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 look at what some of those buttons and switches are like on devices old and new, and aims to appreciate how we interact with our devices on a physical, tactile level.

• The drinking fountain button is tragically misunderstood
• The T-Mobile Sidekick’s Jump button made mobile multitasking easy
• Today I learned about the ‘80s Casio calculator that doubles as a massive lighter.
• The Indiglo button let there be light
• The forbidden popcorn button.
• 8BitDo’s NES buttons are a big, red, Nintendo-themed invitation to experiment
• TIL someone got the amazing analog Space Command remote to control Alexa.
• The Action Button is the most significant new iPhone feature in years
• This USB button helps Jeopardy! contestants get their buzz on
• Mechanical marvel.
• We defeated bad elevator buttons!
• The unsung heroes of the Apple Watch are its hidden buttons
• The Stream Deck mastered the LCD key by making it peripheral
• Fitbit’s attempt to disappear the button proved why they matter
• The grill ignition button is a reminder of happy summer days
• The Nintendo Switch showed us we deserve more from joysticks
• The button on Canon’s image-stabilized binoculars unlocked superhuman sight
• The Google Pixel’s squeeze for assistant was a button without a button
• The Steam Deck’s best button is its software
• The push-button ignition was a luxurious way to start your car until it wasn’t
• The Mr. Coffee ‘brew now’ button is an escape from sleepiness
• The BlackBerry Storm showed why you should never turn a touchscreen into a button
• The Steam Controller’s troubled trackpads made for a better Steam Deck
• The eject button held all the power on the original Xbox
• You must never press the original Razr’s forbidden internet button
• The snooze button is the best part of the world’s most hated gadget
• It’s party time, smash the EXTRA BASS button
• The Stagg electric kettle has the best boiling button
• The N64 controller was a weird but essential introduction to joysticks
• The Pebble’s hardware buttons couldn’t save smartwatches from touchscreens
• The Palm Pre home button was the first to be the last
• The AirPods Pro’s force sensor is a more comfortable way to control audio
• Roku does customizable buttons right on the Voice Remote Pro
• The DualSense’s adaptive triggers show how to make a button feel next-gen
• The Apple TV’s touchpad swipes and misses at being a good remote
• Staples’ Easy Button is a cheap toy that envisions a perfect button
• The microwave’s ‘add 30 seconds’ button offers an escape from cold digital precision
• Sony’s Back Button Attachment is a glimpse at the PS5 controller we didn’t get
• Apple added a secret button to your iPhone, and you may not have even noticed
• The literally useless Roku diamond button might actually be a good idea
• 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 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 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

This holiday season, let's talk about the gadgets that are no longer with us anymore - not because they were bad or became obsolete or were the victims of an upgrade offer too good to refuse, but because they met their demise in a delightfully destructive way.

We broke these gadgets without meaning to. (Probably. Helen is sus.)

This started out as a fun conversation in The Verge's private Slack, and now we're bringing a more polished version to you. Also, feel free to share your own tales in the comments below this story!

Canon EOS Rebel T5

I have a sassy cat named Pablo. As a very large boy, he's quite particular about when he gets fed. …

Read the full story at The Verge.