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Losing AirPods happens to the best of us. Theyre small, they slide into couch cushions and they love disappearing into bags or pockets when you least expect it. Luckily, Apples Find My system makes it easy to track down misplaced AirPods, whether you dropped the case somewhere or cant find one of the individual earbuds. With the right settings enabled, your iPhone can show the last place they were connected, play a sound to help you hunt them down or even guide you with on-screen directions. Heres how to use Find My to locate lost AirPods and how to track down the left or right earbud if only one has gone missing.How to use Find My to locate AirPodsIf your AirPods are paired with an Apple device linked to your Apple ID, they automatically appear in the Find My app. You dont need to enable this manually, but you do need Bluetooth turned on during regular use so the system can refresh their location.Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and go to the Devices tab. Your AirPods should appear in the list. If theyre online or recently connected to your device, Find My will show their current location on a map. If theyre offline, the app will show the last place they were detected, which can help narrow down where to start searching.For many people, this alone is enough to jog a memory. Find My might show your gym, a friends house or the bus stop where they slipped out of your pocket. If the location seems familiar, head there first and refresh the app once you arrive so it can update if the AirPods reconnect.If Find My says your AirPods are nearby but you still cant see them, you can make them play a locating sound. Tap Play Sound in the device menu and the earbuds will emit a rising chirp that gets louder over a few seconds. This is especially helpful for finding AirPods hiding under blankets, inside bags or behind furniture.Keep in mind that AirPods need enough battery to make noise, and the charging case itself cannot play sound unless you have AirPods 4 (ANC), AirPods Pro 2, or AirPods Pro 3 that support that feature. If nothing plays, try refreshing the app or checking the last location again.AirPods models, like the AirPods Pro (2nd gen) and AirPods Pro (3rd gen) with MagSafe charging cases support Precision Finding. This feature uses the U1 chip inside your iPhone to show a directional arrow, distance estimate and haptic feedback as you get closer. Not all models have this feature, but if yours do, the Find My app will display a Find Nearby button.Follow the on-screen prompts and slowly rotate your phone. The iPhone will show when youre walking in the right direction and tell you when youre close enough to start looking under cushions or inside drawers.How to locate individual AirPodsAirPods have a habit of separating from each other, and losing only the left or right earbud may happen as frequently as misplacing the entire case. One of the most useful features in Find My is the ability to track each earbud individually. Heres how to do it:Locate your AirPods in the Find My app and select the option to locate the Left or Right earbud.Select the earbud thats missing. The map will update to show its location. If the missing bud has nearby location support, you can use Find Nearby to get directional guidance. If not, you can still use Play Sound, as long as it has enough battery.If Find My shows your lost earbud as Offline, youll still see its last known location. This can be enough to help you retrace your steps. Once you get within Bluetooth range again, the status may change to Online and let you use Play Sound.If you think the earbud is still somewhere in your home, try refreshing Find My while walking slowly from room to room. The device may reconnect once you get close enough.How to find a missing AirPods caseFinding the AirPods case is a little trickier because only newer models have support for sound playback or Precision Finding. If your case supports Find My, youll see options similar to locating the earbuds themselves. If it doesnt, the app will only show the last place the case was connected.If your earbuds are in the case but the case is not supported by Find My, you may not be able to play sound until you open it or pull one of the earbuds out.Find My is a powerful tool for tracking down misplaced AirPods, and knowing how to use all of its features makes the search much easier. Whether youre trying to find the entire set, one stray earbud or a case that wandered off, the app can lead you back to them with sound alerts, location markers and even directional guidance on supported models. With a few minutes of searching, youll usually have your AirPods back in your ears and your music playing again.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/how-to-find-lost-airpods-120000144.html?src=rss
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Xiaomi just launched its flagship 17 Ultra by Leica phone that may make you feel bad about your current device's cameras. Naturally it's a spec monster, with a 1-inch sensor 50MP f/1.67 main camera and 1/1.4-inch 200MP periscope telephoto camera. But it also offers an interesting new mechanical feature: a manual zoom ring that also activates the camera automatically when you rotate it. Both the regular Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Leica edition come with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage, along with a 6.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED display that can hit up to 3,500 nits of peak brightness. On top of the impressive main and telephoto lenses, they also offer a 50MP ultrawide and a 50MP selfie camera. And battery life shouldn't be an issue, thanks to the 6,800mAh silicon-carbon battery that supports 90 watt wired and 50 watt wireless charging. Xiaomi The 17 Ultra by Leica adds some very, well Leica touches. Those include a two-tone finish, red dot status symbol on front, textured edges and film simulations like Leica's Monopan 50 black and white. As for the zoom ring, Xiaomi says "its rotation [eliminates] the need for tedious screen taps... and can detect displacements as small as 0.03mm." It can also be reprogrammed for functions like exposure compensation and manual focus. Other features unique to that model include a "Leica Moments" 3:2 aspect ratio, special encryption chip, and dual-satellite connection. And as befits a special edition, it comes in a custom box with a lens cap, lanyard, magnetic case and branded cleaning cloth. The one caveat is the price. Where phones for the Chinese market are often cheaper than North American models, Xiaomi's 17 Ultra by Leica and the regular 17 Ultra start at CNY 7,999 ($1,140) and CNY 6,999 ($995) respectively with 512GB or storage and 16GB of RAM right up there with the latest high-end Pixel 10 and Galaxy 25 models. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/xiaomis-17-ultra-leica-edition-smartphone-comes-with-a-manual-zoom-ring-093502893.html?src=rss
