Canoo Electric Pickup Truck
With the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck, the Rivian R1T, and the Lordstown Motors Endurance, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will the king of the EV pickup truck hill. Now, Canoo wants in on…
The post Canoo Electric Pickup Truck first appeared on Cool Material.
This Badass Off-Road Camping Trailer Runs on Solar Power
Overlanding is about communing with nature, but certain aspects of the pastime can feel antithetical to that pursuit. The rugged off-road vehicle you drive out there is probably not all that great for the environment, for example — and the awesome camping trailer you tow behind it requires additional fuel for power, heating and cooking.
Colorado Campworks has resolves the latter issue with their new trailer, the Nomadic System One (also known as the NS-1). It’s 100-percent solar-powered, but still offers all of the amenities one would expect from a trailer, including badass off-road capability.
The base model NS-1 starts at $36,000, and features a 200-watt fixed solar panel, an electric cabin heater, a queen mattress, LED interior and exterior lighting, a heated outdoor shower, a Front Runner awning, a Front Runner roof platform and a kitchen drawer box with a dual-burner induction stove and running hot and cold water.
Colorado Campworks
Colorado Campworks
Colorado Campworks preps the NS-1 to follow your off-roader by outfitting it with a Timbren 3500HD axle-less suspension and BF Goodrich T/A KO2 all-season tires. The dry weight is just 1,750 pounds, so even loaded up with car camping gear, the NS-1 can be towed by a wide range of vehicles.
Buyers can further enhance the NS-1’s capability with five packages. The Four Season Off Grid ($3,000) package adds steal underplating and upgraded insulation for winter use. The Supercharged Electricity package ($6,000) upgrades the electrical hardware, notably doubling the battery life, while Professional Camp Chef ($3,200) tacks on a Trager smoker, a Breville smart oven and a SnoMaster cooler. Digital Nomad ($2,500) throws in an exterior antenna and Wifi. You can also opt for nicer finishings and required wine and cheese equipment with Glamping Upgrades ($1,500). Colorado Campworks also offers a range of individual accessories through their online shop.
Colorado Campworks is currently taking reservations for 2021 NS-1 builds, which can be configured on their website.
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This Is a Must-Have Accessory for the Land Rover Defender
Land Rover’s new Defender made its triumphant debut last year, and as we found when driving it, it is very much a new Defender for our times. Not surprisingly, awesome aftermarket accessories for it have been hitting the market, as well.
South African-based adventure travel gear company Front Runner Outfitters, maker of some of the best overland racks available, now offers a custom-made Defender Rack. It’s a perfect way to add some functionality to the new Defender without plunking down $4,800 for Land Rover’s Explorer Pack.
The 2020 Defender Rack, sized for the Defender 110 version of the new Landie, is built from T6 aluminum and 3CR12 stainless steel and coated in black epoxy powder. It’s lightweight, at just 78 pounds. And it includes all components needed for assembly — none of which are plastic.
The rack has a 370-pound dynamic load rating, meaning it can carry about 80 pounds of additional gear more than the Expedition Roof Rack that Land Rover offers. (The static load rating is 740 pounds.) The rack can accommodate more than 55 available Front Runner accessories, depending on what sort of gear you’re carrying.
The rack comes in two versions — one made to work with the Land Rover-spec roof rails, and a pricier kit that mounts to two Front Runner rails instead. The company has confirmed the racks are available worldwide, and both of them are available now.
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The C SEED M1 4K 165″ MicroLED TV Folds Out of Your Floor
The home A/V setup is something that most of us pride ourselves on whether it’s the sheer size of the television, the number of satellite channels in the surround surround or the sheer size of…
The post The C SEED M1 4K 165″ MicroLED TV Folds Out of Your Floor first appeared on Cool Material.
Manually extract that bold, aromatic, and perfect shot with Newton Espresso’s Brua
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Finding the Right Camera for a Beginner Photographer
Starting a new hobby can be fun but sometimes daunting too. Imagine if you wanted to start playing the guitar, do you choose an acoustic, electric, bass, or classic guitar? What accessories do you need? Photography can feel like this too but it doesn’t need to be difficult.
The chances are that you already take photos regularly. Nearly everyone seems to have a smartphone today and it is likely you take shots of friends, gatherings, food, and other areas of interest. Millions of photos are taken every day on devices, even Apple watches are able to take photos and videos.
So, your first consideration for beginning to learn photography is the equipment you need. You can learn different techniques and styles later. For now, you need to know how to find the right camera for you.
How much should you budget for your first camera?
Unfortunately, there isn’t any way to tell someone how much they should spend on their camera when they are starting out.
