Latest news with #AdrienneSo
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WIRED
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- WIRED
Tern's Newest GSD Cargo Bike Now Has Antilock Brakes
With all that said, my family and I are year-round riders and live in Portland, Oregon. I live in terror that something will happen to my kids on my bike and there have been multiple times on rainy winters on hills when I have forced my much spouse to switch bikes and ride with the kids because he's much bigger than I am and I was scared. If this is you, then you need ABS brakes. This would've allayed my fears quite a bit. If safety is also one of your primary concerns, the S10 also meets the DIN 79010, the German safety standard that's the only cargo bike standard that exists. The newly reinforced frame was tested under the DIN 79010 and verified to be safe carrying up to 463 pounds. Other components, like the rear rack, kickstand, and braking system are all tested under the DIN 79010, which is important because you don't want the kickstand to collapse or fall while you're strapping your baby into her Thule seat. My kids are now 7 and 10 and ride their very own nice mountain bikes, but I did load up the panniers with mulch and wood chips and ride up and down the steepest hill in my neighborhood with about a 10 to 15 percent grade, and I felt pretty secure about its stopping power. If my kids were still pretty small, paying for ABS brakes would be a good way to extend the use of the bike through the rain. Long-Lived Photograph: Adrienne So With the smart system, you're also paying for GPS tracking if it's stolen, locks, the Bosch eBike Flow app that connects to your phone, and customizable drive settings, so you can tweak the power settings for Eco, Tour, Sport, and Turbo. This is important, because I have had a double battery mounted on my old Tern for so long that I forgot that the range on this is quite small. A 12-mile ride at over 20 mph depleted the battery to 50 percent in less than an hour, and I am a relatively small person (115 pounds). I would immediately put a double battery on this if you are considering it as a commuter. The Tern has a Kiox 300 Bosch display, which is easy to scroll through, but with the Flow app I would also probably just pop it off (you can pop it off!) and put my phone on a bike mount. This may be a little hard to swallow: The bike costs $7,000, and that's just the starting point. You will need another battery, and I guarantee you are going to want accessories, especially if you have a kid. Tern's accessories are unmatched, especially if you have kids. I have a Storm Box, which protects my kids while riding in the rain. You can also put on a Sun Shield to protect your kids from the sun or an integrated TowBar so you can easily add a trailer.
WIRED
06-06-2025
- WIRED
The Whoop MG Tells You How Fast You're Aging
In a sea of nearly identical fitness trackers, Whoop stands apart. Since it started in 2012, the company has understood that the hardware was secondary to software. For a pricey monthly membership, you get access to a (theoretically) never-ending series of new features in the Whoop app, and the company throws in the small, screenless sensor for free. This was once a pretty good bargain, but for the past several years, Whoop hasn't done much. In 2023, the company released its OpenAI-powered personalized fitness service, Whoop Coach. As with most other AI-enabled fitness services, you had to think really hard about how to frame your questions to get useful advice. I didn't find it particularly helpful. This year, the company finally released an updated Whoop that comes with a bevy of new features that make it a much more versatile tracker for people who don't post their gains every day. Most notably, it has a proprietary algorithm for blood pressure tracking. I've been testing the new Whoop MG for a few weeks now, and it reminded me why people like this tracker so much. Screen-Free Solution Photograph: Adrienne So If you're not familiar with a Whoop tracker, it's a small wearable with photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors to measure heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV); accelerometers to measure movement, strain, and activity; and skin temperature sensors to capture variations during sleep or recovery. The new Whoop units are smaller and purportedly more power-efficient than the last one, although I'm not getting anywhere near the claimed 14-plus days of battery life. In 21 days, I've had to charge it twice. It doesn't have onboard GPS. It's not super-annoying, given that, you know, it doesn't even have a screen, so I'm not exactly using the Whoop to clock my pace on a run. But you do have to use GPS on your phone to unlock certain features within the Whoop app, like a more accurate VO 2 max. (Just toggle 'Track Route' in the app when starting to log a run.) You can also insert the Whoop into Whoop Body garments. Whoop sent the new MG training bra ($59) and training shorts ($54), which captured my data while I was running and rowing, but if you're a returning Whoop customer, you do need the new Whoop Body clothes because the MG is smaller than the last iteration, the Whoop 4.0. It's also important to note that Whoop changed its membership structure. You used to pay a blanket $30 per month membership fee for everything Whoop had to offer, but now features are paywalled behind a tiered subscription plan. Whoop One ($199/year) gets you the regular Whoop 5.0, which is the upgrade from the Whoop 4.0, Whoop Coach, and sleep, strain, and recovery tracking. Whoop Peak ($239/year) gets you the Whoop 5.0 with the new Healthspan and Pace of Aging features, and Whoop Life ($359/year) gets you the new Whoop MG, which unlocks the new cardiac features like ECGs, heart screeners, blood pressure monitoring, and AFib detection.
