When Volkswagen revealed its ID Buzz concept reboot of the iconic hippie-era van in 2017, people definitely paid attention. After all, it looks like its ancestor while embracing 21st century design in a major way.
Volkswagen has doubled down with its new release, the ID Buzz Cargo.
As Curbed reports, the innovation isn’t only in the design, which is a more serious-looking take on the first van. Just as you might expect from a company that once made vehicles identified with an era that was notable for giving birth to a movement dedicated to preserving the environment, the ID Buzz Cargo will run solely on electricity.
That’s not the only “green” feature:
Made for businesses and anyone hauling product from place to place, the I.D. Buzz Cargo bus is an on-the-go office on wheels. The light commercial van boasts a solar roof, three front-row seats, and a middle seat that folds down and transforms into a workspace with an integrated laptop. As a level four autonomous vehicle, you can either drive it or let the computer do the work.
And while this isn’t a camper, it’s still a cool look at what urban commercial vehicles will look like in the future, with an intelligent shelving system that lets you track stock levels throughout the day’s deliveries. The battery pack provides a charge for about 200-340 miles, and a fast-charge option can get the vehicle up to 80 percent in 30 minutes.
The ID Cargo design was unveiled in Mid-September at a German auto show, and it reportedly goes into production in 2021—before the ID Buzz.
Specs will include battery packs designed to fit company budgets and needs. Packs will charge fairly fast and Cargos will have ranges of 200-340 miles.
By taking the attention-grabbing look of the ID Buzz and creating a practical vehicle, VW might make a leap past the Mercedes-Benz line of vans and trucks and eventually dominate the commercial cargo vehicle industry. We can only hope.
If you ever wondered what it’d be like if the events of the first Halloween were real, here’s a chance to see. In the most recent trailer for the upcoming sequel, Michael Myers’ rampage gets the true crime treatment, and it’s an eye opener.
In part it puts the first movie in perspective; it really would be a pretty intense true crime story. It also illustrates how cheesy true crime TV can be.
The new movie pretty much eliminates everything that’s happened in between the first Halloween and this one, wipes the slate clean. We haven’t seen it yet, but we have to admit it looks very much the same.
The big difference is Jamie Lee Curtis. As a nearly 60-year-old Laurie Strode she’s gained maturity, intensity, and a little bit of crazy.
Go, girl
This Halloween was written by Danny McBride and is a hybrid sequel and and reboot. While it eliminates all the related movies in between it also does seem to plausibly breathe new life into the franchise.
The plot is damn simple and in keeping with that true crime feel: A couple of British podcasters seek out the killer, who has been institutionalized for 40 years. Their visit triggers his eventual escape, and he comes for Haddonfield, Laurie Strode, and everyone who gets in his way. Imagine the people behind Serial seeking out a terrifying real killer like Big Ed Kemper and him—despite the fact that like Myers, he’s pretty old now—busting out of captivity and trolling for college girls again.
Will this sequel/homage live up to the original? With Jamie Lee Curtis in place, it has to come close. We’ll see when it hits theaters on October 19.
Everyone knows that when you don’t get enough sleep at night, the next day is a doozy. Not only do you feel cranky and foggy, but your body literally can’t function right when you’re running on only a few hours of shuteye. The immune system weakens, brain cells slow down, judgment gets wonky, you’re 12 percent more likely to die early, etc. It’s just not good.
On the other hand, everything is peachy after getting a solid 8 hours, right? Right! It’s no secret that sleeping is one of the greatest things in the world, and with adequate sleep, the body and brain are able to function and regenerate normally, and you feel great.
Researchers from Stanford University studied the university men’s varsity basketball team, and found that athletes who slept ten hours each night increased free throw and field goal percentages by nine percent each, and decreased their 282-foot sprint times from 16.2 to 15.5 seconds. In other words, getting enough sleep is key to optimal performance.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, athletes who slept two extra hours per night saw a five percent increase in speed and reaction time, and just one extra hour provides extra energy to perform at a higher intensity, which is always a plus.
Furthermore, the NSF says that “the quality and amount of sleep athletes get is often the key to winning,” and emphasizes that athletes can use up to 10 hours of sleep each night, not only because strenuous physical activity is taxing on the body and depletes energy sources, but also because the body repairs itself when you aren’t awake.
Speaking with Dr. Philip Gehrman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, the Huffington Post shared just how restorative different stages of sleep are:
Stage two: Philip Gehrman, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, dubs stage two sleep “average sleep” — it’s not too deep, not too light, and it’s where you spend about half the night. As you move into stage two sleep, you lose a sense of your surroundings and your body temp drops, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Brain waves are slow (with some rapid bursts) and your heart rate and blood pressure slow down and regulate. That means, for much of the night, your heart and vascular system are getting a much-needed rest, which might help to explain the many cardiovascular benefits of shuteye.
