journey mid gtx

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Home » Reviews » Meindl Journey Mid GTX review

Meindl Journey Mid GTX review

Overall Rating

: 4 out of 5

Pros: grip, breathability

Cons: extra-wide fit

Manufacturer:

If you’re looking for a three season boot with a wider fit, the Meindl Journey Mid GTX is a good choice. As part of our three season boot review for Spring 2021’s issue of The Great Outdoors, David Lintern puts them to the test. 

The Journey is a lightweight, grippy trekking boot designed for wider feet on tracks and trails. The boot is exceptionally spacious and comfortable in the ‘flex zone’ (what brands call the hinge between your foot and your toes!) but I found the boot very wide at the heel. As a result, I felt much less secure in the boot when off-trail.

Otherwise, the Journey ticks all the boxes. There’s a very reassuring amount of lateral support in a robust sole unit, which protects the middle and heel of the foot well, a robust toe bumper and a simple but effective lacing system. The boot is cut to just above the ankle, and this, alongside a leather and mesh upper, translates into a very comfortable and breathable boot, without it feeling overly cool.

Grip is exceptional, with a grid system of fairly deep lugs right across the sole that provide plenty of traction on everything from icy rocks to muddy paths. I loved the comfort in the forefoot and security of the grippy sole, but my narrower heel just wasn’t quite secure enough in these boots. However, if you have a very wide foot overall and need a durable, lightweight 3-season boot for anything from canal towpaths to pathed hillwalking, I think these will be a perfect workhorse.

Read more: Three season boot review

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Specifications

nubuck leather and mesh

Meindl Comfort

6-12 (women's 3.5 - 9)

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Journey Mid GTX

€ 0.00

• Description

Product Description

Color: anthracite | red upper: nubuck leather / mesh lining: gore-tex footbed: air-active® wellness sport sole: meindl comfort sport size: 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 weight: 460g sole no.: 77.

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Meindl Journey Mid GTX

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The Journey Mid GTX is specially designed for the wide men's foot. The Comfort Fit reads even the widest foot fits this shoe. This lightweight hiking shoe is suitable for both a city walk and a walk through the forest or beach.

De Journey Mid GTX is speciaal ontworpen voor de brede herenvoet. Door de Comfort Fit leest past zelfs de breedste voet deze schoen. Deze lichtgewicht wandelschoen is zowel geschikt voor een stadswandeling als een wandeling door het bos of strand.

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• Inverurie & Aberdeen
• Walking Boots
• Meindl Men's Journey Mid GTX Walking Boot
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• View All Walking Boots
• View All Meindl Walking Boots

Meindl Men's Journey Mid GTX Walking Boot

• £214.99 £179.16
• Product Details
• Delivery & Returns

As part of the Comfort-Fit range, the Journey Mid GTX walking mid boot is the ideal lightweight option for those requiring a wider fit than the standard shoe. Perfect for leisurely hikes, the uppers are made from Nubuck leather and mesh providing a durable yet breathable frame. Further enhancing this, the Journey Mid GTX features a GORE-TEX lining ensuring waterproof protection; reliable to keep your feet dry in all circumstances. Meindl believe that comfort is of utmost priority, and so the Comfort-Fit range was introduced to do just that. With a wider fit at the front of the shoe, the Air-Active footbed provides more room for movement, particularly in the flex zone, whilst ensuring a snug, supportive hold of the heel. Not only does it wick away unwanted moisture build up, the footbed is contoured to the shape of the foot providing a shoe that is exceedingly comfortable for all day use. The Meindl Comfort Sport sole is also high performing with excellent shock absorption and a good grip profile for when tracks get a little tricky.

• Nubuck leather and mesh uppers
• GORE-TEX lining
• Air-Active Wellness Sport footbed
• Meindl Comfort Sport sole
• Waterproof protection

UK Delivery

Order before 12pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch.  Orders placed Saturday and Sunday will be dispatched on Monday. 

Most orders are delivered by Royal Mail using a Tracked 24 service.  Oversized packages such as skis, ski poles and large tents will be delivered by DHL or Parcelforce with a delivery timescale of 2-5 days.

