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Zoox Autonomous Robotaxi First Look: Gad-ZOOX, Amazon’s Going Mobile!
You can order everything else on Amazon, so why not short-trip urban rides in the, um, Zoox? Envisioned as a strictly geofenced, mostly low-speed robotaxi, this tiny autonomous cube built by recent Amazon acquisition Zoox seats four, features four-wheel steering that permits it to maneuver into very tiny spaces, and is equally happy driving in either direction. It also has nothing to do with Zoosk, the online dating site. What’s Zoox? This Bay-Area autonomous vehicle startup was founded in 2014, built its first prototype in 2015, first demonstrated SAE Level-3 autonomy in 2017, began durability testing of production prototypes in 2019, then established a production line in Fremont, California and was acquired by Amazon in May 2020. And that name? It’s short for zooxanthel...
Remember Isuzu? Its History Is *Much* Wilder Than You Think
When was the last time you thought about Isuzu? If you live in the U.S.A., it’s probably been quite a while since that Japanese automaker has crossed your mind given the last Isuzu passenger vehicle sold in America got its tags in 2009. Don’t worry, though—Isuzu is doing fine without us, as one of the largest suppliers of commercial diesel engines, trucks, and buses globally. Isuzu also still sells passenger trucks and SUVs in other markets. Even when it was still selling cars here, Isuzu wasn’t exactly the most exciting or evocative automaker—at least, not toward the end of its U.S. presence. While other Japanese manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Nissan made huge inroads in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Isuzu didn’t really start to pick up until the 1980s...
You’d Never Guess These Wedding Dresses Were From ASOS
The dress came in a heavyweight fabric that hung beautifully, and with a simple and chic twisted halter neckline. Dress it up with a sleek veil or headpiece and bunch of wildflowers, and you’d never know it wasn’t a designer piece. I went onto the ASOS app and realised the e-tailer had countless other designs that would satisfy even the pickiest of brides—from sequinned showstoppers to classic lace. Clearly I’m not alone in this discovery, as in their end of year report ASOS revealed that shoppers snapped up an ASOS Edition bridal dress every three minutes during lockdown, and over 14,000 brides bought the ‘Sophia’ wedding dress to wear on their big day. That’s not a number to be sniffed at. So, for any style-conscious brides-...
These Fashion Brands Were 2020’s Biggest Success Stories
As 2020 draws to a close, there is much to reflect upon. In what has been the most unpredictable—and dare I say “unprecedented” year—the last 12 months did not play out in a way any of us expected. And although there have been many challenges along the way, this year has also created a few very worthy success stories, particularly when it comes to the fashion industry. From an increased focus on sustainable fashion to a heightened emphasis on supporting local independent labels, 2020 has certainly changed the way we perceive and purchase fashion. And of course, as in any year, our friends at Lyst have managed to collate all the analytics around exactly which brands people were investing in (and searching for) this year. Having released their much-anticipat...
The Only Designer Bags You’ll Need to Know in 2021
Distinctly at odds with our voracious buying of tracksuits, puffer coats, pyjamas, track-soled boots and house dresses, the past year has also seen a sharp increase in the volume of über-luxurious designer and heritage handbags being invested in by style-conscious consumers. It was an unexpected result considering handbags have been of little-to-no use for so many people of late, but the message from high-fashion stores is that shoppers have used this time to finally take the plunge and pick up their “forever” bags. Where contemporary handbag brands had previously been flourishing thanks to their cool trend-led designs at equally cool mid-ranging price-points, 2020 has led many to really think about purchasing even more sensibly in order to secure ...
12 (Actually) Effective Products for Hair Growth, According to Amazon Reviews
It’s a natural temptation to cave into the allure of super-long length to frame our favorite looks. The one and only hitch? The ever-so-slightly important process of actually getting that ultra-long length. For many of us, growing out our strands can seem impossible—what with annoying factors like split ends, abuse from our favorite styling tools, scalp buildup, genetics, and basically anything else that poses a vendetta against all of our long hair goals. Luckily, however, there are some effective solutions to help remedy the situation. Getting regular trims and regularly treating your hair to some hard-earned TLC goes a long way, but sometimes some extra help from hair growth–promoting products and supplements can do the trick do. We’ve heard from countless readers and f...
