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Motorbike helmets can protect your head against fatal injury, but they leave you to breathe the noxious fumes of traffic. A Spanish startup called Zyon claims that its helmet addresses this problem by combining medical grade filtration with the most advanced shock-protection technology available, transforming every breath into clean air while keeping your coconut in one piece. Premium helmet models like the $900 Shoei Neotec 3 look cool and offer ECE 22.06 P/J certificationthe latest European standard for motorcycle helmet safety, which includes more stringent testing procedures and impact points than any other certification in the worldbut leave riders completely exposed to pollutants. One budget optionthe $56 Indian Shellios Purosprovides basic HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtration for but fails both European and U.S. safety standards. Only the $850 Zyonavailable now for preorder and delivery later in the yearoffers both medical grade air purification and top-tier impact protection in a single system. [Image: Zyon Helmets] “There is currently no approved helmet on the market that includes an integrated filtration system,” Tanguy Uzel, founder of the Madrid-based Zyon Helmets, tells me via email. “The only exception is a model developed by an Indian brand, which does not have homologation or European and American safety standards.” The core of the Zyon is its Breath Safe System, which the company claims processes every molecule of air before it enters your body. How much do you need this? Motorcyclists suffer PM2.5 exposures of 75 micrograms per cubic meter, 5 times more than pedestrians and 15 times more than car occupants. This pollution penetrates lung alveoli and enters the bloodstream, causing chronic inflammation that has been linked to cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. HEPA filters have demonstrated 48% to 60% reductions in allergic symptoms, outperforming many pharmaceutical treatments. Activated carbon neutralizes gases like carbon monoxide, whose exposure above 9 parts per million significantly reduces lung function in commercial drivers. While no portable system completely eliminates gas exposure, partial reduction provides significant health benefits during chronic urban exposure. [Image: Zyon Helmets] Multilayer filtering The Zyon has three layers located inside the chin guard, where you can see its honeycomb openings and a mechanism to change the air-intake according to your speed. The first hydrophobic barrier blocks water and insects. The second layer employs H13 HEPA filters that capture 99.95% of particles down to 0.3 microns, including the dangerous PM2.5 particles that penetrate deep into the respiratory system and enter the bloodstream, causing chronic inflammation. A third layer uses activated carbon to absorb poisonous gases like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides that escape from exhaust pipes, the company says. A final layer protects the assembly and maintains filter integrity for one to three months of use, depending on the quality of the air during easy rides. This multi-layer filter design eliminates 99% of the pollution that motorcyclists would normally inhale in a city, where concentrations of toxic particles reach levels that would trigger health warnings if they occurred indoors. Thats for your lungs. For your cranium, the helmet uses the Swedish multidirectional impact protection system (MIPS), which reduces rotational forces during a crash. A low-friction layer allows the helmet to move 10 to 15 millimeters relative to the head during impact, deflecting energy that could damage the brain. This technology functions without interfering with the filtration system or the neck sealing necessary to maintain clean air, the company points out. The ECE 22.06 P/J certification (introduced in the EU in 2022) triples the number of impact points tested compared to previous regulations and includes oblique impacts that simulate real accidents. The U.S. uses the Department of Transportations FMVSS 218 standard, which is legally required but is considered a Mickey Mouse-level protection that provides minimum helmet performance rather than optimal protection. [Image: Zyon Helmets] Three-mode ventilation The company claims its helmet maintains effective ventilation, even when stopped at traffic lights, through three modes without the need for electric fans. It offers Urban for slow traffic, Road for medium speeds, and Touring for highway use. A single mechanism switches between modes according to riding conditions. The company says that air enters through the front intake, filters through the four layers, circulates through internal channels, and exits through rear vents. This continuous current maintains positive pressure inside the helmet, preventing dirty air from entering through small leaks in the sealinga critical detail that makes the filtration effective. “Our filter acts by electrostatic attraction to capture fne particles and by chemical reaction with a layer of active carbon to neutralize toxic gases. Unlike mechanical filters (such as those of masks), this system allows better breathability, but also requires regular replacement,” Uzel tells me. The Zyons shell combines fiberglass with organic materials in an integrated matrix. The materials are chemically bonded together during manufacturing to create a single, unified composite material rather than separate layers glued together. The glass fibers provide strength and prevent cracking, while the organic resin allows controlled flexibility that absorbs crash energy by deforming slightly instead of transmitting all the impact force directly to your head, which your brain will be happy about. The helmet is loaded with some clever electronics too, including integrated air quality sensors that can talk to a mobile app that monitors what goes through the filtering system and warns when the filter needs changing. “The duration of the filter depends on the environment, but it is recommended to change it every one to three months. Once opened, even without use, it begins to lose properties due to exposure to air,” Uzel says. “The helmet detects flights and air conditions in real time. From that data, the app generates custom statistics on the filtered contamination level and filter performance, and notifies the user when to replace it.” The helmet also has aviation-class accelerometers, which will identify accident patterns and automatically alert emergency services in your phonea potentially lifesaving technology for riders who crash in remote areas. The rear light activates when braking through the same motion sensors whenever they detect deceleration, improving visibility especially in low-light conditions or high pollution. The battery provides 18 hours of autonomy and charges via USB-C. It looks like a great design, if it works like they say. The combination of medical filtration, MIPS protection, and smart electronics should protect you against the two main threats that motorcyclists face: accidents and pollution. For riders who spend hours daily breathing toxic urban air, this could be the solution.
