Today in Gear is our daily roundup of all the latest product announcements, drops and news. Comments or concerns? We’d love to hear from you at tig@gearpatrol.com.
Back on March 26, the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter craft made its closest-yet flyby of the Sun and recorded video, unlike anything that's previously been captured. The video recordings were taken from inside the orbit of Mercury, or about one-third the Sun-Earth distance. (At that range, temperatures are typically about 500 degrees Celcius, or close to a thousand Fahrenheit.) Among many other elements, one phenomenon, in particular, caught scientists' eyes: a "solar hedgehog." It's a projection of gasses stretching 15,500 miles across – that's twice the width of our little home planet.
In more terrestrial news, today we're looking at Coleman's gorgeous new 1900 collection, Top Gun-inspired apparel, awesome new gear for new parents and much more.
Right now, if you switch carriers to Visible Wireless ($25+/mo) and buy an iPhone SE ($18+/mo), you'll benefit from some serious promotions that net serious swag. After three months of service payments, you'll be given a $200 gift card, and you'll geta pair of AirPods 3 for free. That's $379-worth of tech and goodies, just for doing what you already do: use a phone. It's not gonna break the bank, either. Visible offers unlimited talk, text, and data powered by Verizon's 5G network for as low as $25/mo. Switch now, and get your gear on.
We've all coveted a classic steel cooler – you know, those green retro Colemans with the twisty latch? Well, the brand just dropped something even better: a full line of modern hard coolers, lanterns and gear with a highly stylish vintage aesthetic inspired by its own archives. Put another way, per Coleman, the 1900 Collection boasts an "emphasis on design and outdoor entertaining." Indeed, you've got to see these beauties for yourself. The collection includes a steel-belted hard cooler in multiple sizes (available fall 2022), LED lanterns and flashlights, a steel-belted stainless-steel wine bottle and tumblers and a 3-in-1 propane stove. Cop any of this gear and you'll be the talk of the campsite.
We're no experts on Navy aviation procedure but are still pretty sure that if you grab any of the apparel from this new Alpha Industries collab you automatically earn the rank of Lieutenant and are cast in a Tom Cruise movie. The collection celebrates the return of Top Gun and Cruise's "Maverick" to the silver screen and "embraces iconic imagery from the Top Gun series" in the form of shirts, jackets and, yes, flight and bomber jackets. Grab what you can while it's all available, and be sure to find your favorite pair of aviators to complete the look.
Straight-up: being a parent is a ton of work, and cool as hell. It may not feel super glamorous all the time, but just know that raising kids – and especially taking care of a newborn – is mega impressive. Still, it's not always... glamorous. Maybe not ever. New brand No Reception Club is on a mission to change that, having just launched two parent/baby travel products that are extremely functional and even more badass-looking: the Getaway Bag ($235), a "hybrid diaper and travel pack," and the Sidekick ($75), "a fanny-pack style accessory." Both carry all the necessities for baby changing in sleek silhouettes that champion ease of access and organization. Bundle them together and save $50.
GM's hands-free, semi-autonomous Super Cruise driving tech is coming to the Chevy Suburban and Tahoe in 2023, available on Premier and High Country trim levels. Pricing for the option isn't announced, but on the Caddy Escalade, Super Cruise runs you $2,500. (Check out what our Motoring team had to say about Cadillac's application of the tech here.) On the GMC Sierra Denali, Super Cruise can be utilized while towing, which could be a selling point for Chevy SUV buyers. But suffice it to say, in full-size SUVs, tech that helps drivers stay planted and stable is very welcome.