We may earn a commission from links on this page.Being both a lightweight and a lover of sparkling wine means I often end up with a leftover half-bottle of the stuff, or I choose not to open one at all. Neither of these options feels right to me. While I dont mind pouring the occasional $11 flat prosecco down the drain, my partner and I just got engaged, and we've been gifted a few bottles of fancy champagnestuff way to good to waste. The inevitable leftovers must be protected. After testing a few hacks to preserve sparkling wines fizz, I found one that works.The testing optionsA friend gave me a Le Creuset champagne stopper along with a bottle of bubbly around Christmas. Weeks later I saw an Instagram post by Americas Test Kitchen on this very topic. In that video, ATK focuses on a hack for using plastic wrap if you dont think your champagne stopper is up to the task: Simply cover the opening with plastic wrap and tie a rubber band securely around the neck to keep the plastic in place. This option prompted me to conduct a side-by-side testbut not with my fancy champagne, no sir. Instead, I bought four cheap bottles of prosecco. (Champagne and prosecco are both sparkling white wines; theyre just produced in different regions. this test will apply to all sparkling wine, including reds.)I poured a serving of bev out of each bottle and set them up with different preservation options:One bottle was fitted with an intentionally designed champagne stopper. Another was fixed with the plastic wrap and rubber band rig. The third got plugged with an old wine cork and draped with a tea towel for safety (just in case a pressure buildup caused to to go shooting off). The fourth bottle was left open as a control.The sparkling resultsTwenty-four hours later, I poured out another glass from each bottle. Before even tasting the wine, I noticed two things: The specifically constructed champagne stopper was the only one that released from the bottle with a powerful POP! of air, almost like it was being unbottled for the first time. I also noted that each glass looked nearly identical, producing visible bubbles and a bit of foam when poured. This told me that tasting would be the best indicator of how well each of these methods preserves fizz. Despite appearances, only the one on the far right was bubbly on the palate. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann While each sip did reveal some fizzy sensations, the only one that felt like a freshly opened bottle was the sample that used a specifically designed champagne stopperi.e. the one that popped. That sip of that wine offered both an initial visual presence of bubbles and the quintessential delayed foaming that you expect from champagne. (That foaming sensation is what sets a fresh bottle apart from a flat bottle.)I actually tested this one again after another 24 hours and it popped again, and still aced the taste test. Another surprising result: The other three samples were about the same, meaning the the completely unstoppered control bottle had the same mouth-feel as the other two (the old-cork stoppered one, and the one sealed with plastic wrap). This suggests to me that the bottles thin neck shape alone does the most work in preserving bubbles, and it's not worth bothering with jamming the old cork in there, let alone fussing with plastic wrap.A champagne stopper is worth it If youre a fan of prosecco, lambrusco, pt-nat, or a classic champagne toast, my experiment proves its worth it to have a proper champagne stopper in your kitchen. This type of stopper has a silicone rubber seal and a strong hinging mechanism to ensure it forms an air-tight that stays that way. Using one of these should help you extend the life of any sparkling wine for weeks, which should be enough time to polish it off. Le Creuset Champagne Crown Sealer, 2.25", Black Nickel $49.95 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $49.95 at Amazon There are cheaper options, but even if you opt for a higher-priced brand like the Le Creuset one I tested, after only a few uses youll end up saving well more than that in un-wasted bubbles. Whether it's Valentines Day, an engagement, or a fresh start, the reasons to celebrate with a bottle of sparkling wine are myriad. It pays to be prepared. Bring on the bubbles.

