These mid-tier earbuds have 15 hours of battery life with noise canceling, and a magnetic design that keeps them chargedno case required.

The A.I. prediction world is torn between optimism and gloom. A report released on Thursday decidedly lands on the side of gloom.

The company said it would offer customers the same prices it offers its employees on most of its vehicles.

MacworldWith the fear of tariffs overtaking the U.S., Verizon on Thursday announced a new three-year price lock guarantee on all myPlan and myHome network plans. Verizon says the guarantee ensures your core monthly plan price for calling, data, and texting wont change until at least 2028.On the surface, that sounds like a good deal. There isnt a commitment to stay for three years and the guarantee automatically applies to all existing myPlan customers, which is basically anyone whos signed up in the past couple of years. Additionally, customers can get a free phone (which varies depending on the plan) with any trade-in of an Apple, Google, or Samsung handset in any condition.But the price lock guarantee isnt all that guaranteed. The deal only applies to the then-current base monthly rate for your talk, text, and data, and excludes taxes, fees, surcharges, additional plan discounts or promotions, and third-party services. That basically ensures that youll be paying more for your phone plan in three years, even if the base monthly rate stays the same.For example, in February, Verizon added a $3 per line increase for myPlan customers with five or more lines and 20 cents per line to the Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge in January. Those very clearly fall under the category of a fee or surcharge.So go grab your free phone, but dont expect to pay the same plan rate today as you will in April 2028, no matter what Verizon guarantees.

Ming-Chi Kuo's Apple commentary is normally fairly insightful, but his latest batch on how Apple can shoulder President Trump's tariff burden is short-sighted, and doesn't make a great deal of sense.Apple CEO Tim CookAnalyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently outlined how the company could respond to a new wave of U.S. tariffs targeting hardware assembled in China, India, and Vietnam. The new policy imposes tariffs of 54%, 26%, and 46% on goods from China, India, and Vietnam, respectively.However, Kuo's analysis glosses over some incredibly major obstacles. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

It doesn't matter how smart technology gets in an all-digital world you're still going to need to fax something at some point. Here's how to fax from iPhone with the Municorn Fax app.Municorn Fax App turns iPhone into a fax machine. Image credit: MunicornA fax is like an email you send over 1980s phone technology using real paper. Chances are, you don't own a physical fax machine and no one really should in the year 2025.That said, it is inevitable that you'll have to send a fax from time to time. However, that's why online fax services exist. Continue Reading on AppleInsider

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis Obispo has shared its lecture poster and speaker information to round out our Get Lectured highlights for the spring.Organizers share: "URGENCIES is a project that was organized to motivate conversations across the five CAED departments: Architecture, City and Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Construction Management. A cohort of respondents who are selected from all over the world will visit the Business Rotunda on Fridays at 5pm. Students and faculty are invited to participate in a conversation about how the built environment is interdependent on structures of power, colonization and extraction, with the hope that we can envision alternative futures together."Speakers for the remainder of the term will include CUNY Spitzer School associate professor Nandini Bagchee, Ruderals Sarah Cowles, Harvard GSD associate professor Dana M. White, a...

On March 14th, Severance aired episode nine of its second season on Apple+. The science fiction dystopian thriller series follows employees of Lumon Industries, a mysterious corporation where select workers undergo a procedure called severance, which surgically divides their work and personal memories. The story centers on Mark Scout (AdamScott), a grieving man who begins to question the true nature of the company and the ethical implications of the severance procedure.Still from "Severance" S2 E9 with James Eagen (Michael Siberry), filmed inside theTaghkanic House. Image credit: Apple+Still from "Severance" S2 E9 with Helena Eagen (Britt Lower), filmed inside the Taghkanic House. Image credit: Apple+Keen architectural viewers of episode nine may have noticed that the home of Lumons CEO James Eagen (played by Michael Siberry) is not a fictional film set, but a real award-winning residence by American architecture firm Thomas Phifer and Partners. Located in rural upstate New Yo...

