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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.

The open elevator door button puts kindness at our fingertips

Mitchell ClarkAug 31

The Google Pixel’s squeeze for assistant was a button without a button

Mitchell ClarkJul 30

The Steam Deck’s best button is its software

Jay PetersJun 30

The push-button ignition was a luxurious way to start your car until it wasn’t

Mitchell ClarkMay 31

The Mr. Coffee ‘brew now’ button is an escape from sleepiness

Mitchell ClarkApr 29

The BlackBerry Storm showed why you should never turn a touchscreen into a button

Chaim GartenbergMar 31

The Steam Controller’s troubled trackpads made for a better Steam Deck

Chaim GartenbergFeb 28

The eject button held all the power on the original Xbox

Button of the month: the Xbox eject button

Chaim GartenbergJan 28

You must never press the original Razr’s forbidden internet button

Button of the month: the Motorola Razr internet button

Chaim GartenbergDec 29, 2021

The snooze button is the best part of the world’s most hated gadget

Button of the month: the snooze button

Chaim GartenbergNov 25, 2021

It’s party time, smash the EXTRA BASS button

Chaim GartenbergOct 22, 2021

The Stagg electric kettle has the best boiling button

Chaim GartenbergSep 30, 2021

The N64 controller was a weird but essential introduction to joysticks

Chaim GartenbergAug 30, 2021

The Pebble’s hardware buttons couldn’t save smartwatches from touchscreens

Chaim GartenbergJul 22, 2021

The Palm Pre home button was the first to be the last

Button of the month: the Palm Pre home button

Chaim GartenbergJun 29, 2021

The AirPods Pro’s force sensor is a more comfortable way to control audio

Chaim GartenbergMay 28, 2021

Roku does customizable buttons right on the Voice Remote Pro

Chaim GartenbergApr 29, 2021

The DualSense’s adaptive triggers show how to make a button feel next-gen

Button of the month: PS5 DualSense adaptive triggers

Chaim GartenbergMar 31, 2021

The Apple TV’s touchpad swipes and misses at being a good remote

Chaim GartenbergFeb 25, 2021

Staples’ Easy Button is a cheap toy that envisions a perfect button

Chaim GartenbergJan 27, 2021

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

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

Chaim GartenbergDec 22, 2020

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

Chaim GartenbergNov 25, 2020

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

Chaim GartenbergOct 30, 2020

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

Button of the month: mysterious Roku Touch diamond button

Chaim GartenbergSep 23, 2020

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

Chaim GartenbergAug 25, 2020

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

Chaim GartenbergJul 29, 2020

The ThinkPad TrackPoint tried to build a better mouse

Chaim GartenbergJun 30, 2020

Apple’s butterfly keyboard failed by prioritizing form over function

Chaim GartenbergMay 27, 2020

The Netflix button is an advertisement masquerading as a product

Chaim GartenbergApr 24, 2020

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

Chaim GartenbergMar 20, 2020

TiVo’s skip button changed how we watch TV forever

Chaim GartenbergFeb 21, 2020

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

Chaim GartenbergJan 24, 2020

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

Chaim GartenbergNov 18, 2019

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

Chaim GartenbergOct 29, 2019

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

Chaim GartenbergSep 30, 2019

The Google Home Mini’s mute switch makes privacy deliberate

Chaim GartenbergAug 23, 2019

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

Chaim GartenbergJul 22, 2019

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

Chaim GartenbergJun 26, 2019

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

Chaim GartenbergMay 30, 2019

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

Chaim GartenbergApr 18, 2019

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