The Academy has announced 19 finalists for the 2025 Visual Effects Oscar, including a combination of the biggest blockbusters and those yet to come. These include such contenders as Wicked, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Gladiator II alongside such upcoming titles as Mufasa: The Lion King and Better Man. Warner Bros stands first with four: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Dune: Part Two, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The Fall Guy, Twisters, and Wicked represent Universal Pictures. The lineup of Paramount Pictures will have Better Man and Gladiator II.Other notable entries are, of course, Deadpool & Wolverine from Marvel Studios; Civil War by A24 and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire from Sony Pictures. The ones worth looking out for include Nosferatu and Megalopolis.Shortlist voting is December 9, to narrow down the 19 contenders to 10 by December 17. Nominees for the five categories for the 97th Academy Awards will be announced on January 17, 2025.Heres the full list of finalists:The post 2025 Oscars: Visual Effects Finalists Announced appeared first on Vfxexpress.

Theres a reason the newest edition of Spotify Wrapped is always a highly anticipated eventeven when it reminds you that Bluey was your most listened to artist in 2024. We love to reflect on who weve been over the past year and use that information to plan the upcoming year. (First order of business for 2025: Get the kids a separate music account.) Though we happily look through the year-in-review lists about our entertainment consumption, few of us take the time to look back at our financial choices. But a quick spending inventory of 2024 can be one of the best ways to set yourself up for a financially successful 2025and it doesnt have to be a chore.Heres what you can do in about an hour to save thousands of bucks in 2025.Plug your 2024 budget leaksYou may not realize that money has been trickling out of your hands all year, which can add up to a significant amount of wasted dough. To make sure you only pay for things you want in 2025, take a few minutes to curate your subscriptions and your inbox.Cancel unused subscriptionsThe modern world allows us to subscribe to everything from meal planning kits to streaming services to news sitesbut do you know all of the subscriptions you are paying for?These easily-overlooked charges, known as gray charges, are usually for services you have completely forgotten you signed up for. In many cases, consumers sign up for a free trial and forget to cancel before the trial period ends. These charges are perfectly legaland perfectly infuriating.Conducting a spending inventory by going through your credit card and banking statements to identify and cancel gray charges is a worthwhile use of an afternoon. But you can also use one of the many apps that will do it for you and save yourself some time.Get advertisements out of your emailTheres a reason online retailers give you a discount in exchange for your email address: a constant stream of cool new products in your inbox will earn them far more than the discount is worth. You may think youre making a money savvy choice by signing up for the newsletter to get the discount, but youre really agreeing to daily temptation.Say no to the advertising in your mail. As part of your spending inventory, take ten minutes to unsubscribe from all the retailer emails you receive and give yourself (and your email) a clean slate for the new year.While youre at it, commit to unsubscribing from retail newsletters in the future the minute youve claimed your 10% discount. You dont need their clutter.Review your 2024 spendingIt used to be that only the meticulously organized had any hope of figuring out where their money went over the course of a year. Unless you kept a color-coded spreadsheet to track every penny you spent, there was no way of knowing your spending habits.Thankfully, we have robots to keep track of this stuff for us now! No matter who you bank with, you can rest assured that your financial institution has an online tool designed to help you see your spending habits and complete your spending inventory.Take a few minutes to look up your 2024 spending on your bank and credit card websites. You can usually find this feature under Tools and it may be called something like Spending Summary, Spend Analysis, or Spending Report.Typically, these spending summary tools will break down your spending by category, telling you how much you have spent on each one by the dollar amount and percentage of your total spending.Once you get over the sticker shock (yes, you really did spend that much on DoorDash), you can start using this information to help you plan ahead for 2025.Conduct a spending post-mortemStarting with your largest spending category and working your way down, ask yourself the following questions:Why did I spend money in this category this year?Quickly list the circumstances behind the spending in this category. For example, maybe you attended seven weddings this year, which is why your travel expenses were so high. Or maybe you had a new job that required an updated wardrobe, leading to higher than usual spending on clothes.The important thing is to think through what you know or remember about your spending habits in each categoryand