Delivery Charges To UK Mainland (including Highlands and Islands):

£4.95 (Orders Between £0.00 - £44.99)

FREE (Orders £45.00 & Over)

Most orders are delivered during office hours.  Higher value orders may require a signature.  To help ensure you receive your delivery quickly and safely, at our website checkout, you can provide an alternative address or a safeplace for the delivery to be left if no one will be home to receive the parcel.

For more information on our Delivery & Returns Policy, including delivery to Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and BFPO, as well as European and International deliveries - please see our Delivery & Returns page.

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Free Click and Collect is available for all products on our website. At checkout, select Click and Collect as your delivery option. Then, choose the most convenient store to collect your order from - Inverurie or Aberdeen. You will receive an email to confirm your order. You will get a second message when your order is ready to collect. Items in stock at your chosen store should be available within 24 hours of ordering. If we need to take items from another store or warehouse, it will take between 1 and 3 working days before they are available to collect.

• Walking Boots

Meindl Journey Mid GTX

• View All Meindl
• View All Walking Boots
• View All Meindl Walking Boots

• Now £171.99 £143.33
• Product Details
• Delivery & Returns

Meindl Journey Mid Gtx Features:

• Nubuck leather and mesh uppers
• GORE-TEX lining
• Air-Active Wellness Sport footbed
• Meindl Comfort Sport sole
• Waterproof protection

As part of the Comfort-Fit range, the Journey Mid GTX mens walking shoe is the ideal lightweight option for those requiring a wider fit than the standard shoe. Perfect for leisurely hikes, the uppers are made from Nubuck leather and mesh providing a durable yet breathable frame. Further enhancing this, the Journey Mid GTX features a GORE-TEX lining ensuring waterproof protection; reliable to keep your feet dry in all circumstances. Meindl believe that comfort is of utmost priority, and so the Comfort-Fit range was introduced to do just that. With a wider fit at the front of the shoe, the Air-Active footbed provides more room for movement, particularly in the flex zone, whilst ensuring a snug, supportive hold of the heel. Not only does it wick away unwanted moisture build up, the footbed is contoured to the shape of the foot providing a shoe that is exceedingly comfortable for all day use. The Meindl Comfort Sport sole is also high performing with excellent shock absorption and a good grip profile for when tracks get a little tricky.

European Delivery:

For customers ordering in the European Union, import duty/tax is included within the purchase price at the checkout on our website. You will NOT be charged an import duty/tax upon receipt of delivery.

*additional charges may be applied by local customs for import tax on orders outside the EU.

If you have any questions or if you need your clothing or equipment for a specific date, holiday or trip please contact us via phone on 0191 2323561 or email [email protected]

LD Mountain Centre reserve the right to amend orders placed with incorrect delivery options without notice. LD Mountain Centre does not accept responsibility for items being delayed through customs/ security checks or adverse weather conditions. There are no refunds on shipping costs unless LD Mountain Centre is responsible for the error. In the unfortunate event that a product is out of stock a member of our Customer Service Team will contact you.

For international orders, the couriers we use are, DPD and FedEx.

Please be advised that for countries outside the EU, as well as the Canary Islands, there may be customs and VAT charges that the customer will be expected to pay. LD Mountain Centre are not liable for these payments. Some other large International orders may also be dispatched via FedEx.

To request alternate shipping please email our customer service team. Please note, additional charges may apply when using alternate shipping.

All UK Next Working Day or 48 Hours (2 working days) orders placed before 1pm (Monday-Thursday) will be dispatched that day, subject to stock availability. Orders placed via UK Next Working Day on Friday or Saturday will be delivered on the next working day. Orders made after these times will be dispatched the following day. A signature will be required for Next Working Day and 48 Hours (2 working days) delivery goods so please make sure someone is at the delivery address to sign for the goods or send them to an address where someone will be available.

If you wish to send orders via Royal Mail instead of DPD, please contact our Customer Service team; however please note that you may be liable for any lost parcels and this service is only available within the UK.

In the unlikely event of a delay, we will endeavour to contact you by email or phone to let you know.

