711 greenbelt
711 greenbelt
In this podcast, Motley Fool analyst Kirsten Guerra and host Mary Long discuss: How experiential shopping has lifted Dick's Sporting Goods . Two paths forward for Kohl's . Why Lemonade deserves a spot in a Thanksgiving parade. Then, Motley Fool retirement expert Robert Brokamp and Christine Benz, the author of How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement , continue their discussion on how to prepare for a healthy, wealthy retirement. Go to breakfast.fool.com to sign up to wake up daily to the latest market news, company insights, and a bit of Foolish fun -- all wrapped up in one quick, easy-to-read email called Breakfast News. To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center . To get started investing, check out our beginner's guide to investing in stocks . A full transcript follows the video. This video was recorded on Nov. 26, 2024. Mary Long: Which stocks float your boat? Motley Fool Money starts right now. I'm Mary Long joined today by Kirsten Guerra. Kirsten, thanks for joining us on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This week slows down in the corporate world. You could be doing a lot of stuff. You could be doing turkey prep, you could be trying to catch a plane somewhere, and instead, you're here with us. Really appreciate the time. Kirsten Guerra: Yeah, thanks, Mary. This is actually my only invitation. Really happy to be here. Mary Long: We, again, are very glad to have you. We're going to kick things off today with a look at some different retail companies because we got results from a handful of different retailers this morning. Best Buy , DICK'S Sporting Goods, Kohl's, just to name a few. DICK'S proving to be the exception of that particular lot, whereas Best Buy and Kohl's both slashed full year guidance. DICK'S raised its own expectations for sales and earnings for the full year. What do you make of this? What do those results tell you about how Americans are spending right now? Kirsten Guerra: Well, my first thought was, "This makes sense." There is a big and growing trend in consumer behavior toward more experiential purchases and away from material purchases. You can make the argument that each of these plays some role in selling goods that feed into experiences, but I think DICK'S certainly stands out in this regard. Another thing that I think is really true across this lineup and really beyond into other retailers at large, maybe less so, Best Buy from this list, is this push into private label products. DICK'S is really seeing strong performance from its private label business. They set a goal a couple of years ago to reach two billion in annual sales. They reached 1.6 billion in 2023, so they'll likely meet that goal this year. Kohl's also has quite a few private label brands, some of which I've even heard of despite not shopping there, which feels like good reach and they just introduced a new line called FLX, which I have to imagine is pronounced Flex. That's an Athleta brand, probably smart area to enter if a little late. But yeah, Best Buy doesn't really have a lot of private-label products. They are into it, but leadership doesn't emphasize it as a strategy a lot on earnings calls. It doesn't seem to be a high priority. I think maybe it should be a higher priority. Because ultimately, why does this matter for any of these businesses? For one, cost conscious consumers are going to be looking for these cheaper but comparable quality off-brand items. So you want to capture that slice of the market. But also retailers often have a lot of insight into what sells and what matters most to consumers and different products. If they do it right, they often have a real data advantage and can take market share there. Ultimately, what it all comes back to for these retailers is that these private label products tend to be higher margin, and so they can also substantially improve a retailer's gross margins at scale. Yeah, a lot going on with retailers right now. Mary Long: I'm going to back you up on the FLX pronunciation. I got to imagine it's Flex, as well. The only other thing that came to my mind was Flex, but knowing that it's not a DVD brand and instead, Athleta, I'm thinking that Flex is probably right on the money. Let's spotlight DICK'S in particular for a moment. This stock has returned over 80% in the past three years. If you zoom out a little bit more over the past five, that number is closer to 540%. It's vastly outperformed the sector and the likes of Target , also Kohl's, which we're talking about a bit, as well. Their current CEO Lauren Hobart took the helm in 2021. What is she getting right? What is DICK'S more broadly getting right to have amassed these impressive returns over the past several years? Kirsten Guerra: Yeah, like I said, DICK'S offerings are considerably more experiential than others. The products themselves, of course, but they're really leaning into that with their store concepts as well. They are scaling a store concept called House of Sport, which includes experience features in the store, like a rock climbing wall, golf simulators, indoor tracks, things like that. That takes a really big swing at attracting in more regular visits, especially from kids and teens. I would think, when I was a kid in Houston, there was a store like this that had a racquetball court inside even though I think it was a mattress store. But I always, as a kid was pestering family to go there. I think that's one of the things that attracts from a younger audience. Then back in 2016, they acquired a company called GameChanger, which is a tech app for streaming youth sports live. On its own, the expect that to add about 100 million in sales in 2024, and it's been growing in a range of 30-40% annually. Youth sports is massive, and this tech is a relatively untapped area for that field. On top of the actual revenue that's layered on there, I think the complimentary nature of that business in connecting with kids and kids sports is a nice addition to what they're doing in stores. Ahead of dropping its results this morning, Kohl's announced just the other day that it's going through a bit of a CEO change. So it's hired Ashley Buchanan as their incoming CEO. He used to run the art store, Michael's, and he'll be stepping up to the helm in early 2025. Buchanan will be the third CEO at this company since 2018. The picture at Kohl's is not particularly rosy. Again, mentioned that the company reported earnings this morning. As a part of that, they announced revenues down about 9% year over year. It's 11th consecutive quarter of comparable sales declining. They've got about 6.5 billion dollar in long term debt. akes sense to me why leadership's passing the buck to somebody else over here. If you were tasked to come on in and help out Mr. Buchanan in writing Cole's ship, where would you start? What are the problems that they're facing, and what might management actually do to turn this company around? Kirsten Guerra: There are some financial levers that come to mind, but to be honest, they all sound like moves to have a more graceful end of life to a brand and protect cash flow for as long as possible for shareholders. Classic moves like really focusing attention for operational efficiency so shutting down underperforming stores, really reassessing skew count how many products are offered within the store, the variety, and maybe cutting the bottom third or so really, however many products are consistently underperforming and simply don't deserve shelf space. Then I think there's a little bit of a treasure hunt capacity to cause as well, but maybe introducing that in different way that doesn't rely on so many these different products. I don't know. Maybe that's unfair. That doesn't have to necessarily be the path of coals from here, but it is what comes to mind. Not every brand can go on to do a turnaround. That's one option ahead of it. To be clear, it's not necessarily always the worst thing in the world. If you can gracefully bow out over time and provide steady, slightly dwindling cash flows, again, at the right value, that's fine. It could be a good investment. But to go the other direction completely and say, "Hey, we're still here. We can be a brand with staying power, I think the company needs to make a big move toward attracting a younger audience, which they have also identified as a goal for themselves." Get on TikTok. Kohl's is already on TikTok, but not very successfully. Kohl's Cash was a huge deal when first introduced many years ago. Reintroduce that to a younger audience in a new way, maybe connect it to the idea of girl math that people on TikTok love. I don't know. This is just another example of me, Mary coming on the podcast and giving basic advice. Like it's easy to pull off. Just connect with the younger generation. It's definitely not easy, but reenergizing the brand with the rising generation of consumers is probably the best path to grow again if they can achieve that. Mary Long: Kirsten, do not sell yourself short. I think that the girl math Kohl's Cash pipeline connection is an awesome one. That's really clever. Hopefully, someone from Kohl's is listening, and they take that idea and put that into practice. Kirsten Guerra: There you go. That one's for free. [laughs] Mary Long: Let's turn all of this retail talk into a Black Friday story, since that is right around the corner. As the listener is going to be bombarded with sales and flashy offers over the next few days and into the weekend, is there a way to evaluate those sales through the eyes of an investor rather than purely a consumer? Are there any companies or products in particular that you'll be keeping an eye on to see? How is X company going to push this off the shelf, or what does pushing this product mean for Y company? Kirsten Guerra: No. Honestly, I don't know which way to look anymore around this time of year. What was once Black Friday a concentrated day of sales that actually mattered, if a little dangerous that gave rise to the idea of Cyber Monday to the point that we now call the whole weekend from Thanksgiving Thursday to Cyber Monday the Cyber 5. This year, a lot of sales actually began on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, leading to the name the Cyber Dozen, and I just feel like if I'm a proxy for the average consumer, which maybe I'm not, it's all too much. I think at this point, offering a sale on the business perspective is just table stakes. It's not a marketing move to get more attention than another company. You just have to. It's the time of year where you capture the purchasers who are always going to just hold out for a deal for your product. As an investor, if I'm watching for anything, it's really broad trends in the kinds of products or services rising in popularity like where AI infused things big this year? I don't expect that they will be. Did smart glasses really pick up an interest? I think they might. Did the beauty industry see its biggest shift yet toward skincare and less from cosmetics? Who knows? But if that happened, it would be an important, broad trend. I would steer investors toward thinking about really bigger picture questions about categories themselves and starting there, rather than over inflating the meaning of any one day for individual retailers or products. Mary Long: Let's pivot stories. Yesterday, Macy's dropped preliminary results to get a little bit ahead of a pretty big blunder. Somebody somewhere at the company lost track of about $150 million. We're not going to dive into this. Ricky and Jamo covered this on yesterday's show, but mentioning it here because even without this accounting, misstep is probably an understatement, but we'll go with misstep. Macy's still would have been in the news