Portrait photography continually evolves, and creative photographers constantly seek innovative techniques to distinguish their work. One standout approach is the Brenizer Methodalso known as the bokeh panorama. This technique merges multiple images into one panoramic portrait, creating a cinematic aesthetic with an exceptionally shallow depth of field. By mastering this method, you can capture portraits that combine the expansive viewpoint of a wide-angle lens with the elegant bokeh typically associated with longer focal lengths.Understanding the Brenizer MethodThe Brenizer Method, popularized by wedding photographer Ryan Brenizer, involves capturing a scene through a series of overlapping photographs and stitching them together digitally. The result? Portraits boasting wide-angle views with pronounced subject separation, producing an impactful, cinematic effect impossible with traditional lenses.Equipment and SetupTo effectively utilize the Brenizer Method, consider the following:Lens Choice: Typically, prime lenses between 50mm to 135mm with wide apertures (f/1.4f/2.8) produce optimal results.Camera Settings: Shoot in manual mode, locking exposure, white balance, and focus to ensure consistency across all shots.Tripod Use: While handheld shooting is possible, a tripod provides stability and consistency, simplifying stitching during post-processing.Step-by-Step Shooting TechniqueFollow these steps to execute the Brenizer Method successfully:Begin by photographing your subject clearly, setting your desired aperture and focal distance.Capture surrounding shots systematically, ensuring each new image overlaps the previous one by approximately 30%.Cover the entire intended scene, expanding both vertically and horizontally.Advanced Tips for Stunning ResultsEnhance your Brenizer panoramas with these advanced strategies:Plan for Stitching: Leave additional space around your composition to facilitate cropping and adjustments during the stitching process.Manage Subject Movement: Minimize movement between shotsthis method works best with static poses to ensure seamless stitching.Consider Background Depth: Choose backgrounds that amplify depth, such as distant landscapes or architectural settings, enhancing the panoramic effect.Post-Processing and StitchingThe true magic of the Brenizer Method emerges during post-processing:Use software like Adobe Photoshops Photomerge feature or specialized programs like PTGui.After stitching, carefully refine the panoramacrop, adjust exposure, and fine-tune colors for visual consistency.Apply subtle edits to enhance depth and contrast, further emphasizing the cinematic appeal.40+ Beautiful Bokeh Images That Capture Your ImaginationCommon Mistakes to AvoidWatch out for these pitfalls:Insufficient Overlap: Not overlapping enough can create stitching gaps or misaligned elements.Inconsistent Focus and Exposure: Ensure all images maintain the same settings to avoid uneven sharpness or exposure variations.Subject Too Close to Edges: Keep your main subject central to avoid distortion or cropping issues during stitching.Final ThoughtsMastering the Brenizer Method opens doors to creative portrait possibilities, delivering visually stunning results that stand out in portfolios. By carefully planning your shots, managing your camera settings, and perfecting your stitching technique, you can consistently produce cinematic portraits that captivate viewers and elevate your artistic expression.The post Crafting Cinematic Portraits with the Brenizer Method appeared first on 500px.

Back when the Nintendo Switch was first launched, it was received by the gaming audience at large quite positively. A few months later, however, issues started arising with players noticing that their Joy-Con analogue sticks would occasionally drift.According to IGN, the company has continued to stay quiet about the issue potentially popping up again on the Nintendo Switch 2. In a roundtable Q&A, general manager at Nintendos Technology Development Division, and senior director at its Technology Development Department, Tetsuya Sasaki, spoke at length about how the Joy-Con 2 controllers saw a major ground-up redesign.As you may have witnessed and felt, the new Joy-Con 2 controllers for the Nintendo Switch 2 have been really designed from the ground up, from scratch, and theyve been designed to have bigger movement and also smoother movement, Sasaki said. However, he didnt say anything about stick drifting being a potential issue again.Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto also spoke about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, emphasising that they have been made much quieter when compared to the previous iteration of the Pro Controller.Aside from the color, the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller may look indistinguishable from the previous controller at first glance, but it was also redesigned from scratch, said Kawamoto during the Q&A. In particular, the left and right control sticks are quieter and dont make noise, even when theyre moved quickly to the edge. Also, they glide very smoothly, so weve taken to calling them smooth-gliding sticks.Sasaki also spoke about the smooth-gliding sticks, talking about how there have been concerted efforts at Nintendo to design what could be considered the pinnacle of all controllers. Whether this ambition has played out in the way the company would hope, however, will only be seen once the console is out.As theyre calling them smooth-gliding sticks, we made efforts to reduce the feeling of bumping when you tilt them, said Sasaki. In fact, theres been a long-running project at Nintendo with the grand ambition of developing the pinnacle of all controllers, and weve been researching it hard for a long time now.While we dont yet know what kind of technology is being used for the Switch 2s analogue sticks, a patent application from back in 2023 indicates that we might be seeing a major upgrade in that regard. The patent described a technology that would make use of a magnetorheological fluid somehow.The patent also indicates that the viscosity of this fluid can be changed depending on how the player uses the joystick. This could be technology similar to what we see in third-party controller with Hall Effect joysticks, which make use of magnetic fields to detect the position of the analogue sticks.The Nintendo Switch 2 will be hitting stores on June 5. The console will be launched alongside quite a few games, including first-party title Mario Kart World. There will also be a console bundle that includes a copy of Mario Kart World, priced at $499.99, while the base console itself will be priced at $449.99.