All delivery days are based on standard working days from Monday - Friday.*

Once your order has been dispatched from the warehouse you will receive a confirmation email to let you know it is on the way.

Returns Update:

Due to a high volume of returns, our return processing is currently taking 7-14 days. Our team are working extended hours to get through this as quickly as possible, we ask you to be patient during this busy time.

We ask that any returned items are unused/unworn and are returned within 28 days of their purchase date in the same packaging as they arrived, and with their product tags still attached.  Please note, we do not offer an exchange service. If you wish to receive a different size, a new order will need to be placed via our website,  and the unwanted item returned to us as they arrived, and with their product tags still attached.  

Please Note:  We are unable to accept any returns with any clear sign of cosmetic or fragrance use.  We are also unable to accept any returns on Underwear, Electronics, DVDs or items governed by PPE Law (Snowsport and Climbing Helmets, Climbing Hardware, Climbing Ropes, Iceaxes or Crampons.) 

Our Online Returns System makes it easy to exchange or return any unsuitable or unwanted products. If, for any reason, you wish to return an item you have purchased from the LD Mountain Centre Website please go to the Your Account section of our website. If you already have an account, please log in. If not, please register a new account using the same email address used when placing your order. 

Once logged in to your account, select the ‘ My Order History’  link and on the new page select the order you wish to return. Mark the tick box beside the item(s) you wish to return and enter the quantity being returned. Once done, click the ‘ Return Item (s)’ button at the bottom right of the page.

You will be sent an email with a returns form attached. Please print and complete the form,  enclose the top part of the form with your item. 

Please ensure that any returned items are sent using an  Insured  and  Traceable  mail service as LD Mountain Centre cannot accept any responsibility for items lost whilst in transit. 

We aim to process returned orders as quickly as possible once we have received them, however, in busy periods refunds and exchanges may take up to 7 working days to process.

Upon inspection of a returned product, LD Mountain Centre will issue a full refund to the card used for the purchase less the original delivery charge. Any used items will be denied a refund and returned to the customer at his/her expense. Warranty items are subject to inspection and only eligible for repair, replacement or disposal.

All products purchased from LD Mountain Centre carry the full manufacturer warranty. For more information click through to our warranty page

LD Mountain Help Centre We’ve worked really hard to provide you with these detailed help and support pages. You should be able to find answers to your questions here. Please use the links on the left to navigate to the relevant page. If, after taking a look at our help pages, you can’t find what you’re looking for please contact us: [email protected].

Meindl Mens Journey Mid GTX Boots

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Technical details, key features, specification, fit/measurements, other features, user reviews ( 473 ).

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Meindl Journey Men Mid GTX Walking Boot

As part of the Comfort-Fit range, the Journey Mid GTX mens walking shoe is the ideal lightweight option for those requiring a wider fit than the standard shoe. Perfect for leisurely hikes, the uppers are made from Nubuck leather and mesh providing a durable yet breathable frame. Further enhancing this, the Journey Mid GTX features a GORE-TEX lining ensuring waterproof protection; reliable to keep your feet dry in all circumstances. Meindl believe that comfort is of utmost priority, and so the Comfort-Fit range was introduced to do just that. With a wider fit at the front of the shoe, the Air-Active footbed provides more room for movement, particularly in the flex zone, whilst ensuring a snug, supportive hold of the heel. Not only does it wick away unwanted moisture build up, the footbed is contoured to the shape of the foot providing a shoe that is exceedingly comfortable for all day use. The Meindl Comfort Sport sole is also high performing with excellent shock absorption and a good grip profile for when tracks get a little tricky. Meindl Grade M Boot. These good quality multi-purpose shoes and boots will take you from the urban commute to a lower-level path. Journey Mid GTX walking boot feature guide: Nubuck leather and mesh uppers GORE-TEX lining Air-Active Wellness Sport footbed Meindl Comfort Sport sole Waterproof protection From Meindl

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Meindl Journey Mid GTX

Our View – Meindl Journey Mid GTX :

The Meindl Journey Mid is a mid-height trail boot with an excellent fit and waterproof construction courtesy of the highly regarded Gore-tex membrane. The upper is made from a combination of suede and mesh for a great balance of durability and breathability.