its okay if you dont know.How can I budget for this category in 2025?Divide the total amount you spent on the category by 12 to determine your average monthly spending. Is that monthly average an amount you can easily fit into your budget?For example, perhaps you spent $3,000 to go on vacation in 2024. Money felt tight at the time and you definitely spent more than you realized for the trip. But $250 per monthor $125 per paycheckseems much more manageable.If this describes your highest spending category, consider starting a savings account for that kind of spending. You can set up an automatic transfer of the monthly average spending into the savings account and have money already set aside for next years spending.How can I cut my spending on this category in 2025?If you simply spent too much on a category in 2024, that knowledge can help motivate you to reduce your purchases in that category. But you can also adopt other savings hacks, such as:Remove your payment information from your favorite shopping sites. Just having to get up to find your credit card can be enough to keep you from making an unplanned purchase. Check which sites you spent the most money on and delete your credit card information.Make yourself wait 24 hours before making any purchases. This may only be necessary in your highest spending categories if thats where youre most likely to make impulse purchases.Refrain from any purchases in your highest spending category for a month. This can be especially helpful for anyone who was horrified to see how much they have spent on dining out. Forcing yourself to avoid spending money in restaurants and coffee shops for an entire month can help you recalibrate your habits.Make 2025 your money yearTaking one hour to complete a spending inventory may not be nearly as riveting as learning that you listened to a total of 137 hours of Baby Shark in 2024, but it will position you to create a wealthier 2025.Start by cancelling your unused subscriptions and unsubscribing from every retail newsletter you receive. That will help prevent your 2024 budget leaks from following you into the new year.From there, use your banks online tools to create a spending summary for the past year.With that summary in hand, conduct a post-mortem to figure out why you spent what you did in each category, if you can afford to budget for the same amount in the new year, and plan for category-specific spending cuts.All together, these tasks wont take much more than an hour to complete, and you can sail through the end of the year feeling good about your mad financial skills.

Its golfs boldest new venture. And it likely would never have gotten out of the gate without a mighty shove from the man who upended the sport thirty years ago: Tiger Woods.Mike McCarley, CEO and Founder TMRW Sports [Photo: Courtesy TGL presented by SoFi]Mike McCarley was a sports television executive with impressive bona fideshed overseen marketing and communications for telecasts of the Olympics and the Kentucky Derby (for TV sports pioneer Dick Ebersol)but his passion was golf, evidenced by his decade as president of golf and global strategy at NBC Sports, where he also ran the Golf Channel. In 2021 he founded a company called TMRW (pronounced Tomorrow) Sports, which he thought could revolutionize golf by combining three huge forces in popular culture: professional athletes, technology, and television.Enter Tiger. McCarley got a meeting with the golf legend to pitch his idea for a brand new kind of sports platform made for the 21st Century: TGL, where two teams comprised of four elite PGA players would compete in an indoor arena, going head-to-head for fifteen holes on an epic, high-tech simulator and stadium green. Forget Top Golf on steroids; this is more like Top Golf on gene doping. Woods, as is his custom, was thoughtful, inquisitive, and direct.At the end of the 90 minutes, McCarley recalls, he looked at me and said, I completely understand the technology. I think the game is ready for this. I know the players are ready for this. He then looked McCarley square in the eye. If I commit to doing this, he asked, will you commit to doing it, too?For McCarley, it was the equivalent of a putt dropping in to win a major. TGL was happening.[Photo: Courtesy TGL presented by SoFi]Re-inventing golf for primetimeEven amid the muscular swagger of contemporary professional sports, TGL is an audacious idea: a new, made-for-television, six-team league where PGA golfers will compete live, in prime-time matches televised on ESPN and ESPN+ over 12 weeks until a winning team earns the SoFi Cup and pockets the $9 million in grand prize cash. (The total SoFi Cup Purse across all teams for the launch season is $21 million.) Comfy money for a couple of loose rounds with your buds, but it seems clear the purse is not whats motivating players. A chance to chart the future of the sport very much is.The very idea of TGL may strike a certain kind of golf purist as sacrilege: here is a golf match played indoors, in front of 1,500 fans who will be encouraged to make noise, with swirling kleig lights and a bombastic, lets get ready to rumble vibe. Players will face a 40-second shot clock, and each will be micd up, so fans in the arena and at home can hear some good old-fashioned (albeit PG-rated) trash talk. All players will also be able to hear, and respond to, the ESPN announcers in the booth.