Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Popsicles made from polluted water, 200-year-old wine, a Super Nintendo World theme park and more

1. Early Reviews of Apple’s Just-Announced HomePod At Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, the tech giant confirmed a long-rumored and highly anticipated product: HomePod, the speaker that promises to marry high-quality audio with an intelligent assistant Siri. The in-house speaker has seven tweeters (each with its own amp), six mics, a high-excursion woofer and measures seven inches in height. Apple gave just a handful of publications …

California’s Coffee Crop Growth

Between San Diego and Santa Barbara, two dozen California farms have begun to grow coffee bushes under the shade of their aging avocado trees. This is the first commercial effort stateside, aside from Hawaii’s 800 coffee farm deep Kona bean production. It’s proven to be a viable crop, and the output continues to grow in prestige as California growers target the premium coffee consumer. The …

Word of Mouth: Kyoto Cafés

Our favorite places to take a break in Japan's most picturesque city

When we were researching a visit to Kyoto we found Inside Kyoto to be an invaluable resource. It’s run by Chris Rowthorn, an American who has been in Kyoto for more than 20 years. Rowthorn is also the editor of the Lonely Planet guidebooks for Japan and many southeast Asian countries, and even offers private tours of Kyoto and other cities. Rowthorn shared his hometown …