Editor's take: Docking stations are rarely interesting, but this one caught my attention. Made by Japanese peripheral maker Elecom, the DST-L080BPBK puts a large rotary dial and four programmable keys on top of an otherwise conventional 8-in-1 USB-C dock, so the box you would normally hide behind the monitor becomes something you keep within reach.
As it turns out, Elecom makes some unusual niche hardware, including the M.A.P.P. mouse and the IST trackball (credit goes to TPU for highlighing them). As for the dock, here's what's on offer:
One USB-C and two USB-A ports, all at 5Gbps, an HDMI output that supports up to 4K at 60Hz, Gigabit Ethernet, SD and microSD card slots, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a separate USB-C Power Delivery input. The dock draws its power from the host and connects through a USB-C cable running at 5Gbps.
On the front-facing side, you get four programmable shortcut buttons and a knob (rotary dial). Physical dials have a small but loyal following. Reddit threads going back years show users hunting for a knob for apps like AutoCAD, Revit, Illustrator and Photoshop. Other professional uses include scrubbing timelines and stepping through frames in video editors, and zooming smoothly in CAD software.
The shorcut buttons and dial are set up through Elecom Mouse Assistant, the utility the company already uses for its mice. Elecom pitches everyday uses: muting the mic, turning the camera on and off, adjusting volume, zooming, triggering keyboard shortcuts and typing out saved text.
Japanese coverage calls the product a "left-hand device." That's an established category in Japan: illustrators hold the pen in one hand and keep a shortcut pad under the other for undo, brush size, zoom and canvas rotation.
The large knob reminds me of Microsoft's Surface Dial, which was arguably the most high-profile attempt at introducing this kind of control to the Windows ecosystem. Microsoft showcased it a decade ago as a way for artists to control tools in compatible apps by rotating or pressing it, but the company seemingly gave up on the accessory, and it never received a successor. Photoshop later dropped support for it entirely.
More recently, dedicated consoles have taken over the space. Logitech's MX Creative Console ($199) pairs a keypad with a dialpad and competes with Elgato's Stream Deck and TourBox, whose dial-equipped models sit in a similar price range.
Elecom's approach is more modest, combining simpler controls with dock functionality for about $87. There's no word on international availability yet, but the DST-L080BPBK goes on sale in Japan this month, currently listed on Elecom's store at ¥13,728 including tax. It supports Windows 10 and 11 and macOS Tahoe 26.