[Photo: Courtesy TGL presented by SoFi]Players hit tee shots into a five-story screen, with holes created by some of the countrys top course designers and translated digitally. Once players land a shot within 50 yards of the pin, a Skymark light from the ceiling marks the exact spot of the ball in the GreenZone. From there, players hit off synthetic turf, navigating bunkers with real sand until they land on the green. Set on a grass turntable about the size of an NBA court, the green contains nearly 600 actuators that allow for surface modifications. Every TGL hole has a unique design. Augusta, this is not.The biggest part of our audience, I hope, are people who dont watch golf, but theyre sports fans who love to root for a team, and their team beating the other team, says Andrew Macaulay, TMRW Sports CTO. The former Topgolf CTO, hes responsible for every bell and whistle aiming to turn the gentlemens game into a hybrid of NBA playoff and Metallica concert. Its all tied in to get that level of sports fan, and I think theyre going to bring their experience with other team sports that all work that way. The ultra-traditionalists, he says, will tune in just to hate it. Well still get them watching.[Photo: Courtesy TGL presented by SoFi]Whos playing, whos notTGL had a lot of wind at its back in its launch, much of it provided by its partnership with the PGA Tour and, more specifically, Woods and Rory McIlroy, who signed on as co-founders. The six founding teams, each aligned with a major U.S. city, are comprised of 24 pros, including some of the games biggest draws: Woods and McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffle, to name just a few. But TGL failed to sign two of the biggest, world number-one Scottie Scheffler and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, and its PGA deal meant players who defected to rival LIV Golf, including marquee names like Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau, were not eligible to join.And wasnt it the flashy LIV Tour that was supposed to reinvent the sport with brash braggadocio? Three years later, it still hasnt. As Joel Beall warned in a column for Golf Digest skeptically previewing TGL, For all the things that golf does well, cool is not one of them.Au contraire, argue the players. Im a fan of golf too, right? says McIlroy. Like Im a player, but I grew up being a fan of the game, and I want the game to continue to do well and try to bring new people into it. For the golfers, you could argue that this has been a great time for us because weve never played for more money. But for the fans, its been a pretty frustrating and confusing time. I think hopefully what TGL will do is give fans another way to watch their favorite players, but also, give them a up close and personal experience.[Photo: Courtesy TGL presented by SoFi]High-profile partnersSuccessfully launching a new sports league takes a bold idea (check) and the right talent (check), but it also takes the right television partner and deep pockets. TGL signed a deal with ESPN; its primary sponsor is SoFi, the financial services firm that anted up $625 million for naming rights to its glittering NFL stadium in Los Angeles. SoFi CEO Anthony Noto was on the hunt for sports exposure in prime time in winter, when the NFL was out of season; the company had a deal with U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark, but with sponsorships already snapped up for golfs majors, finding the right opportunity proved elusive. Until TGL.Its not entirely brand new: its leveraging a platform of familiarity, Noto says of the new league. The SoFi Center is an almost 250,000-square foot arena in Palm Beach Gardens, a site selected to make it easy for PGA players70 percent of whom live in the sunshine stateto participate during the tours Florida swing. So then its really a bet on the technology and the authenticity of it, which weve done a significant amount of diligence on.[Photo: Courtesy TGL presented by SoFi]High-profile investorsTGL has attracted a starry roster of team investors and owners, a list that includes Jimmy Fallon, Derek Jeter, and Steph Curry as well as Shohei Otani, Josh Allen, Alex Ohanian, and Serena Williams. Its clearly banking on lots of Instagram shares and Tik Toks from these investors, whose total social media followers exceed 100 million. Its team ownership groups are similarly high-profile, and include sports tycoons like Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen.But while TGL principals are happy to relay any number of data points about why the new league will succeed, what they will not relay is any information about its finances, which remains as elusive as McIlroys next major win. How much did it cost to build its new stadium? What are TGLs operating costs? How much did ESPN, which will begin airing the matches January 7th, pay for television rights, and for how long? Ask these questions and you get silence. McCauley will only reveal that the initial investment is in the hundreds of millions of dollars.In the end, it will come down to whether TGL can turn the polite, country club sport of golf into a raucous good time that Gen Z cant wait to watch. Time will tell. But at least this much we know: Theyre coming out swinging.