Whenever I open Reddit these days, it feels like I'm just asking to see outrage bait. That means posts from AITA, posts from AIO (Am I Overreacting), and posts about political turmoil. As a writer, I need to check Reddit to keep a tab on interesting new app launches, common problems people face with technology (so that I can write about the solutions), and sometimes, to solve a niche problem that I face with my own tech. But if I accidentally open Reddit's default home page, my mental health starts tanking, and my thoughts become angrier, too.Yes, a lot of bad things are going on in the world right now, but I don't want to hear about them all the time. My brain needs a break from all of that once in a while. Unfortunately, Reddit doesn't offer easy tools to filter out unwanted posts from your feed, but a few months ago, I discovered Protego ($1), a Safari extension that offers this functionality. Protego lets you create a personalized blocklist to hide all kinds of outrage fuel on Reddit. You can block keywords, links to specific domains, social media sites, and automatically get redirected to Reddit's legacy UI (which has far fewer distracting widgets that try to increase engagement). Create Reddit filters using Protego Credit: Pranay Parab First, open Protego on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then go to the Filters tab and select Keywords. Hit the + button and select Add Keyword List. This lets you add multiple keyword filters to Reddit in one go. You need to add a comma between keywords, eg: AITA, AIO, Elon Musk, etc. Protego also supports wildcards, which lets you block multiple variations of an offending word. For instance, if you want to block the term AITA and related terms such as AITAH, then simply add AITA to the blocklist, and it'll block any words that start with AITA. When you're done adding keywords, you can share your blocklist with others if you like. Protego lets you export blocklists in a JSON file, which it imports seamlessly. To use this feature, open the app and go to Filter > List Management.Block posts that link to specific websites Credit: Pranay Parab In its most recent update, Protego added the ability to block specific domains. You can enable this by going to Filter > Social Media in the app and turning on the switches next to social media platforms you'd rather avoid. For me, it was a no-brainer to block posts that link to X, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Other options include YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, and a few more social media sites. You can also block custom domains by going to Filter > Domains. Hit the + button here and select Add Domain List. Just as you added multiple keywords earlier, you can use this form to add many domains to the blocklist in one go. There are several well-known sites that thrive on fake news, sensationalism, and low-quality content, and making your own block list will keep these sites off Reddit in Safari.While this feature is great, Protego still needs the ability to filter out subreddits from your feed. With this feature, I can easily hide posts from subreddits known to post fake rage bait stories and those that contain political propaganda that I'd rather not see. The developer is working on this feature, and it'll hopefully be available in the near future.A few more quality-of-life improvements Credit: Pranay Parab Finally, Protego has a few nice Reddit tweaks that make the site a lot easier to browse. These features are in the app's Settings tab. You can ask the app to automatically switch you to Reddit's legacy UI, which looks a lot more spartan but doesn't have annoying suggested content and autoplaying videos. The extension also allows you to hide promoted posts and Reddit ads, and on mobile Safari, it hides Reddit's annoying open-this-in-the-app banner. You can also ask it to automatically hide or collapse automoderator comments in all threads.All of these things make Protego a must-have for anyone who uses Reddit on Safari for iPhone, iPad, or Mac. A single purchase unlocks the app on all platforms, and the extension syncs your settings and keyword filters across devices. After setting up the app, opening r/popular or r/all no longer ruins my day. I see more content around sports, nature, dogs and cats, video games, and even heartwarming posts from niche subreddits like r/quilting. This has reduced the dominance of some of Reddit's largest communities in my view of the popular feed, and I'm now seeing more of the kinds of posts that drew me to this site in the first place. It's still far from ideal, given that the discourse on Reddit continues to be dominated by the kinds of posts I've hidden, but hey, at least I can easily distance myself from them now.