this week because it's the company behind the Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will take place on Thursday. Kirsten, you and I were talking about this episode beforehand, and you brought up the great idea what if we had our own version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade about stocks that deserve a float in a Thanksgiving Day Parade? You can take this in any direction you want. I'll kick it to you first. What company do you think deserves its own float in a Thanksgiving Day Parade? Kirsten Guerra: Oh, well, I think top of mind for me is Lemonade, the AI powered insurance company. What's wild to me is that if we did this show a month ago, end of October, Lemonade was mostly flat at that time. This is Ticker, LMND, by the way. It was mostly flat at that time. It is now in the month of November and year to date, more than 200% as we record this. That is so that's basically all in November. Lemonade really making a last minute plea to make it into this Thanksgiving Day imaginary float lineup. But here's what happened with the company recently. It started with Lemonade reporting third-quarter earnings, October 31st, and they reported revenue 8% ahead of forecast. Wall Street generally likes a surprise beat, and that comes from an increase in both total customers and premium per customer. It's always nice to see a company growing in multiple dimensions. Maybe, most importantly, we have to talk about the company's gross loss ratio, which is down 10% year over year to 73%. This ratio defines how much of all of the premiums it collects as an insurance company, it then has to pay out to policyholders. The lower the better. It's a bit like the inverse of gross margin, if it's easier to think of it that way. For context, this 73% gross loss ratio is suddenly within Lemonade's ideal target range. That has all been boosted a little bit further by Lemonade's Investor Day, which happened on November 19th, and leadership raised its guidance at that event to a 30% annually compounding revenue up from 20%. In particular, I think what this stems from is that they framed their growth going forward as how they will 10X their enforced premiums, and investors love the idea of a 10X. Here we are up 200% in a month. Mary Long: Let's take off the investing analyst hat and put on the creative director hat. Congrats Lemonade has a spot in this parade of stocks. What's the float itself going to look like? Kirsten Guerra: Well, Mary, it's a glass of Lemonade. Did you expect anything else? [laughs] But to further encapsulate the business a little more, I think it's a glass of Lemonade that at the start of the parade, it's going to be full of theatrics. At the start of the parade, it is fully shrouded by fog machines. You barely even know what it is, except that there's this big pink and yellow sign that says it's Lemonade, and that's it. That's really all you have to go on. But as the parade progresses, the fog slowly lets up and you start to see a little more detail. What do you know? With more time to scale the business or to skill the parade route. You see less fog, less uncertainty, and it really does start to look like the Lemonade you were told to expect all along. Potentially, by the end of the parade, you can see the full glass of Lemonade as a float, unobscured by any fog, and you see shareholders are actually swimming in it. But that's if the float makes it to the end, of course. I'd say you and I are maybe like a third of the way down the parade route where we are seeing it now. It's still fairly obscured what this float might be. But there's definitely a clear outline, at this point, a clearer outline that this could indeed be Lemonade as leadership has been telling us all along. Beyonce is the performer on this float naturally. Mary Long: There's a really beautiful metaphor in there that we could pull on about seeing the glass half empty, going to seeing that. Kirsten Guerra: How did I miss that? Mary Long: I think that was woven in to everything that you described. You were just being far more subtle about it, and I had to draw that out. Kirsten Guerra: That was absolutely intended. Thank you for making that so clear. Mary Long: I promised you that I would bring a stock to our parade as well. This one I don't own, but it's gotten on my radar just even within the past few days. I was in Phoenix this past weekend staying with some friends who work at Dutch Bros Coffee. They began as Bro-Ristas like, when they were 15 and worked their way up and now are in the corporate side of this company. This friend mentioned that she couldn't imagine a better company to work for. That made my attention. Perk up real fast. Not only was she raving about the coffee and the actual products, but just corporate culture and how they care about their employees. That got my attention, put the stock on my radar, and then a quick look into the business itself also got me pretty excited. They've got strong unit economics and store level performance. They're cranking out about $2 millions per location in average unit volumes. If you're listening and thinking, "What the heck does that mean?" We can explain it a bit by comparing it to Chipotle , which is often widely regarded as one of the most efficient players in the fast casual business. As a point of comparison, Chipotle has average unit volumes of just over $3 million. For a much smaller operation, Dutch Bros has pretty good numbers there. They're mostly on the West Coast, but they're expanding. My whole argument would be that a spot in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Stock Parade would be a great play in their national expansion plan. You've got Beyonce performing on the Lemonade Float. I would be hiring Sabrina Carpenter to sing no other than Espresso on the Dutch Bros float. I don't know. Sounds like we've got a pretty exciting parade ahead of us, Kirsten. Kirsten Guerra: That's going to be a great day. Mary Long: It's going to be a great day. With that, we'll wrap it up. Kirsten Guerra, thanks so much for joining us on Motley Fool Money. Happy Thanksgiving to you. I look forward to seeing the rest of our stock parade take place. Kirsten Guerra: Yeah, maybe it will grow next year. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Mary, and to all of our listeners. Mary Long: What stocks would you want to see in a Thanksgiving Day parade? What would your float for those stocks look like? Let us know at [email protected] . That's podcasts with s @fool.com. Up next, Robert Brokamp wraps up his conversation with Christine Benz. She's Morningstar 's director of Personal Finance and the author of How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement. We played Part 1 of their conversation on last Tuesday's show. Today, we'll plan the rest, where Bro and Christine discuss some of the non-financial ingredients for a successful retirement. Ricky Mulvey: Today's show is brought to you by public.com. Heads up, folks, interest rates are falling, but you can still lock in a 6% or higher yield with a bond account at public.com. That's a pretty big deal because when rates drop, so can the interest you earn on your investment. A bond account allows you to lock in a 6% or higher yield with a diversified portfolio of high-yield and investment-grade corporate bonds. While other people are watching their returns shrink, you can sit back with regular interest payments, but you might want to act fast because your yield is not locked in until you invest. The good news, it only takes a couple of minutes to sign up at public.com. Log in a 6% or higher yield with a bond account. Only at public.com/motleyfool brought to you by public investing member FINRA and SIPC, as of 92624, the average annualized yield to worst across the bond account is greater than 6%. Yield to worst is not guaranteed, not an investment recommendation. All investing involves risk, visit public.com/disclosures/bonds-account for more info. Robert Brokamp: You mentioned Roth conversions, contributing to Roths. It's one of the big decisions. Are you going to go with a Traditional account? Are you going to go with Roth? If you have traditional money, do you convert to Roth? How do you think through that decision, particularly now when tax rates are historically on the lower side? Christine Benz: If you talk to Ed Slott, who's a tax expert, he would be like, all worth all the time, basically, because of the secularly low tax rates that we have today. I do think it's pretty individual-specific. I often talk to groups of new employees at Morningstar, really smart people from good colleges. My guess is that we probably aren't paying them as much as they will eventually earn in their careers and their tax rate in retirement may in fact be higher than it is today. For them, it's an easy answer. Go Roth. For the late career saver who perhaps has not yet saved that much for retirement, the Roth contributions aren't necessarily a slam dunk that you may be in a higher tax bracket today than you will be in retirement, so you're better off taking that tax break, making the traditional tax-deferred contributions, receiving that deduction on your pre-tax contributions. It's individual-specific, but one thing I would say for a lot of people in my age cohort, many of us started our careers where the traditional tax-deferred accounts were the only game in town and so until very recently, all of our matching contributions were going into traditional tax-deferred accounts. That was the only option for company retirement plans. Many of us have built very substantial traditional tax-deferred balances, and even if we are in our peak earnings years where that tax break on our contributions might be valuable, tax diversification is a valuable tool, too. In retirement, if you have some assets that are Roth that can come out tax-free, there's something to be said for that. I've actually probably running counter to what might make sense from a math standpoint. I've actually been fully funding Roth contributions to my company retirement plan and also doing after-tax contributions, which I won't bore you with the details of that, but I just want that tax diversification and the opportunity to have some tax-free withdrawals in retirement, and you get that with Roth accounts. Robert Brokamp: Part of the math is, if you think you're going to be in a higher tax bracket in the future, the Roth makes sense. That's partially just making an estimate of how much money you'll have in retirement. It's partially also trying to look to the future and say where tax rates will be. Again, talking about what I would write in the early 2000 after the Bush tax cuts, and then we had some wars and the recession, and Social Security is underfunded. I would write back then, enjoy these tax rates now taxes have to go up in the future. Here we are. We're probably going to get another tax cut here soon. Do you even try to project that anymore? Like do you think we should just assume tax rates are going to stay low forever, even though I don't know as a country how that math works out? Christine Benz: I think we have to work with the tax rules that we have. We do have tax rates set to expire at the end of 2025. The Trump tax package was set to sunset. I think there's a general perception that it will be renewed for 2026 and beyond. I think we have to deal with the tax laws that we have today rather than thinking too much about how things might change. You're absolutely right, Robert, that it seems like the general mood in Washington for the past couple of decades has been to keep tax rates nice and low. This seems true, really for both parties, as far as I can tell. Robert Brokamp: In your book, you cover a lot of non-financial aspects of retirement planning. In