Advertise on podcast: The Gear Patrol Podcast

Starting today, we’re going to take a break from our regularly scheduled weekly programming and devote some time to answering one important question: how can we make great podcasts worthy of a place in your listening rotation? That's where you come in. If you're a fan of the pod, and of Gear Patrol in general, chances are you have your own ideas about what a perfect Gear Patrol podcast would be like. Genuinely–we want to hear from you. Email us at [email protected] with all your thoughts, questions, and suggestions, and we'll do our damndest to make it happen.

Today, we talk about (shhh) white noise. Last week, Google screwed up its customers' sleep schedules with a weird Google Home software update which, says the company, impacted its "white noise experience." We talk about our reliance on tech in our home and white noise machines worth buying. Then: it looks very likely that Lamborghini is making an off-road version of its Huracan sports car. What's the point? Why make such a niche car? Lastly, Microsoft is buying the video game juggernaut Activision Blizzard for almost $70 billion. Is Halo doomed? We'll talk about what this takeover means for games and gamers.

We begin with a chat about vegan cars, based on a new study that indicates which automakers offer the highest number of vegan-friendly models. What does that mean, which company makes the most, and does it matter? Then an odd new product that combines audio technology and speaker design theory to produce a highly effective smell diffuser. Strange, yes, but what implications does it have in the real world? Lastly, we talk about the results of another fascinating study, this one on Google search trends that correlate with pandemic shopping trends. Have you been buying weird stuff over the last couple of years? Have we? Find out later on.

We begin with a discussion of the all-new, all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup. Judging by the numbers, there's no doubt that the Lightning is already a hit–but is its success a phenomenon or was it inevitable? Then, we announce the new Gear Patrol Library of Pursuits, a series of newsletter-based courses that are all but guaranteed to improve your life thanks to a boatload of expert advice. It's a perfect pursuit for the new year. Lastly, the New Year and… you! We asked our Instagram followers to submit their 2022 product resolutions: the gear goals you hope to achieve this year, whether that means upgrading, checking something off your grail list, a new purchasing behavior… sky's the limit. Spoiler alert: we had a lot of great responses, so don't miss out on our reactions and advice for everyone who wrote in.

In this episode, the last of 2021, we're looking back on all the year's great gear and considering what might lay ahead in 2022. By this time of the year our staff has spent nearly 365 days analyzing a huge amount of information about new products, advancements and upgrades, discontinuations, etc., and whittled it all down to recommendations of the best stuff that's worth your time and money. Part of that process is tracking and cataloging trends–in the product design and manufacturing worlds, but also in terms of consumer trends. And buried inside all that info are hints at what's in store for 2022. Executive Editor Jack Seemer and Platforms Editor JD DiGiovanni join to discuss trends and predictions.

This week we're discussing the future of smart home tech, and a tech standard called Matter that will allegedly unite all our disparate smart home devices under one virtual roof. Then, luxury textile and clothing maker Loro Piana and many other similar brands are leaning into a new trend: tracking the production of wool goods all the way back to the sheep whose haircut provided the raw materials. Lastly, John Mayer and Casio teamed up on another G-Shock watch collaboration. It's already sold out, but we'll talk about our thoughts on the design, and thoughts on collabs like this. And we finish up with a quick lightning round of our favorite new gear from the past week.

This week, several of our colleagues join to talk about products and servicesmade huge splashes in 2021. Trite though it may be to say, these products are true disruptors. They're Game Changers. Which means they're at the top tier of Gear Patrol's annual GP100 awards, our list of the 100 best new products of the year. Obviously, the selection process for the GP100 is meticulous, but what sets apart a Game Changer from the other super impressive winners? What qualities lend themselves to disruption? Listen in for the knowledge drop–and check out the full GP100 list here.

Today we talking about the legacy, influence and untimely passing of the late design legend and cultural weathervane Virgil Abloh. Then, we'll get into why BMW's latest concept, the XM Hybrid SUV, is so controversial–from its heritage to its "design." Lastly, a discussion of LEGO's newest release: wooden home furnishings that look and function just like the company's toy bricks and who exactly the target audience is. We'll finish up with a quick lightning round of our favorite product news from the week.

A Silicon Valley startup called Carbon has introduced the next 3D printing evolution with tech called continuous liquid interface production, or CLIP. The process utilizes a UV-light ray curable liquid and a semi-permeable glass membrane to very quickly form solid objects. This method of 3D printing is hugely fast and produces vastly superior end products: instead of printing rough shapes layer by layer over many hours, CLIP structures are pulled from shallow vats of resin almost like magic. A profile on Carbon and Joseph DeSimone, the genius behind CLIP technology, appears in the latest issue of Gear Patrol Magazine, Issue 17: the Winter Preview. Former Gear Patrol Senior Staff Writer and current Managing Editor of Field Mag, Tanner Bowden, authored the story and joins today to talk about Carbon, CLIP, and the future implications of better 3D printing.

A new report from Ford says that most customers buying its new electric Lighting F-150 will be first-time EV buyers–we'll discuss whether or not we've reached the EV inflection point. Then, Martian ketchup and the urgent need for a more resilient coffee bean variety... did you know that your favorite drinkable drug is in danger and that Heinz is prepping for space-based farming? Then, Netflix Games comes to mobile Apple devices. What is Netflix Games, and will real gamers be interested in the service? Lastly, we each share products on our individual radars at the moment.

To build anything well, you first need a good foundation. In his new series, The New Essentials, associate editor Evan Malachosky lays out what clothing staples that do just that — provide a perfect baseline from which to build a stylish wardrobe. He came on to discuss the thought process behind the series (which can also be found in our magazine), how to think more intelligently about your wardrobe, as well as some of the stories behind the specific picks he called out in the four sections.

We start with a discussion of the Gear Patrol Winter Gear Awards, our new, highly curated list of cold-weather products that have earned the highest of marks over the past year. Then we discuss the new 2022 Range Rover: the gold-standard SUV has been redesigned and is full to the gills with tech and luxe features, but how do we feel about its opulence? Finally, the wildest watch we've seen in a hot minute– Urwerk has launched the UR-112 Aggregat, a very limited-edition and intensely expensive timepiece with a form factor unlike most anything else you'd even think to put on your wrist.