You might not be surprised to hear that the world’s best electric razor offers a pretty good shaving experience – but it’s hard to overstate just how much of a game-changer it’s been for my skin.

I’ve always been a bit wary of electric razors and beard trimmers. When I was 17, I had a particularly negative experience with one: it trimmed so poorly (and my stubble was probably so soft and nascent) that I had to virtually push my flesh into it – and it would cut me so badly that my entire neck would be covered with hundreds of little wounds. It looked like I’d been attacked by a swarm of mosquitos or an angry cheese grater, and it hurt like hell.

I’ve tried a variety of other electric razors from a variety of brands since and have always had consistently poor or painful results. Eventually, I gave up on trying to find one that was ‘right’ for me.

At the same time, I’ve always struggled with conventional razors. I have fairly sensitive skin and find that I always break out after shaving. I’ve tried all sorts of different skincare regimes and all sorts of razors – every brand, every conceivable number of blades, I’ve even tried using old-timey safety razors and straight razors, which is what all the grooming buffs on Reddit say is the best way to prevent break-outs. Nothing’s worked.

Well, until now. I’ve been shaving with the Braun Series 9 Pro Electric Shaver for a few months now and it’s been an absolute revelation.

The Series 9 Pro is Braun’s top-of-the-line electric razor, and it’s one impressive piece of kit. It’s made in Germany – you know the Germans always make good stuff – and the one I got came with a travel case and a ‘SmartCare Centre’ (a fancy name for a cleaning/charging station). The latter is useful but not essential: it’s easy to clean the foil with hot running water, which you can do because the razor is entirely waterproof.

I call it the Rolls-Royce of razors because it’s expensive (around AU$750 full price!) but it’s got so many features. It gently massages your face whilst you shave, which allows you to shave faster and closer. It’s got a trimmer for grooming, a shaving head with 5 different shaving elements and even intelligently adjusts its power to your beard’s density.

RELATED: Cutting It Fine: We Tried Out Manscaped’s Newest Ball Buzzer

One of the best things about it is its battery life. The Series 9 Pro’s powerful Li-Ion battery lasts for 60 minutes of continuous use and includes a 5-minute quick charge option. In practice, this gives it a battery life of literally weeks. That makes it particularly good for travel.

But the best part about it is hands down how smooth it is. It’s so easy to use and it barely irritates your skin during a dry shave. You can shave quickly and aggressively without having to worry about hurting yourself, which if you’re someone with as poor time management skills as I have, is a very useful thing.

Most importantly, I don’t break out anymore after I shave! My skin has never looked or felt as good.

It’s worth pointing out that no matter how good your shaver is, you’re quite likely to experience some degree of irritation or initially suboptimal results when you make the switch to electric. Your skin and your facial hair need time to get used to an electric razor, as an electric razor will physically change the way your facial hair grows. That’s why Braun (and most other electric razor manufacturers) suggest you take it slow when you first make the switch to electric.

The Braun Series 9 Pro makes the transition to electric smoother in that regard as the razor’s well-designed, spring-loaded, pivoting head contours to the shape of your face and makes it very difficult for you to push too hard. No shoving your skin flesh into the blades here. You can also lock the head in place for particularly stubborn areas. I found this particularly helpful while getting my skin accustomed again to an electric razor.

In that sense, I highly recommend the Series 9 Pro, particularly for people making the switch from conventional to electric. It might seem counter-intuitive to start your electric shaving journey with the equivalent of a Rolls-Royce but really, that’s exactly what you want: to make the transition and experience as effortless as possible.

If only my first car had been a Rolls and not a Ford…

Read Next

• How To Perfect Your Masculine Look With The Correct Stubble Style & Length
• Why You Need To Choose A Haircut That Suits Your Face (& How To Do It)

The post I Tried ‘The Rolls-Royce Of Razors’ & It Changed My Face Forever appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

You might not be surprised to hear that the world’s best electric razor offers a pretty good shaving experience – but it’s hard to overstate just how much of a game-changer it’s been for my skin.

I’ve always been a bit wary of electric razors and beard trimmers. When I was 17, I had a particularly negative experience with one: it trimmed so poorly (and my stubble was probably so soft and nascent) that I had to virtually push my flesh into it – and it would cut me so badly that my entire neck would be covered with hundreds of little wounds. It looked like I’d been attacked by a swarm of mosquitos or an angry cheese grater, and it hurt like hell.