fact, you wrote, the more I've learned about retirement planning, the more I've come to understand that whether when and how to retire is less than 50% related to money. What else should people be thinking about when it comes to retirement planning? Christine Benz: I have to say I was guilty of this. I toil on a lot of retirement income research, and my articles are talking about the financial aspects of retirement and that when I thought about some of my favorite conversations that I've had for the podcasts that I work on, which is called The Long View, I realized that many of them were actually non-financial conversations. I think I had been underrating the importance of things like identity, that many of us have some sense of identity conferred by our jobs. When we walk away from that, we lose a little bit of that. This is particularly true for people in high-status professions doctors and attorneys and so forth. But even for regular folks like me, I think, if I retire fully when I retire, I'll be walking around, like, don't you know who I was there's a sense that what you do for your job is who you are and so there's that. There is the relationships that we get through our colleagues, real friendships that we have with colleagues, if we haven't built out a social network apart from that's a risk. You might overrate the extent to which you will stay in touch with those colleagues when you're no longer there sitting alongside them or seeing them on Zoom meetings or whatever. Identity relationships, and then perhaps most important is a purpose that work gives us a sense of the fact that we're contributing to the conversation, we're adding value to the world that we live in. If you haven't taken steps to replace that purpose in retirement, you may feel a sense of loss there as well. I love the idea of people in the 10-year runway leading up to retirement, taking a step back and thinking about the whole picture. Certainly, run the financial calculators, do your spreadsheets on what your budget will look like in retirement, do all that stuff, but also give due weight to the non-financial side of the ledger. Robert Brokamp: I'm one of those people who will often say, I don't know if I'll ever retire, but there are days when, like, work is so busy, and then I come home and then there's the kids and everyone wants something from you. I'm like, maybe retire would be nice. But then I think the only thing worse than everyone wanting something from you is no one wanting anything from you. I think that's the whole point you're getting to. Like, you don't want to feel irrelevant. You don't want to feel like there aren't people who are looking forward to spending time with you and working on you. You want to have some project intellectual stimulation. I thought one of the interesting points made by someone in your book Jordan Grum. I don't know if I'm pronouncing his name correctly. Christine Benz: Yes, you are. Robert Brokamp: He's a hospice doctor. He wrote a book about what people tell him toward the end of their lives. He made the distinction between the Big P purpose and the Small P purpose. If you think of the Big P purpose, it's often like, I need to change the world, and that actually causes a lot of anxiety. Where it's the small p purpose that we should be looking for because it's really we're doing it for our own satisfaction. There is still consequence for people, but it's really what brings us happiness. Christine Benz: Yeah, I love that section. I remember I told my husband, I'm going to make Jordan's chapter the last, and my husband knows Jordan. He was like, a hospice doctor? Seriously, the last chapter. But I find it really uplifting, in part because he's reassuring about that, that he calls it purpose anxiety, that people think. Oh, I need to write a novel or start a foundation or something really dramatic. That's big P purpose. But his point is, a set of small p purposes, whether it's like gardening or being a terrific parent or grandparent or pursuing some hobby that you've been a little bit interested in cultivating a suite of those things is just fine, too. When we think about older individuals in our lives, probably our parents, we probably call upon those things like. Oh, Dad loved to garden and go to the opera and played the Opera for us and all that stuff. Those are beautiful memories and very much a part of legacy as much as some of those big P purpose achievements might be. Robert Brokamp: Of course, we get some of that from work. I'm going to read a line from your book here. You wrote, the more I've worked on retirement, the more I've concluded that many people should continue working in some capacity if they can and not just for financial reasons. In your opinion, is retirement good for people? Christine Benz: Laura Carstensen, who's a researcher at Stanford, head of the Stanford Center on Longevity, actually makes the provocative point in the book that maybe it's not that provocative that work is good for people. It doesn't need to be paid work, but getting back to this idea of purpose, she just thinks that the way we work in this country is all wrong. That people show up in retirement. They're so burned out. They haven't been able to visualize anything about what retirement might look like beyond like Netflix and just leisure activities, which is great. We all look forward to having more of that stuff. But the point is that if you have some pursuits, and again, they may be paid, maybe unpaid, those are the things that will give you something to relax from. It's all about balance that ideally you would want some things that can for a purpose, get you out in the world, get you mixing and mingling with other people. Then you would just have that pure relaxation stuff, whether it's called for travel or reading or whatever is in that category for you. Robert Brokamp: Now, Jordan made this point, and it's a point often made by Carl Richards, too, another financial writer about it can be just like what you subtract from your life, getting rid of the things that drain you so that you could focus on the things that you really derive value from. Christine Benz: Yeah, I love that idea. I've been encouraging people to use what I call the Sunday night calendar test, where you take a look at what's coming up for the week ahead and make some mental notes on that. For me, one thing I love is when I see that wide open day, actually, where I know that's going to be a writing, researching day, not a lot of meetings and so take mental notes of those things that you would perhaps like to continue doing longer and those things that you want to pull back from. If you're in good standing with your employer in the years leading up to retirement, I think this can be an active process, an active discussion/negotiation where you are saying. Well, I want to keep doing this set of things and I want to do less of x, y, and z. I think that's a valuable exercise. The challenging part is that some of the things that we've gotten good at probably are the things that our employers most want us to continue doing, but they may not be the things that we love. It's not always going to line up perfectly where your employers like, go, go, go and letting you shed all of the things that you don't love as much. But I think it's a way to ease into retirement so that by the time you hit retirement age, you're doing a more agreeable set of tasks. Some people might listen to this and be like. You're nuts. I hate everything I'm doing, and I know people like this. In which case, the healthiest best thing is. Okay, so let's think about what you will do instead of that because encouraging you to keep doing something that you are not enjoying in any way, shape, or form isn't good for anyone. Robert Brokamp: Now, the evidence on whether retirement is good for us is very mixed. There are plenty of studies that find that people who retired die sooner, suffer some cognitive and physical decline sooner, become depressed. But there are other studies that find actually no people are happier. I think it does depend on what you're tiring from and what you're retiring too because there are some jobs that are very arduous, physically demanding, or frankly just boring, and certainly being able to retire from those is pretty good. Christine Benz: 100% and the data on happiness in retirement, it's hopelessly polluted by wealth and health that we do see a tight connection. The healthier and wealthier in our population tend to be able to work longer. They're the ones who are expressing a lot of life satisfaction. They have more longevity on their side, too, so it's really hard to disentangle. Healthier people are able to work longer, and so they're able to stay healthier longer. It's really hard to disentangle. Mary Long: As always, people on the program may have interest in the stocks they talk about, and the Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell stocks based solely on what you hear. All personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial standards and are not approved by advertisers. Motley Fool only picks products that it would personally recommend to friends like you. I'm Mary Long. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow, Fools.NoneNow that the turkey is gone, it's time to get back to the outdoor deals. REI's Cyber Week Sale has started and runs through December 9 with many items up 50 percent off. REI members can save an additional 25 percent off a single REI Outlet item. Now is a great time to save money on tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, fitness trackers, and running shoes. Be sure to check out our many outdoor gear guides , including our Best Tents , Best Sleeping Bags , Best Sleeping Pads , Best Camp Stoves , and Best Rain Jackets for more well-tested picks. Are you working on your holiday shopping? Don't forget our guide to the Best Gifts for Hikers and Outdoorsy People . Shopping for someone else? 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WIRED Featured Deals 50 percent off the best lightweight tent you can buy: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent for $265 ($264 off) Our favorite Goruck rucksack : Goruck GR1 Rucksack for $292 ($73 off) Grab a new GoPro : GoPro Hero 13 Black Action Camera $340 ($60 off) The best sleeping pad for most people : Sea To Summit Comfort Plus Si Sleeping Mat for $89 ($79 off) A great backpacking sleeping bag : Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass Gore Text 15 Sleeping Bag for $214 ($70 off) Our favorite bikepacking tent : Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 Bikepacking Tent for $441 ($134 off) A fat tire ebike for less: Aventon Aventure.2 for $1,599 ($400 off) WIRED's Black Friday 2024 Coverage Absolute Best Deals Tech Deals Deals Under $50 Apple Deals Walmart Deals Best Buy Deals Kindle Deals and Amazon Devices TV Deals Phone Deals Headphone Deals Laptop Deals Soundbar Deals Gaming Deals Toy Deals Camera Deals Dyson Deals Kitchen Deals Coffee Deals All-Clad Deals Beauty Deals LED Face Mask Deals Therabody Deals Travel Deals Mattress Deals Nomad Deals Branch Deals Black Friday Shopping Tips Jump to a Category Deals on Tents Backpack Deals Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Pad Deals Deals on Ebikes and Scooters Camping Deals Deals on Apparel and Rain Jackets Deals on Cameras and Drones Other Great Outdoor Deals The Best Deals on Tents Camping is intense! Yup, I'm just going to keep putting that joke in any time I write about tents, because it never gets old. But your tent will. If you need a new one, there are some good ones on sale. We've spent years testing tents , and many of our favorites are on sale now. REI Co-op Half Dome SL 2+ Tent for $209 (140 off) REI's Half Dome tent series is probably