There are some questions you should ask yourself before you buy one which may help to decide your budget:
- How much can you afford?
- How serious are you about photography?
- Are you considering studying photography or is it just a hobby?
- Do you have hopes of making a career out of photography?
- What type of photography do you want to try?
There are many more considerations but these are some that should help you think about not only how much you will spend, but also what type of camera you will buy. Looking at some of these areas in depth will make things a little clearer.
How much can you afford?
This is fairly straightforward. If you are just beginning out with photography then you should spend what you can afford without borrowing. Many new hobbies are started and forgotten about and if you spend thousands of dollars on a camera only to leave it gathering dust you will regret it.
How serious are you about photography?
The next three questions can be grouped together here. Do you consider yourself a hobbyist, a budding Annie Leibowitz or are you planning on attending university to learn more and work in photography in some form?
A hobbyist could start with a compact or a good, solid DSLR but if you have higher aspirations you may want to consider spending more and getting a camera that you won’t outgrow too quickly such as a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera. Of course, what you want the camera to do and where you are taking it will also determine what you will buy and spend.
What type of photography interests you?
If you are the outdoors type then you may want to get something rugged such as the Olympus Tough TG-6 which is near-indestructible. It can go 50ft underwater and work in sub-zero temperatures so if it is a point and shoot you want for your adventures then this is the sort of camera you will want.
If you are working with websites or blogs then there are professional cameras for creating content on the market too. You might fancy yourself taking portraits or landscape photography, therefore you would need a different type of camera and there are plenty to choose from.
What type of camera should you buy?
It would be easy to explain what to buy if there wasn’t so much choice. Edwin Land created the first instant camera for Polaroid in 1948 and since then there have been 3D cameras, smartphones, webcams, compacts, DSLRs, video cams, and more.
Here are the main types of camera on the market now:
- Compacts
- DSLRs
- Mirrorless cameras
- Smartphones
- Bridge cameras
- Video cameras
- Action cameras
- Instant cameras
- 360-degree cameras
- Medium format cameras
All of these cameras have their place but you can probably discard a few straight away. Seeing as you are taking up photography as either a hobbyist or student then you won’t want an instant, video, or a 360-degree camera. If you really want to invest in a high-end smartphone for its camera then you might want to consider that you can get a great dedicated camera for much less.
Discarding the other types of camera leaves the compact, the bridge, the mirrorless camera, and the DSLR.
Comparing bridge, compact, mirrorless, and DSLR cameras
You probably know what a compact or point-and-shoot camera is. They are entry-level cameras with fixed-lens and automated features such as autofocus.
Bridge cameras are as the name implies a stop-gap between compacts and DSLRs. They do not have interchangeable lenses but might be good for some beginners, however, there is a good chance you will outgrow this type quite quickly.
DSLRs are an ideal camera for a beginner. They may look complicated at first but after you have learned how your camera works you will be able to make use of all the features. The Nikon D3400 is around the $500 mark and if you invest in this gear you will not only get a great beginner’s camera but one that will last a long time.
If you want something that is compact but has interchangeable lenses then a good mirrorless camera could be what you want. The Sony A6000 is the biggest selling mirrorless cam ever and it will fit in your pocket but at the same time bring a host of features.
One of the interesting points about mirrorless cameras is that you will view your composition on an LCD screen instead of through the viewfinder. When you change the camera’s settings you will be able to see how this will affect the photo before you shoot meaning that you will learn about aperture, shutter speeds, and ISO quickly.
Should you buy a second-hand camera?
When taking up a new hobby it can often be wise to get hold of some second-hand equipment. The benefits of this include the fact that you may get something that is sold new for far more than you could afford but at a couple of years old is now within your budget. There are some negatives though.
Firstly, purchasing a second-hand older camera may mean you miss out on some newer features like 4K Ultra HD if that was something that you wanted to have.
The next problem is you don’t know how the camera was treated and how often it has been used. Cameras have a finite life like any electronics and replacing parts can often be more expensive than buying a replacement. One area of a camera that has a limited amount of use is the shutter.
A camera shutter is estimated to last around 100k to 300k uses. When you buy a used camera you have no way of knowing how many times that shutter has opened and closed. Some websites can show you your camera shutter count but it may be too late if you have already purchased a half-dead camera.
Summary
Although there is no exact way to tell someone how to pick the right camera you can make it easier for yourself by following the guidelines above.
Make a realistic budget according to your requirements, decide how serious you are about photography, and select the type of camera you require. Once you have done that look for the one in your price range with the most features. Use online comparisons where you can and hopefully you will soon be enjoying your new camera and hobby.