I’ve tried a variety of other electric razors from a variety of brands since and have always had consistently poor or painful results. Eventually, I gave up on trying to find one that was ‘right’ for me.

At the same time, I’ve always struggled with conventional razors. I have fairly sensitive skin and find that I always break out after shaving. I’ve tried all sorts of different skincare regimes and all sorts of razors – every brand, every conceivable number of blades, I’ve even tried using old-timey safety razors and straight razors, which is what all the grooming buffs on Reddit say is the best way to prevent break-outs. Nothing’s worked.

Well, until now. I’ve been shaving with the Braun Series 9 Pro Electric Shaver for a few months now and it’s been an absolute revelation.

The Series 9 Pro is Braun’s top-of-the-line electric razor, and it’s one impressive piece of kit. It’s made in Germany – you know the Germans always make good stuff – and the one I got came with a travel case and a ‘SmartCare Centre’ (a fancy name for a cleaning/charging station). The latter is useful but not essential: it’s easy to clean the foil with hot running water, which you can do because the razor is entirely waterproof.

I call it the Rolls-Royce of razors because it’s expensive (around AU$750 full price!) but it’s got so many features. It gently massages your face whilst you shave, which allows you to shave faster and closer. It’s got a trimmer for grooming, a shaving head with 5 different shaving elements and even intelligently adjusts its power to your beard’s density.

RELATED: Cutting It Fine: We Tried Out Manscaped’s Newest Ball Buzzer

One of the best things about it is its battery life. The Series 9 Pro’s powerful Li-Ion battery lasts for 60 minutes of continuous use and includes a 5-minute quick charge option. In practice, this gives it a battery life of literally weeks. That makes it particularly good for travel.

But the best part about it is hands down how smooth it is. It’s so easy to use and it barely irritates your skin during a dry shave. You can shave quickly and aggressively without having to worry about hurting yourself, which if you’re someone with as poor time management skills as I have, is a very useful thing.

Most importantly, I don’t break out anymore after I shave! My skin has never looked or felt as good.

It’s worth pointing out that no matter how good your shaver is, you’re quite likely to experience some degree of irritation or initially suboptimal results when you make the switch to electric. Your skin and your facial hair need time to get used to an electric razor, as an electric razor will physically change the way your facial hair grows. That’s why Braun (and most other electric razor manufacturers) suggest you take it slow when you first make the switch to electric.

The Braun Series 9 Pro makes the transition to electric smoother in that regard as the razor’s well-designed, spring-loaded, pivoting head contours to the shape of your face and makes it very difficult for you to push too hard. No shoving your skin flesh into the blades here. You can also lock the head in place for particularly stubborn areas. I found this particularly helpful while getting my skin accustomed again to an electric razor.

In that sense, I highly recommend the Series 9 Pro, particularly for people making the switch from conventional to electric. It might seem counter-intuitive to start your electric shaving journey with the equivalent of a Rolls-Royce but really, that’s exactly what you want: to make the transition and experience as effortless as possible.

If only my first car had been a Rolls and not a Ford…

Find out more about the Braun Series 9 Pro here.

Read Next

• How To Perfect Your Masculine Look With The Correct Stubble Style & Length
• Why You Need To Choose A Haircut That Suits Your Face (& How To Do It)

The post I Tried ‘The Rolls-Royce Of Razors’ & It Changed My Face Forever appeared first on DMARGE.

David Beckham has announced he has developed his own workout for F45, which will likely be coming to a studio near you, very soon.

David Beckham may not be a professional footballer anymore – he now owns his own football club, Inter Miami CF, to make up for that fact – but he has remained lean and athletic since he hung up his boots and has achieved his lean physique through a constant workout program.

We’ve waxed lyrical here at DMARGE about David’s various workouts that he performs either in the gym or at home, but in 2020, David invested in the F45 cult community and just one day ago, David revealed he has now curated his own football-inspired workout for F45 – called DB45 –in collaboration with his celebrity trainer and F45’s Chief of Athletics, Gunnar Peterson.

Taking to Instagram to make the announcement, David captioned his post, “Got to create my own workout with @gunnarfitness for @f45_training, can’t wait for you all to try it.” The post, unsurprisingly, received plenty of likes and comments, including one from Mark Wahlberg, who has also invested in the global fitness brand.