the most popular backpacking tent around. I can't tell you how many of these I've seen on the trail. It's reasonably priced (especially on sale), rugged, simple to set up, and offers generous living space for two with gear. The tent body is made of 40-denier ripstop nylon for durability at the base and on the floor, with 20-denier nylon mesh (both fabrics are Bluesign-approved). It also comes with a footprint, which is a rarity these days. The tent poles are aluminum and interchangeable, which makes them easy to set up and take down. The Copper Spur below is lighter, but with a packed weight of just under 4 pounds, the 2-person Half Dome isn't too heavy when split between two people. MSR Elixir 3-Season Tent (4-Person) for $245 ($165 off) Our favorite lightweight family backpacking tent , the MSR Elixir 4 tent isn't quite as pricey as options like the Big Agnes Copper Spur, but it's not much heavier. I've spent quite a few nights in here with three kids, and there was plenty of interior space. That said, three adults will be more comfortable than four. The mesh at the top provides great ventilation on warm summer nights and the crossover pole helps it stand up well in the wind. The 3-person size is also on sale for $208. Mountain Hardwear Bridger 6-Person Tent for $522 ($427 off) Do you go all out when you go out? No one at our group campsite could believe the size of our Bridger 6, especially since it packs down to around the same size as our four-person MSR Habitude . Even though the assembly is pretty simple and fast. The tent floor is a whopping 90 square feet, big enough to fit two huge air mattresses. The enormous vestibule is another 90 square feet, which is big enough to fit multiple mountain bikes. The full-coverage fly kept us pretty warm while camping with 40-degree nights, but there are also two saloon doors. On lazy days, there’s plenty of room to roll up the doors, admire the lake, and take a nap. — Adrienne So ★ Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent for $265 ($264 off) The Big Agnes Copper Spur series is the king of ultralight tents and this is the absolute lowest price we've seen (which probably means a new model next year). I've used the two-person and four-person models (on sale for $560) over the years, and Big Agnes has continually refined the design to the point that these are pretty near perfect. This is a high-quality, well-designed tent. It's lightweight, easy to set up, and stable even in strong winds. The steep sidewalls give you more livable space than most tents and the “awning” design (with trekking poles or sticks) is great. The only complaint I have is the price, but on sale, it's a little easier to handle. ★ Nemo Dagger Osmo 2P Tent for $371 ($158 off) If I had to pick just one tent to own, this is it. The Dagger Osmo 2P ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is a stout, low-to-the-ground (peak height is 42 inches), incredibly sturdy tent—it holds up well even in high winds (45 mph when I was testing). Pair the sturdiness with large, spacious vestibules and a roomy interior, with excellent stargazing potential thanks to the mesh roof, and you have a great backcountry tent. If you want something roomier, the three-person version is also on sale for $420 ($180 off) . Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 Bikepacking Tent for $441 ($134 off) Bikepacking (backpacking on a bike) is (if it isn't already) the next big thing. Brands like Big Agnes are even designing tents with shorter pole lengths, enabling them to fit between drop handlebars, or in panniers. The Copper Spur UL3 Bikepacking tent is our favorite of the bunch we've tested. It weighs just 3 pounds, 11 ounces (1.6 kilos), and has enough space for two (a squeeze for three). It’s also available in lighter, smaller, one- and two-person options, all with twin vestibules and doors, hidden helmet storage, and external webbing for hanging out wet clothes. Grab yourself one of the hammock-style Gear Lofts ($13) , which create a huge stash space without cluttering the tent floor. Sea to Summit Telos Plus 3-Person Tent for $325 ($325 off) If you like to camp in the fall or spring, then you need a tent that’s a little more robust to keep out the wind, the cold, and the elements. That typically means your tent is heavier and bulkier, but Sea and Summit's new “3-plus season” tent is capable enough in almost any weather while staying crazy light—just 3 pounds and 12 ounces for this three-person model. I used it on a 5-day trip to Loon Lake in northern California in early October, a true “shoulder season” trip with daytime highs in the 80s, nighttime lows in the 40s, and overnight winds of up to 60 mph. My favorite design detail is that the pole bag is kept rigid by an insert of opaque white plastic. Clip it to the tent’s ceiling, pop in your headlamp, and illuminate your abode. — Michael Calore Sea to Summit Alto TR1 for $250 ($250 off) The Alto TR1 is our top pick for lightweight 1-person tents . I'm currently testing the Hilleberg Akto , which I like a little better as an all-around and colder weather solo tent, but the Sea to Summit TR1 is still a great choice if you're primarily in warmer climates. The TR1 did outstanding in our testing on the abrasive volcanic rock and high winds of the north shore of Hawaii, and at this price, you really can't go wrong. All of Sea to Summit's tents are 50 percent off right now . Backpack Deals We've been testing day packs for years, and a few of our favorites are on sale now. Mystery Ranch Coulee 40 Pack for $179 ($60 off) Mystery Ranch's Coulee 30 pack ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is everything you need in a good hiking day pack. This deal is for the slightly larger 40L version, which is the same, just, um, bigger (there are a limited number of the 30L on sale at Public Lands for $113 ($75 off) ). The suspension is cushy and provides a comfortable carry even with heavy loads. Mystery Ranch's Signature Y-shaped zippers offer easy access to all your gear, and there are five externally accessible pockets for things you want close to your hand. The smaller Coulee 20L is also on sale for $135 ($40 off) , though I have not tested that model. Goruck GR1 Rucksack for $292 ($73 off) The Goruck GR1 ( 7/10, WIRED Review ) is my favorite backpack for everything but hiking. (That's when I turn to the Mystery Ranch above, thanks to its nice hip belt.) I've had mine for several years and it looks pretty much like the day I got it. The 1000D cordura resists wear like no other fabric I've used. I fully expect this thing to outlive me. The GR1 has a lot more storage space than it looks like it would, with lots of useful pockets, including a protective laptop compartment. My one gripe is the back packet zipper, which I find difficult to unzip when the pack is full. Otherwise, this is as close to perfect as a pack is likely to get. Goruck GR2 Rucksack for $262 ($113 off) I have just started testing the GR2, which is similar to the GR1, but with some larger options (I have the 34L), and additional pockets that make it good for travel. Like the original, the GR2 is massively overbuilt with 1000D cordura on the back and sides. Like the GR1, this has 210D cordura on the back panel and underside of the shoulder straps, which is a bit softer and easier on those merino T-shirts we love. The GR2 also has two compartments, each with 3 pockets, including a built-in field pocket , all of which adds up to plenty of ways to organize your gear even before you start putting stuff on all that MOLLE webbing. Mountainsmith Tour 9L Lumbar Pack for $67 ($22 off) Our favorite lumbar pack , the Tour is loaded with pockets, which gives you far more stash spaces than would seem possible in a pack this size. We've had no trouble fitting a change of clothes and a couple of meals in here, in addition to the gear you'll need for a full day on the trail or a bike. The 13L version is also on sale for $75 ($25 off) . Deuter Speed Lite 30L Backpack for $113 ($37 off) I own a slightly older version of this Deuter day pack, and the suspension system is so comfortable that I regularly load it with way more than the recommended weight and have had no problems. I found the same to be true of this updated version when I tested it. It's a comfortable, capable day pack, and Deuter's ventilation system is the best I've used. The biggest discount here is only for the yellow pack, but it's a great deal. JanSport Inbound Backpack for $48 ($32 off) Every high school kid has a JanSport. Except for those who just want a JanSport, which was me in high school. I wrote that once and JanSport reached out and ended up sending me the InBound to try. It was as good as it seemed back when in high school. You get a spacious main compartment, side bottle pockets, and an interior padded 15-inch laptop sleeve (that was not a thing when I was in high school). There's also a nice zippered vertical front pocket. This deal is only on the blue color, the others are less of a deal at $72. Deuter Kid Comfort Active Carrier for $203 ($67 off) My kid started his hiking career in this pack, which carried him from the mountains of Colorado to the hot barren mesas of Chaco Canyon. It's not cheap (though this deal takes some of the pain away), but it's well-made, and, most important, stable and comfortable. It's also the easiest kid-hiking-pack to get on and off, which you will inevitably do, a lot. REI Co-op Tarn 40 Kids' Backpack for $65 ($65 off) This internal frame kids served all my children well from the ages of about eight on up to 12. That will of course vary depending on your kid's size and growth rate, but we had two, and one made it through two different kids, so they're pretty durable (my kids typically only spend about a week a year on the trail). There's plenty of storage space and a couple of extra pockets to help organize. We've also used it as a carry-on on several trips. Peak Design 50-L Travel Duffel for $124 ($32 off) The times I want a duffel bag are rare, but they're nice when you're flying a bunch of gear and don't want to pack so much as have a bag swallow your stuff. We'll sort it out at the destination is my motto. In those cases, I like this Peak Design duffel, and its larger cousin, the 80-liter model. They're very well made, with heavy zippers that have never snagged in my testing. You can wear it as a backpack, or use the shoulder strap. REI Co-op Big Haul 28 Duffel for $50 ($50 off) REI's Big Haul Duffel is perfect for getting your gear to where you need it , whether that's a flight to Nepal or a drive to Florida. This bag swallows an impressive amount of stuff and remains comfortable. It's got plenty of straps and handles to help you get everything secured and carry in comfort. This is the smallest bag in the line, but it's still a pretty good size, enough to haul climbing gear for one. Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Pad Deals For more on our favorite sleeping bags, be sure to check out our guides to the best sleeping bags and best sleeping pads , ★ Therm-a-Rest Vesper 32F Quilt for $274 ($156 off) If you're looking for a solid three-season quilt and don't want to pay custom quilt prices, this is our top pick . The top-of-the-line Vesper has everything you could ask for in a lightweight quilt. It weighs less than a pound, and ratcheting down the included comprehension sack will get it to roughly the size of a Nalgene bottle. The 900-fill down insulation (more on fill power here ) was more than toasty enough for nights in the low 40s in the Canadian Rockies. The down is hydrophobic, which means condensation on tent walls shouldn't be an issue. Nemo Disco 15 Endless Promise Sleeping Bag for $180 ($120 off) Our top pick for side sleepers , we love Nemo's Disco 15. This down mummy bag was designed with a "spoon shape" for side sleepers and has a little extra room in the elbows and knees so you can roll over onto your side without feeling like you're slipping into a straight jacket. It's built for temps down to 15 degrees and has zippered gills you can open to avoid overheating in the 40s, though I kept them all closed in the mid-30s and wasn't overly warm. Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass Gore-Tex 15 Sleeping Bag for $256 ($139 off) The Bishop Pass is our favorite backcountry sleeping bag , this is the Gore-Tex version, which is the same thing, with a Gore-Tex shell. Normally we'd say you don't need it, but at this price, why not? What we love about the Bishop Pass is that strikes the best compromise for most backpackers, being warm enough for the shoulder seasons and light enough (2 pounds, 5.4 ounces) that you won't mind it even when you barely need it in the summer. The lighter, 30-degree model can be had for $146 ($119 off) . Nemo Forte 35F Synthetic Sleeping Bag for $135 ($45 off) Nemo's Forte 20 is a 35-degree synthetic-fill sleeping bag, making it a good choice for summer. I tested the slightly warmer 15F version, which is our favorite synthetic ba g, but aside from fill, the two are the same. What I like most about this bag, and nearly all of Nemo's sleeping bags, is the wider cut through the torso area down to the knees. Like the Therm-a-Rest Questar above, this bag is almost a hybrid of a mummy bag and your father's good old 1970s square sleeping bag. Which is to say, this bag is roomy. Sea To Summit Comfort Plus Si Sleeping Mat for $89 ($79 off) If you want just one pad that's plush enough for car camping yet reasonably lightweight (2 pounds, 2 ounces for the regular size linked here) and small enough for backpacking, this is the pad to get. That's why it's our favorite sleeping pad. There are lighter pads, there are comfier pads, but the Comfort Plus sets itself apart by being able to gracefully slip between those worlds. Deals on Ebikes and Scooters Rad Power Bikes RadRunner 2 for $1,299 ($200 off) Rad Power Bikes is one of the first direct-to-consumer ebike companies, and as such has been the subject of some painful lawsuits as the market has grown. However, it's still a very popular bike, very affordable, and very fun and easy to ride. All of their bikes are on sale but most people seem to ride the basic RadRunner, which is insanely powerful for the price, if a little unwieldy for smaller riders. Aventon Aventure.2 for $1,599 ($400 off) We've tried several Aventon models and appreciate the high level of quality for a relatively low price point (the accessories are better than Lectric's, too). This fat-tire ebike ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is affordable, versatile, and has built-in commuter essentials. We also like the Soltera.2 and the Abound , both of which are on sale. Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser for $1,095 ($300 off) Ride1Up positions the Cafe Cruiser as its light, affordable daily cruiser ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ) but with a 750W motor and a 65-pound frame, it's pretty big and powerful for an entry-level bike. Still, at this price (and for these specs!) it's a pretty amazing value. GoTrax F2 Folding Ebike for $525 ($280 off) We've tested several GoTrax's escooters but we like the company's folding, step-through ebike as well. It has the usual pitfalls of a cheap folding ebike (heavy, awkward) but it has a decent 20-mile range and all the commuter essentials for well under $1,000. Wing Freedom X for $1,098 ($500 off)—Use Code CYBER This is the affordable, DTC version of the now-defunct VanMoof ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ). You get a stylish, attractive bike for not a lot of money. All of Wing's bikes are currently on sale. Camping Deals Coleman Cascade 3-in-1 Camp Stove for $157 ($52 off) My favorite of Coleman's current lineup, the Cascade 3-in-1 ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) features heavy-duty cast iron, comes with a cast-iron griddle and grill, and can fit a 12-inch pan and a 10-inch pan side by side. It's all-around sturdier and more robust than other Coleman stoves, well worth the extra money if you're serious about camp cooking . NRS Heavy-Duty Straps for 20 Percent off NRS straps are a must-have for anyone strapping ... well, anything to anything. Whether you're a river guide cinching gear to your boat or, like me just want to make sure the paddleboards stay on the Jeep roof, these are the best straps I've ever used. I have NRS straps that are over 30 years old and still going strong. These are rarely on sale too. I find the 1" straps the most useful. You can grab a 2-pack of 6-footers for $13 or a 2-pack of 12-footers for $14 . Kelty Low Loveseat for $78 ($52 off) This chair is the coziest way to hang out around camp. It is somewhat huge, heavy, and awkward to fold up and carry, but it's all worth it once you cram everyone you love on it in front of a fire. The even bigger and more awkward three-person version is also on sale for $108 ($71 off) . Petzl Tikka Headlamp for $26 ($9 off) Our favorite headlamp , I've been using a Tikka for backpacking since 2012, and it's still going strong, which beats every other headlamp or flashlight I've tried in that time. To be fair, the headband gave out long ago, and I replaced it with some shock cord, but the headlamp itself is a testament to Petzl's durability. The Tikka is not the brightest light. The models linked here top out at 350 lumens, but it's plenty of light to cook by in the backcountry or trace the source of that transmission fluid dripping off the oil pan. Don't forget to grab some AAA batteries (we recommend Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable batteries ). Sawyer Micro Squeeze Water Filter for $28 ($5 off) I'm still testing the Sawyer micro squeeze filter, but so far I like it. It's tiny and weighs just 2.5 ounces. It works with a straw or the included pouch, and there's an adapter to fill your hydration reservoir directly (provided it uses the semi-standard 28-mm threads). At this size, you're going to have to back-flush it fairly frequently, but it's great for short trips. For longer hauls, I'd go with the regular size, which is also on sale for $35 ($11 off) . Leatherman, Wave+ Multi-tool for $96 ($25 off) The Leatherman Wave+ is our top pick multi-tool . The tools flip out and retract with just the right mix of smoothness and tension, and the mix of tools here is very useful—two stainless steel knives, one with a straight edge and the other serrated, along with 16 other tools, including a wood-and-metal file, a diamond-coated file, a saw, Phillips screwdriver bits, scissors, an 8-inch ruler, and a wire stripper, as well as a bottle and can opener. LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for $10 ($9 off) If you hike, camp, or have a disaster kit at the ready, a LifeStraw is a good thing to include. It filters contaminated water without batteries or other accessories. Grab a BPA-free bottle to filter into and you'll get out 99.99 percent of waterborne bacteria for up to 1,000 gallons of water. By then you'll have either made it to the survivors' camp in Vermont or the zombies will have won. Deals on Apparel and Rain Jackets REI Co-op Magma 850 Down Hoodie for $149 ($99 off) We're hard at work testing puffer jackets for an upcoming guide, but this REI Magma 850 is an early standout. With an 850-fill-power goose down and a recycled ripstop nylon shell, this is one of the warmer contenders I've used. I like the zippered chest pocket (there are also two zippered hand pockets, one of which the jacket stuffs into), and at 12.5 ounces this jacket is surprisingly light for how warm it is. The front zip has a wind flap, and there's even a draft collar, something you hardly ever find in a puffer at this price. Even better the hood uses an elastic cord in the back that allows you to cinch it down and keep cold air from blowing in the sides. I've worn this in some pretty icy winds coming off Lake Superior I haven't been anything but warm. REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket for $90 ($39 off) Our favorite bargain puffer jacket, the REI 650 Down Jacket isn't as warm as the Magma above, but it's hard to argue with this price. If you need a cheap, packable jacket for those cold summits or star gazing on chilly nights, this is the jacket to get. The stiched-through baffles mean this one isn't as warm and is more susceptible to wind, but at this price, it's worth buying. REI Co-op 650 Down Vest for $70 ($30 off) If you want to go even lighter, the 650 Down Vest is the same as the jacket above, minus the arms. Provided you have a good base layer on your arms, a vest is the way to go for more active pursuits. I use a vest for all but the coldest weather since my arms rarely get cold and I prefer to have an increased range of motion. Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie for $196 ($84 off) This is another very nice down jacket, well, technically a hybrid fill jacket. Fjallraven uses 700-fill-power down for most of the jacket but adds synthetic recycled polyester insulation over the shoulders to help resist moisture. This is a mid-layer jacket where I live, but it does have a nylon shell that resists wind and water if you're wearing it as an outer layer. The hood does a good job of keeping you warm while staying out of your way thanks to two drawcord tabs at the front, and an elastic drawcord at the back. Darn Tough Merino Wool Socks for 25 Percent off Darn Tough makes our favorite Merino wool socks . Just about all varieties are on sale, but if you don't know where to start I like these Midweight Hiking Socks for $22 ($7 off) for cooler adventures in fall and spring. Prana Heavana Leggings for $53 ($36 off) Prana is having a bonkers sale right now, offering 40 percent off certain styles. Reviewer Nena Farrell and I are both fans and have recommended Prana leggings in our Gifts for Mom guide. The fabric is ridiculously soft and thin, especially if you like hot yoga. The Halle Pants are also my go-to climbing and hiking pants. —Adrienne So Branwyn Merino Bralette for $36 ($12 off) The Branwyn bra is in our essential guide to merino wool , but I like it enough that I wrote a whole separate rave about it. Merino wool is a miracle fiber—it’s renewable, odor-resistant, regulates your temperature and doesn’t leave you with a terminal case of swamp booty should you choose to jump in a river with your hiking clothes on. What’s not to like? Everything at Branwyn is 25 percent off through Cyber Monday. —Adrienne So Smartwool Merino Base Layer Crew for $86 ($34 off) Base layers are the perfect place for merino wool , and this is our top-pick merino base layer . The softness of this Smartwool shirt is hard to beat, and the 100 percent merino means you get all of the temperature-regulating, odor-resisting goodness of wool without any synthetic fibers to drag it down. Huckberry Flint and Tinder Waxed Canvas Jacket for $304 ($54 off) I am a waxed canvas convert. It's not breathable, and it can be heavy so it's not necessarily the best when you're heading into the backcountry, but if you want to say dry, it beats everything else I've tried. It also looks a lot better. This waxed canvas jacket from Huckberry is far and away the most stylish thing on this page and the wool lining means you'll stay warm and dry. I have the flannel-lined version and wish I had the wool. Don't be me, get the wool version. La Sportiva Tarantulace Climbing Shoes for $67 ($22 off) It's winter, and it's getting colder. That means you're probably heading to the climbing gym . These are some of the most comfortable and cheapest climbing shoes around, so they're great for