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E-Commerce
The fertility rate in the U.S. dropped to an all-time low in 2024 with less than 1.6 kids per woman, new federal data released Thursday shows.The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself about 2.1 kids per woman. But it has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women are waiting longer to have children or never taking that step at all.The new statistic is on par with fertility rates in western European countries, according to World Bank data.Alarmed by recent drops, the Trump administration has taken steps to increase falling birth rates, like issuing an executive order meant to expand access to and reduce costs of in vitro fertilization and backing the idea of “baby bonuses” that might encourage more couples to have kids.But there’s no reason to be alarmed, according to Leslie Root, a University of Colorado Boulder researcher focused on fertility and population policy.“We’re seeing this as part of an ongoing process of fertility delay. We know that the U.S. population is still growing, and we still have a natural increase more births than deaths,” she said.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the statistic for the total fertility rate with updated birth data for 2024.In the early 1960s, the U.S. total fertility rate was around 3.5, but plummeted to 1.7 by 1976 after the Baby Boom ended. It gradually rose to 2.1 in 2007 before falling again, aside from a 2014 uptick. The rate in 2023 was 1.621, and inched down in 2024 to 1.599, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.Birth rates are generally declining for women in most age groups and that doesn’t seem likely to change in the near future, said Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina.People are marrying later and also worried about their ability to have the money, health insurance and other resources needed to raise children in a stable environment.“Worry is not a good moment to have kids,” and that’s why birth rates in most age groups are not improving, she said.Asked about birth-promoting measures outlined by the Trump administration, Guzzo said they don’t tackle larger needs like parental leave and affordable child care.“The things that they are doing are really symbolic and not likely to budge things for real Americans,” she said. Increase in births in new data The CDC’s new report, which is based on a more complete review of birth certificates than provisional data released earlier this year, also showed a 1% increase in births about 33,000 more last year compared to the prior year.That brought the yearly national total to just over 3.6 million babies born.But this is different: The provisional data indicated birth rate increases last year for women in their late 20s and 30s. However, the new report found birth rate declines for women in their 20s and early 30s, and no change for women in their late 30s.What happened? CDC officials said it was due to recalculations stemming from a change in the U.S. Census population estimates used to compute the birth rate.That’s plausible, Root said. As the total population of women of childbearing age grew due to immigration, it offset small increases in births to women in those age groups, she said. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Mike Stobbe, AP Medical Writer
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E-Commerce
After you wear it enough, Nike’s latest Air Jordan 1 eventually becomes a one-of-one sneaker in a colorful, custom colorway just for you. The Air Jordan 1 High OG Self-Expression,” which will be released July 31 and retail for $185, comes in a shoebox that looks as if it was made from sanded down rainbow scratch paper, and it’s a preview of what happens when you wear the shoes inside. At first the sneaker is black, but its finish is designed to flake off with time, revealing blue, green, and yellow panels underneath. It give each pair a unique pattern that’s special to the wearer. Think of it as a data visualization of your walking patterns. [Photo: Nike] AJ purists may be used to leaving their purchase in the box to keep it in mint condition, but the concept of scratch-off shoes flips scuff marks from a negative to a plus. The Air Jordan 1 High OG Self-Expression gives scuff marks value: wearing in the shoe so it doesn’t look the same as when you bought it is intrinsic to the design. It’s an innovative alternative to typical product customization. [Photo: Nike] Nike has previously put out rub away Air Max 1s and Nike SB x Air Jordan 1s with wear-away uppers, while their Air Force 1 Low Dirty Triple White ages backwards to reveal a brighter, whiter, cleaner layer underneath an outer layer that already looks worn. Dr. Martens got in on the trend last