How do you follow up a product that has reigned as the king of mirrorless cameras for the last four years? For Sony, the answer with the A1 was simple: just improve everything. The result is the $6,500 A1 II, a powerful pro-level hybrid mirrorless camera thats Sonys best to date. The A1 II is equipped with a 50-megapixel stacked sensor, not a global sensor like the A9 III, so its not quite as fast. However, its blend of speed and resolution makes it the most versatile camera in Sonys lineup. It also impresses on the video side with 8K 30 fps 10-bit capture, along with 4K slo-mo at up to 120 fps. I expect a lot out of a Sony flagship camera, though, and while the A1 II has lots of small improvements, theres nothing terribly innovative. Its also up against impressive (and cheaper) competition like the $4,300 Canon EOS R5 II and $4,000 Nikon Z8. Plus, theres the similarly priced pro-level Canon R1 and Nikon Z9. So despite its strengths, I found Sonys new flagship to be slightly disappointing. Body and handling The A1 II is Sonys best-handling camera to date. In terms of design and control placement, its nearly identical to the companys high-end A9 III. At 743 grams (1.64 pounds), its heavier than the 617-gram (1.36 pound) A1, but still a featherweight compared to other professional models like the three-pound Z9. The new grip has slightly softer materials and more rounded contours, so its more comfortable and secure to hold than the hard-edged A1. Thats a big help to working pros with heavy lenses. If you like manual controls, the A1 II is a dream. It has three primary dials, compared to just two on rival flagships. Theres a mode selector ring to choose photo, video and so-called Slow & Quick modes, along with a dual-control wheel for both shooting and autofocus. Around back, theres yet another dial, plus a joystick and numerous customizable buttons. The A1 IIs menu system has been refreshed to match the A9 III. It now offers a home setting for your most-used features, and everything is neatly organized into sub-menus. Sony also added an easy-to-use section for customizing buttons, dials, the quick menu and more. Steve Dent for Engadget Despite the price difference, its natural to compare the A1 IIs design and setup with the Canon R5 II as both are high-performance, high-resolution cameras. The R5 II does feel a bit nicer thanks to the more rounded shape and softer materials. But the A1 II has a larger array of controls, so its easier and faster to shoot with it once you get used to them. Sony also has a more intuitive menu system that makes it easier to find key settings. Then theres the A1 IIs sublime electronic viewfinder (EVF). Though it has the same resolution as the A1 at 9.44 million dots, it no longer drops in resolution at its default 120 fps frame rate. With that, its so sharp and bright that it blows away any argument for an optical viewfinder. Sony even provides two eyepiece cups, including what it calls a squishy option that molds around your eye to block out light, giving me a fully immersive experience. With all of that, this is easily the best EVF Ive ever used. Vloggers complained about the lack of a fully articulating display on the A1. Sony addressed that by outfitting the A1 II with a bright, 3-inch, 2.1-million-dot screen that not only tilts up and down but also fully swivels ideal for both photographers and content creators. As before, the A1 II has a dual card slot system with support for both SD UHS II and (sigh) Sonys CFexpress Type A cards that no one else uses. Those are faster than SD, but not as fast as the CFexpress Type B slots found on the R5 II, Z8 and others. Steve Dent for Engadget The Z-type battery delivers a decent 520 shots on a charge, which is just slightly less than the 530 on the A1. It comes with a nice array of ports, including full-sized HDMI and high-speed USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 that allows rapid 10Gbps file transfers. You also get mic and headphone ports, a 2.5 Gbps ethernet connection and a flash sync port. Even the Wi-Fi was upgraded with 2x2 MIMO support that allows 2.5Gbps transfer speeds instead of 1Gbps as before. Performance The A1 II is the fastest high-resolution camera available, letting you hit burst speeds up to 30 fps when shooting RAW with continuous autofocus enabled in electronic mode, or 10 fps with the mechanical shutter. Those speeds match or beat its main rivals, but arent an improvement over the four-year-old A1. Thats a bit of a surprise, given that the A1 II has a much faster Bionz XR image processor borrowed from the A9 III. The autofocus is a big improvement, though. It locks onto subjects quicker than before, so I saw fewer out-of-focus shots when firing off bursts. The A1 II also has Sonys latest algorithms and AI features from the A9 III that make subject-recognition faster