David’s wife, Victoria Beckham, also commented, asking “Do I need to start this???” and plenty of others deliberating whether David’s new workout means the man himself will appear at their local studio in the future to teach it.

F45 training revolves around circuit-based training, and so that’s exactly what David has come up with. Going by the video he posted to his Instagram, he reveals four of the exercises in the circuit, although a press release reveals DB45 will be an “11-station, football-inspired cardio class.”

Further nods to David’s footballing career include alternating set timings of 32 seconds work, 15 seconds rest, and 23 seconds work, followed by 20 seconds rest, with these figures inspired by his previous shirt numbers. The finisher at the end of the circuit will comprise 7 x 30 second bodyweight exercises.

David Beckham’s DB45 F45 workout is set to launch today, May 11th.

• F45 Founder’s Stunning Sydney Beach House Up For Sale
• David Beckham Defies Ageing Process With Scorching Ab Workout

The post David Beckham’s 45 Minute Workout Will Destroy You appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

To the uninitiated, most watches seem ridiculously expensive. Why pay thousands of dollars for a timepiece when your mobile phone’s just as good at telling the time? But of course, a mechanical watch isn’t just a tool for counting the hours – it’s a piece of art. And if you go and see how they’re made, you’ll really appreciate why they’re so pricey.

Let me set the scene. The sun’s just come out in Geneva after a few days of snow and rain. I’m in the Swiss city for the 2022 edition of Watches & Wonders: the watch industry’s biggest and most important trade show. It was an intense week filled with horological marvels – a paradise for a watch nerd like me.

The show has just wrapped up. I’m waiting for a shuttle bus, sunnies on, and I’m a bit overwhelmed. After such an amazing week, I thought I’d seen just about everything you could when it comes to watches at Watches & Wonders, and already had a pretty good grasp on the economics of modern watchmaking… Turns out I hadn’t seen anything yet.

Why? Because that shuttle bus was just about to send me off to the Vallée de Joux – the cradle of Swiss watchmaking, and therefore the spiritual home of all watchmaking – to visit one of the most impressive watch manufactures on the planet: Jaeger-LeCoultre.

As we piled onto the bus, the anticipation among us journalists was palpable. Comparing notes, there’s definitely a hierarchy about which watch manufactures are the most worth visiting, and according to aficionados, JLC’s easily ranks among the very top. Naturally, I was quite excited.

Descending into the Vallée de Joux was already a rather special experience. Nestled in the Jura Mountains, the Vallée de Joux is a beautiful place. Switzerland is a stunning country but the Vallée is particularly stunning. Raw, wild and isolated, it’s surprising that it’s here that the world’s best watches are made – but you can also understand how such beautiful pieces of mechanical art come from such a beautiful place.

It’s this isolation that informs why the Vallée such a watchmaking capital. Traditionally, its high altitude meant the Vallée was closed off during the long, harsh Swiss winter, and the local farmers couldn’t farm. They could mine, but being resource-poor, there wasn’t much ore to go around. So instead, they made watches with what little they could produce.

Today, it’s home to some of the world’s most famous brands’ factories: other than JLC, you’ve got Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin just to name a few. Unlike other parts of Switzerland famous for watchmaking, such as Neuchâtel, the Vallée de Joux is almost exclusively focused on complications and high-end watchmaking.

Anyway, enough waffling. We arrive in Le Sentier, a small village of only 3,000, at the gates of the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture. It’s an interesting complex made out of a number of very old buildings connected by modern annexes and additions, all backdropped by the untainted natural scenery of the Vallée de Joux.

RELATED: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reaches Astronomical New Heights At Watches & Wonders 2022

Founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre is a rather unique firm. It’s often called “the watchmaker’s watchmaker” in reference not only to its popularity among enthusiasts but also its long history of providing movements to many top brands. It’s also one of only a few true manufactures in the business: that is, everything’s totally made in-house. That’s why it’s so worth visiting.

Inside, we not only got to tour virtually the entire manufacture, but we also got to take a look at their heritage restoration workshop and museum. JLC’s archive contains a real treasure trove of documents detailing the history of watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux, as well as many rare old references, including a still-working Polaris Memovox from the 60s. Mad.