The 1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i Is the Mid-Engine V-12 Supercar Time Forgot
Want a mid-engined Mercedes? Tough luck, Richie Rich. Despite decades of building some of the most desirable sports and supercars to ever tear a tire and sublimate a straightaway, the amount of mid-engined cars with Mercedes’ tri-pointed star on the front grille can be counted on one hand. Recently, Mercedes-Benz stirred hearts—and offshore bank accounts—with its allegedly forthcoming Mercedes-AMG One hypercar that’s still stuck in development hell. But if it’s a low-slung Benz supercar you want, you’re stuck with hunting down one of the ultra-low-production CLK GTR homologation specials from 1998-1999, or “settling” for the AMG-sourced V-12 in either the Pagani Zonda or Huayra. Or you could simply be the high-bidder on the one-of-one 1993 Isdera Co...
2020 Honda Civic Si Long-Term Review: The Goldilocks of Sports Sedans
Honda Civic Full Overview Buying a performance car often costs more than money; it costs comfort and convenience. If you’re buying a 2020 Honda Civic Si, though, it doesn’t have to. The Civic Si is essentially a mono-spec vehicle. As such, it rings in at just $26,155, making it one of the cheapest sports cars on the market in the best way possible. For that price, you get 31 more horses than a standard Civic, two-mode electronically controlled dampers, and a limited-slip differential. We spec’d ours with the $200 High-Performance Tire (HPT) option, but aside from that, all you could add to this car are some dress-up parts, a wireless phone charger, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The last two would’ve been nice, but we easily lived without them. 2020 Honda Civi...
This 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T Was Rescued from a Rusty Fate
There were no shortage of history-making events in 1971. The Apollo 14 astronauts landed on the moon, the war in Vietnam continued to rage on, Intel released the world’s first microprocessor, and Dirty Harry made his big screen debut. But none of it mattered all that much to Frank Kassel at the time. His attention was focused squarely on one thing: scoring his very first set of wheels, which turned out to be a 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T. “In the summer of ’71 I had just graduated high school,” Frank remembers, “and was working full time as a mechanic in a Cities Service gas station. My goal was to save enough money to buy my first car.” After working at the service station for a few months, Frank met a friend of his boss who happened to be a dealer of used, ...
Will Solid State Batteries Bring Gas-Competitive Range, Quicker Charging to EVs?
Michael Faraday discovered solid electrolytes in the 1830s, and the solid-state battery has promised to be the Next Big Electrical Thing almost ever since. The idea frequently makes news that I resist reporting because, to borrow a baseball metaphor, these battery “batters” too often start their home run trot before realizing it’s just a fly ball to the warning track. But noted scientist Paul Albertus says that 10-year-old Stanford University battery startup QuantumScape appears to have hit a “homerun in terms of their solid-state battery performance data.” Here’s the deal with solid-state: These batteries have long promised to solve the thorniest issues preventing widespread battery-electric vehicle adoption while providing better performance on many me...
These 10 Tops Will Instantly Upgrade Your Jeans
I used to be a jazzy-skirt-and-plain-top girl, then life on Zoom/Google Hangout/Microsoft Teams (delete as appropriate) became the norm and I realised that all of my fancy skirts and interesting trousers were, essentially, redundant. And so the roles in my wardrobe have needed to be reversed, with tops become the centre piece and my bottom half being left to luxuriate in joggers, leggings et al. Our outfits therefore come to life from the waist up, and as such designers have become more and more focused on necklines, sleeves and intricate details to make blouses, jumpers, tanks, shirts and tees become more exciting. We’ve seen a renaissance for “nice tops” to wear with jeans and more sweater trends than I could possibly shake a bamboo knitting nee...
Every Time I Open Instagram I See This Statement Coat
If you feel like you’re seeing chessboard motifs much more than usual at the moment, you wouldn’t be the only one. From the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, which centred entirely on the board game and just so happened to be one of the year’s most-watched television shows, to the pattern which seem to be popping up all over social media, it seems both chess and checked prints are having a moment. When it comes to the latter, there is one ubiquitous fashion buy that is at the heart of the trend: Stand Studio’s check coat. Practically omnipresent across Instagram, we’ve seen Stand Studio’s Nino faux fur coat on more influencers than we can count. The black and white iteration has been worn by Camille Charriere, while the beige and b...