year with color-changing shoes with brown and black topcoats that wore off to reveal bright green and blue as part of a collaboration with Supreme. [Photo: Nike] For Nike, bringing the effect to the Air Jordan adds a fun new way to experience one of the company’s signature shoes. “The Air Jordan 1 transcended its basketball origins to become a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s, influencing diverse subcultures such as hip-hop, rock, skateboarding, and youth culture,” Air Jordan’s Kenlyn Tyree tells Fast Company. “Its blend of style, comfort, and performance made it a symbol of self-expression and status for a generation of young people.” Typically, apparel made from materials like raw denim or leather are thought to get better with wear, but with rub-away shoes, that idea is taken to another level. The imperfections are the point, and with Nike’s color-changing Air Jordan 1s, the bold, bright colors draw attention to them even more.
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E-Commerce
President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that the United States will win the artificial intelligence race. He made the declaration before signing three executive orders aimed at expediting AI-related infrastructure projects, promoting and exporting American-made AI technology, and preventing woke AI in the federal government. Earlier in the day, the White House released a 28-page AI Action Plan, which lays out a detailed policy agenda to accelerate AI innovation, build AI infrastructure, and lead in international AI diplomacy and security. The plan paints a bucolic picture of sorts, in which American workers will benefit from the opportunities created by this technological revolution, including high-paying jobs and scientific discoveries, while the private sector is unencumbered by bureaucratic red tape and onerous regulations. ‘Whatever it takes’ But Trump also made clear that his AI policy marks a stark departure from the AI guardrails endorsed by President Joe Biden. During a speech Wednesday at an event cohosted by the Hill and Valley Forum and the All-In podcast, Trump took swipes at a number of policies endorsed by his political opponents and told the audience, Were getting rid of woke. The White Houses AI agenda outlines risks to innovation from anything perceived as a hindrancebe it ideological policies or environmental regulationsand the executive orders continue a pattern of Trump revoking the policies of his predecessor. The president vowed to do whatever it takes to lead the world in AI innovation. With your help, that golden age will be built by American workers, it will be powered by American energy, it will be run on American technology improved by American artificial intelligence, and it will make America richer, stronger, greater, freer, and more powerful than ever before, he told the tech-heavy audience. Recommended policy actions Among dozens of recommended policy actions, the AI Action Plan calls for eliminating references to misinformation, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and climate change. Whats more, it notes that AI models must be built on what are referred to as American values, without providing specifics about what those values are. One of the executive orders that Trump signed Wednesday also calls for modifying various environmental regulations to streamline and accelerate the federal permitting of data center infrastructure. Silicon Valley’s role Trumps AI policy was heavily shaped by his Silicon Valley donors, including David Sacks, one of four cohosts of the All-In podcast and Trumps special adviser for AI and crypto. While Trump complimented the genius and creativity of Silicon Valley, he also called on change from the technology community. Winning the new AI race will demand a new spirit of patriotism and national loyalty in Silicon Valley. More than 100 groupsincluding the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Organization for Women (NOW), and Oxfam Americasigned a resolution opposing the AI action plan, which they describe as being written by Big Tech and Big Oil. These groups instead advocated for a Peoples AI Action Plan.” ‘Just popped out of the air’ But even Trump seemed, at times, dubious or just naive about the technological revolution he intends to lead. Though AI technology is hardly new, Trump said it was something that nobody expected, it just popped out of the air and also suggested that AI needs a new moniker because he doesnt like the word artificial and prefers the word genius instead. Whether we like it or not, were suddenly engaged in a fast-paced competition to build and define this groundbreaking technology that will determine so much about the future of civilization itself, he told the audience.
