LIFE STYLE:

London furniture brand SCP has unveiled its latest collection, which brings together a range of squishy sofas, camping-inspired armchairs, recliners, and handcrafted wooden stools. Known for working with a wide range of designers, the brand has pulled together an impressive roster for the latest drop – tasking Matthew Hilton, Philippe Malouin, Ilse Crawford, Oscar Peña, and Wilkinson & Rivera with creating new pieces. 

A standout piece from the collection is Malouin’s “Camp” chair, which, as the name suggests, takes its design cues from outdoor equipment. Malouin, who has been collaborating with SCP since 2017, has created a solid wooden frame, with cushions upholstered in hard-wearing cotton and leather trimming. The designer has a second piece in the new collection, too, which sees his existing “Group” seating transformed into a sectional system to accommodate different settings and home sizes.

For Hilton’s “Ewelina” armchair, comfort was key. Putting a contemporary spin on a function normally reserved for La-Z-Boy chairs, Hilton has created a snug recliner that prioritises form and function in equal measure. Elsewhere, the Barley twists popularised in 17th-century furniture influenced the form of Wilkinson & Riviera’s “Mesa de Baile” and “Silla de Baile” designs. All pieces are handcrafted by the artists in their East London Studio and are made from locally sourced materials. 

The new collection is completed with a set of side tables that can double up as stools, by Ilse Crawford and Oscar Peña. Together, the pair have come up with a duo of small perches made in two different ways. One has a tripod leg, while the other stands on a single-footed base – but both utilise Japanese joinery techniques and take on a handmade appearance. 

SCP debuted the collection during this year’s Milan Design Week, in an exhibition titled “Ways of Sitting”. The exhibition marked the brand’s return to the design festival, after its postponement in the midst of the pandemic, and a scaled-back edition in the later half of 2021. 

In other design news, Copenhagen-based label Tekla has unveiled its latest partnership with legendary architect John Pawson, who has crafted a linen collection and a bed that features a moveable headboard for night time reading.A mansion has just been listed by Sotheby’s International Realty in the coveted Carolwood neighborhood in Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort. Made for the Disney and Star Wars super fan, this $15 million USD home features a row of custom Disney-themed stain glass windows overlooking the courtyard, and a stunning Millennium Falcon-themed home theater that makes the viewers feel like they are flying through space with X-Wing Starfighters and the Death Star to their left. 

At a glance, the home has seven bedrooms, nine full bathrooms, 10,742 Sq Ft of interior space, and 0.79 acres of land. Other amenities include a four-car garage with lifts (able for seven cars), two fireplaces (one modeled after the one in Cinderella’s castle), hardwood flooring, an outdoor kitchen, an outdoor pool, marble flooring, and a detached guest house.

Head over to Sotheby’s International Realty to view this Enchanted Oak Drive mansion.

TECH:

Gucci has announced a new collaboration with Oura, remodeling the Oura Generation 3 health-monitoring ring into a luxurious accessory.

The Generation 3 ring was introduced late last year, offering a host of calibrations and updates with features that include live heart rate, sleep quality, and activity monitoring. Additionally, the device is water-resistant up to 100 meters, has a battery life of 4 to 7 days and can connect to Apple Health and Google Fit.

The Gucci redesign arrives in a black synthetic corundum band lined in interlocking G logos and braided trim in 18-carat gold. “This first-of-its-kind innovation celebrates your individuality from the inside out,” writes Gucci. “The special-edition Gucci x Oura Ring brings together Oura’s personalized health insights with Gucci’s legendary Italian style.”

The Gucci x Oura collaboration is now available here for $950 USD. The ring includes a lifetime Oura membership and access to the Oura app.Realme is back with the winning formula in combining anime with its smartphones. While the GT Neo2 saw a mashup with Dragon Ball Z, this new update joins Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto for a Shippuden makeover. 