RELATED: Jaeger-LeCoultre Dives Deep With New ‘Ultramarine’ Polaris Collection

The level of access we were granted was truly amazing. Darting between watchmakers and heavy machinery, we were right in the thick of it. The watchmakers were also exceptionally generous with their time, happy to chat with us (in French, bien sûr) and show off their craft.

What’s really striking is how ancient techniques coexist with modern technology in the pursuit of high watchmaking. On some floors of the manufacture, you’ve got super-modern multi-axis CNC machines controlled by computers. On others, you’ve got lathes from the 50s or earlier still in service. On top of that, so much is still done by hand: the gem-setting, enamelling, engraving…

For me, the most special moment is when a senior watchmaker showed us how he does anglage – the super-fine polishing on high-end components. Every morning, he goes out into the valley to harvest gentian wood. He then whittles down pieces of the wood into fine points, which he uses as tools for one of the final polishing stages.

This is proper artisanal stuff – the kind of thing watchmakers have been doing for generations. The attention to detail; the love lavished on these incredibly intricate pieces of art, is truly outstanding. Then, consider that this attention to detail is lavished upon hundreds if not thousands of individual components, some of which will never be seen by human eyes again. It’s mental.

If the realisation that luxury Swiss watchmaking is something special hadn’t hit home by this point, it certainly did during our visit to the Atelier d’Antoine, JLC’s discovery workshop and education centre. Here, we had a go assembling the case of a Reverso, JLC’s most iconic watch.

RELATED: Jaeger-LeCoultre Celebrate 90 Years Of An Icon: The Remarkable Reverso

It was fun but it took us an embarrassingly long time to get it done. The parts are so fine and fiddly: from the tiny screws to the wafer-thin rubber gasket, you need a steady hand and a lot of patience to get the case together. And that’s just a case, a relatively simple component. Imagine putting together a watch movement, with its hundreds of parts, springs and gears that all have to mesh together perfectly…

That’s before you even consider how hard it is to manufacture these parts in the first place, or how many different parts JLC must produce. JLC has thousands of patents to their name and hundreds of different watch calibres in production. The mind boggles.

Most people who buy luxury watches probably don’t think very critically about what goes into their hefty price tags. They see them as just status symbols. But once you’ve visited a proper watch manufacture like Jaeger-LeCoultre’s, you really appreciate why these things cost as much as they do.

They’re expensive because there’s so many different disciplines; so many different components; so much time that goes into making these timepieces. They’re labours of love, not just pieces of wrist candy (although I defy you to tell me that a Reverso isn’t one of the prettiest damn things you can wear…)

Whether you’re a watch nerd like me, an art lover or simply looking for a truly unique travel experience, I highly recommend you book in a visit to the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture next time you’re in Switzerland. You’ll learn a lot, and you won’t regret it.

Be warned, though: it might make you want to buy a watch…

• ‘The Best Of The Rest’ From Watches & Wonders 2022
• Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Most Underrated Watch Gets A Stylish New Upgrade

The post Why Are Watches So Expensive? I Went To Switzerland To Find Out appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

To the uninitiated, most watches seem ridiculously expensive. Why pay thousands of dollars for a timepiece when your mobile phone’s just as good at telling the time? But of course, a mechanical watch isn’t just a tool for counting the hours – it’s a piece of art. And if you go and see how they’re made, you’ll really appreciate why they’re so pricey.

Let me set the scene. The sun’s just come out in Geneva after a few days of snow and rain. I’m in the Swiss city for the 2022 edition of Watches & Wonders: the watch industry’s biggest and most important trade show. It was an intense week filled with horological marvels – a paradise for a watch nerd like me.

The show has just wrapped up. I’m waiting for a shuttle bus, sunnies on, and I’m a bit overwhelmed. I thought I’d seen just about everything you could when it comes to watches at Watches & Wonders, and already had a pretty good grasp on the economics of modern watchmaking… Turns out I hadn’t seen anything yet.

Why? Because that shuttle bus was just about to send me off to the Vallée de Joux – the cradle of Swiss watchmaking, and therefore the spiritual home of all watchmaking – to visit one of the most impressive watch manufactures on the planet: Jaeger-LeCoultre.