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Setting up a PS5 for a child means you can offer an age-appropriate and safe platform for them to play. Sony made its parental control tools more comprehensive in recent years and they allow families to manage screen time, block unsuitable content, guide online interactions and approve purchases. The process is straightforward once the right menus are in view, but it helps to understand how each feature works before handing over the controller. The system uses individual accounts for each family member, and these accounts determine what a child can access. A parent or guardian assigns restrictions to the childs profile and the console enforces them more consistently than earlier PlayStation systems. The process begins with creating a child account, then linking it to the Family Management section of the adult account, and finally adjusting controls on the console itself. Create a child account through Family Management A child account is required before you can use any parental controls. This account is linked to the family managers PlayStation account and cannot be converted into an adult account until the child reaches the appropriate age under local regulations. From the PS5 Home screen, navigate to Settings, Family and Parental Controls then choose Family Management. The system will request the family managers password before any changes can be made. Select Add Family Member and choose Add a Child. The console generates a QR code that opens a secure PlayStation webpage on a phone or browser. This page guides the setup process and ties the new account to the family group. The form asks for the childs date of birth first. Sony uses this to assign default age restrictions and to determine which features are allowed. A small credit card charge may be requested to verify the adults identity. The next steps involve entering an email address for the child, creating a password and selecting basic settings for content access, communication and spending. The child account must then be verified through a link sent to the provided email address. This ensures the account can use PlayStation Network features including any future purchases through the PlayStation Store. Once complete, the new profile appears in the Family Management list on the PS5. This profile is now ready for fine-tuning. Manage parental controls on the console The PS5 keeps all parental controls in Family and Parental Controls within the main Settings menu. This section is organized into Playtime Settings, Content Restrictions, Communication and User-Generated Content and Spending controls. Each area can be adjusted separately for every child account in the family group. How to set limits on playtime Playtime controls help set boundaries for gaming sessions. Select the childs profile, then open Playtime Settings. Limits can be set by total daily hours or by specific time windows. The console can be configured to notify the child when time is nearly up, or to log them out automatically once the limit is reached. These settings apply across the childs account, so they remain active even if the child switches between PS5 consoles in the same household. Parents can choose how strictly the system enforces these rules. For example, the console can continue to display warnings without blocking gameplay or it can stop activity when the allotted time ends. Playtime reports can also be viewed through the family managers PlayStation account or the PS App. How to restrict content based on age ratings Sonys content filters are based on age ratings from the ESRB in the United States and equivalent regional boards in other countries. In Family Management, select the childs profile and then select Parental Controls. Here, parents can set an age level for games. Titles above this level will not launch without approval from the family manager. Blu-ray and DVD content can also be restricted and the system browser can be disabled entirely. If the family uses services that stream movies or TV shows through the console, those apps often apply their own content filters, but the PS5 can serve as a first line of control. Engadget How to manage communication and online interactions Online communication can be limited to prevent unwanted contact. In Parental Controls, select Communication and User-Generated Content. This area controls messaging, voice chat, profile sharing and the ability to see or share player-created media such as screenshots and video clips. Online play can also be adjusted. For younger kids, it may be helpful to block online multiplayer entirely until they better understand online etiquette and safety. For older children, communication can be limited to friends only. The PS5 respects these limits across all supported games. How to set spending limits for purchases A child account cannot use payment cards directly, but it can spend funds from the family managers wallet. Spending limits can be set in the childs profile under Family Management. Parents can choose a monthly spending cap or block purchases altogether. Any attempt to exceed the limit requires approval from the family manager. This feature covers games, add-ons, subscriptions and in-game currency. It ensures surprises on the credit card are less likely, especially in titles that promote quick digital purchases. How to sign your child into the PS5 Once controls are set, the child can be added as a user on the console. Return to the home screen and select the user icon to switch users. Choose Add User, then select Get Started. Sign in using the child accounts email address and password. The console guides the profile setup process and prompts for an online ID, avatar and privacy preferences. These steps help personalise the childs space on the PS5. The system may request a locally created passcode that prevents access to parental controls without the family managers approval. This passcode should be unique and not shared with the child. After setup is complete, the child will see a version of the PS5 tailored to the restrictions applied. Games that exceed the assigned age rating will appear with a lock icon and the console will block any actions that the family manager has limited. Use the PS App and PlayStations online tools for ongoing management Playtime and permissions can be managed remotely through Sonys PS App or the PlayStation website. This makes it easier to adjust rules without taking over the TV. The app also provides notifications when playtime is running low or when the child attempts to access restricted content. Sonys Family Management tools synchronise across devices. Changes made from a phone appear on he PS5 within seconds. This helps maintain consistent rules, especially in homes with more than one console. A child-ready PS5 is more than a restriction tool. It creates a safer environment for learning how to navigate digital spaces, interact with friends and handle screen time. Sonys updated controls take much of the pressure off parents by enforcing rules in predictable ways that are difficult to bypass. Once everything is configured, the child can enjoy the consoles library while staying within the boundaries that support healthy gaming habits.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/how-to-set-up-a-ps5-for-a-child-160039866.html?src=rss
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