and more user-friendly. It can now recognize human bodies, faces and eyes, along with animals, birds, insects and several types of vehicles. On top of that, the A1 II is Sonys first camera to automatically identify those subjects so you dont have to tediously select them yourself. In other words, if youre photographing birds and happen to see a bear, you wont waste valuable time switching modes. Sony is a bit late to the game with this auto subject selection, as Canon and other brands have had it for a while. However, the A1 II has the best implementation Ive seen to date, as it chooses and locks onto subjects more quickly. Like other cameras, it can get tripped up in situations with multiple subjects, occasionally selecting the wrong one. With human subjects, Canon has an edge thanks to its face-memorization feature on the R1 and R5 that will always try to lock onto a specific person. Steve Dent for Engadget While the A1 II has both a mechanical and electronic shutter, the stacked sensors fast readout speeds mean you can use the latter almost exclusively. Even in sports like golf with high speed movements, skewing and distortion is rarely an issue when using the electronic shutter, and you can shoot photos silently without disturbing participants. Pre-capture is a key new feature, letting you keep up to 70 frames when half-pressing the shutter button, before fully pressing it. That reduces the odds of missing a decisive moment in a scene. When it comes to stabilization, the A1 II also represents a first for the company. It offers 8.5 stops, beating the A9 III by a half-stop and matching the EOS R5 II and R1. Thanks to that, I was able to nail sharp photos even at ridiculously slow shutter speeds, like a full second. Thats ideal when you need to shoot in low light or deliberately blur moving subjects without using a tripod. While the A1 II is quick, it didnt bring the generational leap I expected compared to a four-year-old camera. My professional photographer friends (who already own A1s) felt the same way and wont be upgrading. Image quality The A1 II is not just fast, but also delivers high resolution, and that combination is why you pay the big bucks. Images are sharper than just about any full-frame camera, with the exception of Sonys own A7R V. Dynamic range is excellent and colors are accurate when shooting JPEGs, though I prefer Canons warmer images straight out of the camera. The new model has the same sensor as the A1, but Sony managed to boost dynamic range very slightly at higher ISOs. As a result, you get minimal noise up to around ISO 6,400 and images are very usable at ISO 12,800. This is outstanding for a 50MP camera, and better than Canons EOS R5 II. Beyond that, and up to the cameras maximum ISO 32,000, noise starts to become distracting. RAW files give photographers ample room to dial down blown out highlights or boost detail in shadow areas. If you need the maximum amount of dynamic range, youll want to shoot using the lossless compressed RAW format, as lossy compressed RAW files are noticeably worse in highly detailed images. The downside to the latter is that shooting them limits burst speeds to 20 fps and fills your memory card much faster. While image quality is outstanding, its not much of an improvement over the A1. For studio and landscape photographers who value image quality above all and already own an A1, the A1 II likely isnt worth the investment. Video On paper, the A1 II is a powerhouse for video, offering up to 8K 30 fps recording and 4K 60 fps(up to 4K 120 fps with no sound), with 10-bit log shooting available. It comes with a new feature that lets you load custom LUTs when shooting in log (S-Log3) mode, so you can better judge your exposure. It also has a setting that lets you better match footage with Sonys professional cinema cameras. Thats on top of the other improvements I already mentioned, like the fully articulating display and upgraded stabilization, that are also beneficial when recording video. Frame of 8K video from the Sony A1 II Steve Dent for Engadget Autofocus is much improved with more reliable tracking of moving subjects, as I found when shooting a fast-moving soccer event. It also supports the same subject tracking modes available when capturing photos (eyes, faces, bodies, birds, animals and vehicles). Looking closer, though, the video capabilities are slightly disappointing. Unlike the much cheaper Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 II cameras, the A1 II doesnt offer internal RAW recording, possibly because the CFexpress Type A slots cant handle the required bandwidth. That can make a big difference with video quality and the ability to adjust colors and levels when editing. Still, when recording 8K or 4K 10-bit log video at the highest data rates, image quality and dynamic range are solid. The S-Log3 and 10-bit features give content creators a lot of room to tweak footage shot in dim interiors or a bright sunny day. The in-body stabilization may be the best Ive seen on any camera to date. The optical mode does a great job removing any hand jitters if you dont move around too much. And for walking or running, the electronic stabilization (not available in 8K) provides near GoPro-like smoothing, with none of the sudden jolts seen on other models. If you do need to move the camera quickly, rolling shutter is usually a non-issue. I only saw any distortion when shooting 8K video, and even then, it was minimal. Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget The A1 II is an awesome camera and near the top of the food chain in terms of speed and power. Nearly every aspect has been improved over the A1, including the stabilization, body design and autofocus. However, the innovation that Sony is known for is lacking here, and on top of that, the A1 II is very expensive. With that taken into account, I think it falls short. The A1 II is only a mild upgrade over the A1 and when it comes to video, its lagging behind the Nikon Z8 and Z9 as well as the Sony R5 II. If you already have the A1, I dont think the A1 II offers enough extra to justify a new investment. And anyone who is more serious about video should consider either the Canon R5 II or Nikon Z8, as both offer higher-quality RAW video at up to 8K 60p for less money. However, for pros or serious amateurs going into the A1 lineup for the first time, who focus on photos and have no qualms about the $6,500 price, the Sony A1 II is a great pick.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/sony-a1-ii-review-a-powerhouse-camera-that-falls-short-of-its-own-high-standards-150053430.html?src=rss

The problem with good quality earbuds is that, of course, they don't come cheap. So, when a sale comes along that makes them more affordable, we're all over it. Right now, you can get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169, down from $249 a 32 percent discount. They fell to a record low of $154 over the holidays, but this price is the best we've seen so far in 2025. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 came out in 2022 and yet we still rate them the best wireless earbuds for iPhone. At the time, we gave them a score of 88 thanks to big improvements from their predecessor, including fantastic sound and an amazing transparency mode. They'll last you six hours at a time with ANC on or seven hours without it. Notably, Apple's newest generation of earbuds are also on sale. The AirPods 4 are down to a new all-time low price of $100, from $129, thanks to a 22 percent discount. We also gave the AirPods 4 an 88 in our review, noting their improved fit, comfort and sound quality. Their biggest drawback is the lack of ANC but, if you don't need that, then this is a great deal. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-apples-airpods-pro-2-while-theyre-on-sale-for-169-140656308.html?src=rss

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With breathtaking lighting and compositing, Wt FX effortlessly blends motion capture performances, computer-generated characters, and expansive post-apocalyptic settings to bring the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes universe to life.Complex FX simulations of fire, water, and fur are used in the films photorealistic images to give the apes a realistic and expressive appearance. In order to improve realism and immersion, each shot is painstakingly created by combining realistic lighting with intricate compositing processes.Wt FXs record of pushing the limits of digital filmmaking was further cemented when Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes won the 2025 VES Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, in recognition of its innovative work.The post Lighting and Compositing for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes by Wt FX appeared first on Vfxexpress.

The famous blue hedgehog is back for another fast-paced adventure, and Rodeo FX was essential to making the action-packed movie come to life.One of the most memorable scenes is when Eggman (Jim Carrey) and Shadow (Keanu Reeves) destroy the Test Track Chamber and create a black hole that draws everything into its gravitational pull. To improve the films feeling of scale and intensity, every elementfrom microscopic pebbles and leaves to an entire mountainwas painstakingly replicated.Rodeo FX created an aesthetically spectacular scene that enhances Sonic the Hedgehog 3s cinematic spectacle through intricate FX simulations and environmental devastation. The crew keeps pushing the limits of what is feasible in video game adaptations using state-of-the-art visual effects.The post Sonic the Hedgehog 3 VFX Breakdown by Rodeo FX appeared first on Vfxexpress.