Local studio DRM Arquitectura has designed a space-framed drive-through ice cream parlour lifted on inverted V-shaped columns in Buenos Aires, Argentina.The Veneciana Canning Ice Cream Drive Thru is situated on a busy roadside plot near National Route No. 58 that challenged the DRM Arquitectura team to create a calm atmosphere without disconnecting from the fast access road.DRM Arquitectura created an ice cream parlour in Buenos AiresFollowing the studio's three-part design concept product, person, place the 300-square metre (3,230 square foot) parlour was a "quick-build roadside stop" that serves as an "announcement sign" for travellers in the bustling area.The building is raised on two inverted V-shaped white columns and two simple columns to make it more visible, free up the ground floor, and create a semi-covered terrace with a view of the La Esperanza Golf Club.It has a drive-thru and is situated off a busy strreet"The metal structure is undoubtedly the protagonist of the space; making architecture from the structure is what we are passionate about," the team said.Set back from the perimeter of the building, the prefabricated columns create a large plan and absorb all of the horizontal load from the upper level, serving as the only link to the second story.It has a metal structure that creates a semi-covered terraceThe furniture and staircase "hang" from the space frame while the bar and floating circular restroom "folds" up from the floor."The ground floor proposes the dissolution of the building's limits both as a commercial strategy, aiming not to create barriers of entry and as a strategy to anchor to an environment with attributes valuable to the landscape, which can be incorporated as part of the buildings architecture," the team said.The staircase "hangs" from the steel structureMeanwhile, the upper floor is wrapped in a perimeter terrace shaded by a series of pergolas that control light and open dining space to the sounds and sights of the city. The interior of the upper floor houses an isolated children's play area.A service tower with mechanical equipment stacked on top of the staircase adds a vertical counterpoint to the horizontal building that is nearly square in plan.Read: Bonba Studio encases extension in Barcelona in white metal meshIn order to expedite construction, the 15-tonne structural frame was prefabricated while the foundation was poured, and was transported to the site and hoisted into place.Taking cues from the diagonal bracing in the trusses, the team replicated triangular patterns throughout the design including 45-degree patterns in the formwork of the precast white walls, perforated and sinusoidal white sheet metal, wood details, and welded tube ironwork.Mechanical systems and the metal ceiling were left exposed"Depending on the time of day, some diagonal patterns are illuminated, and others are not due to the concavities and convexities, generating permanent mutations in the facades," the team said.Other notable ice cream parlour designs include a compact Czech shop in Brno by Holky Rdy Architeckturu, a blue-tiled "theatre of gelato" in Melbourne by Ewert Leaf, and a black and white "Instagrammable" interior for a Milk Train shop in London by FormRoom.The photography is by Javier Agustin Rojas.Project credits:Architect: DRM ArquitecturaTeam: Dimaio Luciano, Rocca Nicols, Muerza Esteban, Ramiro Barraza, Augusto Latzke Blake, Lautaro Egui, Giuliana Scatuerchio, Sofa Prytoluk, Ignacio Llaneza, Fabin Bruno, Ezequiel Basso, Florencia Chumbes, Luca BinettiEngineering: Andres MoscatelliConstruction: Hernan Sotelo, Eduardo Tabaracci, Mauricio ChiarelloThe post DRM Arquitectura uses prefabricated structure for Buenos Aires ice cream shop appeared first on Dezeen.