Comfort wise the Journey Mid is built on the slightly wider Comfort Fit last which allows a little extra room for you toes. The wider footprint also means a more stable platform when traversing rough off-road terrain and a smooth foot roll when walking.

Outsole wise the Meindl Comfort Sport sole unit is suitable for a wide range of trail terrain and is ideal for most easy to moderate walking conditions. You’ll feel confident and comfortable wherever the path takes you.

If you want all the comfort and benefits of a wider fitting walking shoe designed for regular use on easy to moderate terrain but with the added benefit of being slightly higher around the ankle then the Meindel Journey Mid GTX is a really sensible choice.

Specifications – Meindl Journey Mid GTX :

• Upper: Suede | Mesh
• Lining: GORE-TEX®
• Footbed: AIR-ACTIVE® Wellness Sport
• Sole: Meindl Comfort Sport
• Meindl Comfort Fit – the Comfort fit® last has more space at the front of the foot with a firm grip on the heel. You stand on a wider base. The more defined contour enables easier rollover when walking.
• Weight: 460g

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Journey Mid Lady GTX Walking Boot

If you have a wider foot or have trouble finding a boot due to a troublesome bunion then the Journey Mid is absolutely worth considering!A really popular choice with our customers particularly those looking for a waterproof style that has great cushioning for prolonged days out on less challenging terrain.A great boot for waymarked trails, coastal paths and one of our best sellers for walking the Camino.

Experience unparalleled comfort and durability with the Journey Lady Mid GTX walking boot from Meindl. Crafted as part of the Comfort-Fit range, this lightweight boot offers a wider fit, making it perfect for leisurely hikes and long walks. Its Nubuck leather and mesh uppers provide a robust yet breathable frame, while the GORE-TEX lining ensures waterproof protection, keeping your feet dry in any weather condition. The Air-Active Wellness Sport footbed delivers ample room for movement, especially in the flex zone, while maintaining a snug hold on the heel. With moisture-wicking properties and a contoured design, these boots are designed for all-day comfort. Plus, the Meindl Comfort Sport sole offers exceptional shock absorption and a reliable grip profile, ensuring stability on varied terrains.

• Part of the Comfort-Fit range, providing a wider fit than standard shoes
• Nubuck leather and mesh uppers for durability and breathability
• GORE-TEX lining ensures waterproof protection
• Air-Active Wellness Sport footbed offers ample room for movement and comfort
• Moisture-wicking properties keep feet dry
• Contoured footbed design for enhanced comfort during extended wear
• Meindl Comfort Sport sole for excellent shock absorption and grip

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Lukas Meindl GmbH & Co.KG, most commonly known as Meindl, is a German footwear manufacturer located in Kirchanschöring, Bavaria, known for its hiking boots for hiking and hillwalking. The company was founded in 1683 by Petrus Meindl.

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• Russia, Ukraine and Belarus

Medical exam in Moscow

By dallasguy7 November 26, 2006 in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus

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• Go to first unread post

6 posts in this topic

Recommended posts, dallasguy7   0.

I need recommendations concerning which clinic is the best for my fiance and her sons. I also need to know what I should expect to pay for the medical exams.

Link to comment

Share on other sites, russ   1.

~ $100 US. Search through some of the old threads here for reviews, but any of them will work.

2004-08-23: Met in Chicago

2005-10-19: K-1 Interview, Moscow (approved)

2007-02-23: Biometrics

2007-04-11: AOS Interview (Approved)

Satellite   1

Despite what everyone says I think they are all the same. Price was our number one concern followed by closeness to any metro station.

Here is the list.

http://www.usembassy.ru/consular/consular....record_id=ivmed

We went with MOM or IOM as they call it now, because it satisfied both.

Turboguy   6

Last year the people at AO MEDITCINA were considered to be more caring. The price was a tad higher and the results were avaialble the following morning. The people at IOM (MOM then) were considered a bit less polite, the price was a few dollars cheaper and the results were available the afternoon of the exam.

People change so the caring part may not be the same.