The 4 Kitchen Essentials of a Thai Chef
This is Chef Staples, where professional chefs dish on the gear they couldn’t cook without. This week: Chef Emshika Alberini of Chang Thai Cafe in New Hampshire.
For over a decade, chef Emshika Alberini has been bringing Thai food to Littleton, a small town in New Hampshire, with Chang Thai Cafe. The chef, originally from Bangkok, first came to New York, where she worked a corporate job before finding a calling in the restaurant industry, a move sparked by her late sister’s encouragement. The now 13-year-old restaurant has a number of accolades under its belt for being one of the top New Hampshire restaurants. But Alberini has her eyes set far beyond The Granite State.
Recently, the chef launched a beverage line, Emshika’s, of ready-to-drink Thai-inspired drinks. The current roster includes Thai Iced Tea, Thai Iced Coffee, Thai Iced Tea with Oat Milk and Thai Iced Coffee with Oat Milk. The iced tea uses Assam team sourced from norther Thailand, and the coffees are prepared in the Oliang style, which means robusta coffee, sweetener and a mixture of seasonings such as cardamom and rice. You can order Emshika’s online, and with nationwide distribution, you can get a taste of Alberini’s Thai background wherever you are. And if you’re looking to cook like a Thai chef, these are her four most-loved kitchen essentials.
Courtesy
Maison Plus Heavyweight Gold Measuring Cups & Spoons Set
Food52
“I have every kind of measuring cup. They help to make sure each recipe comes out consistently. I love these measuring cups from Maison Plus. Not only do they get the job done, but they look wonderful in any kitchen.”
Price: $55
JB Prince Fiberglass-Nylon Kitchen Tongs
JB Prince
“Tongs are an essential item to have in your kitchen, especially these fiberglass-nylon tongs from JB Prince. They’re heat resistant, dishwasher safe, and lightweight. One of my go-to kitchen staples.”
Price: $14
Shun Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
Crate&Barrel
“This is one of my favorite knives — it has a nice grip and is the perfect size.”
Price: $160
Our Place Always Pan
Our Place
“One of my favorite pans is from Our Place, a go-to spot for home essentials. There’s nothing better than a pan that can work for any dish and also looks stunning in your kitchen. These pans also last a lifetime so you really get a bang for your buck!”
Price: $145
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These Are the Best Grills on Sale to Shop This Spring
Looking for even more great savings? Head over to Today’s Best Deals page to see all our top deals from today.
Few things scream summer as much as firing up the grill and placing hamburgers and hot dogs on grates. While this is a hallmark of the summer season, you can obviously break out the grill year-round. But these first days of spring are the best time to get the cover off and break out the charcoal (or gas, or pellets).
This is also the time to assess the health of your grill — will it last another season? Hopefully, that is the case, but sometimes the answer to that question is a resounding no — or maybe you want to upgrade. In either case, especially the latter, it is probably time to start looking for a deal on a new grill.
Grills used to be something you could only buy at home centers. But nowadays you can buy them online, and oftentimes with some savings. Luckily, we here at Gear Patrol are obsessed with getting you the best value, so we’re always hunting for the lowest price. Check-in with this page for all the best grills on sale, from spring barbecues all the way through Labor Day.
Sitewide Sales
Amazon: Some sales on Weber, Charbroil and more.
BBQ Guys: Up to 60% off sale and closeout.
Home Depot: Limited amount of grills on sale so far.
Walmart: Rollback and reduced savings on grills.
Wayfair: Outdoor cooking sale section with over 400 items.
Grill Deals
What to Consider When Buying a Grill
Gas
Gas grills are the most common and that’s because they offer a low barrier to entry, ease of use and can regulate temperatures much more precisely. Basically, you can cook nearly anything on a gas grill and it’ll work out pretty well — versatility is another strong suit of the gas grill. Some things you definitely need to keep in mind when looking for gas grills are your cooking space, the number of burners and maximum temperature. Great cooking can definitely be done quite easily with a gas grill.
Charcoal
Something you absolutely need to have when buying a charcoal grill is air vents. This will give you much more control over your temperature, which affects everything when you’re working with a charcoal grill. While (some) gas grills can have trouble maintaining a consistently hot temperature across the entire cooking area, charcoal grills excel in this department. Essentially, charcoal grills are for purists and definitely lack the ease of use of gas. Sure things can go poorly, but when things go well there might not be a better grilling experience.
