Chika Kako, Lexus Chief Engineer, Discusses the First-Ever UX

A manga character helped the design team make the right tweaks to the all-new vehicle

When Chika Kako, the first woman chief engineer at Lexus, saw designs for the brand’s all-new UX subcompact crossover, she thought of childhood days spent watching anime cartoons with her brother. The SUV’s rear lights reminded her of Mazinger Z, a hulking manga robot on the small screen in the late 70’s and early 80’s. It was a good look for an animated character, she …

Interview: Nature-Activism Photographer Daniel Beltrá and the New MacBook Pro

From insight on editing in the field to the color palatte of our environment

Apple recently released an updated MacBook Pro with significant performance improvements that were welcomed by demanding pro users. The new MacBook Pro features a quieter keyboard, faster processors, more memory and for the first on a Mac—a True Tone display. True Tone has existed on the iPad and iPhone for generations, but the technology—which matches the whitepoint on your screen to the ambient light tone around …

Brilliant Wine Born From Strange Weather: Cheval des Andes 2014 Vintage

An almost-calamitous change in climate led to a vibrant, elegant and unique blend

After visiting the 35-hectare Cheval des Andes estate a few years ago—just outside of Mendoza, Argentina—we have been anticipating their 2014 vintage. This elegant red wine is unlike almost any other, thanks to the year’s odd climate. It’s also the first vintage that Lorenzo Pasquini (Technical Manager and Winemaker at Cheval des Andes) worked on. The result is, Pasquini says, the most unique in the brand’s history. Regarding the uncanny weather, …