all-day wear, or beginners whose feet haven't entirely converted into calloused toe claws. Hoka Speedgoat 5 Trail Running Shoes for $125 ($30 off) The Hoka Speedgoats are our favorite trail running shoes , which makes sense since the company started off making trail running shoes. It's roomy in the toes for long runs and has a durable Vibram outsole, and it's noticeably lighter than previous Speedgoat models. —Adrienne So Altra Outroad 2 Trail Running Shoes for $85 ($55 off) This is my favorite running shoe. Altra's shoes have a roomy toe box and are zero drop, which means that they're flat—the heels are not higher than the toes. which improves your posture and strengthens your lower leg. The Outroads are designed for both trails and roads. This is a very good all-in-one shoe over a variety of terrain. —Adrienne So Stance Dimensions Crew Socks (3 Pairs) for $33 ($22 off) I bought these running socks earlier this year to replenish my stock, and I'm now going to buy more because this is an unbelievable deal. These are great for winter running—synthetic quick-dry fibers are good for the rain, and the crew height keeps wet mud and dirt from sliding in next to my skin. —Adrienne So Rab Glaceon Pro Women's Down Jacket for $255 Rab's Glaceon Pro is an early front-runner in our hoodie testing (guide coming soon). It's the warmest of the bunch of tried, especially for how small it packs down. The ripstop nylon shell is reasonably tough (my puppy has failed to rip it) and windproof. It'll hold off a drizzle pretty well, but anything more than that and you'll want to pull out a shell. I like the adjustability of the hood and the two-way front zipper for accessing a climbing harness when you're wearing one. Outdoor Research Foray II Men's Rain Jacket for $135 ($90 off) I tested this jacket all summer and into the fall (admittedly, one of the driest ever where I live), and it's performed incredibly well. I've twice had it in significant downpours and not had it wet through and the size zippers give you great ventilation options. The entire jacket is seam-taped, adding to the waterproofing, and the stretchiness of the shell fabric is great for a large range of motion when you're hiking with a pack on. The only downside is that it weighs 15.3 ounces, which is on the heavy side. Deals on Cameras and Drones When you're getting after it outdoors, these cameras and drones will help save the memories. GoPro Hero 13 Black Action Camera $340 ($60 off) GoPro's new Hero 13 ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ) is a fantastic action camera. The Hero 13 features a new interchangeable lens system, with Macro, Ultra Wide, and Anamorphic lenses, plus a set of four neutral density filters (all sold separately). The Hero 13 Black even autodetects which lens is attached and changes settings accordingly. It's a slick, if expensive, system, but this deal at least saves you some cash on the base camera, which you can put toward an extra lens. Except the Anamorphic, which won't be available until 2025. GoPro Hero 12 Black Action Camera for $296 ($103 off) This deal has been running since the new Hero 13 Black launched earlier this year, and if you have the extra $40 to spare, I highly recommend the Hero 13 over the 12. But if you're on a tight budget, or don't have any interest in the interchangeable lenses, the Hero 12 uses the same sensor and makes a great action cam . DJI Air 3 Drone for $879 ($220 off) The DJI Air 3 ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ) remains one of our favorite drones , despite the brand new Air 3S. The new Air 3S brings larger sensors, which do improve the video a bit, but the Air 3 is still a fantastic dual-camera drone and, at this price, a better value than the new Air 3S. DJI Osmo Action 4 Standard Combo for $209 ($90 off) The Osmo Action 4 has been surpassed by the new Osmo Action 5 , but the Action 4 ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is still a fantastic action camera, especially at this price. The magnetic mounting system is great, the menu system makes switching between modes a snap, and the resulting photos and video are excellent. Insta360 Ace Pro Action Camera for $300 ($50 off) Insta360's Ace Pro was just replaced by the new Ace Pro 2 , but this is a good deal on what is still a great camera. Capable of recording up to 8K 24 fps, with solid stabilization, good color handling, and a Leica lens to boot, there's a lot to love here, especially for only $300. That said unless you think you're going to use the 8K (which is only usable in still shots, not action footage), the Osmo Action 4 deal above is a better value. Insta360 X4 360 Camera for $425 ($75 off) Our favorite 360 camera, Insta360's X4 ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ), features a 1/2-inch sensor capable of 8K video, which is as high-resolution as you can get in a 360-degree camera. The 8K resolution means you can reframe your footage to fit rectangular video formats and still have high-quality clips sharp enough to mix with other sources. It doesn’t reframe to 4K (you'll have to wait for 12K footage before that's possible), but it's good enough for anything you'd put on social media. Other Great Outdoor Deals ★ Firebox G2 Stainless Steel Wood Stove for $65 ($10 off) I love my Firebox stove . There are fewer and fewer places you can use these thanks to backcountry burn bans, but when you can, there's nothing like cooking real food over an open flame after a long day's hike. The Firebox is a stainless steel box you can fold up to be flat for easy packing. Most of the company's stoves are on sale right now, but the G2 is the best for most people. If you regularly cook for larger groups, the best option is the Freestyle Everything Kit for $120 ($74 off) . Solo Bonfire Essential Bundle 2.0 for $280 ($50 off) The Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 is our top pick for backyard fire pits . At 19.5 inches wide and 15 inches tall, it’s small enough to toss in the trunk and lug to the beach or a tailgate but big enough to gather a group of a half-dozen friends around without feeling like you’re sitting around a Sterno can. Made from stainless steel, it weighs about 25 pounds. This deal is on the bundle, which gets you the firepit, lid, stand, and handy carrying bag. If you want something bigger, the Yukon is also on sale for $580 ($70 off) . BioLite FirePit+ for $187 ($62 off) Our pick for the best hibachi grill and fire pit , Biolite's FirePit+ is a sleek, portable, mesh box with removable legs, a hibachi-style grill, and an ash bin. It has a rechargeable 10,400 mAh battery that can power 51 air jets for up to 26 hours. This allows you to precisely control the flame, and to some extent, the heat of the fire. It’s Bluetooth-compatible so you can tweak the airflow—and how high the flames go—on your phone. The FirePit+ can burn charcoal or wood and, thanks to the fans, you don't need a charcoal chimney and you'll never struggle to get a fire burning. Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator for $300 ($100 off) Garmin's InReach Mini is the satellite communicator in the ultralight and backpacking worlds. It's tiny, weighs a mere 3.5 ounces, and uses the super-fast Iridium satellite network, so you can send a rapid SOS from pretty much anywhere, even the middle of the Indian Ocean. It can also do more mundane things like allow friends and family to track daily progress via a real-time map. As you would expect, it plays nicely with compatible Garmin watches. Garmin Forerunner 255 for $250 ($100 off) The Garmin Forerunner 255 ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is aimed at runners and triathletes, with plenty of mileage and stats available for running and swimming. There are also pretty solid sleep-tracking features and the battery life is great. The Forerunner generally knew what I was doing, logging pushups, walking, running, and resting without issue. It's particularly well-suited to interval training thanks to the automatic detection. Fitbit Charge 6 for $100 ($50 off) The Fitbit Charge 6 ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ) tops our guide to the best fitness trackers thanks to the perfect balance of attractiveness, affordability, accessibility, and ease of use. Google’s takeover has led to several smart integrations with Google Maps, Google Wallet, and YouTube Music Premium. This tracker can keep tabs on your skin temperature, 24/7 heart rate, activities, and sleep schedule. You can also expect week-long battery life, but the best features still require the $10/month Fitbit Premium subscription. — Simon Hill Garmin Instinct 2 for $300 ($100 off) This is still the watch I would wear if I didn’t have to test other fitness trackers —and I’m not the only one, because Garmin’s Instinct line is one of the company’s most popular. It has all the backcountry capabilities of the higher-end Fenix and Epix lines, but it’s more affordable because it ditches the fancy screen. The Instinct 2 Solar’s battery life lasted almost three weeks when I tested it in Hawaii, where I used it to keep track of everything from trail runs to keeping me oriented toward the beach when snorkeling. — Adrienne So Rocky Talkie 5-Watt Two Radios for $288 ($72 off) WIRED reviewer Adrienne So reviewed the 2-watt version of these bulletproof walkie-talkies ( 8/10, WIRED Review ), and Gear Team director Martin Cizmar, has been testing this version, which has more than twice the power and promises a half-mile of carry-in even the least advantageous of environments (and up to 35 miles when circumstances are right). They’ve got USB-C charging and IP56 water resistance and the signal has been clear and strong in our testing. This is the first time the 5-watt version of the Rocky Talkie radio has ever been on sale. Isle Switch 3 Inflatable Paddleboard and Kayak for $695 ($300 off) The Isle Switch 3 is by far my favorite inflatable that I have tested. Do you want to paddle out in glassy, still water and lie on your belly with your dog and watch fish? Then it’s a big, solid, stable paddleboard with a grippy, soft surface perfect for puppy paws. Is there a bit of a breeze and you want to put the full force of your paddling muscles in play? Slip the hooks into the eyes and tighten the straps to put on a big, comfy seat and foot brace. (I used mine as a seat for the kids behind me.) Even the paddle converts from an SUP paddle to a kayak paddle. I can’t believe I’ve never tried one of these before. This deal includes a free electric pump. —Adrienne So ★ Bote Breeze Aero Inflatable Paddle Board for $489 ($80 off) The Breeze Aero ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ) inflatable paddleboard is well-built and durable, and it packs up reasonably small. It's also one of the stablest paddleboards I've tried, making it a good choice for beginners. It's easy to unpack and easy to use. Inflating is something of a chore with the hand pump, but once it's deflated, it's not hard to stow it away again. This deal is on the 11'6" model (which supports up to 355 pounds). Oru Beach LT Folding Kayak for $959 ($240 off) It's been a while since we tested an Oru, but every time we have we've loved them. These clever kayaks fold up like origami, packing down to the size of a small suitcase. Most weigh around 25 pounds and they're all on sale . The Beach LT is in the middle of the lineup, both in terms of size and price. It's a bit wider than some models, making it more stable and giving you a spacious cockpit that's more beginner-friendly. —Adrienne So Yeti 1000X Portable Power Station for $500 ($400 off) Goal Zero's Yeti 1000X is a good choice for off-grid camping. It's got enough power to recharge all your devices for a week or more, as well as power smaller appliances like a portable fridge. It offers a 60-watt USB-C power delivery port, two USB-A ports, a 12-volt port, and two 120-volt AC ports (1,500 watts, 3,000 watts surge). You can pair it with some solar panels if you're going to be off-grid for longer periods of time. Peak Design Out Front Bike Mount V2 for $56 ($14 off) I recently stopped putting my phone on my handlebars when I ride, but when I did this was by far the best mount I ever used. It uses Peak Design's SlimLink magnetic mounting system, which is super strong and easy to take on and off, just press the button, and your phone releases. It'll fit a large range of handlebars and can go out front as the name implies, but also below or behind if you want to position it differently. The only catch is you need to use Peak Design's phone case for this to work.