WIRED
02-05-2025
- WIRED
How to Pack Your Beauty Routine for Travel
Don't let self-care fall by the wayside when you're on the road. We talked to experts to find out how best to keep your routine on a roll, from the plane to the hotel. All products featured on Wired are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. 'I can't get over people bringing so much stuff in their toiletry bags. What is all this?' remarked my colleague Adrienne So one afternoon, dismayed, as she looked over my guide to the Best Toiletry Bags, with its photos of tackle-box-sized bags and Dopp kits overflowing with makeup. 'I think this is more stuff than I have in my house.' Photograph: Boutayna-Chokrane One could argue all day about what constitutes an appropriate amount of beauty products for travel. Some are able to get by for a week with some deodorant, a bottle of 3-in-1, and a ziploc bag. Others in this era of extensive skin-care routines and everything showers … not so much. In any case, it's no fun dealing with an overweight suitcase, spilled or broken products in a carry-on, or, worse, arriving at your destination and realizing you've forgotten everything you need to take a shower (perhaps after an airport theory experiment gone wrong). I talked to some travel influencers who travel for a living—as well as some frequently traveling coworkers—to get the lowdown on the best ways to keep your beauty routine intact and efficient while on the plane, on the road, and at your destination. Power up with unlimited access to WIRED . Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today . In Plane Sight If you've noticed an influx of people wearing face masks (even the LED kind) and performing multi-step skin-care routines on airplanes, it's not just you. It's a thing. Though some say it's nothing more than a thinly veiled selfie opportunity, others swear by arriving at your destination refreshed, relaxed, and moisturized—both inside and out. 'When flying, hydration is everything,' says Christina Haisfield, a luxury-travel influencer who runs the lifestyle website Jetset Christina. 'Airplane air is notoriously drying, so I always mist my face with a hydrating spray, apply a sheet mask mid-flight if it's an overnight flight (yes, I'm that girl), and lock in moisture with face cream, too. I also swear by eye patches and electrolytes to stay hydrated in the air—trust me, they make a difference after a long-haul flight!' Speaking of hydration, I couldn't help but notice something from my window seat on a recent flight from Portland, Oregon, to New Orleans. The afternoon sun seemed to be beaming quite strongly into the plane, and the slight wrinkles on the armrest upholstery had me wondering—is this what the sun is doing to my arms right now? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. In fact, a 2015 study found that airplane pilots and crew have a significantly higher incidence of melanoma than the general population—something La Carmina, a travel and fashion blogger and journalist known for her Goth style, was aware of long before I noticed it. 'Not everyone realizes that UV radiation levels are higher when we're in the air,' she says. 'UVA rays (which cause skin aging) pass through the airplane windows, so be sure to have SPF on. I also shield my face on the plane with a hat or scarf.' So, you've got the plane routine down. (Or not: My colleague Nena Farrell says, 'I get on the plane ugly, get off the plane ugly, and do my makeup routine in the airport bathroom'—a practice shared by many of our colleagues, including myself.) But what about outside the airport? Keep It Light According to all the travel writers I spoke to, simplifying your product lineup is key. To save space, Haisfield advocates for makeup items that serve multiple purposes, such as face or eyeshadow sticks that can do triple-duty as blush, lip, and cheek color. 