Summer is coming whether you're ready or not. Wouldn't you like a preview?

Annual subscription to Gear Patrol Magazine (now $39)

Check out Issue Sixteen: Summer Preview 2021 on its own ($20)

Subscribers get a $15 gift voucher to The Gear Patrol Store each year of the subscription, plus early access to each print issue and more. 

Reactions to the biggest announcements from Apple Spring Loaded.

Show Notes

AirTags, iMac and More: The Biggest News From Apple's Spring Event

The iPhones That AirTags Will (and Won't) Work With

You Don't Need to Buy a New Apple TV to Get Its Best Feature

All the AirTag Accessories You Need to Know About

New Apple Products:
 

The All-New Apple AirTags (from $29; pre-order April)

The All-New iMac 24-Inch (from $1,299; pre-order April 30)
 

The New iPad Pro (from $799; pre-order April)

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini, now in purple (from $699; pre-order April 23)

Apple TV 4K (from $179; pre-order April 30)



The annual Watches & Wonders show was chock-full of huge releases, but two announcements in particular really stood out.

Watches and Wonders 2021: All the News in One Place

You Can Now Buy a Two-Tone Rolex Explorer

The Cartier Tank Is Now More Accessible Than Ever: The New Tank

Like All Things in 2021, Rolex (and Your Other Favorite Watch Brands) Is Getting a Little Weird

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 Is Getting Its Victory Lap After All

Purchasing Advice:

“My fiancee got a new job at a law firm and I want to get him a watch to celebrate — something he’d be proud to wear in the office — but won’t actually break the bank.” - Jon, Brooklyn

• Just Get This: Tudor Black Bay 58

"I like the idea of changing my watch strap, but are there any “rules” to follow?" - Eric, Atlanta

• The Complete Guide to Watch Straps

Kind Of Obsessed:

Zen Love:

• Yema Speedgraf ($1,499)

Oren Hartov:

• The New Cartier Tank Must

Does adding technology improve a product, and if so, to what point?

Note from Nick: I didn't acknowledge Tanner Bowden's proper title – he's a Senior Staff Writer at GP, not a Staff Writer as I said in this episode. Sorry, Tanner!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Xupermask by Will.i.am x Honeywell ($299)
• The Best Face Masks of 2021
• First Look: How The North Face [FutureLight] Will Change Everything You Wear Outside
• Is Spider Silk the Performance Fabric of the Future?
• Levi’s Made a Tech-Infused Jacket You’ll Actually Want to Wear
• Which Should You Buy: Smartwatch or Fitness Tracker?
• The Best Smartwatches of 2021
• What I Learned from a Month of Whoop ($30/month)
• Oura Ring Health Tracker ($299)
• This Graphene-Enhanced Running Shoe Is the First of Its Kind ($190)

Purchasing Advice:

Small-home workout gear on a $250 Budget – Maddie, Cincinnati

• Lululemon Reversible Yoga Mat ($58+)
• TRX Suspension Training ($190+)
• Amazon Basics Dumbbells ($16+)

Beginner camping without a car – Doug, Brooklyn

• REI Rental Gear (various)

Housewarming gifts for someone you've just begun dating – Kevin, Brooklyn

• Sonos Roam Review: Almost a Perfect Portable Speaker ($169)
• 21 New Pieces of Outdoor Gear to Start Your Spring off Right

Kind Of Obsessed:

• Outer Shell Drawcord Handlebar Bag ($90)
• Outer Shell Rolltop Saddlebar Bag ($50)
• Olympus Trip 35 (used; price varies)

Tesla vs. other EVs, the Supercharger network, and a rant about April Fool's Jokes.

