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Our favorite product releases this week: Lego, Marshall, Smeg and more
Our favorite product releases this week: Lego, Marshall, Smeg and more

CNN

timea day ago

  • Entertainment
  • CNN

Our favorite product releases this week: Lego, Marshall, Smeg and more

Every week, Rikka Altland, Jacqueline Saquin and Elena Matarazzo team up to share our favorite product launches from the last seven days. Whether you're just hoping to keep up to date with the latest and greatest releases or are looking to shop them, we've highlighted nine of the most notable drops from around the web. This week brings the launch of the latest collaboration between Lego and Pixar, a new retro-styled speaker from Marshall and this shiny new Smeg sparkling water maker. A new version of an editor-loved speaker Marshall has debuted its newest speaker this week, and there's far more to it than just a retro-inspired design. Don't get us wrong, the vinyl wrapping and metal speaker grill are as classic as it gets, but it's the tech and audio system that's on the inside that has Altland so excited. She listens to a Marshall speaker every day and particularly loves the out-of-the-box EQ settings that the company ships. For the Marshall Kilburn III, that combination of good looks and great sound enters a new portable package. The speaker sports a built-in battery that enables over 50 hours of listening on a single charge, twice as much time as its predecessor. It also has a more impressive internal speaker setup that's backed by an IP54 water-resistant and dust-resistant build. We also love the brand's usual inclusion of retro volume knobs on top. Available now through the official Marshall website, it'll also be launching on June 10 through other retailers. Altland will be circling back later on with more personal insight into the experience to see if its $380 price tag means it's actually better than the other best portable Bluetooth speakers out there. Nix the cleanup with these silicone cosmetic pouches Don't let stray liquid blush swipes and smoky eyeshadow pigments stain your makeup bag. Stasher, the reusable silicone bag brand we've written home about in the past, just welcomed the Beauty Weekender Bag, which retails for $40. It's more roomy than the bestselling Essentials Bag, giving you ample room to pack full-sized products — up to 104 fluid ounces, to be exact. Made with the same signature silicone, it's easy to clean and wipe down when spills do happen. No matter where your travels take you, toss it in a beach tote or a carry-on bag. If you want to break down your organization even more, it comes in new value bundles with the Everyday Bag and the Touch-Up Bag. Make cheekbones and cupid's bows pop all day long Trying to achieve the glass skin look? It goes beyond a good skin care routine and can be amplified with makeup. Benefit is here to help with its new velvety highlighter that gives you a natural glow with its lightly blurring powder. It comes in six shades that range from the fair Raya color to a deep Comet. All of them are long-lasting, can be worn on muggy summer days with their waterproof capabilities and even play nice with acne-prone skin. Some of our deals editors are stoked to try this out for events, outdoor weddings and the like since it offers a fade-proof glow that lasts 12 hours — or in some cases more — and adds a subtle pop to a variety of makeup looks. The tin is $38, which is on par with other middle to higher tier options and is available for purchase on the brand's site, Sephora, Nordstrom and even Revolve. Move over, AirTags Our senior deals editor has long been a fan of Satechi's passport cover with built-in Apple Find My support. It's an essential in her travel setup for providing extra peace of mind while flying. The company is now bringing that same item-finding technology to a suite of new products, including everything from a luggage tag to a glasses case. Everything in Satechi's new lineup features a rechargeable battery that pairs with the company's tried-and-true item-finding features. For those unfamiliar, Find My is the same technology that Apple packs into its beloved AirTags. Satechi is tapping into that same network to cover far more than just keys with some bespoke accessories tailored to specific uses. Here's a rundown of the lineup: Satechi Vegan-Leather FindAll Glasses Case Instead of just placing an AirTag in your existing glasses case, this stylish vegan-leather cover features the same tracking technology with a wirelessly rechargeable battery. Satechi Vegan-Leather FindAll Luggage Tag Most of us are buying AirTags to use with a luggage tag, so why not skip the process of piecing together individual accessories and opt for a single travel gadget that does it all. Satechi FindAll Card Bring Apple Find My tech to your wallet with this slim item finder. It's slightly thicker than a typical credit card and provides peace of mind where an AirTag normally can't. Satechi Vegan-Leather FindAll Keychain This may practically just be an AirTag, but it beats Apple's in-house version by featuring an integrated keychain clip and rechargeable battery for $1 more than the official option. Altland has been using Satechi gear for several years now and is always impressed by the value, build quality and features offered by its Apple-adjacent products. This new Find All tracker lineup certainly looks to fit the bill, and she'll be excited to try these out for herself when her order arrives. The most stylish