When Apple discontinued the original HomePod about a year ago, many users lamented the death of one of the best-sounding smart speakers out there. Those concerns were short-lived however, because Apple’s plan wasn’t to kill its smart speaker but to rebuild it, better and smarter than before. Here’s the low down on Apple’s new HomePod.
Deceivingly heavy despite its diminutive, marshmallowy form, the new HomePod stands just over half a foot tall and just under half a foot wide. Similarly sized Alexa devices probably weigh about half as much and that’s because Apple has absolutely jammed this HomePod with hardware, not just to pump out sound but to optimize the audio quality automatically, no matter what’s playing or where it’s placed in a room.
It’s no surprise that the sound quality of this new HomePod, like the original, is excellent. The speaker array consists of a heavy-duty woofer and five tweeters that leverage Apple’s hardware and software convergence to beamform sound perfectly in a space.
Lows aren’t artificially heavy, like in Beats products, but remain powerful. Highs fill the room and remain crystal clear. Add the spatial audio tracks of Apple Music’s streaming service into the mix and the HomePod creates one of the best listening experiences that can be had for this price point.
The HomePod might primarily be a speaker but it’s also a hub for all things smart home. Siri is built-in here for easy control of music but she’ll also handle lights, thermostats, blinds, switches and any number of other smart home accessories in a pinch.
The HomePod is still packing Apple’s standard HomeKit but now also includes Matter and Thread – newer agnostic smart home standards that don’t favor one tech giant or another. That translates to the HomePod debuting as one of the most capable and potentially future-proof smart speakers available.
To help the HomePod stay on the cutting edge, Apple has also integrated temperature and humidity sensors inside the body, expanding its capabilities and making it an even more useful addition to smart devices that can make everyday living feel like a futuristic adventure.
As with all Apple products, the more that are integrated into an ecosystem, the more each individual device can actually do. For instance, if an AppleTV 4K is the primary means of delivering streaming content, it’s a cinch to use a HomePod in place of a soundbar and the results are impressive thanks to HomePod’s Dolby Atmos capabilities.
For those who really want to punch it out, adding a second HomePod into the mix will seamlessly make both work together to deliver an even fuller, richer audio experience where the two will communicate to play individual channels to create something uniquely atmospheric.
Unfortunately, this stereo pair function only applies to HomePods of the same generation. While it may be enticing to use one of the new HomePods with a HomePod Mini in an attempt to recreate a more traditional surround sound system, the best it’ll deliver is a daisy chain effect, one where the speakers will all play the same audio but they won’t team up.
Apple rounds out their updated take on the HomePod with a few extra perks. The cord is now detachable, though it’s still not battery powered. Intercom capabilities return for scaring the hell out of your partner or pets. Handoff with an iPhone functionally makes the HomePod a bad-ass speakerphone. Even the Home app on iPhone is better with HomePod thanks to scene setting and other automation options.
The new HomePod is sure to scratch an itch for those looking to outfit their homes with both a high fidelity audio system and a powerful, future-proof hub for smart home controls. The HomePod is available for preorder now and comes in Midnight and White options, both of which retail for $299.
You don’t need to be an NBA superstar to look like one, at least not if you take a page out of Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade’s playbook and rock a new set of Versace frames.
The high-scoring hardwood hero is the latest famous face to put the luxury label’s eyewear to the test, appearing in a new campaign photographed by Mario Sorrenti.
Versace’s history in the eyewear world is nothing if not bold and memorable: Luminaries and icons like The Notorious B.I.G. considered Versace sunglasses a favorite in and out of the spotlight.
Wade’s dynamic scoring and passing ability, plus his sense of off-court style and swagger, made him a natural fit to join the Versace roster, the luxury label said, noting his “charisma and excellence.”
“Dwyane Wade is a natural champion of each and perfectly in-line with the Versace look and attitude,” the company said.
Precision and “confident details” are at the core of the new line of frames, including the VE1287 optical frames, which turn the navigator sunglasses model in equally appealing eyeglasses.
The Special Project Aviator Sunglasses (the VE2251) are also immediately eye-catching (pun intended), blending white and gold detailing with grey lenses for a revamped take on the timeless aviator silhouette that centers around the iconic Medusa logo.
Wade’s sunglasses of choice will retail for $345, a price that should prove plenty agreeable to those wanting to channel a bit of legacy-making superstar style.