'I always pack a tinted moisturizer with SPF, a lip gloss, and mascara, and that's pretty much all I wear while I'm on vacation,' she says. Another timeless option is to procure miniature versions of your favorite products. Many brands offer travel sets of their popular full-sized items, or you can decant into smaller containers like Cadence Capsules ($42) (which I personally love), contact lens containers ($4), or even miniature soy sauce bottles ($7) in fun shapes like fish or pigs. You can also, as La Carmina does, hoard samples. 'I collect skin-care samples and take them on my trips, as they're easy to use and discard," she says. "When I travel, I minimize my routine to the bare essentials—I don't take all my serums, peptides, red-light mask, and whatnot. I stick to an oil and cream cleanser for double cleansing, moisturizer, vitamin C, tretinoin (some people prefer to use the weaker retinol version), and growth factors.' If you don't already have a source for starting a sample collection, Ipsy's Glam Bag (click here for a coupon to get $5 off) is a good option, as you'll receive five samples each month. Ipsy's chief makeup artist, Ash K. Holm, confirmed that many of these samples are indeed products that can do double duty. 'Think face tints with SPF and multipurpose cream blushes,' she says. Julie Falconer, the travel blogger also known as A Lady in London, ensures she has a full stock of mini versions of her favorite beauty products from home. (Image Skincare has a great basic kit for just $16, but I'm also a fan of the full skin-care travel set from Uncommon Beauty, $78, which includes micellar water and a retinol alternative in addition to a vitamin-C serum, cleanser, and moisturizer.) Falconer packs her liquids in a clear plastic bag—'everything from small shampoo and conditioner bottles to travel-size sunscreen, makeup, lip gloss, and perfume,' she says—and another lightweight bag with nonliquid items. 'It's not only helpful for packing with just a carry-on,' she says, 'but also for those small hotel sinks and showers that can't hold larger items.' Hair Dilemma Skin care and makeup, however, are nothing compared to dealing with hair on the road. Between varying humidity levels, lack of time for washing, and limited space and weight for heat tools, bad hair days are all but guaranteed if you don't have a plan. I personally make sure to wash, dry, and style my hair as close to leaving for a trip as possible, and I touch up as I go with dry shampoo and a Chi Ministyler flat iron ($110), which is small enough to fit in a toiletry bag. If you don't want to deal with heat tools at all, some people like to use the belt from a hotel bathrobe to make bathrobe curls. However, La Carmina advises against this, as it can be drying for your hair. She still swears by heatless hair wraps, just not if they're made of terry cloth. 'There's no need to purchase a pricey premade wrap," she says. 'You can just use a long strand of thick cotton like I do. I wash my hair, and when it's mostly dry, I split my hair in two and twist it around the rope. I wear the wraps overnight or on the plane. When I arrive at the destination, I take everything out for bouncy curls!' For even more good-hair-day insurance, Haisfield recommends packing your own silk pillowcase. (Our favorite is from Quince.) 'This not only keeps me comfy and feeling at home wherever I am in the world,' she says, 'but also helps prevent breakouts, hair frizz, and skin creases when sleeping in hotels or Airbnbs. It also feels so much more luxurious than a hotel pillow." While it feels good to look good, it's still important not to lose sight of the fact you're supposed to be having fun while traveling, not worrying too much about what you look like doing it. As my colleague Brenda Stolyar notes, 'If I'm getting on a plane once or twice a month, I think my body and skin will be OK!'