A compact rammed-earth extension in Ecuador and a London home addition filled with vinyl records are among Dezeen's selection of the top 10 home extensions of 2024.Photo by JAG StudioEl Retiro, Ecuador, by Juan Alberto AndradeEcuadorian architectJuan Alberto Andrade proved even small extensions can make a big difference with the modestly sized El Retiro, which measures just nine square metres.Located in Guayaquil, the rammed-earth extension adds a social space to a multifamily housing complex, complete with an atrium built around a 25-year-old tree.Find out more about El Retiro Photo by Johan DehlinDrpa, Norway, by Vatn ArchitectureNorwegian studios Vatn ArchitectureandGroma added a curved two-storey extension to this 1930s home in Oslo, resisting the boxy and pitched-roof designs typically seen in the surrounding suburban area.Containing three bedrooms and an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area, the extension was clad in white-painted timber to match the existing home, laid vertically instead of horizontally to give a subtle contrast.Find out more about Drpa Photo by Chris WhartonVinyl House, UK, by Benjamin WilkesDesigned to facilitate the owner's love for cooking and music, Vinyl House in London caught readers' attention with its butterfly roof extension and music room filled with 40 linear metres of records.The music room opens onto an open-plan kitchen and dining room, which has a window seat that extends to form a deep garden step.Find out more about Vinyl House Photo by Naho KubotaSprings Artist Studio, USA, by Worrell YeungArchitecture studio Worrell Yeung extended this Long Island house with a two-storey 74-square-metre addition, containing a painting studio on the upper floor and an exhibition space and garage on the lower floor.Intending to create the feeling of being perched in the trees, the studio wrapped the upper level with continuous windows supported by steel-rod cross bracing and slim steel columns.Find out more about Springs Artist Studio Photo by Raphal ThibodeauLe Petit Merlot, Canada, by NaturehumaineBehind the red brick street facade of this 1920s duplex in Montrealis a garden extension with large windows framed in red steelwork.Local architecture studioNaturehumaine designed the extension to be a contrasting contemporary addition to the original building but created continuity with a red colour palette, which gives the home its name, Le Petit Merlot.Find out more about Le Petit Merlot Photo by Thomas Seear BuddKaraka Tower, New Zealand, by Arete ArchitectsInformed by treehouses, local studio Arete Architects vertically extended a home inWellington, New Zealand, to create Karaka Tower.Connected to the main house by a polycarbonate corridor, the eucalyptus-clad tower contains an art studio and bedroom topped with a roof terrace.Find out more about Karaka Tower Photo courtesy of So ArchitectureHarriet's House, Tasmania, by So ArchitectureConcealed within this rectangular pale brick extension in Tasmania is a double-height living, dining and kitchen area with a vaulted ceiling covered in wooden slats.Built on an exposed red brickwork base, local studio So Architecture aimed for the extension to be a sanctuary that opens onto the sloped garden.Find out more about Harriet's House Photo by Francesca IveneOld School House, UK, by Bindloss DawesArchitecture studio Bindloss Dawes added a pitched timber extension to Old School House, designed to complement the appearance of the existing Grade II-listed home, which was originally built in 1864 as a local village school.The exterior was clad in English sweet chestnut that will weather and turn a silver tone, chosen by Bindloss Dawes to match the stonework in the original home.Find out more about Old School House Photo by Jennifer Hughes PhotographySolit-Garreau Residence, USA, by Studio BowerAiming to preserve the charm of the original home, architecture firm Studio Bower created a wood-clad gabled annexe in keeping with an adjoined 1940scottage in Washington, DC.The annexe's asymmetric roof follows the roofline of the cottage and both are clad in slate shingles, while an outdoor courtyard was designed to provide a connecting social space for the two structures.Find out more about Solit-Garreau Residence Photo by Rick PushinskyVerdant House, UK, by CANClad in corrugated hemp fibre panels, the extension at Verdant House in London was praised by readers for its geometry and green-painted structure.Architecture studio CAN established a connection between the internal spaces and the garden by adding a sweeping curved glass window that was informed by Victorian shop fronts.Find out more about Verdant House The post The top 10 home extensions of 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