12/14/2006 Applied for K-1 with request for Waver for Multiple filings within 2 years. Waiting - Waiting - Waiting 3/6 Called NVC file sent to Washington for "Administrative Review" Told to call back every few weeks. 7/6 Called NVC, A/R is finished, case on way to Moscow. YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7/13 On Friday the 13th we see updated Moscow website with our interview on 9/11 (Hope we are not supersticious) 9/11 Visa Approved. Yahoo. 10/12 Tickets for her to America. I am flying to JFK to meet her there. 12/15/07 We are married. One year and a day after filling original K-1 12/27 Filed for AOS, EAD & AP 1/3 Received all three NOA-1's 1/22 Biometrics 2/27 EAD & AP received 4/12 Interview 5/19/08 RFE for physical that she should not have needed. 5/28 New physical ($ 250.00 wasted) 6/23 Green Card received 4/22/10 Filed for Removal of Contitions. 6/25 10 Year Green Card received Nov, 2014 Citizenship ceremony. Our journey is complete.

mountainlover534   0

Last year the people at AO MEDITCINA were considered to be more caring. The price was a tad higher and the results were avaialble the following morning. The people at IOM (MOM then) were considered a bit less polite, the price was a few dollars cheaper and the results were available the afternoon of the exam. People change so the caring part may not be the same.

MY NOW WIFE USED BOTH..

MOM WAS TERRIBLE...THEY GAVE HER A MAJOR MESS-AROUND...

SO THEY COULD GET MORE MONEY FOR MORE CHECK-UPS

MEDICINA WAS AWESOME AND FRIENDLY...

SO, PAY THE EXTRA MONEY AND GO TO MEDICINA

DINA= KRASNOYARSK, SIBERIA, RUSSIA

SIE= HARPERS FERRY, WEST VIRGINA, USA

******************

MET ONLINE: 10-07-2006

MET IN MOSCOW: 3-04-2006

I129F SEND: 5-16-2006

NOA1: 5-26-2006

RFE RCVD: 6-19-2006

RFE SEND: 6-27-2006

NOA2: 7-10-06

NVC RCVD: 7-12-2006

NVC LEFT: 7-24-2006

INTERVIEW: 10-05-06 PASSED

US ENTRY DULLES. VA: 10-17-06

MARRIAGE: 11-20-06

FILED FOR SS-CARD: 11-22-06

RECV'D SS-CARD: 12-02-06

STATE CARD: 1-05-07

FILED FOR AOS, EAD & AP: 1-10-07

RECEIVED NOA: 1-23-07

BIOMETRICS APPT: 2-03-07

RECEIVED EAD & AP: 3-31-07

INTERVIEW PITTSBURGH 7-11-07

RECEIVED GREEN CARD: 7-30-07

mendeleev   68

My wife used MOM for her K1 and we are 100% sure she will not use it for her CR1!

MOM staff went far out of their way to demean her unnecessarily. MOM has mistreated and abused other Russian fiances and spouses.

5-15-2002 Met, by chance, while I traveled on business 3-15-2005 I-129F 9-18-2005 Visa in hand 11-23-2005 She arrives in USA 1-18-2006 She returns to Russia, engaged but not married 11-10-2006 We got married! 2-12-2007 I-130 sent by Express mail to NSC 2-26-2007 I-129F sent by Express mail to Chicago lock box 6-25-2007 Both NOA2s in hand; notice date 6-15-2007 9-17-2007 K3 visa in hand 11-12-2007 POE Atlanta 8-14-2008 AOS packet sent 9-13-2008 biometrics 1-30-2009 AOS interview 2-12-2009 10-yr Green Card arrives in mail

2-11-2014 US Citizenship ceremony

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Meindl Womens Journey Mid GTX Boots

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All about this product

Technical details, key features, specification, fit/measurements, other features, user reviews ( 562 ).

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News 10′s You’re Not Alone Special: Mid-Michiganders share journey of grief, resiliency, hope

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Mental health matters now more than ever. People across Mid-Michigan open up and share their stories of grief, resiliency and hope.