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info MasterChef host Gregg Wallace is facing allegations of ‘inappropriate sexual comments’ , and viewers of MasterChef: The Professionals have taken to social media to share their opinions as the series continues tonight. Fans of the cooking series thought the show might be postponed after the allegations hit headlines on Thursday (28 November). However the BBC confirmed the series would be going ahead in its regular slot. During a news update on BBC Radio 4 this evening, listeners were informed: "The BBC has confirmed tonight's episode of MasterChef will still be shown on BBC One." Viewers took to social media to express what they thought about the show continuing. One viewer wrote: “Glad that the BBC is going to continue to air the remaining #Masterchef professional series. Some great talented chefs that deserve their cooking to be seen.” Another added: “Re #bbc considering postponing #Masterchef cos #Greggwallace is on........... most of us watch for the contestants and their efforts. The presenters are secondary. It's all about the contestants and audience.” A third agreed: “The @BBCNews shouldn't pull the current series of @MasterChefUK It's not the contestants' fault, they shouldn't be punished. They've been punished enough working with @GreggAWallace We viewers are invested & deserve to see the end.” Last week, Gregg declared he would be taking a break from his role on MasterChef following the emergence of historical allegations against him. Gregg, who has presented the series with John Torode since 2005, has previously hit out at allegations surrounding his conduct. The 60-year-old said yesterday (Sunday, 1 December) that a string of accusations relating to his behaviour on the show had come from a "handful of middle-class women of a certain age". The BBC star has denied behaviour of a sexually harassing nature after 13 people came forward last week with allegations of inappropriate comments. Posting on Instagram this afternoon (Monday, 2 December) , he seemed visibly emotional as he said: "I want to apologise for any offence that I caused with my post yesterday and any upset that I may have caused to a lot of people. "I wasn't in a good headspace when I posted it, I've been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion, I felt very alone, under siege yesterday when I posted it. It's obvious to me I need to take some time out now while this investigation is underway. I hope you understand, and I do hope you will accept this apology." About the complaints made against him, Gregg’s lawyer has firmly stated: "It is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature"Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Expectant Arsenal fans were left stunned when Kieran Tierney was overlooked for a comeback cameo during his side's 5-2 trouncing of West Ham. Mikel Arteta plumped for Oleksandr Zinchenko to earn valuable minutes as the Gunners faithful successfully managed to get #WeWantTierney to trend on social media. But Arsenal fans were left wanting in their pursuit of a first competitive appearance from the Scotland international in 18 months. The Ukraine international replaced Riccardo Calafiori who appeared to signal towards a groin complaint as he spoke to his manager. An injury for the Italy international – with Ben White also out – would offer more potential game time for both Zinchenko and Tierney with the duo in the mix to contribute during a bonkers winter calendar. Tierney returned to the matchday squad and is expected to be in the mix for minutes. Arsenal fans were left lamenting Tierney being left on the bench at the London Stadium, but a leading fan account claimed it's "not what it seems" with Arteta likely choosing not to replace an injured Calafiori with the returning Tierney. The Celtic hero is expected to be in the squad once more for the visit of Manchester United to the Emirates Stadium. Follow Record Sport on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can also follow our dedicated Rangers and Celtic podcast pages and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We've also entered the world of WhatsApp with our Rangers community and Celtic community up and running. Follow NOW to get your club's latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone.Joe Spagnolo: Liberals’ war of the roses must end
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Footage shows NY inmate beaten by guards before deathArticle content Southern resident killer whales always look sharp in their smooth black-and-white body suits, but now they have a new accessory. Dead salmon hats. Researchers in Washington have noticed at least one orca balancing salmon on its head in Puget Sound this fall, taking the dead fish for a ride and possibly snacking on the salmon at its leisure. Sporting salmon-corpse lids isn’t exactly new behaviour for the southern residents. The phenomenon was first noticed in 1987, when for that one year, a female from K-pod started wearing a salmon on her head. Within a few weeks, the other endangered pods, J and L, decided to try the fish-hats on as well. Last month, J27 Blackberry, a 32-year-old male, was photographed exhibiting the same behaviour at Point No Point, Washington, off Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. Just why the orcas are doing it is a bit of a mystery. “Honestly, we have no idea why this started again, why it happens or why it seems to be started again,” Dr. Deborah Giles, a Friday Harbour-based researcher who heads the science teams at the Wild ORCA, told the Times Colonist on Friday. She said the fish-hat fad is likely linked to food availability in a certain place. Giles said there have been healthy salmon runs in Admiralty Inlet in Puget Sound, where all three pods have been spending a lot of time recently feeding on fish. And that’s generally been the area where some orcas have been spotted wearing salmon. Andrew Foote, an evolution ecologist at the University of Oslo in Norway, told New Scientist last week it’s possible that some of the original orcas who took part in the fish-hat fad are still around and remember it from before. The Times Colonist reached out to marine-mammal scientists at the Fisheries Department to see if the behaviour has been noticed in Canadian waters amid salmon runs on the Fraser River and other salmon spawning staging areas around Vancouver Island. The DFO did not immediately return the query. J-pod was spotted in Active Pass this week. New Scientist reported this week that large runs of chum salmon in South Puget Sound may be producing more food than the orcas can immediately eat, so they’re packing them on their heads. Giles told New Scientist that mammal-eating orcas have been seen carrying pieces of food under their pectoral fins, tucked in next to their bodies. Because salmon are smaller, the southern residents, which are fish eaters, may be using their heads instead. It isn’t clear how many other whales are exhibiting the behaviour, or if other pods are following suit, said Giles. It may be that the photographed orca was just playing with the salmon. Erin Gless of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, which represents about 30 whale-watching companies on both sides of the border, said there have been no reports of the behaviour from members because under agreements, whale watchers don’t view the southern residents. “It has been making its way around social media,” said Gless. “I think it’s more of a fun distraction [type] of story as opposed to a pressing whale one.” Giles agrees, saying the bigger issue is that endangered fish-eating orcas are facing dire threats in the Pacific Northwest with fish shortages, noise pollution from increasing shipping traffic that interferes with their ability to find food, and toxins and pollution in the water. The J-, K- and L-pods are down to just 73 orcas, according to the latest census completed in July by the Center for Whale Research, based in Friday Harbor, Washington. Two adult males were lost and a male calf that was born and counted in the census period subsequently died. A statement from the Center for Whale Research last month said research “clearly shows that survival rates are closely tied to Chinook salmon abundance,” adding recovery isn’t possible without an increase in that prey. Giles noted the salmon-hat phenomenon may show some pods are getting enough to eat now, “but they’re not getting enough to eat the entire year — both in the United States and Canada — and that’s a real cause for concern.” According to researchers, baleen whales such as grays and humpbacks often sport seaweed hats, something known as “kelping,” where they swim through seaweed, sometimes leaving it on their heads. Starting in 2025, boaters in the U.S. will be required to stay at least 1,000 yards from southern resident killer whales in Washington state waters. A Senate bill expands the existing setback from 300 to 400 yards. Canada’s regulations stipulate boaters must stay 400 metres from all killer whales in southern coastal waters from Ucluelet to Campbell River, and 200 metres in other areas. dkloster@times colonist.com
Electricsparks also known as MES is a Pakistani technology news website headquartered in Pakistan Islamabad, and operated by Tech Explorers. The website publishes news about technology and innovations. The website was launched on March 16, 2019, and uses Tech Explorers proprietary multimedia publishing platform. In 2020, the website was founded by Aizaz Khan, who later became the CEO of the company, with Fatima Khan named as the Editor-in-Chief. The main aim of MyElectricsparks is to deliver technology news across the world, helping their audience to advance their startups and grow their businesses. In today’s AI-driven era, MyElectricsparks strives to provide the latest tech news to its audience, fostering innovation and growth. MyElectricsparks has greatly assisted its audience by informing the world with the latest technology news through its media group, Tech Explorers. With a reach of 132.3 million and growing, MyElectricsparks continues to expand its influence and deliver valuable tech insights globally. MyElectricsparks has achieved significant growth. In just one year, not just its media group’s Facebook page garnered 132.3 million followers. But Additionally, on Threads, a Twitter rival, it amassed 7.1 million views in just 90 days. Additionally MyelectricSparks official Instagram Page gain 34.44 Million views in just 90 days. Myelectricsparks (MES) has built a strong reputation for delivering authentic and reliable news to its global audience. This commitment to accuracy and timely updates has garnered appreciation from tech enthusiasts all over the world. MES is dedicated to keeping its audience well-informed with the latest advancements and genuine news in the tech industry. Their goal is to ensure that tech lovers receive the most current and trustworthy information, helping them stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of technology.