Clad in orange and black to reflect our main hero, the phone sees all of the Neo3’s performance specs like a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, an Octa-core (4×2.85 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) CPU, Mali-G610 MC6 GPU, triple font camera setup (50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm wide; 8 MP, f/2.3, 15mm, ultrawide; and 2 MP, f/2.4, macro), and the 16 MP, f/2.5, 26mm selfie cam. 

The complete special edition comes bundled in a ninja scroll and features details like the Uzumaki clan crest, Hidden Leaf Village forehead protector camera plate, color-coordinated accessories, a customizable Naruto phone case, special wallpapers, a 10,000mAh power bank with 33W fast charging, and Naruto-themed charging UIs — the SIM pin is also shaped like the Konoha leaf.

Priced at $415 USD for the 128GB RAM version with 256GB of storage, fans can expect this phone to drop on May 31.Casio G-SHOCK is expanding its virtual armor series with a new titanium timepiece dropping in July.

The series launched back in October with the GMW-B5000TVA1, a watch inspired by the powered suits found in anime.

This follow-up, the GMW-B5000TVB, continues the use of overlaid functional text and adds texture with TIC titanium coating, achieved here using a seven-stage process of coating, layered masking and laser engraving.

Once again bore holes through the titanium casing reveal the “resin buffering component” beneath, while geometric camouflage in black and brown ion-plating again suggest “the look of high-end virtual gear.”

The solar-powered GMW-B5000TVB features sapphire crystal glass, 200m water resistance, a smartphone link, five world times, five alarms, stopwatch and Multi Band 6 radio-controlled timekeeping.

The GMW-B5000TVB drops in July via G-SHOCK, priced £1,500 GBP (approximately $1,890 USD).Breitling has released a contemporary take on its historic Cosmonaute, on the 60th anniversary of the Navitimer variant becoming the first Swiss watch to travel in space.

As well as revealing a limited edition modern tribute, Breitling also revealed Carpenter’s space-worn Cosmonaute for the first time.

The first Cosmonaute was created at the request of astronaut Scott Carpenter ahead of his 1962 mission aboard the Aurora 7 spacecraft. A fan of watches, Carpenter approached then-Breitling owner Willy Breitling, asking for a Navitimer with a 24-hour dial to distinguish night from day while in space.

Carpenter’s own Navitimer Cosmonaute was irreparably damaged by exposure to seawater during the three-hour retrieval of the Aurora 7 space capsule and remained in the Breitling family archives in original, unrestored condition until today.

The modern watch features a 41mm stainless steel case and seven-row bracelet with a platinum bezel. The watch’s B02 chronograph movement is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback, revealing the words ‘Carpenter,’ ‘Aurora 7,’ ‘3 orbits around the Earth’ and the names of the seven Mercury 7 astronauts engraved on its bridges.

The Navitimer Cosmonaute is out now as a 362-piece limited edition, one for each circumnavigation of the Earth performed during Carpenter’s mission via Breitling,priced $11,200 USD.

NEWS: APPLE CAR MIGHT BE UNVEILED BY END OF THIS YEAR & MORE

Adding to the numerous rumors, new reports are suggesting the Apple Car could be announced as early as the end of 2021. In a recent interview with Reuters, Japanese chemist Akira Yoshino — who invented the first safe, production-viable lithium-ion battery — spoke about Apple’s expansion into the automotive industry.

“Apple could lead the convergence of the automotive and information technology industries in future mobility,” he commented, further mentioning that the Apple Car could be unveiled later this year. “Tesla has their own independent strategy. The one to look out for is Apple. What will they do? I think they may announce something soon,” he added. “And what kind of car would they announce? What kind of battery? They probably want to get in around 2025. If they do that, I think they have to announce something by the end of this year. That’s just my own personal hypothesis.”

Stay tuned as we learn more about the Apple Car.A rollercoaster located in Japan‘s Fuji-Q Highland Park, which known to reach “super death” speed, has reportedly come to a screeching halt due to multiple riders sustaining broken bone injuries from the ride. The ride is heavily regarded as the world’s fastest-accelerating design with its ability to go from zero to 112 miles per hour in just 1.56 seconds.

