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Button of the Month

Button of the Month

In today’s digital age, it sometimes feels like hardware has taken a back seat to the software that drives our devices. Button of the Month is a monthly column that explores the physical pieces of our phones, tablets, and controllers that we interact with every day.

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The microwave’s ‘add 30 seconds’ button offers an escape from cold digital precision

Button of the month: the ‘add 30 seconds’ microwave button

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Sony’s Back Button Attachment is a glimpse at the PS5 controller we didn’t get

Button of the month: DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment

Apple added a secret button to your iPhone, and you may not have even noticed

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The literally useless Roku diamond button might actually be a good idea

Button of the month: mysterious Roku Touch diamond button

The original digital watch button foretold the battery life struggle of modern smartwatches

The Chromecast’s reset button is proof of the reliability of hardware in a digital world

The ThinkPad TrackPoint tried to build a better mouse

Apple’s butterfly keyboard failed by prioritizing form over function

The Netflix button is an advertisement masquerading as a product

Apple’s shutter button case highlights the power of software control

TiVo’s skip button changed how we watch TV forever

The transforming Xbox 360 D-pad is proof that bad buttons can get better

Fingerprint-reading power buttons make securely booting up a seamless process

Logitech’s MX Master 3 scroll wheel is focused hardware at its best

The iPhone X’s power button reflects the evolution of the smartphone

The Google 比特币官网交易平台home Mini’s mute switch makes privacy deliberate

The Boom 3’s Magic Button turned a good speaker into the best one

The Switch’s hidden shoulder buttons are the key to making it a full-fledged console

The buttons on the Kindle Oasis make the e-reader feel more like a book

LucidSound’s volume control headphone dials are a smart solution for a nagging gaming issue

The Amazon Dash button was a physical interface to digital shopping

Apple’s now-defunct 比特币官网交易平台home button is a reminder that even the best buttons can fail

The PlayStation 4’s touchpad and the law of unintended consequences

The iPod click wheel was the pinnacle of purposed hardware design

Marshall’s joystick button is a great way to control wireless headphones

The Xbox 360 controller’s Xbox button masterfully solved the wireless multiplayer problem

Samsung’s Bixby button shows the potential and pitfalls of dedicated buttons

The GameCube controller’s A button subtly taught us how to play

The Logitech Craft keyboard’s giant button is a tactile dream