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Someone put an AirTag in a pair of sneakers and donated them to a charityThe shoes ended up traveling 800km across EuropeThis experiment shows just what can happen to your donated clothesWhen you donate clothes to a charity, do you actually know where they end up? In most cases you don’t, but one TikTok user decided to find out by fitting a pair of sneakers with an Apple AirTag tracker and seeing where they went – and the result was pretty surprising.The experiment was carried out by Moe.Ha on TikTok. They slipped an AirTag into a pair of donated sneakers, then placed them into a Red Cross collection bin in Munich, Germany.Across the span of five days, the footwear left Germany and crossed through Austria, Slovenia and Croatia, before eventually arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 800km from their starting location. Once there, they wound up on a shelf in a second-hand store.Moe.Ha decided to follow the donated sneakers to Bosnia and Herzegovina and managed to locate the store, where the shoes were found sitting on a shelf, waiting to be bought for about 10 euros. According to an employee in the store, the items were brought in by their boss, who lives in Germany.How did this happen?(Image credit: Apple)You might wonder how a pair of donated shoes ended up so far from their original location – after all, wouldn’t it make more sense to send them to a goodwill store in the local area to be sold there?The reality, however, is more complicated. According to the German Red Cross’s website (via translation), there are two different routes donated clothes can take. One option is the “recycler model,” which results in the entire contents of a donation collection being sold to a recycling company.The other model is the “clothing depot model,” where clothes are sorted by the Red Cross and suitable items are distributed to depots and thrift stores, with excess pieces being sold to a recycler. This route appears to be the process that Moe.Ha’s sneakers underwent. Whichever route is taken, though, the proceeds go towards the Red Cross’s work.An experiment like this shows the value in attaching a tracker like an AirTag to an important item, just in case you lose it. Even though the shoes traveled 800km across Europe, Moe.Ha was still able to follow them using Apple’s Find My app.Hopefully any items you lose won’t go quite so far, but if you’ve got an item tracker attached to them, you might be able to hunt them down regardless.You might also likeNew leak suggests Apple’s AirTag 2 is almost ready, but it might be facing a significant delayHow to use Find My iPhoneApple AirTag 2 is ‘nearly ready’ with 3 new features, report claims – but don’t expect to see it at WWDC 2025

Microsoft is replacing its Blue Screen of Death with a Black Screen of DeathThis comes after decades of service from the original BSoDIt's slated to roll out later this summerMicrosoft is gradually remodeling Windows 11, with an upgraded Xbox app aligned for the new ROG Xbox Ally handhelds that introduces an Aggregated Game Library – but it looks like gaming upgrades aren't the only things on Microsoft's radar.As reported by The Verge, Microsoft is replacing the Windows 11 Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) with a Black Screen of Death, after decades of the latter's presence on multiple Windows iterations. It apparently wants to provide more clarity and concise information to help troubleshoot user errors easily.This new design should begin to roll out later this summer, and if I'm honest (even though Microsoft hasn't stated it), it seems like this change is part of the big upgrade package built for a more handheld-friendly gaming experience. However, (as The Verge suggests) it may also be a response to 2024's CrowdStrike outage.It seems like an odd design change, at least in the sense of going from blue to black, especially after the original being around for many decades. At the very least, we'll still be able to continue calling the error message 'BSoD' for short. The stop code will still be present, though, which helps provide greater insight into potential issues.Analysis: Don't fix what isn't broken Microsoft...(Image credit: Shutterstock)While I'm not entirely mad at this change, I'm more concerned about whether this introduces issues. In my experience, there's hardly much wrong with the current BSoD error message; I'm sure this update will be beneficial for troubleshooting, but I get the sense of 'don't fix what isn't broken'.Going by Microsoft's track record with updates recently, it doesn't instill any confidence that the transition to Black Screen of Death won't end up breaking functionality in one way or another. Sure, there's always going to be a bug or two with different Windows 11 builds, but some of its updates earlier this year have been alarmingly troublesome.I've also remained coy on updating the OS, as well as Nvidia's GPU drivers, both of which previously caused errors. Windows left games like Assassin's Creed Origins and other Ubisoft titles crashing or unable to run, while (speaking of the new Black Screen of Death) Nvidia's GeForce drivers kept causing black screen errors during driver installations or at user login.If this is implemented without any complications or major bugs, then I'll be happy; it will mostly come in handy for Windows handheld gaming PCs, as the decreased amount of text is easier to analyze on a smaller screen. I'm just hoping that doesn't become a bigger issue than it needs to be. Goodbye BSoD, and welcome the new BSoD...You may also like...Windows 10 users who don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11 get new lifeline from MicrosoftMicrosoft's 'if you can't beat them, join them' approach to the threat of Steam in the new Xbox PC app is a great ideaWindows 11 migration shows surprising surge for some businesses - but for once, desktop is leading the way

