Today's most viral hardware company (teenage engineering)

Ever wonder why everyone is so excited about the Rabbit R1, but the Humane Ai Pin got absolutely roasted? I's not only about price. It's about Teenage Engineering. Enjoy this mini-documentary on the now-iconic Swedish brand's history of collaborations and creative things. From the original PlayStation, to web based games, to IKEA, to the Nothing Phone, to the Playdate, to Mayku Multiplier - it's a heritage of funky, increasingly viral stuff that's usually super retro-futuristic.
#ces #gaming #technology
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MrMobile's CES video including Rabbit R1:
• MrMobile's Favorite Te...
CHAPTERS
0:00 - Part 1
4:47 - Part 2
10:00 - Part 3
15:05 - Part 4
25:21 - Part 5
SOURCES
Background music from KZbin Audio Library
Part 1
- Rabbit R1 rabbit.tech
- ZDNet Rabbit R1 tinyurl.com/4ee9aj4y
- TIME Rabbit R1 time.com/6553910/ai-device-ra...
- Linkedin Rabbit / rabbitinc
- The Verge Batch Two theverge.com/2024/1/10/240334...
- KZbin Rabbit R1 Keynote • Introducing r1
- Humane Ai Pin hu.ma.ne/aipin
- TechCrunch Humane techcrunch.com/2023/03/08/hum...
- The Verge Humane Layoffs tinyurl.com/8ajnyjpj
- TechCrunch Rabbit tinyurl.com/bdzayu3m
- Decrypt Microsoft CEO on Rabbit R1 tinyurl.com/eknsn7e4
Part 2
- Elektronauts OHEZOH NetbabyWorld elektronauts.com/t/netbabywor...
- Kula World, Roll Away mobygames.com/game/9070/roll-...
- Glover mobygames.com/game/3145/glover
- Super Monkey Ball mobygames.com/game/5502/super...
- Linkedin Jens Rudberg / jens-rudberg-11271325
- Demo Disc Archive tinyurl.com/2nsty8vk
- GameGamer Kula World • Kula World (PS1) - Demo
- NetBabyWorld netbabyworld.com
- Synth History Jesper Kouthoofd tinyurl.com/4u2zbrhv
- ACNE Studios acnestudios.com
- The Guardian Acne theguardian.com/fashion/2013/...
- Scandinavian Mind Jesper Kouthoofd tinyurl.com/murssfzc
- AdAge Jesper Kouthoofd tinyurl.com/4p7f6z74
- Mutewatch Jens Rudberg Interview • Full interview with Je...
- Sonicstate Teenage Engineering Interview • Meet The Makers - Teen...
Part 3
- Slanted David Eriksson Interview • David Eriksson (teenag...
- CDM OP-1 tinyurl.com/2p9jw5br
- Design S (2012) web.archive.org/web/201603040...
- OP-1 product page (2017) web.archive.org/web/201707041...
- The Verge OP-1 tinyurl.com/mry337nn
- OP-1 Accessory Demo • OP-1 accessory demo
- Synth Anatomy OP-1 tinyurl.com/f8vbvtw2
- MusicTech OP-1 tinyurl.com/2y6bu9b2
Part 4
- Fast Company Teenage Engineering tinyurl.com/3y734ary
- The Verge Pocket Operator theverge.com/2015/1/22/786815...
- Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator teenage.engineering/products/po
- Cheap Monday (2015) web.archive.org/web/201509050...
- 1000 Logos Cheap Monday 1000logos.net/cheap-monday-logo
- The Verge EP-113 KO II tinyurl.com/53zj28ns
- Capcom PO-128 teenage.engineering/store/po-...
- The Verge IKEA Frekvens (2018) tinyurl.com/bdepfkcu
- The Verge IKEA Frekvens (2020) tinyurl.com/3w6jsrzc
- SoundGuys FREKVENS tinyurl.com/5c2av5mn
- Inverse FREKVENS tinyurl.com/rk4s6mp4
- Ikea FREKVENS ikea.com/us/en/files/pdf/27/2...
- FREKVENS Accessories teenage.engineering/designs/f...
- CoolHunting Nothing tinyurl.com/mp29yvry
- Nothing us.nothing.tech
- The Verge Nothing tinyurl.com/3du6puv9
- The Verge Playdate (2019) tinyurl.com/yr9ndcvx
- The Verge Playdate (2021) theverge.com/22587172/playdat...
- The Verge Playdate Handhelds (2021) tinyurl.com/vh4et663
- Panic Playdate July 2023 • Playdate Catalog - Gam...
- Say Hello to Playdate • Say Hello to Playdate!!
- Mayku Multiplier tinyurl.com/2u5dhnz2
- Mayku video • Quick and clean way to...
- Domus PO-80 tinyurl.com/4eaer7fx
- PO-80 record factory teenage.engineering/store/po-...
- The Verge PO-80 tinyurl.com/3ky3dbvb
- Audioxpress Raven H, R tinyurl.com/yf4dp9rh
- Teenage Engineering Raven tinyurl.com/2kxzf6w8
- I-1 Impossible Project teenage.engineering/designs/I-1
Part 5
- 18 teenagers Instagram / tbuxgegu3s
- OP 1 field • OP-1 field overview
Thumbnail
- Wired Playdate wired.com/review/panic-playdate