As we piled onto the bus, the anticipation among us journalists was palpable. Comparing notes, there’s definitely a hierarchy about which watch manufactures are the most worth visiting, and according to aficionados, JLC’s easily ranks among the very top. Naturally, I was quite excited.

Descending into the Vallée de Joux was already a rather special experience. Nestled in the Jura Mountains, the Vallée de Joux is a beautiful place. Switzerland is a stunning country but the Vallée is particularly stunning – raw, wild and isolated, it’s surprising that it’s here that the world’s best watches are made – but you can understand how such beautiful pieces of mechanical art come from such a beautiful place.

It’s this isolation that informs why it’s such a watchmaking capital. Traditionally, its high altitude meant the Vallée was closed off during the long, harsh Swiss winter, and the local farmers couldn’t farm. They could mine, but being resource-poor, there wasn’t much ore to go around. So instead, they made watches with what little they could mine.

Today, it’s home to some of the world’s most famous brands’ factories: other than JLC, you’ve got Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin just to name a few. Unlike other parts of Switzerland famous for watchmaking, such as Neuchâtel, the Vallée de Joux is almost exclusively focused on complications and high-end watchmaking.

Anyway, enough waffling. We arrive in Le Sentier, a tiny village of only 3,000, at the gates of the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture. It’s an interesting complex made out of a number of very old buildings connected by modern annexes and additions, all backdropped by the untainted natural scenery of the Vallée de Joux.

RELATED: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reaches Astronomical New Heights At Watches & Wonders 2022

Founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833, Jaeger-LeCoultre is a rather unique firm. It’s often called “the watchmaker’s watchmaker” in reference not only to its popularity among enthusiasts but also to its long history of providing movements to many top brands. It’s also one of only a few true manufactures in the business: that is, everything’s totally made in-house. That’s why it’s so worth visiting.

Inside, we not only got to tour virtually the entire manufacture, but we also got to take a look at their heritage restoration workshop and museum. JLC’s archive contains a real treasure trove of documents detailing the history of watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux, as well as many rare old references, including a still-working Polaris Memovox from the 60s. Mad.

RELATED: Jaeger-LeCoultre Dives Deep With New ‘Ultramarine’ Polaris Collection

The level of access we were granted was truly amazing. Darting between watchmakers and heavy machinery, we were right in the thick of it. The watchmakers were also exceptionally generous with their time, happy to chat with us (in French, bien sûr) and show off their craft.

What’s really striking is how ancient techniques coexist with modern technology in the pursuit of high watchmaking. On some floors of the manufacture, you’ve got super-modern multi-axis CNC machines controlled by computers. On others, you’ve got lathes from the 50s or earlier still in service. On top of that, so much is still done by hand: the gem-setting, enamelling, engraving…

For me, the most special moment is when an older watchmaker showed us how he does anglage – the super-fine polishing on high-end components. Every morning, he goes out into the valley to harvest gentian wood. He then whittles down pieces of the wood into fine points, which he uses as tools for one of the final polishing stages.

This is proper artisanal stuff; the kind of thing watchmakers have been doing for generations. The attention to detail; the love lavished on these incredibly intricate pieces of art, is truly outstanding. Then, consider that this attention to detail is lavished upon hundreds if not thousands of individual components, some of which will never be seen by human eyes again…

If the realisation that luxury Swiss watchmaking is something special hadn’t hit home by this point, it certainly was during our visit to the Atelier d’Antoine, JLC’s discovery workshop and education centre. Here, we had a go assembling the case of a Reverso, JLC’s most iconic watch.

RELATED: Jaeger-LeCoultre Celebrate 90 Years Of An Icon: The Remarkable Reverso

It was fun it took us an embarrassingly long time to get it done. The parts are so fine and fiddly: from the tiny screws to the wafer-thin rubber gasket, you need a steady hand and a lot of patience to get the case together. And that’s just a case – imagine putting together a watch movement, with its hundreds of parts, springs and gears that all have. to mesh together perfectly.

That’s before you even consider how hard it is to manufacture these parts in the first place, or how many different parts JLC must produce. With thousands of patents to their name and hundreds of different watch calibres in production… The mind boggles.

Most people who buy luxury watches probably don’t think very critically about what goes into their hefty price tags. They see them as just status symbols. But once you’ve visited a proper watch manufacture like Jaeger-LeCoultre’s, you really appreciate why these things cost as much as they do.