Panasonic’s S1 II is arguably the company’s best creator camera, if not the best creator camera, period. That’s according to our review from Steve Dent, who really liked a lot of things but especially the 6K RAW video and excellent stabilization. However, at $3,200, it’s expensive compared to the competition.

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Nikon’s Z6 III has nearly the same video capabilities, is a better camera for photography and costs at least $600 less. Then there’s Panasonic’s own $2,500 S1 IIe, which was announced at the same time as the S1 II. It has mostly the same features but uses a non-stacked sensor more prone to rolling. Make sure to check out the full review.

— Mat Smith

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Early Prime Day deals include $37 off our favorite air purifier

Meta’s new smartglasses are an Oakley collab

And they look like Oakleys.

Meta

Meta’s already got its low-key Ray-Ban-designed smart glasses. Now it’s coming for our dads. Or me. Or people somewhere between our ages. These are the Oakley Meta HSTN, apparently pronounced: HOW-stuh. They’re made for athletes but will probably be worn by that guy in Costco. (I love Costco, by the way.) Oakleys might seem a jump away from Ray-Ban, but Oakley is owned by EssilorLuxottica, which also owns Ray-Bans.

Despite rumors that the Oakley glasses would have a camera embedded in the frame’s bridge, these first models keep the lens on the side, with an ultra-wide 12MP camera that can capture footage in 3K, compared to the 1080p resolution of the Ray-Ban iterations. Also, the battery is rated for eight hours on a single charge (double that of the Meta Ray-Bans).

Several variants are incoming in lens colorways a little more vivid than typical sunglasses, with red, black, deep-water (blue?) and even some transition lenses. However, the first limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN has gold accents and black lenses. They cost $499 and go on pre-order July 11.

Continue reading.

Windows kills the Blue Screen of Death

Black is the new blue.

Microsoft has been teasing this for years, but now it’s happening. There needs to be some sort of error screen, so later this summer, Microsoft is transitioning to a Black Screen of Death instead. Slimming, but just as frustrating.

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The best early deals from Amazon Prime Day 2025

It begins.

Prime Day returns July 8 to July 11 this year, marking the first time the shopping event has been more than 48-hours long. Amazon typically has early Prime Day deals in the lead up to the event, and this year we’re already seeing some solid discounts on gadgets we like, including AirPods Pro 2 and an array of Amazon hardware.

Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-114916031.html?src=rss

Google Labs is making virtual outfit try ons available to all with a new experimental AI app called Doppl, the company announced in a blog post. You can upload a photo of yourself and any outfit to see how it will look on you and can even create an AI-generated video of yourself and the clothing in motion.

To use it, first upload a full-body photo of yourself, then choose photos or screen shots of outfits. For instance, you can screenshot or download photos from sources like Pinterest or clothing websites, or take photos of clothing from locations like thrift stores. You could even snap a photo of a friend wearing a desired outfit.

Once the outfit is selected, Doppl (short for doppelgänger one imagines) will create an AI-generated image of you wearing it even and convert the static image into a moving video. You can continue to browse through outfits, save your favorites and share different looks. It may not work perfectly for you — Google pointed out that "Doppl is in its early days and... fit, appearance and clothing details may not always be accurate."