As part of WILX News 10′s You’re Not Alone mental health campaign, you’ll meet first responders, people from the LGBTQ+ community, college students and even a marathon runner who literally ran for her life. All have had struggles and success with their mental health.

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Midjourney is creating Donald Trump pictures when asked for images of 'the president of the United States'

This is in spite of midjourney’s self-imposed ban on creating trump and biden images ahead of the us presidential election..

Midjourney, a popular AI-powered image generator, is creating images of Donald Trump and Joe Biden despite saying that it would block users from doing so ahead of the upcoming US presidential election.

When Engadget prompted the service to create an image of “the president of the United States,” Midjourney generated four images in various styles of former president Donald Trump.

When asked to create an image of “the next president of the United States,” the tool generated four images of Trump as well.

When Engadget prompted Midjourney to create an image of “the current president of the United States,” the service generated three images of Trump and one image of former president Barack Obama.

The only time Midjourney refused to create an image of Trump or Biden was when it was asked to do so explicitly. “The Midjourney community voted to prevent using ‘Donald Trump’ and ‘Joe Biden’ during election season,” the service said in that instance. Other users on X were able to get Midjourney to generate Trump’s images too.

The tests show that Midjourney’s guardrails to prevent users from generating images of Trump and Biden ahead of the upcoming US presidential election aren’t enough — in fact, it’s really easy for people to get around them. Other chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini and Meta AI did not create images of Trump or Biden despite multiple prompts.

Midjourney did not respond to a request for comment from Engadget.

Midjourney was one the first AI-powered image generators to explicitly ban users from generating images of Trump and Biden. “I know it’s fun to make Trump pictures — I make Trump pictures,” the company’s CEO, David Holz, told users in a chat session on Discord, earlier this year. “However, probably better to just not — better to pull out a little bit during this election. We’ll see.” A month later, Holz reportedly told users that it was time to “put some foots down on election-related stuff for a bit” and admitted that “this moderation stuff is kind of hard.” The company’s existing content rules prohibit the creation of “misleading public figures” and “events portrayals” with the “potential to mislead.”

Last year, Midjourney was used to create a fake image of Pope Francis wearing a puffy white Balenciaga jacket that went viral. It was also used to create fake images of Trump being arrested ahead of his arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Court last year for his involvement in a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Shortly afterwards, the company halted free trials of the service and, instead, required people to pay at least $10 a month to use it.

Last month, the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a non-profit organization that aims to stop the spread of misinformation and hate speech online, found that Midjourney’s guardrails against generating misleading images of popular politicians including Trump and Biden failed 40% of its tests. The CCDH was able to use Midjourney to create an image of president Biden being arrested and Trump appearing next to a body double. The CCDH was also able to bypass Midjourney’s guardrails by using descriptions of each candidate’s physical appearance rather than their names to generate misleading images.

“Midjourney is far too easy to manipulate in practice – in some cases it’s completely evaded just by adding punctuation to slip through the net,” wrote CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed in a statement at the time. “Bad actors who want to subvert elections and sow division, confusion and chaos will have a field day, to the detriment of everyone who relies on healthy, functioning democracies.

Earlier this year, a coalition of 20 tech companies including OpenAI, Google, Meta, Amazon, Adobe and X signed an agreement to help prevent deepfakes in elections taking place in 2024 around the world by preventing their services from generating images and other media that would influence voters. Midjourney was absent from that list.

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Meindl Journey Mid GTX Mens Wide Fit Walking Boots - Anthracite/Red

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Experience the utmost comfort and support with the Journey Mid GTX mens wide fit walking boots from Meindl's Comfort-Fit range. Made with durable Nubuck leather and breathable mesh uppers, these boots are perfect for leisurely hikes.

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The contoured footbed offers superior moisture-wicking and all-day comfort. With the high-performing Meindl Comfort Sport sole, you'll have reliable shock absorption and a strong grip on uncertain terrain.

Meindl Journey Mid GTX Walking Boot Features:

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Wider fit than the standard Meindl fit. Velour leather and mesh uppers with waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex lining. Meindl Comfort Sport sole unit with optimum heel-to-toe motion. Air Active cork footbed for added comfort.