Specifically, Newsweek recently noted that “four people have broken bones” while Vice World News cites that at least six riders have bone fractures and four of them were injuries to the back and neck. Further details of the injuries have pointed out that those who sustained injuries were in their 30s to 50s. The neck and back injuries are considered to require possibly one to three months for a full recovery.

Vice spoke with architecture professor Naoya Miyasato of Nihon University, who believes that the issue stems from the ride’s literal breakneck acceleration. It is said that the acceleration is comparable to what astronauts feel during a rocket launch and for those who cannot withstand the quick acceleration, then the injury could be imminent.

Though the ride has been around for about two decades, the injuries are quite a recent occurrence. Miyasato explains it might be because of how riders are sitting, “If a person was sitting incorrectly, say with space between their backs and their seat, it’s the responsibility of the park employees to check their seating position.”Stephen Curry has just recently shelled out 55 ETH (~$180,000 USD) for a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT. 

The Bored Ape Yacht Club is quickly gaining traction as a batch of 10,000 Mutant Apes NFTs sold out in an hour on Saturday — raising a total of $96 million USD. In terms of appreciation in the market, the first Bored Ape sold for 0.68 ETH back in May, where just recently, Bored Ape #3749 saw numbers in the 1,500 ETH (~$4.8 million USD) range.

Curry’s Bored Ape #7990 NFT sees a blue-fur ape wearing a brown tweed suit with green zombie eyes. Viewed 3,200 times, there is currently a bid for Curry’s (username SC30) Bored Ape at 39.61 ETH (~$125,700) significantly lower than what he bought it for. 

In other tech news, Tim Cook received a $750 million USD bonus on his 10th anniversary as Apple CEO.

DESIGN: SOU FUJIMOTO'S ETHEREAL TOWER OF 99 FLOATING ISLANDS TO SERVE AS SHENZHEN LANDMARK

Renowned Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto has designed a new structure that will be built in the Qianhai district of Shenzhen, China. The ethereal tower is comprised of 99 floating islands, which will serve as a new landmark of the area.

The proposal aims to answer the question of how a tower can evolve while continuing to attract attention. Measuring 268 meters (880 feet) high, the cluster of towers will be constructed to seem like they are floating in the air when viewed from below. The entire structure is held together with a centralized core, which is kept balanced with tension cables throughout. In addition to a viewing platform, the upcoming project will feature a restaurant and cafe.

Take a look at the digital render of Sou Fujimoto’s ethereal tower above and below.

TECH:

Standing as one of the most anticipated PC peripheral names to show at CES 2021, Razer did not disappoint with its reveals at the annual trade show. The main highlights of its conference were Project Hazel and Project Brooklyn which stand as concept designs that express the explorations of innovation made by the Razer and engineering teams. Razer hopes to show its advancements to receive customer feedback that will serve to further develop its products alongside rigorous testing for release in the near future.

In response to the still on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the global lifestyle brand created Project Hazel, “the world’s smartest and most socially friendly face mask.” The smart mask was designed to help improve the convenience of daily wear while overcoming common social interaction challenges sustainably.

A natural progression from Razer’s proactivity in the fight against the Coronavirus, the reusable Project Hazel smart mask innovates with N95 medical-grade respirator protection using detachable and rechargeable active ventilators and Smart Pods that regulate airflow for optimal breathability. The bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) Smart Pods equipped can reportedly filter out at least 95 percent of airborne particles and have a high fluid resistance. In a bid to reduce waste associated with disposable masks, the smart mask uses replaceable and rechargeable disc-type ventilators that can be sanitized with the dual-purpose wireless fast charging box with disinfecting UV-light interior.

The clear, transparent personal protective covering design allows those around you to view facial cues with the help of interior lights that activate automatically in the dark. The patent-pending Razer VoiceAmp Technology also uses a built-in microphone and amplifier for clearer communication while maintaining personal safety. The silicon-lined smart mask ensures comfort with an air-tight seal from the adjustable ear loops that work with active air cooling and regulation that brings in oxygen while venting out CO2. Two customizable Razer Chroma™ RGB lighting zones that offer 16.8 million colors and a suite of dynamic lighting effects also provides the mask with unique style.

