GoKawiil
Tech News
Luggage maker Away has opened a resale storefront selling returned and unsold inventory at discounts of up to 30%. During a soft launch period, the company says 80% of the available stock sold within two weeks. Items may carry minor cosmetic flaws such as scuffs or dents.
WIRED compiled a list of 13 recommended gifts for travelers, including a Quince expandable carry-on and checked-bag luggage set priced at $270, and Amazon's 12th-generation Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature Edition, priced at $200 and $250 respectively. The guide also points readers toward related WIRED roundups on travel tote bags, gifts for women, and stocking stuffers.
Away has launched its Series 3 Classic and Flex luggage lines, keeping the familiar exterior shell but reworking the wheels and telescoping handle. The new WhisperGlide 360 wheels add an extra ball bearing and improved threading for quieter rolling, while a StopLock Brakes system—borrowed from Away's TopSide line—lets users lock the wheels in place, even on inclines, via a hidden switch. CEO Jen Rubio's team member Amidi says the battery option, dropped since 2023, remains absent, and the launch was delayed until the product met internal testing standards.
A reviewer compared Quince's expandable carry-on and large checked bag to Away's Flex line and found nearly identical materials, dimensions, and features including spinner wheels, combination locks, and lifetime warranties. Quince's bundle costs $270 combined, versus Away's separate prices of $325 and $425, and Quince also offers a 365-day return window.
A new speculative fiction piece from Nature Futures follows Melba, an employee managing the Lost Luggage Department at a nearly abandoned interstellar flight headquarters. The story details how travelers' bags are shrunk via molecular-reduction technology before space voyages, and how some end up misrouted for decades, eventually landing in Melba's basement office filled with stacks of miniaturized suitcases.