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This Creepy Trump Pic Shows Why Our Elections Are Doomed

History looks different through the lens of our tech dystopia hell..

Who is the president of the United States? It’s Joe Biden, of course. But one popular artificial intelligence app thinks otherwise.

While A.I. models have been known to hallucinate (i.e., make stuff up), they typically don’t mess up extremely simple things like name the president . If you ask OpenAI’s ChatGPT who the U.S. president is, it’ll give you the correct answer, a short bio, and links to the White House website and Biden’s Wikipedia article. The same is true for Anthropic’s Claude and Meta AI, while Google’s Gemini straight-up refuses to answer the question because it’s related to politics. “I can’t help with responses on elections and political figures right now,” it told me. “I’m trained to be as accurate as possible but I can make mistakes sometimes. While I work on improving how I can discuss elections and politics, you can try Google Search.” Good grief.

But that hesitation to engage with anything political is rooted in legitimate concerns about how artificial intelligence can be weaponized to influence elections, spread disinformation, and scam people. There are often more safeguards for text-to-image models than your standard chatbots—and for good reason. Fake images of political figures could create mass chaos and confusion . If you thought Pope Francis really did wear a white puffer coat , you might be more likely to believe that deepfaked pics of Trump with Black voters are real.

When I asked DALL-E, OpenAI’s text-to-image generator, to generate images of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, it flat-out refused, citing the company’s usage policy . When I asked it to generate a model of the “president of the United States,” it manufactured a cartoonish white man with a chiseled jaw who looks like he could be the president in a mid-aughts rom-com set in Washington, D.C. No Biden, no Trump, just a hunky POTUS cosplayer.

The image generator Midjourney has similar rules. When I asked it to make an image of the candidates, it gave me an error message: “Sorry! The Midjourney community voted to prevent using ‘Donald Trump’ and ‘Joe Biden’ during election season.” Since June 2023, according to screenshots recorded on the Internet Archive, Midjourney’s community guidelines have stipulated, “You may not use the Services to generate images for political campaigns, or to try to influence the outcome of an election.”

But in early March, the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a British nonprofit, released a report showing how Midjourney and other image generators could be used to reliably generate deepfake political images—such as Biden in a hospital gown, Trump getting arrested, and a dumpster full of voting ballots. A week later the company started banning images of the two nominees, the Associated Press reported .

But that was nearly four months ago.

This week, when I asked Midjourney for images of the president of the United States (specifically, “Please make me an image of the president of the United States”), it produced a stream of pictures of … Donald Trump. I kept repeating the prompt … more Trump. Midjourney spits out four images at a time to give users options. I kept getting four images of Donald Trump—some looked hand-painted, some like photographs, some moody, some smiling, all showing Trump with the trappings of his former office.

One of the 16 images I generated on Midjourney showed Barack Obama. None showed Joe Biden—or anyone else. Midjourney did not respond to multiple requests for comment about its content policies and why its image generator not only violates its own rules but also shows Trump as the current president.

There are good reasons why Midjourney may spit out images of Donald Trump when prompted. Trump is surely one of the most photographed people in human history—his face is slapped all over the web alongside the word “president.” Wherever Midjourney is gobbling up images, it can’t really avoid the ubiquity of Trump’s countenance.

I’ve played around with image generators for a year—Midjourney routinely takes a more laissez-faire approach to content moderation than DALL-E. “I don’t really care about political speech,” founder David Holz told users in a meeting in March. “That’s not the purpose of Midjourney. It’s not that interesting to me. That said, I also don’t want to spend all of my time trying to police political speech. So we’re going to have [to] put our foot down on it a bit.”

Without government regulations placing constraints on how artificial intelligence applications safeguard against deceptive content, companies have to figure it out themselves‍—something they’re surely thrilled about. And Midjourney reportedly has only a dozen employees—a tiny force compared with thousands working at OpenAI or A.I.-focused employees at Silicon Valley behemoths.

Holz told users at that meeting that “this moderation stuff is kind of hard.” It’s not that hard. Donald Trump might think he’s president, but Midjourney should know better.