way to get your bubbles Summer signals the start of spritz season, and Smeg's latest invention comes in clutch with a well-timed launch. For all your backyard BBQs, pool parties and happy hours, the Sparkling Water Maker can satiate your bubbly cravings. Unlike clunky, plastic models out there, this one fuses high-quality Italian craftsmanship with practical controls. It comes in a sleek, slim design and three stylish colors: Matte Black, Matte Fog Blue and Matte Jade. For $180, the soda maker also features a customizable fizz control knob and an electricity-free use, so you can store it outside on patio bars or inside on the kitchen countertop. A derm-approved skin tint with SPF One of our favorite Korean beauty brands just released its highly anticipated tinted sunscreen. This skin tint is a great addition to your routine if you're looking for a multipurpose product that conceals, protects and moisturizes. It's packed with SPF 40 protection, comes in 12 shades and gives you a lightweight, no-makeup-makeup look that'll leave you looking dewy all summer long. The bottle goes for a reasonable $20, and you can save 20% if you buy two or more at once. Snagging multiple shades is the move for some if your complexion is in between or if you wear darker finishes as the UV index gets higher. The latest Lego Ideas kit hops into action Lego has been tapping into the wide world of Disney properties for years now with its popular building kits, but Pixar is a more recent addition to the collection. The latest of those builds is up for pre-order this week. Joining the likes of 'Up,' 'WALL-E' and 'Inside Out,' the original short film that kickstarted the whole animation empire is getting its own set. The new Luxo Jr. kit features a buildable version of the Pixar Lamp and Luxo Ball. Both characters are crafted from 613 pieces and assembled into display-worthy models. I won't spoil anything, but there are also some fun Easter eggs throughout the building process that reference half a dozen films from the Pixar archive. It begins shipping over the weekend and clocks in with a $70 price tag. Our best-tested cooling pillow just got new companions Hot sleepers have a new way to keep cool this summer. Expanding upon its best-tested cooling pillows, Coop Sleep Goods just added to its Cool+ Collection, so you can upgrade your bedding to the ultimate chill zone. Running from $49 to $399, the new additions introduce a fresh mattress topper, adjustable body pillow and toddler pillow — all stuffed with the brand's signature Oomph Cool fill. In addition to the Cool+ line, Coop also created Tencel-based bedding designed to feel soft, silky and most importantly, breathable. Lay the foundation for sleep with the Tencel Sheet Set ($159) and Pillowcase Set ($39), which help temper moisture. Or, swap out heavy duvet covers for the brand's lightweight Duvet Cover ($159), available in white, grey and cream colors. Cheers to seven years of buttery soft activewear Days ago, Set Active dropped its limited-edition birthday collection. The brand is celebrating its seventh year in the activewear business and has launched three new versions of its pieces in ice cream and sweets-inspired hues. Some of the pieces our editors are eyeing are the Airluxe Breathe Scoop Bra in Birthday Espresso, Sportbody Sporty High-Rise Leggings in a strawberry pastel Swirl design, Formcloud Cloud High-Rise Leggings in a baby blue Frosting color and Airluxe Breathe Shorts in a creamy Leche. If you're prepping for summer training sessions or hot girl walks with friends, Set Active makes some of the cutest workout gear around. We love that it's just as stylish as it is functional, which makes these new drops even more worthy of tagging along on spring workouts. This week also saw the launch of other products our editors deemed worthy of standalone coverage. Shop all these additional launches below, including an upgraded version of our pick for the best budget video doorbell, a new Yeti lunch box and more. Marie Veronique Colorfree Zinc Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 32 Our associate editor, Elena Matarazzo, has been using this sunscreen for about a week and loves its dewy finish. It's been safe to use on her acne-prone skin and even doubles as a primer since it's slightly tacky. Blink Video Doorbell (2025) Blink's latest doorbell combines upgrades like 1440p video and a wider field of view with the same price tag as its predecessor. The starter kit clocks in at $70, while those upgrading an existing setup can buy just the doorbell for $60. Yeti 3-Liter Daytrip Lunch Box Yeti has a new line of lunch boxes out this week that pack the brand's usual best-in-class temperature retention into a soft design perfect for taking your lunch to work and more. Away The Carry-On in Sunshine Yellow To complement all your sunny getaways, Away premiered its bestselling luggage in a new hue, Sunshine Yellow. The Beach Capsule Collection also invites the debut of a beach bag tote, a sunglasses case and a pair of dry bags. As deals editors at Underscored, we are some of the first people to hear about the latest product news from reader-favorite brands. Our deals team — comprised of senior editor Rikka Altland, editor Jacqueline Saguin and associate editor Elena Matarazzo — is passionate about product launches that we would be tempted to shop, and we enjoy finding a coveted new item (especially one from a brand with top marks from our experts) because it means we're helping our readers make savvy buying decisions.

