@张奕源 Nick：

Bambu Lab P2S 3D Printer + AMS 2 Pro

• Reference price: ¥3,994.15 (including AMS, after government subsidy)

As mentioned before, I got into 3D printing because I wanted to work on home organization, so I ended up putting a Bambu Lab P2S in my apartment.

Although the P2S has been out for more than two months, it’s still considered a new product from Bambu Lab. Since I entered the hobby relatively late, I didn’t experience the many earlier stages of consumer-grade and miniaturized 3D printers. My first hands-on experience was already with a nearly flawless, mature product, so in my eyes the P2S is close to perfect. Over the two weeks I’ve been using it, everything has felt fresh and exciting.

First of all, it’s extremely easy to use—really, really easy to get started. You may have heard of their open model community, Makerworld. It’s full of all kinds of flashy, quirky, and unusual models you can download, and most of them already come with configurations tailored for Bambu printers. You just download the file, sync it with your specific model, and start printing directly—no parameter tweaking needed at all.

Makerworld also has many niche but highly practical models, which happen to suit my needs perfectly. For example, I’m currently preparing for SSPAI’s Tracing the Southern Frontier project, which involves carrying a lot of filming gear, so I printed a set of battery cases, lens caps, and other accessories for Sony cameras. There are also various storage boxes designed specifically for small items like USB drives—great for travel, both practical and convenient.

If you’re a super lazy person like me who hates hassle, you can just get an AMS along with the printer (or buy the bundle directly) and stick to Bambu Lab’s own filament. That way, the machine can automatically read information like color and remaining material, and it will handle loading, unloading, and filament switching by itself. You can pretty much reach a state of “the only thing you need to decide is what to print”—see a model you like, print it, and you’re done.

Its ease of use also shows in how forgiving it is about placement. My apartment is small, and I don’t have space for a heavy, sturdy table, so I put the P2S on a small three-legged tea table in the kitchen. I was worried that the wobbling would affect print quality, but it turned out to be completely fine. Later I learned that the P2S has a built-in balancing and compensation system that automatically levels and stabilizes itself against small vibrations, so it’s much less delicate than I had imagined.

Second, its output is very stable. I haven’t used many 3D printers, but the P2S is definitely the one with the best print quality among them. With default settings, the models it produces are already fine-grained and solid, and the printing process almost never goes wrong. The only time I encountered a “spaghetti failure” was due to an issue with the model design itself. Generally speaking, Bambu Lab’s companion app, Bambu Studio, will automatically determine whether a model needs supports, brims, and so on. If you also take a quick look at photos of other users’ finished prints or their feedback, you can usually avoid such problems altogether.

Third, it runs very quietly, which exceeded my expectations. The P2S uses a fully enclosed design that blocks out a lot of noise, and most of what you hear during printing is a steady, mid-to-low-frequency sound that isn’t particularly irritating. The overall volume is roughly comparable to an air conditioner while it’s running. At first I placed it in the living room next to my desk, and working while it was printing wasn’t an issue at all. But since I plan to run long jobs overnight, I eventually moved it to the kitchen. Now I can’t hear it at all from the bedroom, so it doesn’t affect my sleep.

Lastly, let me recommend a few models I’ve been enjoying recently. If you also have a 3D printer, you might want to try printing them.

The first one is currently my favorite storage box: the single-color version of the “Mechanical-Style Storage Box.” It has a neat, boxy shape that makes it easy to arrange; its default size is just right, with generous capacity; and it supports stacking, with well-designed slots that let you build an endless tower. I’ve printed about ten of these already and used them to organize all sorts of random small items around the house—it’s surprisingly satisfying.

Model link:
https://makerworld.com.cn/zh/models/1018417-ji-jie-feng-ge-shou-na-he-ke-dui-die

The second one is “BUCKETS – Stackable Storage Boxes.” Among all the slanted-opening storage boxes I’ve printed, this is the best in both build quality and looks. It has thick outer walls and a large interior capacity, supports stacking, and its slim, narrow shape makes it perfect for fitting into corners and tight spaces. You can put almost anything in it—it’s very versatile.

Model link:
https://makerworld.com.cn/zh/models/1504594-buckets-ke-dui-die-shou-na-he-wu-xu-zhi-cheng

The third one is a more niche model called the “Large Card Box with Sliding Lid.” It was originally designed as a tarot card box, and the pattern on the lid follows that theme as well. But it offers generous capacity, refined craftsmanship, and a relatively short printing time. Among all the sliding-lid boxes I’ve printed so far, this one has the best overall quality.

Model link:
https://makerworld.com.cn/zh/models/631847-dai-hua-gai-de-da-qia-pian-he

MelGeek Centauri 60 Magnetic Switch Keyboard

• Reference price: ¥1,695.18 (launch promotion price)

Buying this keyboard was half an impulse purchase. It looks good, the 60% layout is very compact, and I was also curious about how magnetic switches would feel, so I placed an order as soon as the product was released, becoming one of the first batch of users.

Thankfully, this impulse wasn’t punished—the Centauri 60 is genuinely good to use. It comes by default with TTC White Magneto magnetic switches, which feel similar to tactile brown switches: straightforward, crisp, and not tiring to press. I mainly use it for typing and office work, and even with long sessions it doesn’t feel fatiguing. The snappy feedback also makes it easy to slip into a flow state, which is quite enjoyable.

Further reading: https://sspai.com/post/105108

The Centauri series also has a more flagship 80-key model. The difference is that it uses an 80% layout with an F1–F12 function key row, and includes an additional screen on the right side of the keyboard for viewing status information or adjusting settings. I personally prefer having my keyboard closer to the mouse and want it to be as small as possible, so I didn’t go for the larger version. The 60% layout also makes the whole keyboard look more compact, which I think is nicer than the 80%.