Pellet
Pellet grills aren’t as niche as they once were, and when they’re firing on all cylinders they can do things that other grills just can’t. Pellet grills rely on technology in a big way, so if you’re buying one, be sure that your Wi-Fi is up to par because you’ll likely need it. Once you’ve got everything sorted out and your grill set up, you’re just a few hours away from a perfectly smoked brisket — which is what pellet grills are best at.
When Is the Best Time to Buy?
Like most things you buy for your yard, fall is the best time to get a great deal on a grill thanks to the end-of-season sales that follow Labor Day. This is definitely not the only good time, though. We see deals starting as early as Presidents’ Day as retailers get rid of last year’s models and run promos on some of the newer releases. Plus, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July are big holidays for shopping grills as well.
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If You Only Buy One Dress Watch, Buy This One
Junghans Max Bill Hand-Winding, $675
Junghans Max Bill Hand-Winding (Pre-owned)
Skip the heavy lifting and go straight to what’s best. Just Get This is our no-nonsense guide to the gear you need, now.
In some ways, buying a dress watch is liberating: you don’t have to water resistance into account (generally, there is virtually, or if the bracelet will be comfortable (there likely won’t be one to worry about), or what all those little subdials do (there shouldn’t be any on the watch’s dial). A dress watch is about telling the time as unobtrusively as possible, with a design that doesn’t distract from whatever else you’re wearing, or from the occasion on which you’re wearing it.
Oftentimes dress watches will be simple, time-only affairs but be made in precious metals. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t find a perfectly nice dress watch in stainless steel — or, indeed, that stainless steel might not be more appropriate, depending on the occasion. In fact, one of our favorite dress watches comes in stainless steel: the Max Bill Hand-Winding from German brand Junghans.
We’re so darn into the Max Bill Hand-Winding that we’ve made it our Just Get This pick in the dress watch category — meaning that if you need a dress watch stat, we say don’t even think twice, just get one of these. Here’s why.
Its Bauhaus Character Is Timeless
When famed industrial designer Max Bill created his eponymous wristwatch line with Junghans in 1961, he called upon his Bauhaus training to shape his vision: minimal text, clean lines and extreme legibility design anchor the watch’s design. A Max Bill watch wouldn’t look out of place in 1930, 1960, or today.
Its The Right Size
I know, I know — you’ve been conditioned to think that any watch smaller than 40mm is emasculating. I assure you it is not. 34mm is perfectly fine for a dress watch (even if 37mm would’ve been perfect): this is the type of timepiece you’ll be wearing with a suit, after all. You want it out of the way, unobtrusive, and under the radar — which it is.
Its Hand-wound Movement Keeps It Thin
Though the Max Bill is available in an automatic version, the use of the cal. J805.1 hand-wound movement (based on the ETA 2801-2) keeps this version exceedingly thin at just 9mm. You’ll barely notice it on your wrist, which is sort of the point with a dress watch. And a 42-hour power reserve is plenty to get you through the evening.
A Lumed Dial Means You’ll Be Able to Read It At Night
One welcome concession to modernity is the presence of small lume plots at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, in addition to the lume on the hands (which was present on the original model). This way, you can actually, you know, see the time at a dark event.
Junghans
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7 Effective Content Marketing Tactics to Drive Traffic to Your Website
As of 2019, the total number of online websites was 1.72 billion. The growth has been steady since 2004 as the Internet became more available. More so, the dynamic marketplace has contributed to the increase in numbers.
We are talking about a high demand for convenient online shopping, businesses using websites to enhance their competitiveness, and much more. Web owners are using digital marketing strategies to increase their conversions and sales, and content marketing is among the most effective strategies they are employing.
Content is the lifeblood of websites, and businesses have dedicated their efforts to grow their traffic for the benefits that come with it. Consistent posting of fresh and relevant content is among the success factors for thriving websites.
Content is king, and it is the fuel for digital marketing success. The following content marketing tactics have worked for big brands and can work for you too.
1. Broadcast Emails
Emails allow communication with multiple prospects at a go. Engaging an audience that you have already worked with will bring faster results. For instance, if you have an essay writing service, you can create a broadcast email that introduces a new feature like online essay reviews or research paper outline development.
By sharing a link with your clients or students you have worked with before, you will get more positive responses. Familiarity puts you in a better position for getting engagement from your audience.
The strategy is also useful for unfamiliar audiences, provided you send the emails at the right time when they are more likely to click.
2. Paid Advertising
Some of the world’s largest corporations have used and keep using paid ads. A whopping 146.92 billion dollars is the revenue Google made in 2020 from advertising alone. Both small businesses and the large corporations that have used the Google Ads platform have a success story to tell.