[@junglimaharaj69]

I'm scared of the term "teenage engineering"

[@insanj]

Ahaha, it is definitely a quirky name! If you're curious about the backstory, in the David Eriksson interview I used in the video, he traces it back to before they founded the company, when they were designing a "digital Swiss army knife": "When we did that design we had the name 'Teenage Engineering' to go with it... I think that we wanted a really open, fun company name. It was tricky in the beginning because if you tried said it on the phone, 'teenage? what?' But now it works. People remember it... All in all, everything I like... it has to be this instant fun factor. And that's also the thing we always make sure, from how it's delivered, the manual, the way we write texts, and also down to the user interface and graphics. Just, try to be the opposite of boring." kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGnMh2ClmdSokNE

[@mikabreto]

Yeah, try living with some of the teenage engineering products for a while, and you’ll see the name is apt for the kind of flashy, attention-deficit, impulsive, poorly thought out design/engineering that they are known for. Their musical instruments with no pressure-sensitive keys. Their first product, the OP-1, had enough memory space for one song, and no undo. Their $1000 OD-11 ouch-my-knee cube speaker (Monophonic, or $2000 for people with more than one ear). Their $90 volume knob for said speaker. The $1500 desk made from Meccano/Erector set parts. The OP-Z, with a power volume switch that sticks out like a switchblade, has sharp edges, and cannot be turned without picking up the entire thing. It also suffers from case warp and has button trigger issues, indecipherable icons, and a convoluted series of button combos to engage different functions. The $1200 mixer for ants. You need Barbie hands, or tweezers, to turn the knobs because they’re so jammed together on the tiny case. I’ll pass in favor of some grown-ass engineering, thank you very much.

[@Softlol]

@@mikabreto I think their designs is great. And lets not lie, thats why they are big, because their stuff looks incredible. I have had no issues with the "ant" mixer, but yeah if you have big hands its not for you. The new OP-1 does have pressure sensitive keys. Seems like most hater hate them because they price their stuff ridiculously high.

[@100HzPanic]

just why?

[@100HzPanic]

Teenage Engineering feels like that company that you just dreamed of and they create those products thats really feels was meant for you. They are 10/10 design and quality company for sure! Best! Love you!

[@Rasul_BandY]

I really enjoyed this. I didn't know they were involved in so many collabs. Good work!

[@insanj]

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It's wild just how many projects Teenage Engineering worked on... and I'm sure they're gonna keep at it for a long time based on their success (and passion). Might have to explore more of their stuff in a future video!

[@jimicrumb3700]

Really good video! You also have a great narrator voice.

[@carlrytterfalk4684]

Great video and lovely voice you have! As someone mentioned. When there is more info to work with - more on the R1 and now with Jesper Kouthoofd being their employee - what's next!

[@insanj]

Thank you so much! Good point, I'm gonna have to make a followup to this one 😉

[@Woji52]

Very well done video

[@insanj]

Thank you! Was definitely a journey making it.

[@AshleyAmber]

i just started the video but i love teenage enginering ! i bought their computer case for my next pc that arrives tomorow !!

[@AshleyAmber]

i also have a play date wich they designed too !

[@AshleyAmber]

i also had many nothing products ! i didnt knew they worked with TE

[@AshleyAmber]

great video Julian! it was very intresting! deserves a sub

[@insanj]

@@AshleyAmber Thank you so so much! ❤‍🔥I'm jealous, I definitely want to grab a Playdate one of these days. What a super fun little console. I also had no idea Teenage Engineering were behind Nothing before I started researching... Once I realized just how many awesome things they had contributed to over the past ten years I was blown away (and was really motivated to make a video about it).

[@100HzPanic]

I bought their pocket operators and mixer! I ditched my computer totally when I realized I dont need a computer for doing music, I just need TE's analog hardwares! Perfection!

[@vingevigur9202]

Make a short of the R1 out of this video. Great vid! 👍

[@insanj]

Oo now that's a cool idea! Thanks for the feedback and for the suggestion!

[@MikkelBarnerJohansen]

Man... what is up with the weird comments here? great vid Julian :) thanks for sharing. I think Teenage Engineering is going to impact a whole bunch of pop-culture design in the future - and personally I can't wait for it. I love everything they touch. I do sometimes wonder if they will stretch themselves too broad at some point. I liked it more when they specialised in Audio-hardware...

[@insanj]

Thanks a ton! I couldn't agree more. Hopefully they stay grounded in the playful, intuitive stuff that made them so legendary. I definitely think they've already ruffled some feathers in the past... especially with their $1599 "field desk" that's literally just the tables they have in their office 🤣

[@MikkelBarnerJohansen]

It's an interesting point. Right now they are still "playful". But maybe some day they might get so large and involved in so many big projects that they lose some of their "underground" vibe... who knows@@insanj

they are a (industrials) designer company, not a hardware company :)

[@insanj]

True that! I wasn't sure how many people would be familiar with the term "industrial designer" though so I figured "hardware company" would be an easier to understand term that still described Teenage Engineering, just more broadly. Even though they work in a whole lot of industries, and especially industrial design, they've built hardware prototypes in their studio using a CNC machine - so I thought it'd be fair to say "hardware company."

