Italian-made minimalist white leather sneaker, the smarter-money answer to Common Projects at around $265.

Japanese nail clippers from Green Bell, hand-sharpened in Seki, the old sword-making town: which model to buy, what makes them better than drugstore clippers, and where to get them in Germany.

A 10-day family trip to Japan in 2027, landing in Tokyo: the route, when to go, the best sushi, where to see master craftspeople, electronics, and the rule changes since 2026.

Notes on dark chocolate as a tasting interest, with favourites and a radar of bars to try.

The full t-shirt lineup decoded: loopwheeled Originals, the 2M15 mid-century family and the Portugal line, with EUR prices.

27 lock tools folded into a pocket-clip multitool the size of a small knife. 150 USD, and the LockPickingLawyer calls it the best EDC lock tool ever made.

Apple's first foldable. 7.6" inner display, A20 Pro, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and a long list of things it gives up against the 18 Pro. From 2,299 EUR.

Groundies' minimalist leather barefoot sneaker. 5mm zero-drop sole, nappa upper, 149.90 EUR, made in Portugal.

How a particle accelerator could replace ASML's tin-plasma EUV source, and why that threatens less of ASML's business than the headlines suggest.

A directory of 70 little computers you can flash with your own firmware, from $5 wall panels to $399 smart glasses.

Abbott's 15-day continuous glucose monitor, the smallest sensor made, streaming minute-by-minute glucose to your phone with no scanning.

Medical-grade smart scale that reads 60+ biomarkers, from segmental body composition to a 6-lead ECG and hypertension alerts.

Tractive DOG 6 GPS dog tracker, brown, bought July 2026. Specs, real-world notes, and the subscription that runs it.

too old for baseball caps

Craftsmanship-first guide to the world's best sunglasses makers, tiered from hidden gems to the pinnacle, plus where to buy in Europe.

The Meiji-era Japanese friction-folder pocket knife, still hand-made by its only authentic maker, Nagao Kanekoma in Miki, with steels, sizes and prices.

The 25L Mous Extreme Commuter (Lid) backpack: AiroFoam laptop protection, Fidlock flap, lockable YKK zips, ballistic nylon, fits a 16-inch MacBook.

The Alpenkraft Steinmatte, a fast-drying stone bath mat made of Kieselgur (diatomaceous earth) that absorbs water in seconds instead of staying damp like a textile mat.

The Alpenkraft ZugSpitze shower head I bought in 2025, plus the zeolite/activated-carbon filter pearls that go in the handle.

What a henley is, what separates a great one from a cheap one, and the brands worth buying, with EU availability.

Why Greater Tokyo holds ~41 million people, how it moves them, and how a fishing village called Edo became the planet's largest city.

Auto Focus lives with the Xiaomi SU7 Max and argues this $42k Chinese EV feels like a six-figure car.

Shortlist of four makers building shoes and boots by hand and meant to be resoled, not replaced.