thank my oldest friend and concert buddy, Tim , for turning me on to this one. Ashnymph is a London band that blends post-punk melodies with Krautrock rhythms and industrial grime. Their debut EP, Childhood , drifts between dreamy vocals buried in layers of reverb and four-on-the-floor dancefloor pounding. It's a thrilling opening salvo from a band that feels on the cusp of a major breakthrough. Childhood opens with an ambient recording of someone walking down a hall (I think), and some swirling synth noise before the first song, "Island in the Sky" kicks off properly with a motorik beat and bass throb. The thin, digitally manipul … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/927620/ashnymph-childhood-ep-music-review

Substack, the once buzzy newsletter platform, is losing a new swath of writers to rival platforms most people haven't heard of. Just last month, The Ankler , one of Substack's most popular publications, left for a platform that gives it more control over its site. Others who have departed Substack within the past year voiced similar complaints and cite the platform's increased focus on social features as well as a pricing model that puts a chokehold on their business. Substack faced talent drain in 2024 linked to its platforming of Nazi newsletters , but now it's not just the platform's stance on hate speech that's driving away creators. Sea … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/927294/substack-tax-ghost-beehiiv

This is The Stepback , a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on Netflix, follow Andrew Webster . The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here . How it started Boggle has become a spectator sport in my household. Everyone crowds around the TV while one of us plays, and the crowd either helps shout out words or waits patiently for their turn. There's a lot of yelling. But it's a game that my family can hop into easily, and once someone starts playing, it seems everyone slowly drifts into the room to join in. The surprising part is that the experience is ha … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/column/926250/netflix-tv-games-strategy

The X300 Ultra is mostly let down by its rather dull design. A few months ago, I wrote that the telephoto camera is the only lens that matters any more , at least when it comes to Ultra-class flagships. As phones got better, cameras became where manufacturers tried to stand out. As cameras got better, telephoto lenses became the next point of focus. The most recent Ultra phones from Xiaomi , Oppo , and Huawei have all made the telephoto, above all, their selling point. Vivo's X300 Ultra is doing something different. Instead of pushing its telephoto hardware to further extremes, Vivo has mostly left it be. The company has focused its efforts on a significantly improved 35mm main camera, unique among the … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/926067/vivos-x300-ultra-has-the-best-cameras-in-any-phone

The 360 Vis Nav impressed us with its exceptionally powerful carpet-cleaning performance. | Photo: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge. If you’re tired of running your vacuum multiple times just to get the dirt and debris out of the carpets in your living room, Dyson’s 360 Vis Nav is worth a look. It’s one of the more powerful robot vacuums currently available, and now through May 11th (or while supplies last), it’s on sale at Woot for an all-time low of $279.99 ($919 off) with a full two-year warranty. Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum cleaner Where to Buy: $1199 $279.99 at Woot The last-gen 360 Vis Nav offers a whopping 65 air watts of suction, allowing it to pull dirt, dust, and pet hair from carpets impressively well. In her brief time testing the robovac, my colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy said the Dyson “demolished a pile of dry oatmeal in seconds,” adding that she briefly worried it might even suck up the tassels on her large rug (it di...