They’re expensive because there’s so many different disciplines; so many different components; so much time that goes into making these timepieces. They’re labours of love, not just pieces of wrist candy (although I defy you to tell me that a Reverso isn’t one of the prettiest damn things you can wear…)

Whether you’re a watch nerd like me, an art lover or simply looking for a truly unique travel experience, I highly recommend you book in a visit to the Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture next time you’re in Switzerland. You’ll learn a lot, and you won’t regret it.

Be warned, though: it might make you want to buy a watch…

Read Next

• ‘The Best Of The Rest’ From Watches & Wonders 2022
• Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Most Underrated Watch Gets A Stylish New Upgrade

The post Why Are Watches So Expensive? I Went To Switzerland To Find Out appeared first on DMARGE.

The majestic A380, one of the most loved aircraft around the world, is experiencing a long and protracted death. This is because airlines have been shifting towards smaller, more efficient aircraft, even for long haul journeys, for some time.

Though uber comfortable, the A380 ultimately failed to fulfil the commercial vision of its designers. COVID hasn’t helped either, but production of the double-decker jet has been dwindling for years. It might eclipse the Boeing 747, even, in terms of size, but unfortunately, it just isn’t efficient enough to be profitable.

Here’s a brief history of the A380 – from its mighty beginnings to its impending death.

The Origins Of The A380

Airbus first began dreaming up a 500 seat airliner in the early 1990s. The idea was to create a competitor (or, better yet, a successor to) to Boeing’s 747.

The first A380 was shown off to the world in Toulouse in January 2005. It first flew in April 2005 (the maiden voyage lasted 3 hours and 54 minutes). This plane had Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, and flew from Toulouse with a crew of six, led by chief test pilot Jacques Rosay.

It was 239 feet long, 79 feet tall, and 262 feet from wingtip to wingtip. In other words: a bloody big bird.

According to Airbus, the A380 can carry 544 passengers, with a range of more than 9,400 miles. In a high-density configuration, the A380 is even certified to carry up to 868 passengers (538 on the main deck, 330 on the upper level).

On the 15th of October, 2007, the first Airbus A380 was delivered to Singapore Airlines. On the 25th of October 2007, the first commercial flight of the superjumbo took place (from Singapore to Sydney).

Big Promises

The A380 was called the future of aviation when it was first introduced. It delivered unprecedented luxury and comfort. It was even designed to have lower operating costs than its big boy competitors at the time. And, to be fair, it did have some advantages. The A380 was (and still is) a great choice for airlines that want to take advantage of lavish add ons like walk up bars, onboard lounges and first class bathrooms with showers.

Emirates is one such airline who uses the A380 for these purposes. As is Singapore Airlines, with its giant first class suites. And of course, Etihad with The Residence.

But despite a few big carriers still using the A380, on the whole it has fallen out of favour (and it is no longer in production, with Airbus announcing plans to stop making the jet in 2019 due to a lack of demand, and Emirates taking delivery of the world’s last new Airbus A380 last year). Money wise, it all went wrong. Why?

Other Airlines Took Deliveries Of The A380

After Singapore Airlines took delivery of the A380, other airlines like British Airways, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Thai Airways, Air France, Qatar Airways and Etihad took deliveries of their own of the A380 too. Japan’s All Nippon Airways was the last airline to introduce the A380. It did this in 2018 (for flights between Tokyo and Honolulu). Emirates is the biggest fan of the A380 though, accounting for almost half of the A380s ever ordered (123 of 274). This works well for Emirates because it is largely a long haul airline.

But few airlines are are long haul focussed as Emirates. Most struggle to pull in that many passengers, for such long flights, that regularly. Because of this, the trend in the industry is to operate direct flights on smaller long range aircraft.

As Insider notes, “Instead of Emirates’ dedicated hub-and-spoke route model, most airlines have moved towards more point-to-point flying.”

These days the Boing 777, The Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A330 dominate the skies (when it comes to long haul routes, across the board).

No Cargo Version Ever Got Off The Ground

Due to a lack of interest, a cargo version of the A380 has never got up and running.

Airlines Began Scrapping The A380

Insider also reports that in 2017, “Singapore Airlines became the first airline to retire an A380, the first of five to be taken out of service.”

“One [of these 5] has been scrapped so far, while another has entered service with leasing company Hi-Fly.”