Mentioned in this episode:

Mercedes-Benz E63S Wagon

Hyundai Sonata N Line

Everything You Need to Know About the New Tesla Model S

Tesla’s Pickup Truck Is Here, and It’s More Insane Than We Ever Imagined

Tesla Has Strange Ideas about How to Shift, and Other News

Thinking About Buying an Electric Car? Here's What You Should Ask Yourself First

These Were the 10 Most Popular Used Cars in America in 2020

Gear Patrol's EV coverage, all in one place

Tesla Model 3 Vs. Amtrak's Acela Express: The Electric Future Acid Test

Would Tesla Be Better Off Without Elon Musk? Some Electric Vehicle Shoppers Think So

Headlines

VW Won’t Rebrand U.S. Unit as Voltswagen, Company Says

Lego bricks are terrible for the environment. These wooden alternatives biodegrade

Ship Is Freed After a Costly Lesson in the Vulnerabilities of Sea Trade

Kind Of Obsessed

2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

Genesis GV80

Reflections on fitness during and after the pandemic, predictions of future fitness trends, headlines, and gear we're obsessed with.

Mentioned in this episode:

JaxJox DumbbellConnect

Peloton vs. Wahoo: Who Makes the Better Stationary Bike?

Can New Technology Help You Get Fitter at Home? (Tempo vs Tonal)

7 Awesome Kettlebell Alternatives You Already Have at Home

Apple's Fitness+ Is a Breeze to Use — And It Really Kicked My Ass

How to Build the Ultimate Home Gym, Three Ways

What Running Gear Should You Spend Your Money On?

These Amazon Kettlebells Will Save You a Fortune and Last a Lifetime

Angela Gargano Instagram Workouts

Riders for Black Lives

The 6 Best Mini Multi-Tools of 2020

Headlines

iOS (Old School) Gives Your Phone an 8-bit Apple Aesthetic  

PopGrip and SOG Make a Mini Multi-Tool That Attaches to the Back of Your Smartphone

Made is a new, Crowd-funded Brand Making Made to Measure, High-End Outdoor Apparel

Kind Of Obsessed

Nemo Chipper Reclaimed Closed-Cell Foam Seat ($20)

Chrome Barrage Freight ($200)

Priority Bicycles Ace ($499+)

What the now-discontinued Apple HomePod got right and what it got wrong during its short, three-year run.

Mentioned in this episode:

First Look: Apple HomePod

$100 Smart Speakers: Which Is Best?

The Best Multi-Room Wireless Speakers of 2021

The Complete Sonos Buying Guide

How to Use a Pair of HomePod Minis As Computer Speakers

Apple's HomePods Make a Sneaky Good Surround Sound System

More Gear Patrol Smart Home Coverage

Headlines

Rapper and Entrepreneur Travis Scott Launches Cacti, an Agave-Flavored Spiked Seltzer

It's Sleep Awareness Week

Crocs x Justin Bieber collection launched and promptly sold out

Gucci’s New Sneakers are $12 (But They Only Exist Digitally)

Kind Of Obsessed

Clairin Casimir Rum

Pro-Ject T1 Turntable

Schiit Audio Mani

Gear Patrol CEO and Founder Eric Yang talks about essentialism: "the purposeful decision to have less, and better," and how that idea quickly took over our purchasing habits over the past year of pandemic life. Deputy Editor Jack Seemer reveals his new golf "hobby," and, apparently, Eric has put together 36+ LEGO sets since last March.

As mentioned in this episode;

A Year of Pandemic Living

• Ben's Letter
• Hanes masks
• 9 Great LEGO Car Sets
• The Best Face Masks of 2021
• Peloton vs. Wahoo: Who Makes the Better Stationary Bike?
• The Essential Gear You Need to Stay Productive While Working From Home

Headlines

• Breitling Select
• Houseplant

Kind Of Obsessed

• New Balance Fuel Cell Rebel Version 2
• BMW 330i M Sport Wagon

Behind every product is a new story. That story could be rooted in the values that drove its creation, or its materials, or origin. Those hidden details are why we're launching the Gear Patrol Podcast, a weekly discussion of not just products, but the ideas and culture that surround them and bring them to life.

Join our host Nick Caruso and a rotating cast of Gear Patrol staffers as we have a good time discussing and debating what we know best: products and product culture. We hope you'll tune in every Thursday, starting March 11th.