Tom Brady is retiring from football “for good” this time.
The now-former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his retirement exactly one year ago on February 1, 2022, only to change his mind 40 days later and return for a final NFL season.
“I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first,” Brady said in a video posted across his social media channels.
“I won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year, so really thank you guys so much to every single one of you for supporting me.”
A visibly verklempt Brady signed off with, “Thank you for letting me live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
The Buccaneers showed some love for their former quarterback in a tweet with a #ThankYouTom caption.
As ESPN notes, Brady is ending his NFL career as the league’s leader in all-time passing yards (89,214) and touchdown passes (649). He is the only player to have won more than five Super Bowls, and he earned the Super Bowl MVP award five times.
In his final season with the Buccaneers, the three-time league MVP passed for 25 touchdowns and 4,694 yards, the third highest in the NFL.
After being selected 199th overall by the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL draft, Brady led the team to a Super Bowl at the conclusion of the 2001 season in his first year as the starting QB. He would win five more titles with the Patriots and his last with the Buccaneers at the end of the 2020 NFL season.
Brady is expected to transition into a career as an analyst for Fox Sports, which signed him to a 10-year, $375 million contract this past summer. He also owns his own Brady clothing line, TB12 Sports wellness brand and 199 Productions production company, the successes of which helped Brady become the highest paid NFL player of 2022 with $30 million in earnings.
Perhaps he’ll have a chance to show his skills in the booth at the upcoming Super Bowl LVII matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Those looking for the best party of Super Bowl weekend can still score tickets here to Maxim’s Big Game bash in Phoenix, featuring performances by Offset, Zedd, Loud Luxury and Plastik Funk.
Pamela Anderson gave a nod to the iconic swimsuit that helped launch her career at the premiere of her new Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story.
The 55-year-old sex symbol and newly-minted author donned a fiery red Naeem Khan gown to the event, evoking the bouncy one-piece swimsuit associated with the character she played on Baywatch, lifeguard C.J. Parker.
Christian Louboutin sandals, Cicada diamond earrings and a Delfina Delettrez ring rounded out the ensemble, the New York Post notes.
“Pamela Anderson is ready to tell her story in a new documentary,” reads a statement from Netflix about the new doc, which is streaming now.
“The film, which has been in the making for several years, will feature the pop culture icon setting the record straight as she looks back on her professional path and her personal journey. In her own words, through personal video and diaries. Pamela Anderson shares the story of her rise to fame, rocky romances and infamous sex tape scandal.”
Anderson has repeatedly blasted Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, the 2022 docudrama series depicting her infamous sex tape scandal and turbulent marriage with Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.
Anderson has slammed the series and its creators, who she has said did not consult her at all. During a recent interview with Variety, Anderson called the Pam & Tommy creators “assholes” and said they “owe me a public apology.”
And during a subsequent interview with Howard Stern, Anderson said she felt like she had been “run over” after hearing about the show.
“I remember seeing this advert for Pam & Tommy and was like, what? No one called me. I’m still alive. No one asked me. It’s nothing to do with me,” she told Stern.
“I felt kinda run over by that one. I don’t think they portrayed Tommy or I very accurately. I haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard from people that it’s a very shallow representation of us. I wish they would’ve called.”
Anderson isn’t just opening up in the doc, but also in her new memoir Love, Pamela. Learn more about the book and see exclusive photos from Maxim’s January/February issue here.
Recently, we’ve been seeing a shift in bag trends to low-key quiet-luxury styles that combine ease, subtlety, and quality craftsmanship. Essentially, they’re smart investment buys that can withstand the trend cycle and last in your closet for many years ahead. With that in mind, it is unsurprising that the Gucci Jackie 1961 bag is gaining momentum this year. Originally launched in 1961 and named after Jackie Kennedy, who was frequently photographed wearing the leather hobo, the bag was rereleased in a new iteration on the F/W 20 runway.
Though we’ve been seeing the bag on the fashion scene since its updated version dropped several years ago, it is more popular than ever and has been one of the most-photographed bags so far in 2023—a testament to its staying power that makes it a key investment buy. Ahead, see how celebrities and fashion insiders are wearing the Gucci Jackie 1961 bag and shop the style.