In November 2019 Air France retired one of its A380s. During the pandemic, many airlines grounded their fleets of A380s.

RELATED: Singapore Airlines Announcement Puts Another Nail In Coffin Of Magnificent Jet

Airbus Announces The End Of The A380

Airbus announced their decision to end the A380 program in early 2019, with production to end in 2021. This came soon after a reduction in orders from Emirates which, the BBC reports, appears to have forced Airbus’ hand (in 2018, it had expected the program to last at least another ten years).

Simple Flying reports that “despite the 251 sales, the overall project never made a profit.“

“The development cost of €25 billion ($29.7 billion) was more than twice the original development estimate. Although, one positive is that the volume was high enough that by the end, it was producing each aircraft higher than cost.”

Simple Flying

Read Next

• The Last Airbus A380: The Airline Who Refuses To Let The Aircraft Die
• First Class Passengers Mourn Loss Of ‘Most Luxurious Cabin In The Sky’
• Qantas Bucks Airbus A380 Trend, Backs The Superjumbo For The Long Haul

The post The Slow Death Of The A380 appeared first on DMARGE.

Breaking Bad is considered one of the greatest television series of all time. And for good reason. The iconic crime drama followed Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, as he went from a nervous and meek high school chemistry teacher to a merciless and fierce methamphetamine manufacturer.

But despite how critically acclaimed Breaking Bad is, the series did have a few minor plot holes or loose ends that weren’t tied up by the series finale. While none of these inconsistencies ever detracted majorly from the show, die-hard fans who were left wanting more when Breaking Bad ended in 2013, are now getting answers.

Case in point: in Season 4 of Breaking Bad, during the episode Thirty-Eight Snub, Walt drives to Gus Fring’s house intent on killing him. However, Walt receives a phone call from Tyrus, who simply tells him to “Go home, Walter”. You can watch the scene below:

While the scene is thrilling, it was never made clear how Tyrus knew that Walt was at Fring’s house – was he following Walt? Well, a recent episode of Better Call Saul – a prequel to Breaking Bad – have given us the answer. Fring’s house is somewhat of a decoy.

His nice suburban home – where several scenes of Breaking Bad took place – actually has a secret tunnel that leads to the house next door and is completely fitted out with security cameras, surveillance equipment and armed men.

This explains how Tyrus knew that Walt was sitting outside Fring’s house; Walt would’ve shown up on the surveillance footage. You can watch the awesome reveal from Better Call Saul below:

Both Walt and Jesse are yet to appear in Better Call Saul but both Cranston and Aaron Paul who play the respective Breaking Bad characters have confirmed they’ll appear in the current (and last) season of the prequel series.

Hopefully, they’ll make an appearance in the next episode of Better Call Saul, which is released on Stan next Tuesday – the 17th of May – at 6pm.

• What Breaking Bad Stars Bryan Cranston & Aaron Paul’s Relationship Is Like In Real Life
• Bob Odenkirk, Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul Actor, To Star In New Show

The post Breaking Bad Plot Hole Fixed By Latest Better Call Saul Episode appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Breaking Bad is considered one of the greatest television series of all time. And for good reason. The iconic crime drama followed Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, as he went from a nervous and meek high school chemistry teacher to a merciless and fierce methamphetamine manufacturer.

But despite how critically acclaimed Breaking Bad is, the series did have a few minor plot holes or loose ends that weren’t tied up by the series finale. While none of these inconsistencies ever detracted majorly from the show, die-hard fans who were left wanting more when Breaking Bad ended in 2013, are now getting answers.

Case in point: in Season 4 of Breaking Bad, during the episode Thirty-Eight Snub, Walt drives to Gus Fring’s house intent on killing him. However, Walt receives a phone call from Tyrus, who simply tells him to “Go home, Walter”. You can watch the scene below:

While the scene is thrilling, it was never made clear how Tyrus knew that Walt was at Fring’s house – was he following Walt? Well, a recent episode of Better Call Saul – a prequel to Breaking Bad – have given us the answer. Fring’s house is somewhat of a decoy.

His nice suburban home – where several scenes of Breaking Bad took place – actually has a secret tunnel that leads to the house next door and is completely fitted out with security cameras, surveillance equipment and armed men.