I also really like the LED light strip on the Centauri 60. MelGeek designed a special effect for it that looks a bit like a snake looping around in circles, which adds a touch of fun to the keyboard and feels much more tasteful than the usual eye-searing RGB lighting.

As for performance, I didn’t worry too much about it. I haven’t played CS in years, so I no longer have strong demands when it comes to latency or anti-ghosting. The web-based driver provided by MelGeek offers a full set of tuning options: you can define keys individually, or even copy configurations used by pro players, and the whole process is very straightforward. That said, this keyboard actually supports full customization inside and out—from the switches and internal foam, to the springs and mounting plate, and even the external metal decorative frame, all of which can theoretically be swapped or adjusted freely. For users who love to tinker, that’s definitely good news.

That said, I do have one complaint about the Centauri 60: the lighting effects change too quickly. Even at the slowest setting, they still switch about once per second, so you can’t really get that gentle “breathing” fade-in and fade-out effect. This is actually something that could be solved at the software level. If anyone from MelGeek happens to see this, I hope you’ll consider adding a few more speed levels for the lighting, for the sake of us older users 🙂

@克莱德： Xiaomi Label Printer

• Reference price: ¥139 (with 3 rolls of label paper)

Every time the seasons change, I end up digging through boxes to find clothes and bedding. And every year, I repeat the same eternal question to myself: what on earth did I put in that storage box on the top shelf?

So this year, I finally decided to buy a label printer and put some “idiot-proof labels” on every storage container at home. Since this was a product category I had never really looked into before, I started with Xiaomi, a well-known brand for small home appliances.

Unlike the label printers I had seen before that can print all kinds of images or invoice-style layouts, Xiaomi’s model is mainly designed for scenarios where you just need to stick labels everywhere. As a result, it uses consumables in the form of long, tape-like label strips with a fixed width, similar to transparent adhesive tape. In the Xiaomi app, you can manually set a fixed length for each label (up to 150 mm), or let the printer decide automatically based on the actual content.

Naturally, label text is edited in the Xiaomi app as well. The built-in layout tools include styles, fonts, and alignment options. The style settings further cover basics like bold, italic, underline, character spacing, line spacing, and text direction. While moving text around, the app provides alignment guides, along with some preset alignment modes and fine-adjustment buttons. For everyday reminder labels, where there isn’t much need for complex design, these tools are more than enough. But if you want something more decorative or playful, it quickly starts to feel limited: there’s no emoji support, only a small selection of stickers, and a few built-in text-and-image templates—bordering on minimalistic, if not downright barebones.

In my use case, though, the printed labels come out clear and sharp. The label paper also uses a split backing design that peels off down the middle, which helps avoid the common problem of reduced stickiness around the edges from handling it too much with your fingers.

The only real drawback is that the labels default to a transparent background with black text, and only support black-and-white printing. They look fine on light-colored storage boxes or white appliances and electronics, but on dark surfaces they can be quite annoying. The only workaround is to sacrifice half the label’s width: peel off one side of the adhesive backing and print the text on the unpeeled half, effectively creating a white background with black text.

@PlatyHsu: Laifen Swift 4 Hair Dryer

• Reference price: ¥560 (after government subsidy; original price ¥659)

I don’t usually have much need for a hair dryer—according to my mom, “what’s there to blow-dry with those few strands of yours anyway?” (For the record: I do still have a few.) But living in Shenzhen, you never know when the heavens will suddenly open up, so it’s always good to have something on hand to help you look presentable again quickly.

My previous hair dryer was bought under exactly those circumstances: after running home in a thunderstorm, I spent a few dozen yuan on a food delivery app to get one. As you can imagine, its airflow was so gentle that even my few strands of hair found it a bit too civilized. Around that time, while browsing government subsidy deals, I came across Laifen’s hair dryers. I asked around among friends who had bought one, and the feedback was decent, so I picked up their newer model, the Swift 4, to try out.

Laifen is known for taking inspiration from Apple, and sure enough, that reputation holds true. From the kraft paper shipping box and the way it’s sealed, to the plain white retail packaging with only a product image printed on it, to the layout of the instruction manual inside, and even the smell of the cleaning agent when you first open it—all of it gives off a strong “Apple flavor.”

Getting back to the product itself, compared with earlier models, the main upgrade in this generation is the use of an aluminum alloy body, which looks fairly refined. The power cable comes with a cable organizer, though its length of 1.7 meters (not even as long as two phone charging cables) is a bit on the short side.

In terms of performance, the Swift 4 is rated for a maximum wind speed of 23 m/s, which is quite fast. That said, because the body is compact, the overall air volume still can’t compete with those huge professional dryers that salon stylists use. For me, though, it’s more than enough. The maximum noise level is rated at 59 dB, which matches what I measured on my phone, and it’s fairly quiet. Depending on the operating mode, the circular light at the back of the dryer shows four different colors—a design that’s both eye-catching and attractive.

These days, every household appliance seems to want a touch of “smart,” and the Swift 4 is no exception. It has built-in Bluetooth and can be paired with the Laifen app or a WeChat mini program. My limited imagination really can’t grasp why a hair dryer needs to be smart—and what’s even more absurd is that you can only pair and operate it while the motor is running—but fortunately, aside from scheduled hot-and-cold air cycling, there aren’t any features that absolutely require pairing. Most of the time, you can just ignore this part altogether.

Overall, with the subsidy, the Swift 4 offers pretty decent value for money. It may still fall short of Dyson in some details, but for someone like me who only uses a hair dryer occasionally, it’s more than sufficient. If I had to nitpick, I’d say that simplicity and refinement don’t have to come in only one “Apple-style” form—perhaps Laifen could be a bit more creative and confident when taking inspiration.