Google recently unveiled a similar try-on feature for its Shopping experience, but Doppl works strictly as a standalone app. It looks like the kind of thing people could have some fun with, particularly on social media, but it may also aid Google in gathering data on users' buying and shopping habits. The app is now available on iOS and Android, but only in the US for now. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-ai-app-doppl-lets-you-try-on-outfits-virtually-120014003.html?src=rss

We now know that the 2025 edition of Amazon's blockbuster Prime Day sales event will start on July 8, and it's set to be bigger than ever as it will run for four days. But you don't need to wait until then for tasty deals. There will be plenty in the lead up to the event, including this one for the Levoit Core 400S air purifier. At $183, the device is $37 off. It's not quite the lowest price we've seen for this model. However, it's not too far off that mark of $176.

The Levoit Core 400S is our current pick for the best air purifier overall. Sure, it might not have the prettiest design of all the options we have tested and the companion app might have a little too much going on. But the Core 400S does its job and does it well.

This smart air purifier is slated to clean the atmosphere in spaces of up to 1,733 square feet in as little as one hour. The Core 400S has a cylindrical shape with vents at the top and a touch display that shows air quality readings. You'll be able to get a sense of the current air quality in your space at a glance with a color-changing ring that will light up in blue, green, orange or red. The 360-degree filtration system is said to be capable of capturing over 99.9 percent of pollutants as small as 0.3 microns, such as dust, pet dander and pollen.

There is an auto mode that should suffice for maintaining air quality, but the Core 400S is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls too. The fan isn't too loud, even when it's operating at maximum speed — the volume topped out at 62dB in our testing. Meanwhile, at $50 each, the air filter replacements aren't too expensive compared with those from many of Levoit's competitors.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-levoit-air-purifier-is-37-off-in-this-prime-day-deal-143224921.html?src=rss