It is ironic that wind turbine blades, which typically last for 25 years, have decidedly un-green deaths. The fiberglass blades are not recyclable, and when they are decommissioned, they're typically crushed and burned as both fuel and raw material for producing cement. The crushing process alone burns a lot of energy, and burning the crushed parts as fuel creates CO2.Enter Reverlast, a Finnish company that's come up with a unique way to repurpose the blades. Company co-founder Johannes Peace, an engineer and sailor, realized that the fiberglass blades are made the same way as boats. And like boats, wind turbine blades are specifically fabricated to weather a harsh marine environment for decades.What the company does is use the blades for useful waterborne applications. "We repurpose turbine blades to build floating docks and pontoon structures," says company co-founder Ossi Heiskala. "This reduces the need for traditional pontoon materials like concrete and polyethylene plastic, making the solution even more environmentally friendly. Our prototype dock prevents roughly 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and the larger and more numerous the docks we build, the greater the impact."Peace and Heiskala launched Reverlast this year through Finland's Kiuas Accelerator, a startup incubator. For their first project, they're tackling a community sauna at Aalto University:The sauna itself is a traditional wood-heated barrel sauna, assembled from a pre-made kit. But instead of being placed on land, it will be installed on a dock that floats on pontoons made from four wind turbine blades. The pontoons are filled with polystyrene, and each weighs over 300 kilograms. The dock is more stable than a traditional floating pontoon dock and extremely durable. The fibreglass layer in the blade sections used for the pontoons is up to 6 centimetres thickfar more robust than the 1-centimetre layer typical in sailboats. "The pontoon is incredibly strongit won't break, that's for sure. Our job is to design the other parts to ensure they'll last for decades as well," says Heiskala. The dock pontoons were cut from the midsection of the blade. The narrow tip of the blade, in turn, could be used for lighter structures, such as swimming platforms, Heiskala envisions. "We're starting with floating docks because our team has a lot of expertise in that area. However, we already have more ambitious plansthe sturdier sections of the blades could be used for larger structures, like breakwaters," he explains. The sauna should be ready by next spring. And as they grow, Reverlast will have no shortage of raw materials: Ten to 20 turbine blades are decommissioned each year, and that number is scheduled to grow in the next decade. Wind turbine operators, who are responsible for the cost of decommissioning the blades, will be happy to have them taken off of their hands.

Imagine visiting a factory in China, and you see these things coming off of the line: It looks like they're getting ready for a war, doesn't it? They are, kind of, but a soft-power one. Chinese manufacturer FuninVR has been quietly spreading across the globe, seeding arcades in Asia, South Asia, Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Africa, the Middle East, South America, etc. with their extensive range of VR simulators. These are an interesting category of industrial design, combining furniture, human factors and user interface design with kinetic energy, all in the name of entertainment. Because they are designed for arcade environments, these machines need to be as robust as college dorm furniture. Downtime for the operator means a loss of revenue. Additionally, they need to have as small a footprint as possible, as arcade profits are all about profit-per-square-foot. And, of course, the game designers have to do their jobs too, making the games as engaging as possible in order to draw repeat business. The company's YouTube channel shows off their staggeringly deep catalog, designed to simulate a wide variety of physical experiences. Here's one example, a cockpit that can rotate 360 degrees and seat two (you can charge more for two players):Here's how the company's employees blow off steam:Plenty more to see here.