Celebrities such as Sienna Miller and Dua Lipa have been snapped recently wearing the Gucci Jackie 1961 bag. Styling it with everything from suiting to floral dresses, their looks prove it’s a piece that can be styled for practically any occasion.
Like celebs, fashion insiders have proven they are major fans of the Gucci Jackie 1961 bag in 2023. The fact that the bag is in such high demand 62 years after its launch and three years after its rerelease has cemented it as a timeless buy that only gets better with age.
No matter what your style is, Gucci has a strong collection of handbags to add to your spring wardrobe. Here, shop more styles our editors are eyeing—from cult classics to just-dropped spring pastels.
As unfortunate as it is, most clothes weren’t designed with petite people in mind. Count the 5’10” and above models on the runway for proof. Yet many celebrities that err on the shorter side still manage to pull off incredible high-fashion looks on a regular basis. The “how” attached to that has one simple answer: stylists.
When it comes to dressing the petite population in Hollywood, celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez is one of the absolute best, with clients such as Jessica Simpson (5’3″), Kristen Bell (5’1″), and Rachel Bilson (5’2″). Knowing that, when Bilson’s looks from her New York City press tour for the Fox show Accused hit Instagram recently, it felt only right for us to get the inside scoop on each of her outfits from the trip. Keep scrolling for Chavez’s petite-styling tips, every detail surrounding Bilson’s NYC looks, and so much more.
It feels like there are so many beauty brands out there that it’s impossible to keep track of them all. Every week, there’s a new brand, a celebrity launching a beauty line, or a makeup brand introducing skincare. Put simply, the beauty market is oversaturated.
Because of this sheer volume of brands, it’s important to pay attention to the ones that are actually landing with their audiences. That’s why when Cosmetify released its 2022 Cosmetify Index, the industry immediately perked up its proverbial ears. This index measured the world’s biggest, most popular beauty brands of 2023 based on a wide variety of factors: Instagram followers, Instagram engagement, Instagram mentions, and Google searches and change in searches.
There’s no doubt about it—people are clearly prioritizing factors like efficacy, sustainability, and simplicity in their beauty buys. Keep reading for the world’s most popular beauty brands of 2022, which are sure to keep gaining momentum this year.
Millie Bobby Brown’s “clean” brand clocks in at number one on the list. Free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances, the products are also effective and reasonably priced, which has earned the brand an explosive rise in Instagram follows and Google searches.
There’s a reason CeraVe is your dermatologist’s favorite skincare brand: It works. It’s also affordable and available in most drugstores, which is a major win. The brand has garnered 18.4 million searches in the last 12 months alone.
This cool-person brand is back on everyone’s vanities, and for good reason—its affordable products don’t just look aesthetically pleasing, but they also really work.
This beloved skin and bodycare brand is also having a major renaissance—it clocked over 40 million Google searches this year.
It only makes sense that Estée Lauder would be on this list since its products are sold in 150 countries and territories. The brand name is recognized around the world, and it only keeps growing.
This is the first time that UK-based beauty brand Revolution has been on Cosmetify’s Index. The brand has 3.4 million Instagram followers and an incredibly reasonable price point for products that work so well.
This brand is a mainstay in Europe and garnered 30 million searches this year.
It’s no surprise that haircare brand Olaplex is on this list, as it’s a major cult-favorite. With 18.5 million searches this year, it’s clear the brand is just getting started.
Rihanna remains the queen. With nearly 12 million Instagram followers and products that people absolutely love, Fenty has shown major staying power in the world of celebrity beauty brands.
This French-girl favorite has one of the higher Instagram engagement rates out there and based on how beloved its products are, it’s no surprise.
Phew! We’re still catching our breath from the whirlwind month that has been January. The top of the year not only marks the beginning of the annual award season marathon—and our extensive red carpet coverage—but it’s also the start of a months-long fashion week trek, kicking off with the men’s F/W 2023 shows in Milan and Paris and Couture Week. Not that we’re complaining! The four-week stretch offers up a delightful sartorial platter of noteworthy style moments. And taking us behind the scenes of all the action this year is Norwegian model Gustav Magnar Witzøe.
