An expert says there is pushback from environmental groups when it comes to cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Read...

Finding good noise canceling headphones for little money is often a game of chance because you almost always pay for it somewhere–be it in terms of sound, wearing comfort, or durability. But after many disappointments, I finally discovered two models (one wireless, one wired) that really convinced me. My perfect companion for travel and workouts: TOZO T10 Bluetooth headphones I’ve already tried a few cheap Bluetooth headphones–many of them were ruined after a few months. Not so with the TOZO T10. I’ve been using them almost every day for over a year now, mostly in the gym, on walks, or when I’m travelling. And they still hold up. The headphones connect quickly, sit comfortably and deliver a pleasantly balanced sound. The bass is solid (up to 16 Hertz) for the price. They usually cost about $25, but they’re on sale right now for $20. The noise cancelation is excellent for this price range. I can train in the gym with them without any problems, even with loud music playing in the background. They only reach their limits when there’s a good amount of ambient noise. Speaking of the environment, the TOZO T10 are waterproof (IPX8), so they’re suitable for all kinds of outdoor activities. TOZO T10 headphones: my choice when it has to be wireless I find the long battery life especially practical. With the charging case, I can easily manage 40 to 45 hours. Charging usually takes around 60 to 90 minutes, although I never let them run completely empty. The touch control works reliably (most of the time at least), even if I found it took a bit of getting used to at first, as it could be a bit more sensitive for my taste. In short, the TOZO T10 are the ideal low-budget all-rounders for me when I’m travelling and don’t want to spend too much. Get the TOZO T10 for $19.99 at Amazon My go-to for recording and calls: OneOdio Pro-10 with cable When I’m sitting at my computer, recording audio or making video calls, I almost always reach for the OneOdio Pro-10. For just $39.09, these wired over-ear headphones deliver a really rich sound, especially in the bass. Podcasts, Zoom meetings, or music productions sound clear and powerful. Thanks to the closed design, ambient noise is reliably muffled without me having to turn up the volume at all. This allows me to concentrate fully on my work or music, even with background noise. OneOdio over-ear headphones: maximum noise cancelling with rich bassPC-Welt The wearing comfort is good, even if I have to take them off after two to three hours because the contact pressure becomes a little uncomfortable. The supplied detachable cables with two different connections are a real plus point: A 3.5 mm jack cable with microphone for a laptop, smartphone or PS4/PS5, for example. It also works with older iPads or MP3 players without any problems. A 3 meter cable with a 6.35 mm jack (standard for hi-fi and music equipment), which can be used to connect the headphones to an audio interface, keyboard, or amplifier. The integrated share port even makes it easy to connect a second pair of headphones to listen to music with someone. Get the OneOdio for $39.09 at Amazon Read...

Microsoft is currently in the process of rolling out update KB5060533, a new patch for Windows 10 that includes the latest security fixes—as well as a small tweak that was snuck in with everything else. It turns out that Microsoft has added links to the Windows 10 Calendar to recognize special themed days, such as World Environment Day (June 5, 2025), World Oceans Day (June 8), Juneteenth National Freedom Day (June 19) and American Eagle Day (June 20). When you click on one of those themed days, Windows launches the Edge browser and performs a Bing search of the event—and Bing is used even if your default search engine is something else. According to Windows Latest, there’s no setting to turn off this feature, nor is it possible to change which search engine is used. The purpose of the feature, according to Microsoft, is to offer a new “rich experience.” Further reading: Upgrading Windows 10 to 11: What you need to know Read...

But the prime minister says it can only be a good thing as the global trading environment seeks more certainty. Read...

One of the best things about search engines is the fact you can increasingly search for a term without needing specific keywords. Microsoft is applying the same concept to the history function within the Edge browser built into Windows. Microsoft’s notes on the current release beta for Edge, as noticed by The Verge, indicate that the company is using what it calls an “AI-powered History search.” If you turn this feature on, you’ll be able to search your history of sites stored in Edge without ensuring that your search query is typed just so: Edge will accommodate “synonyms, phrases, or typos,” Microsoft says. Interestingly, this improved search is one of the functions that Microsoft is using local AI for. “An on-device model is trained using your data, which never leaves your device and is never sent to Microsoft,” Microsoft notes. Microsoft isn’t saying what local model will be used, but it seems fairly likely that it will be the Phi Silica model Microsoft began talking about last year. Whether this means that you’ll need a Copilot+ PC to enable this isn’t clear, either. You do need Copilot+ hardware to take advantage of Recall, the tool that snapshots your PC periodically to improve search. (Recall is protected via encryption and Windows Hello, though I still think Recall is too risky in the current political environment.) Microsoft also says that it will be adding a media control center to Edge, though I think that feature is already here as part of the stable version. Loading our post-show Computex coverage, for example, brings up a small “music note” icon next to the URL bar inside Edge. Clicking it brings up media controls (though a volume control or mute button would be nice, too.) This is what the media controls within Edge look like on my PC. Edge is also adding a Copilot chat summarization option to the context menu which will allow users to ask questions of the current page. If Edge slows down unexpectedly — say, with dozens of open tabs — you may see a notification in the Edge settings, too. These are what Microsoft calls “controlled feature” rollouts, so they may not be available to everyone. Note that you may not see these features if you’re not part of the Microsoft Edge beta program. Chances are, however, that they’ll be pushed to the stable version of Edge before long. Read...

The Environment Court has ruled the Queenstown Lakes District Council must fix issues with its troubled Shotover wastewater treatment plant. Read...

The US Army unit behind the Decisive Action Training Environment said it helped army forces `out-think and outmanoeuvre adversaries`. Read...

There was a `pervasive fraud environment` at Unite the Union, a report obtained by the BBC has concluded. Read...

I like Borderlands. It’s a great turn-your-brain-off-and-blast-things kind of game. But at this point, I have to say the original looter shooter has come a long way down from its height, which was Borderlands 2 waaaay back in 2012. If you don’t have it yet, somehow, you can get it for free on Steam this weekend. Borderlands 2 is a big leap forward versus the original game, with far better graphics, more interesting abilities, better multiplayer support, and a much, much better story and more vibrant world to putter around in. If you’ve remained unfamiliar with it: Borderlands is basically a blend of Halo and Mad Max, with a focus on finding the best randomly generated guns among a ridiculous variety of bang-sticks. Borderlands‘ humor might be its most divisive element. There was a bit of irreverence and sarcasm in the original, but Borderlands 2 is where things really started to ramp up. Your tolerance for the writing might depend on how much time you spent on certain websites in the 2000s and 2010s, saving and reposting memes and GIFs. But on the other hand, the actual story of the game is more fleshed out and interesting. It brings back characters from the original and makes them, well, characters, as well as introducing new faces and a truly excellent villain. It’s good, is what I’m saying! I’ve tried all of the subsequent Borderlands games but haven’t finished any of them because they just couldn’t hit that same sweet spot of gameplay, environment, and story. I should also mention that the game is currently getting review-bombed, with an “overwhelmingly negative” rating on the recent reviews. Players seem to be upset at a recent change in Take-Two’s user license agreement. Or maybe they’re just lashing out at Gearbox’s CEO, who tends to make really dumb public statements on a regular basis. Borderlands 2 is free until June 8th at 10 AM Pacific time, and the rest of the games in the series (along with tons of DLC) are heavily discounted ahead of the Borderlands 4 launch in September. It will not be free. Read...

After nine years of debate and legal challenges, the region’s major planning document has finally made it over the line ? well, most of it. Read...