slim
slim at Spoot: Spotted Early is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “Nitecore hides a razor blade inside a flashlight and calls it a multitool”, “Roxon shrinks its modular Flex down to pocket-friendly size”, and “Pocket-sized buttons, real joysticks, and a phone that finally plays like a handheld”. Nitecore hides a razor blade inside a flashlight and calls it a multitool. It is the unofficial week of slimmed-down flagship multitools. Spoot: Spotted Early New things, caught while they're still new and a little weird. Spoot finds fresh gadgets, clever inventions, crowdfunding campaigns,… The list below is every slim story on Spoot: Spotted Early, newest first.
Nitecore hides a razor blade inside a flashlight and calls it a multitool
Nitecore hides a razor blade inside a flashlight and calls it a multitool. That sentence alone should make you stop scrolling. The UTL19 is the first member of a new Utility Tool & Light series, and it's exactly what it sounds like: a slim, remote control-shaped torch that slides out a box-slicing blade when you need it. Five ounces of pocket power that says leave the folding knife at home. I love the audacity of this thing, it's not trying to replace your Leatherman, it's just asking if you really need both a light and a blade taking up space. Nitecore has been quietly filling out this flashlight family for three years, and now it's gone feral.
Roxon shrinks its modular Flex down to pocket-friendly size
It is the unofficial week of slimmed-down flagship multitools. One day after Nextool dropped its Goldilocks-sized F20, Roxon answered with the Flex Go, a pocket-friendly version of its modular Flex system. The idea is simple: if you can build your own multitool from individual implements, you don't need a massive frame stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink. This one is built for a pocket, not a belt or a toolbox. That feels like the right call. The modular approach already meant you carried only what you needed; now the chassis itself shrinks to match. For a deeper look at the other side of this very compact coin, check out our coverage of Nextool's new F20 and its three-handle design.
Pocket-sized buttons, real joysticks, and a phone that finally plays like a handheld
There's a particular dread that comes with trying to play a real game on a phone: your thumbs cramp over the screen, the touch controls drift, and you lose the boss fight because your finger slipped. Abxylute's new M5 and M6 controllers are the counterargument. They pack proper-sized buttons and real joysticks into a form that attaches securely to your phone and still slips into a pocket. That's the whole pitch, and it's a good one. The M6 is the one I'm circling back to, because a motion controller that fits in your jeans is the kind of weird, specific promise that either works brilliantly or becomes a drawer ornament. It's a Kickstarter, so we'll see if they ship. But for anyone who's ever squinted at a touchscreen d-pad, this is worth tabbing. Stay spooty.