The New York Stock Exchange announced on Wednesday it will launch an exchange in Texas, increasing competition among listing venues in the state.Several high-profile firms, including Elon Musks Tesla and SpaceX, have relocated their headquarters to Texas, attracted by the states perceived favorable legal and regulatory environment. The Texas Stock Exchange, a new venture backed by financial giants including BlackRock, Citadel Securities and Charles Schwab, is targeting a 2026 launch after submitting paperwork late last month to operate as a national securities exchange.The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq have dominated the lucrative U.S. listings market in a virtual duopoly since the 2000s. The TXSE would represent the first challenge to that dominance if it wins regulatory approval to begin trading and seeking new listings.NYSE Chicago will reincorporate in Texas and rebrand as NYSE Texas, providing companies with a new venue to list their securities, said the NYSE, which is part of the Intercontinental Exchange.As the state with the largest number of NYSE listings, representing over $3.7 trillion in market value for our community, Texas is a market leader in fostering a pro-business atmosphere, NYSE Group President Lynn Martin said.A TXSE spokesperson did not comment directly on the NYSE plan.We have known all along that Texas is the best place to do business, the spokesperson said in a statement following the news. The Texas Stock Exchange is harnessing this momentum to build a national securities exchange in our home state.Nasdaq recently stepped up its presence in Texas, announcing a new regional focus for its listings business and naming Rachel Racz to head the segment focusing on Texas, Latin America and the southern United States.The NYSEs initiative shows that a regional focus may not be enough of a competitive distinction that will allow the Texas Stock Exchange to challenge the two incumbents, said Owen Lau, a senior analyst at Oppenheimer & Co.There may be something in Texas Exchange that is yet to be revealed, so it is still too early to gauge how it plays out. But so far, it doesnt appear to dramatically change the listing/exchange landscape.Both TXSE and NYSE Texas will be fully electronic equities exchanges headquartered in Dallas.Niket Nishant, Manya Saini, and Suzanne McGee, ReutersLaura Matthews contributed to this report.

What if the Playboy Mansion was filled with OnlyFans content creators? Thats the pitch for the Bop House, a TikTok page that has gained nearly three million followers since its launch in December.Founded by Sophie Rain, 20, and Aishah Sofey, 22, the house is home to eight creators, ages 19 to 24, who collectively boast more than 33 million followers. Their TikTok presence leans into viral, algorithm-friendly content like flying private to the Super Bowl and reviewing popular cookie brand Crumbl. But its real revenue stream comes from OnlyFans. The Bop House claims to have generated $10 million in revenue in its first month.Its just like a little girl group that were all doing and we just want to uplift each other and help each other grow on TikTok, Rain told the Daily Mail. The house has its own website, with a profile of each girl directing to their various social media platforms. The name itself is a reference to Gen Z slang, which stands for baddie on point, a term used to describe a person who uses their body to make money.The group has sparked controversy over the blurred line between their PG-rated TikTok presence and their adult-content careers. Many members, including Rain, are 21 and under (one even wears braces). Although Rain is an OnlyFans creator, she says shes also a devout Christian and wears a promise ring.The issue is the content looks very, very, very young, TikTok user Amber Horsburgh posted in a video. The deliberate marketing of youthful personas for adult content is creating a demand for barely-legal performers. With its mostly PG Instagram and TikTok videos, the Bop House has built a following on social media to funnel viewers toward its OnlyFans content. Given the platforms young user baseabout 25% of TikToks global users are between the ages of 10 and 19this raises clear concerns. Whether that responsibility falls on the Bop House is less clear. @amberhorsburgh_ I did a marketing degree once and learned about supply and demand. The demand for this makes me feel all sorts of things. Meanwhile the Bop House has 2.5M followers in 60 days. #bophouse #sophierain #bop Credits Footage: TikTok: @sophieraiin TikTok: @aishah TikTok: @bophouse original sound Amber | Cultural Commentary Amber | Cultural Commentary Either way, the Bop House has no plans to slow down. In a recent interview, Rain added, We can afford a new mansion every single month with the money the Bop House is making us.