WIRED
01-05-2025
- General
- WIRED
The Best Day Hiking Backpacks for Every Adventure
The premise of Nemo's Endless Promise line is that it's designed to be kept out of the landfill forever—100 percent recycled, infinitely adjustable, repairable, and once it's reached the end of its life, it can be sent back to Nemo for total recycling. The Cero fabric is solution dyed to reduce water waste, as is the cushioning. At first glance, that makes the pack awfully fiddly. It's a little annoying and fussy to adjust the fit and the storage options with the Resolve's strange system of bungees and pull-tabs, instead of straps or webbing. Over the long term, however, those bungees will be easier to repair, recycle, or replace, and once I got used to it, it was pretty fast and easy to adjust. This pack is weirdly comfortable. It's technically frameless, but it does feel like it has some structure. It sits nice and high on your back—I do not like carrying weight around my hips—and at 1 lb. 15 oz., it's pretty light, considering all the hardware that it has on it. The cushioning is made in a funny tube-shaped pattern that looks like the hot dog rollers at 7-Eleven, but it also allows for plenty of airflow next to the skin on your back and shoulders. I have been using it for biking around town, but this will also be a nice day pack for summer hiking adventures, for as long as you need to have it around. —Adrienne So Specs Capacity 16L Weight 1 lb 15 oz Pockets 11 Sternum strap Yes Waist Strap Yes Osprey has been making Talon packs since 2007. Head to any popular trail, and I guarantee you'll see someone hauling one. Their popularity is well earned, and the latest top loading 33L iteration is impressively well specced and weighs just 2 lbs., 12.5 oz. No, it's not a gossamer thin, ultralight pack, but the 100D high-tenacity nylon is tough and made from 100 percent bluesign-approved recycled materials, with a non-PFAS DWR. Annoyingly, there's no rain cover, but that omission aside, it's a superb daypack. The clever back panel used here can be adjusted between 17-22 inches to fit a good range of torsos, and the injection-molded design combines well with the wide hip belt to offer a great level of support. That said, the hip belt has day hike, rather than multi-day, levels of cushioning, but that's fine as the 33L capacity limits how much you can take anyway. It is a versatile pack with a large top lid, two zippered pockets and a large front stretch pocket that I stash jackets, bike locks and all sorts in. There's a couple of stretch side pockets too, zipped snack pockets where you need them, and everything can be cinched down tight to minimize bouncing. You can safely carry two ice axes too, and the clever hiking pole storage means you can access and stow them without taking the pack off. —Chris Haslam Specs Capacity 33L Weight 2 lb 12 oz Pockets 8 Sternum strap Yes Waist Strap Yes
WIRED
21-04-2025
- WIRED
The Urevo CyberPad Lets You Hike Uphill While You Work
I'm well-versed in walking pads (odd, I know, but I review fitness equipment for a living). After testing a ton of them, I really thought I had seen all the category had to offer. That was before I heard about the Urevo CyberPad, which allows users to walk at a 14 percent incline—the highest I've seen on the market. It has plenty of other cool features (I'll get to those later), but the thing that really makes it stand out is that incline. If you're looking for a walking pad that can give you a more challenging workout, but you don't really want to run, this is the one for you. Photograph: Adrienne So Up and At 'Em The CyberPad setup required exactly zero brainpower (exactly how I like it). I had it out of the box and up and running in minutes. I've tested another Urevo machine and found that one easy to unpack and set up as well; the company seems to do a great job of making products that are ready to use right out of the box. At 70.6 pounds, this machine is on the heavier side, which I expected with the incline mechanism. But it was easy to wheel around and get into place under my standing desk. The incline tops out at level 9, which, depending on how you have the machine's back feet positioned, is a 9 percent or 14 percent grade. I suspected I might feel a little wobbly trying to type with the incline all the way up, but the machine itself felt incredibly stable. Photograph: Adrienne So From a cardio perspective, the 14 percent incline is tough to maintain for long. It really feels like you're hiking. But it's not so challenging that you can't do it while you work. For me, that's a big deal. I like getting my steps in on a walking pad, but sometimes I want to boost my fitness in a more significant way. Sadly, I haven't figured out how to run while I work—even walking at high speeds can make it hard for me to type—but steep hill walking is a great proxy that doesn't make reading or writing any harder. This machine allows you to do it without having to shell out the money or space for a heavy-duty running treadmill.
