Baseus Inspire XC1 Review: Excellent Open Earbuds

Speaking of critical listening, the XC1 work with Sony’s hi-res capable LDAC Bluetooth codec, should you happen to own a compatible Android phone (sorry, iPhone users). Using LDAC can reveal more detail, especially when listening to a source of lossless audio, but for these earbuds, I don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze. Using…

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Why Minnesota Can’t Do More to Stop ICE

With the marshals under attack, Kennedy deployed first the Mississippi National Guard and then thousands of federal troops as well. (That military operation, codenamed RAPID ROAD, was actually the first and only time during the Cold War that the military activated and used plans it had developed to quell civil disturbances in the wake of…

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Prepaid Car Maintenance Plans: Are They Worth the Cost?

BMW has been a rarity among luxury automakers in that all new models since 2017 that are leased or purchased include a “scheduled maintenance” plan for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. The plan covers “consumables” such as engine oil and brake fluid, as well as spark plugs and various filters. This plan…

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Best Battery Leaf Blower Brands

Our experts say that a handheld leaf blower will work well for most people, especially if you’ve got a modest yard with only a few leafy trees. Battery handheld blowers now make up the lion’s share of models that CR tests, and they’re a particularly good choice because they are lighter weight and quieter than…

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Anthropic’s Claude Takes Control of a Robot Dog

As more robots start showing up in warehouses, offices, and even people’s homes, the idea of large language models hacking into complex systems sounds like the stuff of sci-fi nightmares. So, naturally, Anthropic researchers were eager to see what would happen if Claude tried taking control of a robot—in this case, a robot dog. In…

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Yes, Chef! A Breakdown of the Best Kitchen Gear on ‘The Bear’

“The Bear’s” most profound gear-related story arc starts in the pilot, when the central character, Carmy, misplaces his knife. He searches frantically for the hand-forged gyuto—a Japanese chef’s knife—assuming that someone is hiding it as a way to haze the new guy. (It had actually fallen on the floor.) Carmy has just taken the helm…

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