Arista Networks Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsWhat is the image that you conjure up when you hear the term “able-bodied”? It means a person who has, and is in full control of, all bodily organs. But not everyone is so lucky. An estimated 1.3 billion people out of the world population of eight billion experience significant disability. This represents 16 percent of the world’s population, or in simple terms, one in six of us. Life is indeed difficult for those born with some sort of disability or those who get disabled later in life through accidents, disease and other circumstances. At the same time, many disabled people have unique talents and skills (inborn or acquired) which sometimes exceed those of able-bodied persons. Sometimes, Nature itself lends a hand to those who lack one or more cognitive functions. For example, it is rather well-known that most blind people have exceptional hearing that helps them navigate the world around them with minimal help. Hence the politically correct term “differently-abled” for those who suffer from some sort of disability. Overall, though, life is difficult for those experiencing some sort of disability. Many persons with disabilities die up to 20 years earlier than those without disabilities. Persons with disabilities have twice the risk of developing conditions such as depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke, obesity or poor oral health. According to the United Nations (UN), health inequities arise from unfair conditions faced by persons with disabilities, including stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers faced in the health system itself. Just to give an example, even some hospitals do not have access ramps for wheelchairs. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Sri Lanka’s first ever visually impaired MP The leadership of persons with disabilities is epitomised by the global disability rights movement’s slogan “Nothing About Us Without Us”. It connotes the basic requirements of participation, representation and inclusion and calls for persons with disabilities to actively shape the conditions of their lives. Promoting inclusive development One of the priorities of the global disability agenda is to advance the agency and leadership of persons with disabilities. In the past decades, persons with disabilities and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) have already championed for the changes in their communities, and have been leading many of the community-led initiatives not only to advance their own rights, and wellbeing but also promoting inclusive development for instance enabling universal access to basic services by all; they have done so by taking both targeted and mainstreaming approaches to disability inclusion through, among others, consultation, data collection and analysis, and support with advocacy and accountability efforts. The observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024 (IDPD 2024) on December 3 takes place against the backdrop of pivotal global developments, from the Summit of the Future to the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development. These key global Summits will complement one another in providing a continuous roadmap toward disability-inclusive and sustainable peace and development. By emphasising this complementarity, the theme chosen for the observance in 2024 aims to underscore the importance of leveraging the leadership of persons with disabilities to ensure disability-inclusive and sustainable peace and development for all. In this regard, a recent development in Sri Lanka bodes well. For the first time ever in Sri Lanka, a visually impaired person has become a Member of Parliament. This is a significant breakthrough, as he will be a beacon of hope for many other differently-abled persons to reach greater horizons in life. It is hoped that this will open the door to many more disabled persons to tread the same path. A disability should not be a liability to the person concerned or to the society. In other words, they can be productive and useful to society. One shortcoming we have witnessed in Sri Lanka is that many so-called “equal opportunity” employers are rather reluctant to recruit differently-abled persons. But there are many jobs that they can do with some training. For example, a visually impaired person can easily work as a telephone operator. A hearing impaired person can engage in clerical duties without any difficulty. Yet, only a few companies give them a chance. And it is extremely rare for a differently-abled person to become a company director or CEO here, though in other countries there are plenty of examples. Another bone of contention is the paucity or even outright lack of support services for the disabled community. Guide dogs for the legally blind are unheard of here, whereas it is very common abroad. Guide dogs are literally the eyes of visually impaired persons and allow them to live independently without having a permanent human guide. The Government or a charity (foreign funding is readily available) should begin a “training school” for guide dogs (the main breeds are Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Standard Poodles, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Boxers, Airedales, Collies and Doberman) in Sri Lanka, so that they can be allocated to visually impaired persons. Granted, maintaining a GR or BC is rather expensive, but again, a charity can step in. More books should be published in Braille and all equipment used by the blind should be allowed in duty and tax free. Another challenge The hearing impaired have another challenge – there are only around 10 professionally qualified sign language translators in the whole country. Only two channels employ sign language translators for news broadcasts, though Parliament proceedings are also shown with sign language interpretation. The country needs more real-time sign language interpreters. In the alternative, all TV programs should be subtitled in Sinhala and Tamil, as appropriate. All hearing aids and implants imports should be free of duties and taxes. Although all new buildings are supposed to be disabled-friendly, this is not always the case as we have observed in many instances. Many of them still do not have ramps for wheelchair access nor toilets designed for wheelchair users. While city planners have designed pebble effect sidewalks and crossings with audible signals for the visually impaired, such facilities have not been extended to most buildings. Even elevators are supposed to have tactile numbers for their benefit, but such lifts are few and far between. Also, there should be more outlets for making and selling prosthetics that benefit amputees, both congenital and accident cases. Again, all equipment for these persons should be free of import duties and taxes. Society has still not taken cognisance of silent disabilities, whereby a person may appear to be completely normal but is actually harbouring a disability within. Dementia is one such disability, of which even scientists know little about. The condition can, however, be really debilitating, not only for the patient but also for his or her family members. Some people may also be suffering inside from depression or other mental issues, which may take a heavy toll including suicide. It is best to seek counselling in such instances. Some physical diseases may also manifest as disabilities. Long Covid, a condition where some Covid-19 symptoms such as fatigue and joint pains last for a couple of years, can make a patient effectively bed-ridden. Then there are diseases that can gradually lead to permanent disability – a good example being Glaucoma, which can lead to blindness if not detected and treated early. Osteoporosis can be dangerous in the case of a fall. In fact, many disabilities can be prevented if preventive action and mindfulness are practised. It is no secret that many accidents happen in workplaces. Occupational Safety must be a priority for all workplaces, but especially so in the case of factories, construction sites and machinery operations. From helmets to boots to goggles, all safety precautions and protective wear regulations must be followed to avoid accidents. Motor accidents can also result in severe disabilities, mostly the loss of limbs. It is best to practice discipline while on the road, regardless of whether you are a motorist or a pedestrian. This can prevent most accidents. A disability may no longer be a lifetime sentence of suffering if technology has its way. If you remember TV serials such as Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman (well, I am a child of the 80s), they feature lead characters who have bionic or artificial implants that are way more powerful than natural organs such as eyes and hands. The hit movie Robocop featured a “dead” policeman who is brought back to life through such bionic implants. But this may be commonplace say, a decade or two from now. The biggest breakthroughs are reported from vision advancements targeted at the legally blind. Right now, “bionic” eyes work well only for those who have had sight previously, but solutions are on the way for those blind from birth or infancy. Some scientists have turned to Nature in the hunt for bionic vision. A team of engineers from the Center for Nanoparticle Research, Seoul National University, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, all in Korea, has developed a new type of artificial eye based on natural cat eyes. Latest research Meanwhile, results of the first clinical trial of Australia’s second-generation bionic eye have demonstrated ‘substantial improvement’ in four participants’ functional vision, daily activities and quality of life over a period of more than two and a half years. The bionic eye comprises an electrode array, designed by the Bionics Institute and the Center for Eye Research Australia, that is surgically implanted behind the eye. The electrode receives signals from a video camera mounted on glasses, which stimulate the patient’s retina. The camera converts images into electrical pulses delivered by the electrode array that activate retinal cells and create flashes of light called phosphenes to help patients detect edges, shapes and movement. Likewise, there are high hopes for those who have lost their limbs in accidents or even partially paralysed persons. Scientists have now realized that restoring full mobility for such persons means restoring the ability to sense touch and temperature, not just hold an object. However, many challenges remain because Somatosensation — the collection of senses that interpret touch, temperature, pain and body position — is dauntingly complex. Yet, rapid advances in prosthetics are likely to give a new lease of life for amputees and those who do not possess one or more limbs from birth. In fact, advanced exoskeletons could enable even totally paralysed persons to walk. The final, and perhaps the most controversial frontier in the battle against is gene editing in the womb itself. In other words, scientists are even now theoretically capable of identifying certain congenital diseases and defects in fetuses and rectifying some of them through gene editing techniques. But this is an ethical and moral minefield that many scientists do not want to venture into. It is indeed a moral dilemma, but what if gene editing can give a better life to a baby who would otherwise be deformed? Answering this question in the affirmative could give us a world without disabilities. Still, it is not an easy question to answer. Perhaps the future will bring better answers and better solutions to end all disabilities.
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