Lets imagine for a moment that your mornings are dictated not by your mood or schedule, but by a coffee pod. You pick one from the box, click it into your machine, and hope it hits the mark. Sometimes it does; often, it doesnt. Thats the quiet frustration that many coffee lovers live withuntil something like the Xpod Coffee Pod Maker comes along. This Kickstarter-backed gadget flips the script, giving you the reins to brew exactly what you want, when you want it, and with beans that you trust.Coffee enthusiasts will instantly appreciate how Xpod dismantles the mundane predictability of pre-packaged pods. At its heart is a compact built-in grinder, a detail that speaks volumes about the priorities of its creators. Pre-ground coffee loses flavor the moment its exposed to air. The Xpod sidesteps this by grinding beans fresh for every cup, whether its a mellow Colombian roast or a bold Ethiopian blend. Honestly, its also a middle finger to Nespresso and Keurig who believe in trapping you within their ecosystem of pods. Here, you choose the coffee you want, while also choosing convenience. Sounds too good to be true, no?Designer: XpodClick Here to Buy Now: $189 $299 (36% off) Hurry! Discount only for a limited time.Fundamentally, Xpod aims to give users complete control over their coffee experience. Unlike traditional pod systems tied to pre-packaged capsules, Xpod lets you grind your favorite coffee beans right before brewing. This feature ensures optimal freshness and flavor. Whether you prefer a locally roasted blend or a rare coffee variety from halfway around the globe, the Xpod accommodates your taste. Aside from bringing your hand-picked blend to the convenience of a Keurig or Nespresso, the Xpod saves you money in the long run since you arent capitulating to the coffee machines subscription model (which is where they make their money). I bet Big Coffee doesnt want you to know this.The Xpod is unique from your standard coffee grinder in that it doesnt just finely crush your coffee beans, it weighs, calculates, grinds, dispenses, and compacts the coffee into a reusable stainless steel pod that you can then fit right into the coffee maker of your choice. Designed for durability and ease of use, these pods are FDA-approved and EN-certified, offering a safe and sustainable alternative to disposable plastic capsules. The eco-conscious design drastically reduces waste, addressing the environmental concerns often associated with single-use pods. Switching to Xpod doesnt just give you the ability to craft your own select coffee blends, it helps save hundreds of dollars on disposable pods each year, while also cutting down on landfill waste.Xpods patented auto-recognition system takes the guesswork out of coffee brewing. This intelligent feature identifies the capsule type and adjusts the grinding time and amount automatically, ensuring a perfect brew every time. For busy mornings or multi-user households, this functionality streamlines the process, making it accessible even to those less familiar with advanced coffee machines. Just add the coffee blend you love and the Xpod does the rest, preparing the pods that can be popped right into your coffee machine. The freshly ground coffee results in a better brew too, giving you the coffee you love in mere minutes without the hassle of setting up an espresso machine, french press, or pour-over.The built-in grinder allows precise customization, grinding 9-12 grams for Keurig pods, 11-13 grams for Vertuo pods, and 4-5 grams for Original pods. This versatility supports various coffee machines, including Nespresso Original, Nespresso Vertuo, and Keurig systems. A single press handles the entire process, going from bean to grounds to pod right within the Xpod. The coffee grounds get compacted (or tamped, technically), leaving you to simply apply the lid and your bespoke pod is ready.Xpods design feels like its cut from the same cloth as high-end kitchen appliances. The minimal design, the simple interface, the state-of-the-art tech your Xpod is manufactured alongside brands like Philips and Breville, matching the standards set by those world-class brands. The materials and finish give it a premium look, but theres substance behind the style. The tamper mechanism applies just the right pressure, the grinder is precise, and the pod-filling system is satisfyingly mess-free.As impressive as its technical features are, Xpod doesnt lose sight of the broader picture. Its about choice and freedom, but its also about the small joys that make routines feel meaningful. Imagine