For example, Sitara Foods decided to leverage Google Ads to drive more traffic to their website by boosting their visibility and brand awareness globally. Today, the business gets three times more than the sales they were making, with 90% of their international sales coming through Google Ads.
Butterfield Market and Catering is yet another Google Ads success story. The family-owned business was founded in 1915 and has even served renowned customers like the Rockefeller family. Despite their interaction with influential persons, the company had not expanded over time.
Butterfield Market and Catering decided to vamp up their websites and started using Google Ads. In less than two years of using the paid ads, they had already experienced a 40% growth. The business expanded from having a grocery store to having a separate catering unit and a bakery. Now, the business has several branches spread across New York City.
This tactic will allow you to enhance your outreach and bring attention to your new content. Paid ads have helped countless small businesses grow and expand.
3. Use Your Best Posts
By looking at the click-through rates and dwell time of the different pages on your website, you can identify the posts that bring the most traffic to your website. Promoting old content can draw attention to your newer posts.
You can refurbish an article and add a link to it. Alternatively, you can add a link at the end of the post and highlight it as a ‘related post.’ If your old post has been generating substantial traffic, it can also promote the new ones.
Republishing your successful blog posts can help other pages get the desired traffic.
4. Make Your Content Shareable
To bring attention to a new piece of content, you need to ensure that as many people as possible can see it. Making your content shareable is a good approach. Whether you are posting on your website or social media platforms, add share buttons that will lead to other platforms.
For instance, if you are posting on Twitter, you can add buttons that will lead users to your Instagram and Facebook pages.
This will increase your reach by making your blog posts visible across multiple platforms. For your audience to click on the share button, however, they have to be impressed. Write articles that appeal to the interests of the audience and are useful.
5. Use Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to promote new content. For instance, you can leverage hashtags for trending topics to boost your reach. Hashtags will also have them categorized and presented to the targeted audience.
Another way of going about this is by contributing to trending topics. This way, you will put yourself in front of the eyes of a massive audience. However, look for hashtags that are closely related to your niche.
6. Guest Post
Provided you are confident that you can write something of high quality, you can write for other websites to promote your latest or even old posts. Start by looking for authority websites in your niche. Remember that you cannot write for competitors.
A business that provides complementary goods or services would be ideal. For instance, if you are selling auto insurance, you can approach a car sales website. Here, you will get users likely to be interested in your products.
Include a call to action to drive traffic to the new material.
7. Leverage Social Media
Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have over one billion users. Using influencers and paid ads there can draw significant traffic to your content. You can also generate organic traffic to your new page by posting on social media regularly and using the right hashtags.
Use different mediums, be it infographics or videos, and attach a link to your website. For social media to bring good results, establish the right time to post. The off-peak time is the best as your material will not be overshadowed by posts from other users.
Also, establish the time when your audience is active on socials for effective promotion.
Conclusion
Consistent content creation is essential to the success of your digital marketing campaigns. Ensure that your information is visible through the strategies above.
Broadcast emails will help you reach out to people you have worked with before. Paid ads will enhance your reach and can be used to target a specific audience.
Reshare old posts that may have amassed massive traffic before to bring attention to your new posts. Guest blogging is an effective way of reaching people in your niche and directing them to your website.
Share on social media, use hashtags, and include share buttons. The combination of the strategies above will go a long way in driving traffic.
Future military operations could see the Storm MPV from Highland Systems in action
Among the vehicles we have talked about in the past, the ones that stood for us were the ones built like tanks. The Storm from Highland Systems has just been added to our list of favorites. Even before we even get into the details, the cover image should already tell you why.
We have seen our fair share of some of the most badass machines that are commercially available for those who can afford it. Unfortunately, the Storm has a downside wherein it is currently exclusive for military use. Its capabilities make it a great tactical asset for any armed forces
With a combat-ready silhouette, its clear the Storm means business the moment it is deployed. Highland Systems defines its platform as an armored hybrid amphibious MPV. That’s not a typo right there because it can practically go anywhere.
This is not just fording water right here because the UAE-based manufacturer is saying it will cruise on the water as well. As for obstacles on land, the tank treads should tell us that it will not have any issues. Plus, there’s also the 20-inch ground clearance and ability to run up a 75% grade incline.
The storm also uses a hybrid powertrain which propels it up to 87 mph on land. On the water, the Storm apparently manages to cruise up to speeds of roughly 19 mph (16 knots). These are certainly impressive specifications, but that’s not all.
The STANAG 4569 armor on the Storm can also withstand IEDs and attacks from various projectiles for exceptional survivability. It can seat up to 6 people and is even remote controllable for autonomous operation. We can only hope to see even more insane stuff from Highland Systems down the line.