Stage three: “This is our deepest sleep,” Gehrman says of stage three (which used to be separated into stages three and four). “It’s also called our slow-wave sleep because our brain waves are these slow, high-amplitude waves.” During this restorative stage of sleep, blood pressure drops, breathing slows down, blood flow moves to the muscles and tissue is repaired, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Hormones, such as the human growth hormone, are secreted at this time as well. Stage three is also where parasomnias, such as sleep walking, talking or eating, take place. Since this is the deepest sleep (and the one that makes you feel well-rested and energetic the next day), it’s also the hardest stage to be woken from, Gehrman says. About 20 percent of the night is spent in deep sleep, and it mostly happens in the first half of the night.
See? This reinforces the fact that lots of sleep is absolutely necessary for keeping your body in tip-top shape, but also brings up the topic of getting enough quality sleep.
Use the military technique to fall asleep in 2 minutes
Developed for soldiers and pilots to ensure they get enough rest for optimal performance and minimal errors, this secret technique has a 96 percent success rate after six weeks of practice. Here’s how to do it, as explained by Joe.co.uk:
One: Relax the muscles in your face, including your tongue, jaw, and the muscles around your eyes.
Two: Drop your shoulders as low as they’ll go. Then relax your upper and lower arm on one side, and then the other.
Three: Breathe out, and relax your chest.
Four: Finally, relax your legs, first thighs and then calves.
So what comes next? Well, after ten seconds more of trying to clear your mind, Lloyd Bud Winter (the book’s author) suggests that you picture one of the following three mental images:
Lying in a canoe on a calm lake, nothing but blue sky above you.
Snuggled in a black velvet hammock in a pitch-black room.
Saying “don’t think, don’t think, don’t think” over and over for ten seconds.
Get an aromatherapy diffuser
Study after study proves that essential oils really do affect physiology, and lavender, chamomile, and cedarwood oils have relaxing and sedating properties, which helps you get to sleep and stay asleep.
Put your phone away
The blue light from your screen has a very short wavelength, which confuses your brain and tricks it into thinking its daytime. This messes with your melatonin levels, and in turn, screws up your circadian rhythm. If you’re not getting good sleep or can’t nod off fast enough, swap your phone for a book at night. Trust.
short-wavelength-enriched,” meaning it has a higher concentration of blue light than natural light—and blue light affects levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin more than any other wavelength.
When she’s not working with big names like Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Hudson, and Hilary Swank or fulfilling her duties as official Armi Captain at luxury rental and styling platform Armarium, celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger also divulges her fashion expertise in our Ask a Stylist column. From the best places to source vintage to the secret to finding your most flattering jeans, come back each week for a professional’s perspective.
While I’ve earned my career dressing celebs for red carpet and press events, my number one style rule still remains the same when dressing for today’s topic weddings. Through my 10 years as a stylist, I’ve learned the only way to look your absolute best is if you feel your best, because confidence will always shine through no matter what you’re wearing. That said, my friends do ask me the best dress style to wear to a wedding quite often, and I have to say I always answer with something that is structured and fits your body well. The timeless cut will always lend a classy look. Keep reading to shop my favorite timeless dresses that are perfect for your next wedding.
Up next, see the simple way to avoid a “dated” outfit.
New York Fashion Week was filled with both trends to come and trends to try immediately, but if there’s one thing NYC girls do best, it’s exercise practicality. Instead of obsessing over the S/S 19 trends everyone will be wearing in six months’ time, I decided to shift my focus toward what the ladies of NYFW were wearing right now, in an effort to inform my unfortunately still pending fall wardrobe (and yours too!). In my opinion, that was a very New York thing to do.
Ahead, I rounded up nine of my favorite outfit trends spotted throughout NYFW. When broken down, these outfit formulas instantly become more approachable and can act as your official guide while planning which items your fall wardrobe will need. Prepare to see trend-driven pieces like snakeskin pants and cowboy boots accompanied by familiar faces such as structured blazers and faux-fur jackets. If you ask me, the current fall outfit trends spotted in NYC are the perfect blend of the classic items you already have hanging in your closet and the trends everyone’s talking about. If that isn’t the definition of the perfect seasonal wardrobe, I don’t know what is.
It’s fair to claim that a significant percentage of trends we’ve embraced over the years have been derived from some sort of utilitarian background or another. Just think about it: trench coats, lace-up workwear boots, overalls… The common thread with all of these stylish pieces is that they have roots in functionality before fashion. Such is the case when it comes to today’s spotlight: khakis (aka park ranger pants).
These slightly stiff bottoms evoke various memories for all of us. For many, it’s horrible school uniforms. For others, it’s questionable fashion choices in the ’90s. But much like any trend that’s granted the opportunity to revive itself in a contemporary context, khakis are actually proving to be an MVP for the arrival of fall. Lately, we’ve spotted the preppy pants on some of our favorite (and might we mention, not preppy) stylists, editors, and off-duty models during fashion week. The result? We want in on the action.
Not only do khakis work similarly to denim in the sense that they can act as a neutral and thus pair well with every other color and pattern, but they also innately feel more dressed up than jeans. Scroll down for spot-on ways to style khakis right now and to shop our picks to test-drive the trend yourself. If it doesn’t work out, at least you know you have a future as a park ranger (maybe).