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E-Commerce
U.S. automakers worry that President Donald Trump’s agreement to tariff Japanese vehicles at 15% would put them at a competitive disadvantage, saying they will face steeper import taxes on steel, aluminum and parts than their competitors.“We need to review all the details of the agreement, but this is a deal that will charge lower tariffs on Japanese autos with no U.S. content,” said Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents the Big 3 American automakers, General Motors, Ford and Jeep-maker Stellantis.Blunt said in an interview the U.S. companies and workers “definitely are at a disadvantage” because they face a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum and a 25% tariff on parts and finished vehicles, with some exceptions for products covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that went into effect in 2020.The domestic automaker reaction reveals the challenge of enforcing policies across the world economy, showing that for all of Trump’s promises there can be genuine tradeoffs from policy choices that risk serious blowback in politically important states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, where automaking is both a source of income and of identity.The United Auto Workers said in a statement it was “deeply angered” by the deal. “A better deal would have held Japanese automakers to the same standards U.S. workers have fought for at GM, Ford, and Stellantis,” the UAW said.“If this becomes the blueprint for trade with Europe or South Korea, it will be a major missed opportunity,” the union added. “We need trade deals that raise standards not reward the race to the bottom. This deal does the opposite.”Trump portrayed the trade framework as a major win after announcing it on Tuesday, saying it would add hundreds of thousands of jobs to the U.S. economy and open the Japanese economy in ways that could close a persistent trade imbalance. The agreement includes a 15% tariff that replaces the 25% import tax the Republican president had threatened to charge starting on Aug. 1. Japan would also put together $550 billion to invest in U.S. projects at the “direction” of the president, the White House said.The framework with Japan will remove regulations that prevent American vehicles from being sold in that country, the White House has said, adding that it would be possible for vehicles built in Detroit to be shipped directly to Japan and ready to be sold.But Blunt said that foreign auto producers, including the U.S., Europe and South Korea, have just a 6% share in Japan, raising skepticism that simply having the open market that the Trump administration says will exist in that country will be sufficient.“Tough nut to crack, and I’d be very surprised if we see any meaningful market penetration in Japan,” Blunt said.Asked at Wednesday’s briefing about whether Trump’s sectoral tariffs such as those on autos were now subject to possible change, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the issue had been going through the Commerce Department.The framework with Japan was also an indication that some nations simply saw it as preferential to have a set tariff rate rather than be whipsawed by Trump’s changes on import taxes since April. But for the moment, both Japan and the United Kingdom with its quotas on auto exports might enjoy a competitive edge in the U.S.“With this agreement in place it provides Japan with a near-term operating cost advantage compared to other foreign automakers, and even some domestic U.S. product that uses a high degree of both foreign production and parts content,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars. “It will be interesting to see if this is the first domino to fall in a series of foreign countries that decide long-term stability is more important that short term disputes over specific tariff rates.”Autos Drive America, an organization that represents major Japanese companies Toyota, Honda and Nissan and other international automakers, said in a statement that it is “encouraged” by the announced trade framework and noted its members have exceeded domestic automaker production for the past two years.The statement urged “the Trump administration to swiftly reach similar agreements with other allies and partners, especially the European Union, South Korea, Canada and Mexico.”The Japanese framework could give automakers and other countries grounds for pushing for changes in the Trump administration’s tariffs regime. The president has previously said that he values flexibility in negotiating import taxes. The USMCA is up for review next year.Ford, GM and Stellantis do “have every right to be upset,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president at consultancy AutoForecast Solutions. But “Honda, Toyota, and Nissan still import vehicles from Mexico and Canada, where the current levels of tariffs can be higher than those applied to Japanese imports. Most of the high-volume models from Japanese brands are already produced in North America.”Fiorani noted that among the few exceptions are the Toyota 4Runner, the Mazda CX-5 and the Subaru Forester, but most of the other imports fill niches that are too small to warrant production in the U.S.“There will be negotiations between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico, and it will probably result in tariffs no higher than 15%,” Fiorani added, “but nobody seems to be in a hurry to negotiate around the last Trump administration’s free trade agreement.” St. John contributed from Detroit. Josh Boak and Alex St. John, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
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