This explains how Tyrus knew that Walt was sitting outside Fring’s house; Walt would’ve shown up on the surveillance footage. You can watch the awesome reveal from Better Call Saul below:

Both Walt and Jesse are yet to appear in Better Call Saul but both Cranston and Aaron Paul who play the respective Breaking Bad characters have confirmed they’ll appear in the current (and last) season of the prequel series.

Hopefully, they’ll make an appearance in the next episode of Better Call Saul, which is released on Stan next Tuesday – the 17th of May – at 6pm.

Read Next

• What Breaking Bad Stars Bryan Cranston & Aaron Paul’s Relationship Is Like In Real Life
• Bob Odenkirk, Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul Actor, To Star In New Show

The post Breaking Bad Plot Hole Fixed By Latest Better Call Saul Episode appeared first on DMARGE.

Think you’ve been performing the leg extension correctly? Well, there’s a good chance you’ve been placing unnecessary stress on your knees. Here’s how to perform the leg extension in a safe and effective manner.

The leg extension machine is one you’ll likely find in virtually all gyms. And, while some personal trainers and fitness experts may say using free weights will help build your leg muscles the best – through leg exercises such as squats, lunges and deadlifts – the leg extension machine offers one of the best and safest ways to build up your quad muscles.

However, as with any exercise, it is only safe if you perform it correctly. There are some common mistakes some gym-goers fall foul of when performing the leg extension, but luckily, there are some easy fixes.

Taking to TikTok to explain how to perform the leg extension correctly is @JPGCoaching, who is widely regarded as one of the most trustworthy sources of fitness information on the video-sharing platform. JPGCoaching is the brand name of JP Gallardo, a bodybuilder with a major in exercise science, who perfectly explains how to perform (and how not to perform) pretty much any exercise you can think of.

JPGCoaching has posted several videos revolving around the leg extension and they all touch on a similar subject: positioning when performing.

Line Your Knees Up Properly

Because the leg extension machine is, well, a machine, it is used by anyone who walks into the gym. Different people, naturally, have different heights, and this needs to be factored in when setting up the machine for yourself.

As JPGCoaching says in the video above, you need to make sure you “line your knees up with the axis of rotation.” This is the pivot point on the machine that is clearly identifiable. The leg extension machine at your gym may even have a coloured dot to help identify it more easily. To line your knees up with it, you’ll need to adjust the rear support pad to move your body forward or backwards, depending on your height.

Lining your knees up with the pivot point will allow for the best range of motion and prevent your knees from sustaining an injury.

Maintain Neutral Feet Positioning

JPGCoaching also says you should “maintain a neutral foot position so that your feet extend inline with the knee joint.”

This is another important tip, as some people using the leg extension machine may feel the need to rotate their feet outwards or inwards. Instagram account @charliejohnsonfitness also touches upon this point in his own leg extension tutorial video.

He adds that some people believe that by turning their feet inwards, they will be able to get a better sweeping motion. Even if this is true, it places far too much stress on the knee joints, and will eventually cause knee pain later into the future.

Hold Onto The Handles

Other tips that JPGCoaching suggest are to pull yourself into the seat using the handles down to your sides, “so that you’re not lifting up everytime you extend.” Indeed, by not holding onto the handles, there is a good chance your bum will lift off the seat and move forward slightly when you reach the top of the extension movement.

While this may not necessarily cause any real injury, it removes the tension you’re intending to place upon your quad muscles, rendering the entire exercise pointless.

Lean Foward

It’s not a bad thing to keep your back pressed against the rear pad and pull yourself down into the seat when performing the leg extension. However, JPGCoaching suggests leaning forward slightly from the waist to “maintain hip flexion, which will help with better shortening the rectus fermoris.” JP explains exactly what this does in this video.

Move Slowly

As with most other exercises, if you extend your legs up and down too quickly, you’re not going to reap the full benefit. A slow and controlled motion is going to reward you far greater. Again, Charlie Johnson touches on this point in his video.

Hold At The Top

When you reach full extension, JPGCoaching suggests holding and squeezing the quads for a second or two before returning to the starting position. Doing so will hold the contraction on the muscles

Take all these tips into account next time you’re at the leg extension machine and you’ll soon see your quads grow huge.

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The post How To Do Leg Extensions Without Destroying Your Knees appeared first on DMARGE Australia.