[@NKCubed]

pretty sure the record maker was basically a remake of a pre existing product

[@DingoAteMeBaby]

Fuck theyre tied to ACNE as well????

[@im_cart8656]

you should of shown how the product works.. like a snippet of how we interact with it early on in the video.. people are prob more interested in the "thing" than the company despite the intent of your video.. though regarding that company, i'd be very interested to hear how they are going to manage to pay and what data they collect for the cloud services these things use. there will be some form of subscription when they exit "start up" stage and i would have serious concerns about how they will handle privacy. but people don't really care about privacy anymore.. as long as they have the next gadget they don't really need. though the concept is a neat idea and does seem to be a natural course for mobile software to go, i don't think this device will be much more than another gadget shoved in peoples drawers in 2 years, but forward thinking concepts need to start somewhere. while i think google/microsoft could implement a more complete/useful version of this and maybe they will even if it interferes with app purchases because if this is the route mobile software goes best to be there with early with the most indispensable iteration then go the route of blockbuster/blackberry

[@insanj]

Very good points! Yeah, I'm starting to realize that the Rabbit R1 is what everyone's pretty much interested in. I thought since there are plenty of hands on videos out there already from CES, breaking down the device itself wouldn't be that compelling or unique. Unfortunately, I think if I made this video all about the Rabbit R1, it would have had a much more positive reaction. I myself was curious about Teenage Engineering's background, and how they got to the point where everything they touch seems to go viral. I'll try to make sure I focus on what people are directly curious about in future videos, this has been pretty disappointing for me as well. As for the Rabbit R1 itself, I'm also curious if it will have long-lasting appeal. After seeing all these $1,000+ new phones, graphics cards, and tech hardware, I think people have been really craving an approachable, almost toy-like thing that combines a ton of the buzzwords of today without requiring a lot of know-how or setup. Plus, most "assistants" like Siri and Alexa haven't really hit the mark for complex questions and definitely not for performing actions on your device itself (like the R1 is supposed to). Arguably, the explosive desire for the R1 could be in reaction to the expensive and uninspiring results from the big companies. As you mentioned, once the big companies figure out this is something people want, they'll probably be able to fight back with their own versions with much more firepower. Hopefully it's a pretty interesting back and forth, just like we're seeing with Steam Deck-like handhelds!

[@jopabr24]

For the record, I don't think you necessarily need to change anything. I'd encourage you to keep making videos about stuff you find interesting, rather than ensuring that your every video caters to commenters like this one. IMO, it was clear from the title and the intro that the point of the video was to do a breakdown of the company that is developing these tools or this hardware. If I want to find out more about the products, it's easy to go do that. But it's not always easy to learn about the history of a company.@@insanj

[@im_cart8656]

i agree with your response.. as much as i like the idea of cheap (using that word very loosely here) gadgets they usually become useless or stuck in a drawer or on a shelf very quickly. and of course it's another item you have to carry around with you, while small, is generally a huge mark against its practical utility imo. it really needs to be indispensable like your phone/keys/wallet/watch or you will just figure the phone is good enough for those COMPLETLEY overlapping tasks. but maybe it will be, or again these ideas have to start somewhere. but i would still have serious concerns about privacy and again how they will manage to pay for those cloud services which are required for functionality. regarding the video, i didn't mean to not cover what you wanted to cover, just get that gadget and how it's used in there early as that is the pull for most id suspect@@insanj

[@_BangDroid_]

It sounds like Agent Smith is narrating this lol

[@_BangDroid_]

Actually, when Smith took over Bane's body

[@spykids2]

"Viral" implies that their products weren't recognized before, and that their moment in the spotlight is fleeting. That's an inaccurate description of TE.

[@simperingham]

I don’t think it necessarily means fleeting…

[@Wayk123]

This video is like Ai generated the script, for first 3 minutes says absolutely nothing about what the device is. Sorry.

[@insanj]

Sorry you didn't like it! This video is about the company, Teenage Engineering, not explaining what the Rabbit R1 is. If you're interested in that, check out the MrMobile video I linked in the description or the keynote itself. Thanks for giving your honest feedback at least. I can guarantee I worked all week on this video and it wasn't in any way AI generated 😅

[@K-C-D-A]

For real! I couldn't even tell what half the products were meant to do based on the video's description of said products.

[@insanj]

@@K-C-D-A Aw, sorry about that! I thought I covered the basics of each product but I guess I didn’t go deep enough. My bad, thanks for your feedback.

[@jopabr24]

Okay, but the video wasn't intended to sell the company's products, it was about the company itself. And I found it pretty easy to follow along with...@@K-C-D-A

[@alexanderlane]

Idk, I thought it was fine! Though admittedly I was already familiar with many of them. And anyone who thinks this was ai generated has clearly not seen how bad ai generated video still is hahaha@@insanj

[@earthhuman5448]

Yawn.

[@jedgould5531]

Just sound like yourself. Don’t be so arch.