Discover more from Highland Systems
Images courtesy of Highland Systems
The New Sonos Roam: Everything You Need to Know About the Super-Portable Speaker
It’s here. Sonos just announced the Sonos Roam, the smallest and most portable speaker in the company’s history.
Roughly the size of a water bottle and weighing less than a pound, the long-awaited Roam costs $169. It works like most portable speakers, packing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities — but can also function as part of a larger Sonos system, and supports Airplay 2, as well.
All in all, it’s a highly-mobile package that should make for a obvious addition to any existing Sonos system, or a great gateway drug for anyone who is thinking about building one out. Here’s everything you need to know about the Roam.
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The Best New Grooming Brands
At Gear Patrol, our inboxes flood with news of brand launches, each company promising to offer something totally fresh that’s-bever-been-done-before. And while that’s a very hard bar to clear, we find that some brands really do offer an interesting angle or unique edge that helps raise said bar.
Below are some of our favorite new grooming brands of late. You’ll have to forgive our extrapolation of the word “new,” too, because some of them launched last year, while another is new merely to the U.S. market. Either way, there’s freshness flowing through all of these companies, and you’re sure to find a new product or two to help elevate your self-care regimen.
Snif
Snif
No-Frills Fragrances
Snif wants to make it easy and cost-accessible for you to find a fragrance you love — but they don’t want you to get too attached, either. The brand sends a free sample pack to your door, currently featuring their three launch scents. This box also includes full-size 30ml bottles of the trio, which you are able to keep or send back. (They’ll charge you for whichever ones you keep.) However, they’ll keep things fresh by ‘retiring’ each scent after long (though they may bring fan-favorites back for more) which means you’re always surprising your friends and colleagues with something new.
Try this: Way With Woods
Typology
Typology
Customized Skincare Never Looked So Good
Color me not so shocked that this beautifully designed skincare brand comes from Made.com co-founder Ning Li. His French-based company takes the now-common process of customizing a skincare regimen for you but does so in an elevated, Aesop-eat-your-heart-out kind of way. The formulas in each product themselves are not necessarily unique from one person to the next, but Typology’s à la carte offering is so expansive (and not so expensive, I should add), that they can hand-pick the best serums, sprays, moisturizers and more that fit your specific need. So, you can shop one-offs, or enroll in a regimen program that best matches your skin goals. Typology is a couple years young, but has newly landed in the U.S.
Try this: Diagnostic personalized routine
MANTL and GEN2
MANTL
Scalp Care for Bald Guys
There’s a lot of real estate on the top of your dome, and needs just as much attention when there’s no hair — but it also needs a specific kind of care. MANTL and GEN2 have assortments targeting bald heads, which address things like sun care, anti-shine, anti-aging, and more. MANTL prioritizes daily hydration, balance, and skin firmness, while GEN2’s lineup provides you with a comforting shave and moisturizing regimen.
Try these: Invisible Daily SPF 30 (MANTL) and Exfoliating Scrub (GEN2)
Cleverman, Color & Co, and Colorsmith
Cleverman
Custom Color for Hair and Beards
We’re in the era of customized hair coloring, with brands promising to deliver the color you want for hiding grays, “thickening” facial hair (by filling in blonde whiskers), or even trying something radically unusual. Each of these brands will walk you through a series of questions to find the formula that’s right for you: Color & Co provides salon-caliber colors (any and all, even allowing you to meet with a colorist), while Colorsmith and Cleverman have beard and hair offerings that even ask you how much you want them to cover your grays. It’s all a step above those nostalgic days of walking into a drug store, holding the box up to your head, and asking a friend if it seems to match — not to mention, getting a block-color, unnatural-looking dye job as a result. These three solve all those problems.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Line-Item Labels with Impactful Results
Here’s a new skincare line from The Art of Shaving founders Myriam and Eric Malka. As its name implies, the focus here is on radical transparency of ingredients, seeing as so many of us slap things onto our skin with no real understanding of what’s in our products. With Ingredients, the label is brought to the front of the bottle, always highlighting whether the formula is wholly plant-based, natural, certified organic or naturally sourced. With everything from a cleanser to a throat spray to a deodorant spray and even an assortment of teas, Ingredients is proof of how one’s grooming regimen ought to be centered on wellness.
Try this: Oil Complex
HIKI
HIKI
Salvation for the Stinky and Sweaty
HIKI is a hero for anyone haunted by things like chafing, swamp crotch, damp socks, stinky shoes, aggressive sweating, bad B.O. and more — or even for one-off instances of the above. Their moisture-absorbing and -shielding powders, refreshing face and body wipes, defensive deodorants, and blessed anti-chafe sticks are godsends, especially at the height of summer.
