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FT editor Roula Khalaf has chosen her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
set the table
My first experience with table tennis was in the early 1980s, when my father stuck a green plastic net across the family table before beating me 21-0. As a result, I find a sweet irony in the fact that Cornilleau’s latest and most cutting-edge outdoor models occupy a unique category of designer gaming furniture while also serving as tables for eating and socializing.
The game has its roots in Victorian homes, so it’s no coincidence that a typical dining table and ping pong table are about the same height (76 cm). The two forms were always destined to diverge, but there is no doubt that Cornillaud is best placed to reunite them. After starting out as a joinery company in the 1940s, he was drawn into the world of table tennis in 1969 when a French department store placed an emergency order for 300 of his tables. I never looked back. Over the years, French table tennis legends such as Jacques Secretin and Jean-Philippe Gatien have been consulted for modifications. In 1988, we began manufacturing outdoor tables using resin laminate, incorporating the technological innovations of our competition models. This time his Play-Style combines that premium outdoor play surface with a table where you can happily invite your friends to sit without having to apologize first.
It’s best to clear the plates before starting the game, but the switcheroo afterwards is easy. A magnetic net is quickly installed, the bat is removed from the integrated drawer, and for outdoor play he also takes out a 30% heavier ball. The resin surface has a perfect bounce (approved by the Fédération Française de Tennis de Tables) and has a matte coating that absorbs sunlight and reduces glare.
With the Olympics just a few months away, the hopes of the French table tennis world are resting on phenomenal teenagers Felix and Alexis Leblanc. During the Olympics, they will be playing at a table in China rather than at a table in Cornilault (“Unfortunately, that was the International Olympic Committee’s decision,” a company spokesperson says). But as interest in the sport rekindles, we turn to French amateur athletes (and diners). Cornillo’s play stylefrom £1,749
Ready for rollerskiing?
Skiing is generally limited to snow-covered slopes, and as SKWheel co-founder Romain Masboeuf ruefully points out, the snow is receding. “To give freedom to tomorrow’s skiers, we have to find other solutions,” he says. SKWheel is a set of wheeled skis with an ingenious pivot system that, after seven years of testing and his five prototypes, has a maximum speed of 80km/h (but limited to 25km/h for urban use). It’s clearly a distant relative of rollerblades, but its center of gravity is lower, so it feels more stable. “A beginner can master it in 20 minutes, but for a skier it will take about five minutes,” Macebuch said. SK wheel one2,400 euros
A matter of scale
Withings Body Scan Scale, £349.95
The market for health monitoring devices is incredibly crowded, but Issy-les-Moulineau-based company Withings’ Body+ has become the best-selling smart scale in the United States. This is the flagship scale of the new series, which measures weight (natural), fat and muscle mass in each area of the body, thanks to a handle with additional sensors, and provides insights into the health of blood vessels and nerves. We can provide it. As someone who cares about my health but doesn’t want to constantly face the harsh realities of life every day, I prefer a “closed eyes” mode that allows me to see the numbers without any information on the scale when I ride. welcome. You can check what’s trending in your app whenever you’re ready. Withings Body Scan£349.95
flight of fancy
French jet ski champion Frankie Zapata has a dream of letting people experience the freedom of flight without a pilot or lengthy training. Regulators are in no hurry to allow this, but his work continues. First came the Flyboard Air (a type of jet hoverboard), then he came out with the JetRacer (a type of flying car), and then he introduced this extraordinary vehicle with 12 propellers, two legs, and multiple safety systems. This paved the way for his VTOL pod. Powered partly by sustainable fuel and partly by batteries, it has a top speed of 90 miles per hour and a flight time of about two hours (compared to the average of about 10 to 20 minutes for other machines in its class). Mass market adoption may be a while away, but the AirScooter experience is just around the corner. zapata.com
life cycle
REF Urban Boost modular bike, 2,700 lbs.
The Right to Repair movement has been lobbying big tech companies for years to allow people to take apart their devices and replace parts. Apple, for example, has pushed back, pointing out that the more repairable it is, the less secure and safe it becomes. This is equally true in the world of cycling, where French brand REF has pursued a vision of a more environmentally friendly, modular, domestically produced bike that allows parts to be replaced without compromising the rigidity of the frame. The Urban Boost is the company’s best-selling model and is precisely configurable and can transform from a commuter bike to a longtail bike over a lifetime. A REF spokesperson said, optimistically and seriously, this could be the only bike you need. REF Urban Boost2,700 lbs.
@Rhodri