Project Brooklyn on the other hand is “a compact, integrated gaming chair for next-generation immersion.” The transformable ergonomic gaming chair from Razer was designed to bring full-scale immersion from its haptics, graphics and lighting in a flexible form factor. The chair is a full-fledged entertainment powerhouse built with leather, carbon fiber and RGB lighting that transforms easily into a gaming station with a 60” OLED rollout display, riveting tactile feedback built into the seat and 4D armrest tables.

Rounding up its announcements, Razer also announced new Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17 gaming laptops powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs. Priced at $1,700 and $2,300 USD respectively, the portable PCs provide two times the energy efficiency, accelerated performance and introduce third-generation Max-Q technologies. The Razer Blade 15 and Razer Blade Pro 17 powered by NVIDIA Ampere architecture are set to be available for pre-order from Razer January 12 with the 15-inch model to be available January 26 and the 17-inch model to be available sometime Q1 2021.General Motors has unveiled a series of highly-futuristic electric vehicles over at CES 2021, and taking the spotlight is the new Cadillac eVTOL, a fully-autonomous air taxi.

Reminiscent of the drones we so often find now within the camera and photography words, the flying car utilizes electric propulsion via a 90kWh battery and four propellers and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 56 mph. As its name suggests, it can take off and land vertically and supports both air-to-air and air-to-ground communications. As a vehicle of the future, it’ll also feature self-driving technology, so you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

“We are preparing for a world where advances in electric and autonomous technology make personal air travel possible,” said GM’s global design chief Michael Simcoe during the presentation. “It is a concept designed for the moment when time is of essence and convenience is everything.”

Aside from the revolutionary air taxi, GM also teased a number of other electric transportation options coming in the future, including an autonomous Halo self-driving pod, the Cadillac Lyriq, and Celestiq, the new GMC electric Hummer, and the Chevrolet Bolt EUV.Oakley has just released one of the most advanced face masks for everyday use. This tech-heavy reusable mask protects against particulate pollution and can be fitted with an additional filter for higher exposure situations. 

The engineered MSK3 mask also sees updates like an eyewear channel to prevent fogging, a semi-rigid body construction, and a durable silicone perimeter gasket to keep the mask snug to your face. 

Those interested can get the first notification of the MSK3’s availability via the Oakley online store.Aside from revealing its new IE 300 wired in-ear headphones that are a refined version of its acclaimed 7mm Extra Wide Band (XWB) transducer, Sennheiserhighlighted its affordable HD 250BT headphones at CES 2021.

Priced at just $70 USD, the wireless one-ear model was designed by the German audio company to deliver “club sound for everyday life.” The budget-friendly HD 250BT headphones feature a built-in microphone, support for the AAC and AptX audio codecs with access to Sennheiser’s Smart Control app for users to customize the sonics generated. Utilizing reliable Bluetooth 5.0, the headphones feature an incredible 25-hour battery life.

Look for Sennheiser to release its affordable HD 250BT headphones later this year.Ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations, Microsoft is now offering a new Xbox Series X/S controller in a striking Pulse Red.

The new addition will join the current lineup of Carbon Black, Robot White and Shock Blue controllers launched at the same time as the next-gen Xbox back in November of last year. Most of the body is dressed in a vibrant red shade, which is then paired with a crisp white lower body wrapping round the rear of the controller. Matte black accents then round out the design by the hybrid D-pad, the ABXY buttons, as well as the triggers and shoulder bumpers. Other standard features include a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port, and Bluetooth connectivity for Windows 10 and Android devices.

For those interested, the new Pulse Red Xbox Series X/S controller is now available in China, and will be available in most other markets on February 9 for a price of $65 USD. Learn more over on Microsoft’s blog post.