Try this: Anti-chafe stick
STMNT and R+Co BLEU
STMNT
Hair Essentials from the Best
These two bold hair brands made headlines with their launches, and both offer assortments for hair care and styling.
From the barbershop: STMNT comes from the barbershop trio that is LA-based Julius Arriola and Sofie Pok along with London-based Miguel Gutierrez (who also founded the much-adored Nomad Barber shops in Berlin and London).
From the salon: R+Co BLEU builds on its parent company’s outstanding assortment, with a more edited offering that centers on both sustainability and luxury. If you’re armed with a blow dryer or a big mop of hair, then there is a high-quality, eco-conscious product with your name on it. Each color of its assortment focuses on a different need, from dyed hair to restoration to increased volume and density.
Try this: Shine Paste (STMNT) and Ingenious Thickening Shampoo (R+Co BLEU)
Adipeau
Adipeau
A Skin-Firming, Leave-On Mask
I wouldn’t usually include a single-product brand in a roundup of the best, since I prefer to see a full assortment from each company. However, Adipeau has made such a strong impression with its debut product, that I stocked up on multiple bottles. It’s technically a leave-on mask that you slather generously onto your face, and it steadily soaks in (leaving your skin plumper and fuller). However, I like to use it as a daytime moisturizer in cool weather, or as a night cream any time of year. It gives your skin a radiant glow — I think women tend to appreciate that concept more than men, but you’ll instantly understand why, when you see your skin look so healthy and nourished. With ingredients like safflower seed oil and black ginger extract, its focus is on long-term skin “fitness” through active subcutaneous renewal and toning. But those short-term glows are equally as wonderful.
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Today in Gear: A Top-Selling Whiskey You Should Know, Why Gaming Chairs Suck & More
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Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans
In the vein of Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog Nike memoir, Authentic is a candid, compelling memoir by a high school dropout who went on to establish one of the world’s most iconic brands. Paul Van Doren founded Vans—the shoe company at the heart of SoCal youth culture for generations, and famous for its people-oriented company culture. In Authentic, the innovator & entrepreneur shares his unlikely story and how he built Vans into a household name & massive business success.
This Camper Van Is a Barbecuer’s Dream, Thanks to a Built-in Big Green Egg Grill
There are many, man great luxury camper vans out there — but few of them can match up in terms of fanciness to the Loef, a new camper van offering out of Germany first spotted by New Atlas. This camper van doesn’t just sleep a family of four; it can seat up to 10 for dining and cocktails, and offers not just any slide-out grill, but a Big Green Egg.
The Loef itself is massive. It uses the 291-inch version of the MAN TGE, which is more than 24 feet long, and stands more than nine feet high. (That said, Loef asserts that it still drives like “an agile big cat.”)
Much of that space gets put toward two distinct cooking and dining areas. The rear area offers outdoor dining with U-shaped seating for five, a height-adjustable dining table and the slide-out Big Green Egg; that area also converts to the master bedroom for sleeping. The front dining area seats five more in an L-seat configuration.
loef
Courtesy
The kitchenette includes a four-burner Thetford stove and oven, a refrigerator/freezer and a minibar in the sliding door. In other words, it’s great for a dinner party — or two dueling dinner parties.
The interior also has a wet bath with a shower and electric flush cassette toilet, with a Truma Combi heater to warm both the cabin and the water. An awning can provide even more seating outdoors. There’s also a specialized shoe compartment, to help keep the interior neat and tidy.
Loef estimates that camper builds will cost the equivalent of between $130,000 and $150,000. The van also comes with a 24-month “mobility guarantee,” which includes breakdown assistance throughout Europe and covering the cost for a replacement vehicle, hotel stays and return flights.
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We Scored an Exclusive Deal on These iPad Cases
Looking for even more great savings? Head over to Today’s Best Deals page to see all our top deals from today.
Nomad, maker of some of the finest tech accessories around, has given us at Gear Patrol an exclusive code to get 50 percent off two of its best iPad protection. Use the code GEARPATROL at checkout to get the discount on the Rugged Folio for iPad or the Rugged Case for iPad.
They come in three different sizes, so if you have either the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the 11-inch iPad Pro or the iPad Air, this sale has you covered. The folio has strategically placed magnets to keep the case secure, even in kickstand mode. The case has a slim profile that is perfect for covert protection that looks darn good.