YouTube stars enter the cool world of coffee
YouTube stars enter the cool world of coffee

Times

time15-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Times

YouTube stars enter the cool world of coffee

YouTube stars James Marriott and Will 'Willne' Lenney have launched a chilled coffee into Sainsbury's stores nationwide after weeks of wild fan speculation among their ten million social media followers. Marriott, 27, and Lenney, 29, who are popular for their irreverent product reviews and social commentary, are launching their iced coffee Rodd's across 300 UK Sainsbury's stores on May 1. The duo started work on the brand two years ago and, despite attempts to keep the project secret from their loyal fans, details leaked out. Lenney said: 'We tried very much to keep it under wraps. We just had a landing page, what we thought was mysterious and they wouldn't really get it. Within about five minutes, they knew all three flavours and where it

Why the Best CMOs Don't Wait for a Seat at the Table
Why the Best CMOs Don't Wait for a Seat at the Table

Entrepreneur

time13-05-2025

  • Business
  • Entrepreneur

Why the Best CMOs Don't Wait for a Seat at the Table

Today's CMOs are growth architects focused on creating coherence and driving business success from within. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Early in my career, I was a key contributor on a global product launch for a client. On paper, everything looked tight. The positioning was sharp, the creative was compelling and the media plan was thorough. But something didn't sit right. Our pricing felt arbitrary. Our dealers weren't prepped. And the onboarding flow — the experience that customers would actually live — wasn't in sync with what we were promising. The launch flopped. It was disappointing — and it was embarrassing. We had crafted a compelling story, but overlooked the foundation upon which it was built. That experience taught me a lesson I would never forget: marketing can't fix a broken product, a confused value proposition or a fragmented customer journey. No matter how polished the campaign, if the reality doesn't live up to the promise, marketing will always be fighting an uphill battle. It forced me to rethink marketing's place in the business. I stopped seeing it as a downstream function and started embracing it as the role of a growth architect — someone who doesn't just amplify value but helps shape it from the very beginning. Related: Want to Work With Influencers? Here's What Small Business Owners Need to Know. The CMO's upstream shift This shift didn't happen overnight — for me, or for the industry. Historically, marketing has operated downstream: focusing on messaging, media and creative, often reacting to decisions made upstream about product, pricing, and experience. A cynic might call it the "crayon department." But today's customer expects coherence, not just communication. They notice when the brand promise matches their lived experience, and even more when it doesn't. The modern CMO can't afford to stay downstream. We have to move upstream, embedding customer insights into product development, shaping pricing strategies that align with perceived value, collaborating with operations and IT to orchestrate seamless journeys, and building data systems that don't just report outcomes but inform better decisions. Real growth today isn't about driving more awareness — it's about designing better alignment across the business. And that requires CMOs to step fully into the role of cross-functional growth architects. Related: Why the CMO -- Not CEO -- Should Create the Company Mission Where CMOs must lead to drive growth In my experience, four business-critical domains stand out where marketing leaders must engage deeply to unlock the full revenue engine: 1. Product Development. The product is often the first brand interaction a customer has, long before they see an ad or download a whitepaper. CMOs need to bring the outside-in perspective to product teams, ensuring that what we build matches market needs and brand promises. 2. Pricing & Packaging. Pricing shapes the story customers hear about your value. It frames expectations and signals market positioning. CMOs must ensure pricing strategies reflect not only margin goals but also customer psychology and brand integrity. 3. Customer Experience (CX). Every interaction is part of the brand narrative. CMOs must orchestrate a consistent, emotionally resonant experience that reinforces the story marketing tells. 