What's new in Monster Hunter Wilds?(Image credit: Capcom)Capcom just revealed the full details for Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 2. This will add Lagiacrus and Seregios on June 30, 2025. There's Layered Weapons too, as well as the option to change which Support Hunters come to your aid after you send up an SOS Flare. You can read more about Monster Hunter Wilds' roadmap here, covering the latest event quests, challenge quests, and more.The best Monster Hunter Wilds graphics settings for PS5 and Xbox could make a world of difference considering the game can be a bit of a mixed bag in terms of visual consistency.On most platforms, players will need to choose between three main modes, before further tweaks can be made to clean things up. I've now played close to 50 hours of Monster Hunter Wilds, experimenting with a whole host of settings to improve the graphics.Monster Hunter Wilds is another step forward for the long-running co-op action franchise. This time around, there's a seamless open world to explore, filled with monsters great and small, and plenty of valuable resources to loot. You can read my full Monster Hunter Wilds review to find out why I've placed the game on our best multiplayer PC games list.Here are the best Monster Hunter Wilds graphics settings for PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S. I'll cover whether to choose the prioritize Resolution or Framerate modes or if it's worth selecting the Balanced Mode. Then, you'll find some specific settings that can be tweaked to clean up the muddy image that can be found on certain platforms by default. Let's get started.Monster Hunter Wilds best graphics settings for PS5(Image credit: Capcom)On PS5, you'll have the choice between three main graphics modes in Monster Hunter Wilds. You can see the key info on each in the table below:Performance settingsOutput resolutionsRendering resolutionsRay TracingFrame RatePrioritize Resolution3840 x 21603072 x 1728Disable30fpsBalanced3840 x 21602496 x 1404Disable40fpsPrioritize Framerate3840 x 21601920 x 1080Disable60fpsMonster Hunter Wilds is an action-heavy game, that requires you to make split-second dodges, counters, and attacks. Because of this, 60fps (frames per second) is the way to go, so you'll want to choose the Prioritize Framerate mode here. Unfortunately, this does mean a hefty hit to the resolution, but, in my opinion, it's worth it. In general Monster Hunter Wilds doesn't really have the best performance on the base consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X|S), though there are some tweaks you can make to clean up the image.Firstly, switch off Motion Blur. Then, go into the HDR settings and turn down the HDR Highlights bar to decrease overall Luminosity. You'll also want to darken the shadows using the slider. This will go a long way in cleaning up the washed-out look that is especially prevalent during the Inclemency seasons.Monster Hunter Wilds best graphics settings for PS5 Pro(Image credit: Future)Now onto PS5 Pro, which, in terms of graphics settings at least, is the best place to play Monster Hunter Wilds on console. As before, there are three settings to choose from:Performance settingsOutput resolutionsRendering resolutionsRay TracingFrame RatePrioritize Resolution3840 x 21603840 x 2160Enable30fpsBalanced3840 x x21602496 x 1404Enable40fpsPrioritize Framerate3840 x 21601920 x 1080Disable60fpsIf you're playing Monster Hunter Wilds on PS5 Pro, I recommend starting the game in Balanced Mode if you have a 120Hz display. This allows for a decent frame rate, and thanks to the Pro's extra power, you'll get to enjoy the game's Ray Tracing features.If you find that you'd rather have a higher FPS, then you can switch to Prioritize Frame Rate. From here, there are options to cap the frame rate at 60fps or leave it uncapped.I preferred to keep it capped for more consistent performance, but try uncapped to see if you like it first, especially if you are using a VRR-capable display. It's clear that the PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) features of the PS5 Pro are at play here, using machine learning to enhance resolution and clarity. It's something we praised in our full PS5 Pro review.As with the base PS5 or PS5 Slim, you'll want to turn off Motion Blur, and go into the HDR settings to tweak things like highlights (lower them to 6), and then shadows (darken them to remove washed-out look).Personally, I went for the Prioritize Frame Rate mode for the vast majority of my playtime with Monster Hunter Wilds. Thanks to PSSR, the game still looked great, even at 1080p, and the frame rate was extremely consistent. These upgrades are a big part of why I've placed Monster Hunter Wilds onto TechRadar's best PS5 Pro games list.Monster Hunter Wilds best graphics settings for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S(Image credit: Shutterstock/Miguel Lagoa)Finally, let's take a look at the best Monster Hunter Wilds graphics settings for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S:Performance settingsOutput resolutionsRendering resolutionsRay TracingFrame RatePrioritize Resolution3840 x 21603072 x 1728Disable30fpsBalanced3840 x 21602496 x 1404Disable40fpsPrioritize Framerate3840 x 21601920 x 1080Disable60fpsSeries S1920 x 10801920 x 1080Disable30fpsAs you can see, the Xbox Series X is in line with the PS5 settings for Monster Hunter Wilds. As such, I recommend the Prioritize Frame Rate Mode. There's no Ray Tracing to take advantage of here, so you may as well get the game running at a consistent 60fps.Just like with the PS5, you'll want to turn off Motion Blur on the Xbox Series X and lower the luminosity of the highlights in HDR settings. Darkening the shadows makes things look better as well.For those with an Xbox Series S, there are no modes to choose from, with the game locked at 1080p and 30fps. Try the visual tweaks mentioned above to clean up the image, however.How to make Monster Hunter Wilds look less washed out(Image credit: Capcom)Monster Hunter Wilds is a visually inconsistent experience on consoles, especially in certain biomes and seasons. In particular, the Windward Plains during Fallow can be extremely washed out, with colors being muted and grey across the board. To remedy this, go into the HDR settings and adjust it to suit your screen. Then, lower the Highlights bar, and darken the shadows slightly. This can really help make colors and shadows pop, while cutting out some of the hazy-gray elements that you'll run into while out on hunts. Hopefully, Capcom releases patch to address the washed-out issues in Monster Hunter Wilds, but for now, try the steps we mentioned.You Might Also Like...Check out our Monster Hunter Wilds crossplay guidePS5 Pro games listThe best controllers for Monster Hunter Wilds