will.i.am Unveils Xupermask With Bluetooth and LED Glow Lights

7 Apr 2021, 15:16 UTC · 

by Florina Spînu

Home > News > Gadgets

Desperate times call for desperate modern solutions, and high-tech masks are making their debut in 2021, at a time when they can’t be more relevant. The most recent such gizmo comes from rapper will.i.am, who announced the Xupermask, made with Honeywell. Priced at $299, it comes with all sorts of tech features.

 1 photo

Jose I. Fernandez, known for his Batman and Fantastic Four superhero costume designs, the iconic Daft Punk helmets, and the recently designed SpaceX astronaut suit, partnered with the Black Eyed Peas member to create the intelligent mask. It’s not the first tech project that Will.i.am takes on. Having his own company, i.am.+, the artist is aiming for products that combine fashion with technology.

Honeywell states that the mask is not meant for medical use, and even though it’s not a respiratory protective device, it can be worn all year, provided that the HEPA filters which accompany it are changed every month.

The smart silicone mask has in stock three-speed dual fans, a noise reduction microphone, Bluetooth connectivity, LED lights, and a magnetic earbud docking system. It also has a seven-hour provided battery life and features a charging option while the mask is worn.

The innovative device comes with a Xuperkit that contains HEPA filters, multi-size ear tips, a charging cable, and a fabric mask. Honeywell announces the launch on April 8th on the official site Xupermask.

“We created XUPERMASK to change the game of our new normal. In this new age of style and security, XUPERMASK is an uncompromising face mask design with high-tech performance for the modern lifestyle. Alongside Honeywell, we’ve engineered a state-of-the-art Smart Mask to provide function with style,” said will.i.am in a statement.

This type of product is not new on the market. Project Hazel already beat it to first place, but this comes to show that wearable technology is making waves in the context of a health crisis that already kickstarted a mask culture.

The Covid Stimulus Bill: What You Need to Know

 

The Covid Stimulus Bill: What You Need to Know
What’s in Washington’s newly passed stimulus bill, how it affects you, and what the pundits are saying about it.
Pocket Collections
Alex Dalenberg

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law on March 11, a sprawling stimulus package intended to address the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic. There’s a lot to unpack. The bill, which is more than twice the size of the 2009 stimulus package, is one of the most ambitious expansions of the U.S. social safety net in decades. The American Rescue Plan includes direct checks for most Americans, expanded unemployment and healthcare benefits, and aid for state and local governments.

So far, the bill enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support among the public—with 70 percent overall approval among Americans, including 41 percent of Republican voters. Nevertheless, the American Rescue Plan passed along party-lines, with no Republicans in Congress voting for it. Republicans have criticized the bill as expensive and wasteful, arguing that many of its provisions are too poorly targeted. Many progressives were disappointed the final bill did not include a $15 minimum wage hike.

Here’s what you need to know about what’s in the American Rescue Plan, how it will affect you, and what it means for Washington during the Biden presidency.
What’s in the Bill?



President Joe Biden’s COVID Stimulus Bill Explained in 6 ChartsLedyard King and Javier ZarracinaUSA Today

Biden’s COVID-19 bill is more than just $1,400 stimulus checks. It also includes an expansion of Obamacare and billions to distribute the vaccine.Save


What’s in Congress’s $1.9 Trillion Covid Bill: Checks, Unemployment Insurance and More
Rachel SiegelThe Washington Post

A rundown on child tax credits, aid to local governments, school support, housing assistance and more.Save
How Will it Affect Me?


How Much Will Your Stimulus Check Be?
Katie Lobosco and Sean O'KeyCNN

Roughly 90 percent of American households are eligible for aid. Use this calculator to see what you can expect to get.Save


How You Can Benefit from the Stimulus Bill, From Checks to Healthcare to Tax Credits and MoreNick VadalaPhiladelphia Inquirer

Congress has passed the long-awaited $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package known as the American Rescue Plan Act. But what benefits are you eligible for? We broke it down.Save


F.A.Q. on Stimulus, Unemployment and Tax RebatesRon Lieber and Tara Siegel BernardThe New York Times

Personal finance reporters answer your questions.Save
What’s the Debate?


Biden’s COVID-Relief Bill Is a Big F**king DealEric LevitzNew York

The law could plausibly mark a leftward realignment in American policymaking, at least if Biden & Co. continue to govern in its spirit.Save


How to Waste More Than a Trillion DollarsRobert P. O’QuinnNational Review


Never has such a massive policy as the president’s ‘stimulus’ package come at a time that is more inconsistent with economic reason.Save


The Stimulus Is Only the StartAdam DavidsonThe New Yorker

When Joe Biden signed the COVID stimulus bill into law, he insured a better year ahead. But it will not dramatically ease inequality.Save


Stimulus Spending Might Do Nothing But Add More DebtRamesh PonnuruBloomberg

Stop obsessing about inflation and consider a more likely scenario.Save


Five Things The COVID-19 Bill Revealed About How Washington Will Work In The Biden Era
Perry Bacon Jr.FiveThirtyEight


It’s only the second bill Biden has signed into law and likely to be one of the most significant. So let’s look at what we learned from the process of enacting this legislation.Save
More Pocket Collections



What are SPACs?: 5 Articles That Explain Wall Street’s Latest Obsession


The wild world of “special purpose acquisition companies.”Save





How was it? Save stories you love and never lose them.