4. Analytics & Data Infrastructure. Growth demands clarity. CMOs must help design systems that capture actionable customer insights, ensure clean attribution, and drive smarter decisions across the organization. Related: Why Your Small Business Growth Stalled — And How to Kickstart It Again Turning insight into influence But of course, stepping into these domains isn't automatic. Influence has to be earned—and that realization didn't come easily for me. Earlier in my career, I remember walking out of yet another cross-functional meeting feeling deflated. I had presented what I thought was a sharp campaign strategy, only to be met with indifference—and worse, resistance. It felt like marketing was always expected to execute, but rarely invited to shape the thinking. When I vented to a mentor, I told him, "They just don't get it." He didn't flinch. Instead, he offered a truth that I wasn't ready for at the time: "That's not their fault. That's a failure to influence." It stung. But he was right. Influence isn't something you're granted—it's something you build. So I stopped trying to prove the value of marketing in isolation and started focusing on relevance—on speaking the language of my peers, aligning around shared goals, and showing up as a partner, not a department. Here's how I've learned to do that: Frame marketing goals as business goals. Tie efforts directly to revenue, retention, and profitability. Tie efforts directly to revenue, retention, and profitability. Co-create solutions. Engage peers early in strategy, not just execution. Engage peers early in strategy, not just execution. Speak operationally. Understand and align with the KPIs and realities of other teams. Understand and align with the KPIs and realities of other teams. Use data as a bridge. Shared truths build shared trust. And this is why today, I like to think of the CMO role as the Chief Dot Connector—the one who aligns internal teams around external value. Related: Why Every Entrepreneur Should Make CMO As A Top Advisor The HubSpot example But if you want a real-world example of marketing moving upstream and driving true business growth, look at HubSpot. Under CMO Kipp Bodnar, marketing wasn't treated as the end of the assembly line—it was embedded in the value creation process from the start. Take their decision to introduce a free CRM. That wasn't just a lead-generation tactic—it fundamentally reshaped their entire funnel strategy, opening the door to millions of users and future customers. Or look at their tiered packaging approach. Instead of treating pricing as an afterthought, marketing worked alongside product and finance to structure value ladders that met customer needs at different stages of growth. And then there's HubSpot Academy. What started as a customer education initiative evolved into a powerful growth engine, boosting adoption, reducing churn and building a loyal, advocate community. HubSpot's success didn't happen because marketing was louder. It happened because marketing was embedded where it mattered most—inside product, pricing, customer experience, and success. That's the future. And it's the blueprint modern CMOs need to study. Marketing leadership future If you're a CMO who wants to expand your influence, start by finding the places where outcomes are stuck but ownership is unclear — look for: A conversion gap between sales and onboarding. A pricing model is misaligned with customer perception. A churn spike that no one has mapped to root causes. These "white space" problems are opportunities. Solve them — not for marketing's sake, but for the business's sake — and you'll earn trust that transcends org charts. Because the future of marketing leadership won't be built on louder campaigns. It will be built on deeper integration. And the CMOs who succeed won't settle for a seat at the strategy table. They'll lead the conversation.

Volkswagen to 're-engage' in China EV market by third quarter of 2026, CFO tells FT
Volkswagen to 're-engage' in China EV market by third quarter of 2026, CFO tells FT

Reuters

time13-05-2025

  • Automotive
  • Reuters

Volkswagen to 're-engage' in China EV market by third quarter of 2026, CFO tells FT

May 13 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's ( opens new tab CFO expects the carmaker's new product launches in China to start improving its performance in the battery-electric vehicle segment by the third quarter of 2026, he said in an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday. "By then, we will reengage in the market with great products, with a really good cost base," Arno Antlitz said, speaking at the FT Future of the Car Summit in London.

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