These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Digital audio recorders are plentiful, but few look—or feel—like the TP-7 from Swedish company Teenage Engineering. “A main theme when we develop products is to rethink what a tool is,” says CEO and head of design Jesper Kouthoofd. “We felt [an audio recorder] could be done in a more creative way.” The palm-size device records podcast-quality audio and features three chunky buttons akin to those on a 1970s hi-fi system. A side-mounted “rocker” scrubs through tracks. Another retro touch: as the TP-7 records and plays back, a motorized “tape reel” in the center of the gadget actually rotates.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington
- Introducing the 2025 Closers
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- Why, Exactly, Is Alcohol So Bad for You?
- The Motivational Trick That Makes You Exercise Harder
- 11 New Books to Read in February
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Column: Trump’s Trans Military Ban Betrays Our Troops