Our drinks editor used the neuroscience-based app Reframe to rethink his boozing habits. Did it work? Plus:

• We tested the new Defender OCTA: Hailed as the most capable and most opulent version of the SUV ever made, our correspondent tested the Land Rover on rocky crags and sand dunes in South Africa.
• From Hoops HQ: Here's why roster continuity is overrated.

Can an App Help You Drink Less?

I write about alcohol for a living, so Dry January was not really an option for me. But heading into 2025, I wanted to try something called Damp January where I drank less and more mindfully. I also needed a little help, so I tested out Reframe, a popular app that helps people “take control of their drinking habits” without going full-on teetotaler. The app utilizes a mix of neuroscience, community support and habit-building features with a bit of gamification and daily check-ins.

Reframe provides daily reads (“Your Next Drink Could Trigger an Aneurysm,” “Changing Our Brains Through Neuroplasticity,” etc.) along with a nice dose of crowd support. The big question about the app, according to co-founder Vedant Pradeep, was “How do we make something that is supposedly efficacious also engaging enough for the user to want to try this or make a habit of this?”

“Tough Luxury”: Our First Drive in Land Rover’s No-Expense-Spared Off-Roader

As it stands today, the Defender lineup ranges from a humble four-cylinder short-wheelbase 90 model to a highly capable supercharged V8-powered 110, with the OCTA now the much-hyped top dog in that lineup. This new variant is also the most expensive, starting at $153,625, as its name suggests: OCTA is a reference to the octahedron shape of diamonds, with Land Rover calling the vehicle a shining example of “tough luxury.”

IN THE NEWS

The Social Hub opened its second Florence hotel — complete with a rooftop garden.

Does evolution explain why we scratch itchy skin?

The latest frontier in non-alcoholic spirits is a zero-proof Malört.