Today in Gear: 5 Products You Need to Know

It wasn’t too long ago that we were discussing Microsoft’s blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard for roughly $70 billion. Now Sony has upped the ante by acquiring Bungie, adding the publisher into its own portfolio of game studios underneath the “Sony Interactive Entertainment” umbrella. You likely know Bungie for its work — ironically — with Microsoft; as the studio responsible for creating the Xbox-exclusive Halo series, before breaking with Microsoft and developing the Destiny series. The deal, reportedly worth $3.6 billion, will keep Bungie “an independent subsidiary” of Sony, which implies that while it’s going to be owned (in effect) by Playstation, Bungie’s games will not necessarily be exclusive to Sony platforms. While this deal was likely in the works for weeks (if not months), this move will undoubtedly be seen as Sony’s attempt to regain lost ground after Microsoft’s own deals, including the aforementioned Blizzard Activision buyout and its earlier pickup of Bethesda Softworks. It’ll be interesting to see who else gets snapped up in this latest chapter of the console wars; watch this space. For today, we’re touching on everything from the end of “Wordle” (as we know it) and Ten To One’s new collaboration with Uncle Nearest. This is Today in Gear.

Ten To One and Uncle Nearest kick off Black History Month with a new bourbon cask finished rum.

Ten To One

In honor of the black pioneers of the modern American spirits industry, Ten To One (known for its premium Caribbean rum) and Uncle Nearest (a Tennessee-based distiller named after Nathan “Nearest” Green, a former slave who taught Jack Daniels the art of making whiskey) have teamed up for a limited edition release. Using Ten To One’s Caribbean Dark Rum as a base, the spirit is finished in 1856 Bourbon Cask barrels in concert with Uncle Nearest. Gold in the bottle, expect notes of banana bread, honey, spiced apple, black currant and charred wood.

Add speed and control to your game with Callaway’s new Rogue ST drivers.

Callaway

It’s obvious, but a top-class driver is built to increase distance with enough “forgiveness” to make your shots sing no matter how you’re performing that day. Callaway’s Rogue ST series of drivers are informed by AI research, incorporating a 26g tungsten weight at the back of head to stabilize off-center shots, a Jailbreak Speed Frame near the face for pumped up shot speed and a titanium unibody for lightness. The set comes in four models, ranging from the all-around Rogue ST Max, to the corrective ST Max D and ST Max LS, or the tour-tested Triple Diamond LS.

Wordle bought by “The New York Times” for a price “in the low seven figures.”

STEFANI REYNOLDS

It was fun while it lasted: Free-to-play word puzzle game Wordle, has been snapped up by the paper of record for a price, “in the low seven figures,” according to The New York Times. The game — created by Brooklyn software engineer Josh Wardle — reportedly has millions of daily players (for the uninitiated, players have 24 hours and six chances to solve a five letter word before the puzzle changes to a new word the next day). The pickup is an obvious boon for the Times, who will likely make the game accessible behind a subscriber paywall (despite the paper’s claims to keep the game free initially).

Panerai opens a new Geneva concept store and drops exclusive Luminor to celebrate.

Panerai

While we most likely think of Switzerland as French or German, there’s also something to be said of the nation’s Italian side. Panerai — a brand that blends Italian style and Swiss watchmaking finesse, celebrates both aspects of its background with a new concept store in Geneva. To honor the occasion, Panerai released a limited Luminor, featuring a DLC-coated titanium case, spotlight gradient dial and Panerai’s proprietary P.5000 manually-wound movement. Learn more about the Geneva storefront down below.

Salehe Bembury links with Canada Goose in honor of NBA All-Star Weekend.

Canada Goose

As part of the festivities during NBA All-Star Weekend, you can always expect something new to drop. Salehe Bembury and Canada Goose step into the conversation with a four piece collection that ranges from a modified Expedition Parka, Concord Fleece, Signal Vest and Tundra Bib. “The ’90s were a time of fashion exploration, and that ethos is what I believe Canada Goose, the NBA and I have captured with this collection,” Bembury said of the collab. The collection drops on Canada Goose’s webstore on February 11. In the mean time, shop Canada Goose gear down below.

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