brewing a cup of coffee from beans you picked up on vacation, or experimenting with local roasters blends, or even tweaking your go-to coffee beans with some cinnamon, some vanilla, or a little pumpkin spice (I promise I dont judge). Thats the kind of experience Xpod wants to foster, and its hard not to appreciate that liberating approach.Xpods Kickstarter campaign has already surpassed its funding goal, with over $86,000 pledged at the time of writing. Backers can expect delivery by March 2025, with shipping available to over 25 countries. The machine comes in black, but crossing a funding goal will unlock the white color variant (sort of playing well against the latte and black coffee color palettes. Each Xpod is supported by a two-year warranty, comes with 2 reusable pods, 100 foil lids, cleaning tools, and the plug of your choice depending on your countrys socket style.Coffee pods have long been the hallmark of convenience, but lets face itbrands like Keurig and Nespresso have built entire ecosystems that keep you tethered to their pre-packaged, often pricey offerings. The Xpod Coffee Pod Maker feels like a small act of rebellion against that system. It hands you the tools to brew your own way, with your own beans, while still working seamlessly with their machines. Its like hacking the coffee matrix, except instead of coding, youre crafting better-tasting coffee and cutting out all the waste.Click Here to Buy Now: $189 $299 (36% off) Hurry! Discount only for a limited timeThe post Make Your Own Keurig or Nespresso Pods at Home with This Game-Changing $190 Gadget first appeared on Yanko Design.

Military-grade durability and off-grid living options give modern-day RVs that extra popularity amid adventurers demanding luxury and ruggedness without compromise. There are names like the EarthRoamer at the top of the ladder, but one builder in the western USA, Nevada-based Hunter RMV, is soon catching up. By delivering 66 chassis mobile homes that check all the boxes, the company assures comprehensive luxury and convenience at a significantly lesser cost than what the other top-tier names happen to roll out RVs for.The latest in action from the house of Hunter RMV is the Sherpa XLE that combines demanded luxury with military-grade chassis, converting the latter into an ultimate adventure ride for extreme adventures. Six-wheel drive Sherpa XLE is based on the Steward and Stevenson M1089A1 that has been part of the US Militarys Medium Tactile Vehicle fleet for about a decade from the mid-nineties to about 2006. Designed with off-grid living in mind, the RV has military hardware and amenities of a modern RV, which we detail below.Designer: Hunter RMVBased on the M1089A1 is a 22-foot tiny living abode made from composite panels. It on the inside, 18-foot of this is occupied by living space comprising a transforming dinette and kitchen. You get an electric lift bed that becomes a cozy queen bed for your retiring hours and lifts back off to leave you with a leather dinette area to spend your meal times and a few small get-togethers. The space is completed with a TV panel on the wall and a Bluetooth sound system to take care of the audio.The kitchen here comprises an induction cooktop, microwave oven, an air fryer, two refrigerators, and a Treager BBQ for an external barbeque setup. When youre not eating, sleeping or barbequing, you can head out for a shower, or maybe cleanup inside in the little washup zone also comprising a washer, drier, and a cassette toilet.What really springs the Sherpa XLE in the desirable off-roading companion is the storage it makes for the gear. With some handy options on the exterior, it happens to create a dedicated section for your gear in the rare of the vehicle. It has space for storing two bicycles and comes with a motorcycle lift to the garage. Desirous of taking you on journeys over the most extreme roads, to locations that you didnt think were possible in an RV is powered by a Caterpillar six turbo diesel offering 330 horsepower and 860 pound-feet of torque, the Sherpa XLE comes with 120 gallons of fresh water tank, 1,000 watts of solar panels on the roof, and 800 a/h batteries on board to keep you in the wilderness for as long as you desire. There is no word on the pricing of the Sherpa XLE. Hunter RMV will be building it to order only, so the price may vary according to customization.The post Hunter RMVs Sherpa XLE built on military-grade 66 chassis comes with amenities of modern, off-grid RV first appeared on Yanko Design.

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