Alex Lauer

Alex Lauer is the features editor at InsideHook. Since joining the company in 2016, he’s covered a wide range of topics, including cars, the environment, books and business. His reporting broke stories on the rise of Bookshop (the anti-Amazon online bookseller), the fall of Best Made Company (and sale to Duluth Trading) and the false promises of a supposedly “environmentally-friendly” NFT initiative. His hands-on methods — driving in a Sherp (of Kanye West fame) in northern Minnesota and idling in the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E for 12 hours in the middle of winter — offer a reliable and unique perspective on popular issues. Previously, he wrote for City Pages in the Twin Cities after graduating from the University of Minnesota. After starting at IH in New York City, he now lives in Minneapolis, MN. Follow him on Instagram: @alexlauer.

All Articles From Alex Lauer
A replica Tesla Cybertruck built by the Russian YouTubers at Garage 54. We talked to Vladislav Barashenkov about building the UAZ-based vehicle

Why Are People Building Their Own Cybertrucks? We Asked Them.

What do Russian YouTubers, a Bosnian businessman and an Arizona EMT have in common? Homemade Tesla Cybertrucks.

John Williams and Steven Spielberg at the American Film Institute's 44th Life Achievement Award Gala on June 9, 2016. On the occasion of Williams’s 90th birthday, we remember the time the composer met Spielberg in the 1970s.

The Partnership of John Williams and Steven Spielberg Started With a Blind Date

Remembering the awkward beginning of one of the greatest director-composer alliances on Williams's 90th birthday

On the left, the redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy automotive mascot, or hood ornament, introduced by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 2022. On the right, Eleanor Thornton, who lived from 1880 to 1915, and was the inspiration behind the figurine.

The Scandalous and Tragic History Behind Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Ecstasy

Next time you see the luxury automaker's hood ornament, think of Eleanor Thornton

From outerwear down to slip-on boots, we've got the full rundown of deals at Huckberry's Annual Winter Sale.

Our Favorite Deals at Huckberry’s Winter Sale, From Waxed Jackets to Sweats

Take up to 50% off cold- and warmer-weather gear

Jay Leno checks out the Ferrari Enzo engine at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on January 5, 2003. In 2021, Leno explained why he doesn’t own a Ferrari.

Jay Leno Equates Buying a Ferrari to a “Dominatrix,” Prefers Porsche and McLaren

It’s not about the cars, it’s about the customer service

The Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker, a new grain cooking appliance, on a yellow and orange background. We tested and reviewed the kitchen appliance to see if it's worth buying.

Review: The Nutribullet EveryGrain Cooker Does a Whole Lot More Than Rice

We tested the all-in-one kitchen appliance to see if it deserves a space on your counter

The Black Pearl sailing yacht from Oceanco. Jeff Bezos's own megayacht, which is reportedly based on the Black Pearl, will be able to enter the ocean only after a historic bridge in Rotterdam in the Netherlands is dismantled.

Jeff Bezos Is Literally Having a Bridge Dismantled to Deliver His Megayacht

A historic lift bridge in Rotterdam will be temporarily deconstructed to make way for the Amazon founder's new plaything

A 10-inch D3 stainless steel fry pan from All-Clad. It's currently on sale at Home & Cook's factory seconds sale.

All-Clad Cookware Is Heavily Discounted During This Factory Seconds Bonanza

Stainless steel skillets, bakeware sets and nonstick pans are all included

A grid showing the various National Park NFTs from creator Mick Gow. The NFTs are now available on OpenSea.

The Oxymoronic Nature of National Park NFTs

Can environmentalism go hand-in-hand with blockchain tech?

Nightwatchman Marco Carrara looking out from the Lausanne Cathedral bell tower in December 2018. The night watch hired the first woman in 600 years: Cassandre Berdoz.

In Switzerland, Feminism Advances From the Top of a Bell Tower

Cassandre Berdoz is the first woman to hold a historic night watch post in Lausanne that goes back to the 15th century

The new Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven from Made In, the cookware company based in Austin, Texas. This French-made pot comes in navy blue with a brass-colored knob on the lid.

Why You Should Consider Made In’s New Dutch Oven Over the Classics

For their take on the enameled pot, Made In went to Le Creuset and Staub’s home turf

The Burrow Circa Bed with a headboard and a dark walnut finish. The DTC furniture company launched this Bedroom collection in February 2022.

Burrow Redesigned Your Couch, Now They Want to Do Your Bedroom

The DTC furniture company is now offering bed frames, mattresses and other essentials

The new high-performance Aston Martin DBX707 SUV in blue with its headlights on. The SUV debuted on February 1, 2022 and will be available in Q2 this year.

The "Pinnacle of SUV Performance" Has One Glaring Omission

They delivered on their promise of the most powerful luxury SUV. Is it enough?

A men's sweater fleece jacket, pair of 8-inch Bean Boots and flannel-lined jeans from L.L. Bean, all of which are discounted during a sitewide sale

What to Score at L.L. Bean's Rare Sitewide Sale, From Bean Boots to Fleece

We don’t know how long the sale will last, so hop to it

An NFT created by Nigerian digital artist FreddieJacobArt named "Oghenerukevwe" on OpenSea NFT marketplace. OpenSea admitted in January 2022 that over 80% of the NFTs created for free on the platform are “plagiarized works, fake collections, and spam.”

A Huge Portion of Our NFTs Are Fraudulent, Says Largest NFT Marketplace

What is OpenSea doing about the problem? For now, not much.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiling the Cybertruck in November 2019 in Hawthorne, California. On an earnings call in January 2022, Musk said the electric pickup truck won’t be produced until at least 2023.

In Elon Musk’s Crystal Ball, Tesla’s Future Lies in Self-Driving Cars, Not Cybertrucks

Instead of betting on the electric pickup, Roadster, Semi or an economy EV, Musk is betting on autonomous vehicles