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If You Think Your Vegan Shoes Are Saving the Planet, You’re Wrong
Stefano GuidiGetty Images
I have beef with vegan shoes.
Let me be clear, though — I think vegans are heroes. Their personal choice not to consume animal products is literally saving the world. Veganism is hard, too. I know this because after watching the popular (though rightly criticized) documentary The Game Changers, which extols the benefits of a vegan diet for athletic performance, I gave it a shot for a few weeks. I wanted to see how a short-term switch would make me feel, and how difficult it would be (good, difficult, though not as much as I’d imagined). So no, my problem is not with vegans — it’s with vegan shoes.
How can a shoe be vegan anyway? Simply put, it has to be completely free of animal products. That includes leather, wool and fur, as well as some glues that have animal-based ingredients in them (typically, it’s collagen). Some definitions go further, insisting that any materials developed with animal testing must be excluded too.
Vegan shoes are becoming increasingly easier to find, too. The online retailer Zappos has a vegan filter that turns up hundreds of options from brands like OluKai, Saucony, Merrell, Dr. Martens and more. Adidas recently made waves when it revealed a vegan version of its popular Stan Smith shoe, the first iteration of which was a collaboration with Stella McCartney.
If lessening animal cruelty is the primary motivation behind your veganism, these shoes achieve that goal. But if general sustainability is the aim — and nearly every vegan shoe comes with a message that it’s greener and better for the environment — the situation is messier.
The problem is that faux leather and fur are often made of synthetic, petroleum-based materials like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU). Essentially, they’re plastic. Technically, the cheap plastic-and-foam flip flops that wash up on beaches around the world are “vegan.” Plus, in pursuing a degree of similarity that’ll make people want to wear these shoes, companies often apply harmful chemicals that make them look and bend and wear just like the real deal.
OluKai is one brand that acknowledges the issue, though many don’t. In a blog post on its site explaining vegan shoes, the brand notes: “It’s important to remember that animal-free shoes are not always more ‘environmentally friendly’ by default … It is a lengthy and contentious debate as to whether leather production or synthetic production is worse for the environment.” It does note too, however, that vegan shoes are “generally considered to leave a smaller carbon footprint.” Most companies making vegan shoes are content to greenwash over such nuance.
This conundrum calls to mind the recent implementation of plastic straw bans. I watched cafes react to it in New York City, some of them opting for paper replacements though many went for sippy lids made of plastic. Some are recyclable, supposedly, though good luck finding a recycling bin in Manhattan.
Some cafes and cities were better equipped for the ban than New York, and some companies make vegan alternatives more responsibly than others. Leather provides the best examples: an Italian company called Frumat makes it partially out of apples, while Piñatex is leather made of pineapple leaves. Mushroom-based leather is also a thing (and both Adidas and Stella McCartney will be its earliest adopters). It’s promising stuff, but none of these faux leathers are being produced at a scale approaching that of the petroleum-based alternatives.
Meanwhile, is genuine leather really so bad? Again, advocates for animal rights will answer yes. From a sustainability perspective, the issue lies in the tanning process, which produces wastewater sludge with high concentrations of harmful chemicals like chromium and glutaraldehyde. Not only is it bad for the environment, but it’s dangerous for those working with it.
But leather production is getting eco-friendlier too. It’s a byproduct of the meat industry, for starters, and beef farmers aren’t going to stop raising beef cows simply because they can’t sell their skins (unless way more people adopt vegan diets, that is). Vegetable tanning uses organic material instead of chromium to preserve the skins, and some companies like Ecco are developing dry tanning methods that eliminate water waste. There’s even a consortium of brands, retailers and producers that aims to hold the industry to a set of environmental protocols.
The best example of sustainably produced leather footwear comes, unsurprisingly, from Patagonia. In late 2020, the company released the Wild Idea Work Boot, made of bison leather with a Goodyear welt so the outsole can be replaced years into its life. The hides come from the same animals that it harvests to make its buffalo jerky — they are raised in a manner that restores the grasslands and promotes carbon sequestration. Previously unused, the hides are tanned with olive tree leaves. What’s more, Patagonia is only making as many boots as it has enough leather for (so good luck getting a pair).
It is true that Patagonia’s bison boot model doesn’t scale, but neither does the mushroom leather option (at least, not yet). Sustainability is complicated, and it can feel paralyzing when it seems like every option is bad.
There is hope, though — both vegan and non-vegan footwear is getting more sustainable. And, recently, Adidas and Allbirds announced that they are putting competition aside to create a performance shoe with the smallest carbon footprint ever. Given that the latter brand’s signature ingredient is wool, chances are it won’t be vegan.
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