This post originally appeared on Pocket Collections and was published March 12, 2021. This article is republished here with permission.

 You can never go wrong with a classic, they say. Osprey Custom Cars knows this only too well, as it should: it’s a shop that specializes in Land Rover restorations.

This Osprey Land Rover Conversion Brings Retro Ruggedness to Overlanding

27 Mar 2021, 8:09 UTC · 

by Elena Gorgan 

Home > News > Coverstory

We’re now in the second year of restrictions of all kinds, due to the ongoing health crisis. The year 2020 brought with it a lot of unexpected changes, from the way we socialize and work, to the way we eat and travel, and how we define personal hygiene. It’s been tough (and it will probably continue to be so for another while), but many of us have found escapism in the great outdoors and local tourism.

One of the few upsides to this terrible, collective experience has been that we’ve been forced to rediscover the joys of nature, of traveling on land by car, camper, RV, bikes, and everything else in between. Sales of these vehicles have consequently boomed, but that doesn’t mean that you have to go for the newest and shiniest thing in order to get your money’s worth.

You could always go for a classic.

As noted above, Osprey specializes in Land Rover restorations and, for their latest project, they chose a 1990 Defender 130, a camper. It is now being listed for sale on eBay for a hair under $100,000, which is less than other Osprey conversions but more than other entries on the market sold as new.

But for this kind of money, you get a reliable, sturdy vehicle that offers the most basic amenities with a very healthy side serving of retro ruggedness.

For some, it might just be the hottest selling point.

This Osprey Land Rover conversion has already traveled to four continents and, according to the listing, it is now ready for the next chapter. Osprey made sure that it is: it includes everything you need for camping, from a bed to sleep in, a place to store and cook your food, and plenty of storage. It doesn’t allow for glamping (the glamorous version of camping), but then again, you’re driving a Defender. You’re probably not the kind who glamps either way.

“The size of the truck makes it great for getting out in the woods, but still small enough to park it in a grocery store parking lot,” the listing notes. It also allows to pack everything you need in, and still leave some room for wiggling around. You get a queen-size bed in the pop-up, well ventilated side tent, which converts into a dining area when you’re not catching Zs. There’s a slide-out kitchen in the back, with an oven, a sink and a refrigerator. You have a water heater and extra storage for a large propane tank to use it, along with storage for two more diesel fuel tanks.

Osprey’s custom work on it includes converting it from right-hand drive to left-hand drive, replacing the tenting materials, restoring the original camper shell, and just as importantly, dropping in a new 300Tdi 2.5-liter four-cylinder diesel engine paired to a late-model R380 5 speed manual transmission. A new transfer case, drive shafts, radiator, shocks and springs, and chunky BFG all-terrain tires are also on the list of upgrades mentioned in the listing, as are a front winch bumper, brushguard and a new winch with synthetic rope line.

While onboard amenities are basic, this retro camper comes with new air-conditioning and a stereo. Up top, you get extra storage room for stuff like bikes or surfboards.

The Land Rover camper is listed as $99,950 or best offer, and is offered with a full history of servicing. If you know yourself in the market for a camper to help you get away from it all, you still have 19 days to ponder this option.

 

Survive the End of Times in Luxury With This Apocalypse Hellfire 6x6

28 Mar 2021, 5:28 UTC · 

by Elena Gorgan 

Home > News > Custom Cars

Let’s talk about the end of the world, hypothetical as it might be. A Florida company has built the perfect vehicle that could help you survive that.

 14 photos

Should the end of the world come about, you’d want a vehicle that’s tough (to withstand zombie attacks or whatever other pest befalls us) but not rough (for you). You’d want something that is burly, aggressive and reliable, but soft and plush and luxurious on the inside, so it won’t feel like the end of days when you’re sat inside. That’s pretty much the reasoning behind the Apocalypse Hellfire.

Apocalypse Hellfire is the latest creation from Apocalypse Manufacturing, and one of them is being offered by sister company South Florida Jeeps on James Edition. If the name rings a bell, it’s because the Hellfire has been in the news before – and very recently, too: MLB outfitter Yadier Alvarez got himself one right from the display.

This is a brand new example, a Jeep Gladiator conversion that’s more powerful than the one Alvarez got, but similar in specs. It comes with Kevlar coating and windshield protection, complete removable doors and roof, massive tires, and custom leather interior. It’s powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 delivering 750 hp, while Alvarez got the variant with the 500-hp 6.2-liter V8 LS3 Corvette engine. This is a 6x6, but power goes to all six wheels or just four, depending on drive mode.

This is a “vehicle that could survive the end of times,” according to the listing. “A truck where looks and function dance with the devil in the pale moon light,” one of the limited run of 40 examples already roaming the world.

Offered with just 6 miles (10 km) on the odometer, this Hellfire comes with front and rear winch, a generous truck bed (8 inches / 203 mm), door activated power running boards, and active suspension. The interior is brown, hand-stitched leather from floor to roof, with Bluetooth, premium audio, navigation, and Apple CarPlay, and all the trappings of a modern luxury car.

The Hellfire is asking $199,990. Surviving the apocalypse in this thing is not for the budget-restricted.