After falling in and out of love with Peloton, we got a preview of Amp, an AI-powered machine that hopes to revive interest in at-home fitness. Plus:

• The best vodkas for sipping: Believe it or not, when made right, vodka really is ideal for sipping.
• Bonaire: The Dutch Caribbean island is an ideal destination for world-class scuba diving, windsurfing and eco excursions.

Think Home Fitness Is Dead? Here Comes AI.

BY TANNER GARRITY

It's little secret that the connected fitness market has taken some serious licks the last few years. As the pandemic wrapped up, trainees (me included) sold their bikes and rowers for pennies on the secondary market and marched back to the gym. Anything to clear up space, end the subscription fatigue and tap into the social benefits of exercise.

In order for today's living room equipment to compete, then, it needs one hell of an edge. AI-powered strength training software that can auto-generate workouts, toggle between weight in real time and simulate the feel of resistance bands seems like a good place to start. Here, I take a long, hard look at Amp, while prospecting on the future of home fitness.

These Vodkas Are for Sipping, Not Shooting

A strip mall in Tampa, a grocery store in Iowa and a rooftop in Boston seem like unlikely settings to glimpse actor Jason Momoa, but people will go to some crazy places to sell vodka. No matter where Momoa and his new vodka, Meili, show up, one thing is certain: there will be no mixers or cocktail shakers in sight.

At pop-ups and press events, he hands out pours of unadorned vodka to swooning fans with one instruction: “Sip it.” Meili is part of the next wave of vodkas that aren’t the bottles of tasteless booze stirred into fruity cocktails, nor the artificially flavored stuff used for shots. They don’t even need a bit of vermouth and a garnish. If distillers have anything to say about it, vodkas made to be sipped and savored on their own are ready for their time in the spotlight.

So what is driving a new crowd to turn toward vodka on its own?

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Bonaire Is a Small Island With Big Adventure

We all learned our ABCs long ago, but what about the ABC islands? For most people, those are harder to recite. This trio of islands comprises Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao and is situated in the Southern Caribbean, just north of Venezuela.

Bonaire is the least trafficked and generally lesser-known of the three. It measures a little more than 100 square miles, flamingoes outnumber people and there are zero street lights. But an international airport connects Bonaire to the world, and outdoor adventurers flock to its shores to explore its famed dive sites and to relax on its sandy beaches.

Bonaire is warm and sunny year round, so it’s a popular getaway for travelers escaping United States and European winters. But because it sits outside the Caribbean’s hurricane belt, there’s never a bad time to visit. And when you arrive, you’ll find friendly locals, lush nature and surprisingly good restaurants. This is what to know before booking your ticket to Bonaire.