If you are not familiar with Witzøe yet, you’re going to want to take note. An emerging talent in the fashion space, the 30-year-old has caught the eye of some of the industry’s biggest brands and designers, landing him front-row seating at the likes of Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Rick Owens, Armani, and Schiaparelli, to name a few. And then there’s the not-so-insignificant fact that he’s been working with image architect Law Roach, one of the industry’s most influential stylists. Attending the shows together, the two curated a portfolio of dapper looks that showcased the many sides of Witzøe’s personal style—think drapey suits, acid-wash denim, and avant-garde footwear. With a photographer in tow, Witzøe documented some of the highlights from his trip abroad. And lucky us, we have the exclusive.
“Can you ever have enough shoes for Fashion Week? First stop: Celine.”
“The most interesting aspect of fashion week, for me, is being able to get a glimpse into the maddening processes and unique approaches that each designer takes in order to express their creativity that inevitably leads to a collection. It’s important to me to absorb it all.”
“It’s all about the backdrop.”
“Big Mac diet.”
“Leaving the Giorgio Armani show in a classic double-breasted suit. Love it!”
“I would like to think that I wouldn’t break my ankles in these…”
“Rick Owens, everyone. Bravo on a breathtaking show that highlighted the genius that has made you a legend.”
“Ready, set, action! It’s time for some Louis Vuitton entertainment and my last show in Milan before Paris Couture Week. The show was a spectacle; it became apparent instantly that we were going to be paying homage to classic styles and patterns from Y2K decades past. All packaged beautifully with a performance by the one and only Rosalía who exploded onto the runway in a custom LV yellow car. I think I may have to look into purchasing for my own collection.”
“It’s not shoes, it’s art!”
“Law [Roach] and I doing some serious damage together.”
“Fittings are essential, especially when you are investing in a good suit. A big thank you to my extended fashion family here at the ateliers who had me looking and feeling my best.”
“KidSuper, watch the space… I bet my money on him.”
“For me, fashion is a way of escapism from my everyday life. I relish in the opportunities afforded to me during fashion week(s) to meet so many young, interesting, and eccentric people. It’s the best form of education and experience. It’s not just dress up for me.”
“Matrix meets Mercedes for my final night out in Paris this season. Cheers!”
I’ll let you in on a little secret: When it comes to spring trends and warm-weather shopping, Free People and Anthropologie are the first sites I scroll through.
As a fashion editor who looks forward to spring shopping the most, Anthropologie and Free People are my boho-chic staples, offering an array of incredibly on-trend free-flowing dresses, pedicure-approved sandals, and expensive-looking leather bags that carry the bulk of my wardrobe from February until May. Now that the cold appears to finally be lifting in New York City and days suddenly feel longer, I headed to both retailers to check out their trendy 2023 offerings. To no one’s surprise, I instantly fell in love. Per usual, all I need to be happy is a chic printed jacket and a maxi skirt I’ll wear to Coachella later this spring. Typical me.
Below, you’ll find all the Free People and Anthropologie items I couldn’t just gatekeep for myself. After three hours of scrolling and over 50 items in my cart, these are the ones I’ve managed to narrow down to. Run—don’t walk—before they sell out.
Nike and Tiffany & Co. are gearing up to launch one of the most coveted kicks of 2023.
As the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1s by Virgil Abloh were some of the most sought-after sneakers of 2022, many sneaker watchers, including GQ, are expecting the collaborative Air Force 1 1837—a nod to Tiffany & Co.’s founding year—to become instant classics.
Hypebeast points out that the premium black suede upper is emblazoned with a tumbled leather Nike Swoosh in Tiffany’s trademarked shade of robin egg blue, while the entire sole, laces and pebbled leather overlays are rendered in black.
The outer tongue is branded with white “Tiffany” script in cursive, and the heel features a metallic badge stamped with “925,” a reference to American silver standard set by Tiffany & Co. at 925 per 1,000 parts silver.
An all-sterling silver accessory collection accompanies the collaborative kicks: a shoe horn, shoe brush, a whistle, and the AF1 lace clips with T, C, and O overlaid lettering. All of these are sold separately from the shoes.
While the Nike x Tiffany & Co. AF1 1837 sneakers don’t launch until March 7 online and at select physical locations, the brands are already building hype with an Instagram pic of a Tiffany Blue Nike shoebox simply captioned “a legendary pair.”
If you’re quick enough to buy them from either brand before they’re sold out, expect the shoes to retail for $400 and the silver accessory collection to retail between $250 and $475.