Midjourney is creating Donald Trump pictures when asked for images of “the president of the United States.”

M idjourney, a popular AI-powered image generator, is creating images of Donald Trump and Joe Biden despite saying that it would block users from doing so earlier this year ahead of the upcoming US presidential election.

When Engadget prompted the service to create an image of “the president of the United States,” Midjourney generated four images in various styles of former president Donald Trump.

When asked to create an image of “the next president of the United States,” the tool generated four images of Trump as well.

When Engadget prompted Midjourney to create an image of “the current president of the United States,” the service generated three images of Trump and one image of former president Barack Obama.

The only time Midjourney refused to create an image of Trump or Biden was when it was asked to do so explicitly. “The Midjourney community voted to prevent using ‘Donald Trump’ and ‘Joe Biden’ during election season,” the service said in that instance. Other users on X were able to get Midjourney to generate Trump’s images too.

The tests show that Midjourney’s guardrails to prevent users from generating images of Trump and Biden ahead of the upcoming US presidential election aren’t enough — in fact, it’s really easy for people to get around them. Other chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, Google’s Gemini and Meta AI did not create images of Trump or Biden despite multiple prompts.

Midjourney did not respond to a request for comment from Engadget.

Midjourney was one the first AI-powered image generators to explicitly ban users from generating images of Trump and Biden. “I know it’s fun to make Trump pictures — I make Trump pictures,” the company’s CEO, David Holz, told users in a chat session on Discord, earlier this year. “However, probably better to just not — better to pull out a little bit during this election. We’ll see.” A month later, Holz reportedly told users that it was time to “put some foots down on election-related stuff for a bit” and admitted that “this moderation stuff is kind of hard.” The company’s existing content rules prohibit the creation of “misleading public figures” and “events portrayals” with the “potential to mislead.”

Last year, Midjourney was used to create a fake image of Pope Benedict wearing a puffy white Balenciaga jacket that went viral. It was also used to create fake images of Trump being arrested ahead of his arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Court last year for his involvement in a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Shortly afterwards, the company halted free trials of the service and, instead, required people to pay at least $10 a month to use it.

Last month, the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a non-profit organization that aims to stop the spread of misinformation and hate speech online, found that Midjourney’s guardrails against generating misleading images of popular politicians including Trump and Biden failed 40% of its tests. The CCDH was able to use Midjourney to create an image of president Biden being arrested and Trump appearing next to a body double. The CCDH was also able to bypass Midjourney’s guardrails by using descriptions of each candidate’s physical appearance rather than their names to generate misleading images.

“Midjourney is far too easy to manipulate in practice – in some cases it’s completely evaded just by adding punctuation to slip through the net,” wrote CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed in a statement at the time. “Bad actors who want to subvert elections and sow division, confusion and chaos will have a field day, to the detriment of everyone who relies on healthy, functioning democracies.

Earlier this year, a coalition of 20 tech companies including OpenAI, Google, Meta, Amazon, Adobe and X signed an agreement to help prevent deepfakes in elections taking place in 2024 around the world by preventing their services from generating images and other media that would influence voters. Midjourney was absent from that list.

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A.I. Is Getting Better Fast. Can You Tell What’s Real Now?

By Stuart A. Thompson

Leer en español

Artificial intelligence tools can create lifelike faces and realistic photographs — and they are getting better all the time. The phony images now appear regularly on social media, with many users seeming to believe that the images are real. But there are still some telltale signs that an image was made by A.I.

Can you tell the difference? Take our quiz.

1. Is this celebrity photoshoot real or A.I.?

Oops, not quite. This is a real image. This image shows some stars of the “Justice League” movies — Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill and Jason Momoa. It’s a genuine image but it may look slightly unusual because it was either cropped or compressed after it was reposted several times on social media. The original image is below.

2. What about these singers?

Some telltale signs of A.I. forgeries are found throughout the image: the girl has just four visible fingers, the woman’s right arm appears to disappear, and people in the background seem to blend into instruments. A.I. image generators still tend to struggle with details like fingers, but they are getting better.

3. And these world leaders?

A.I. image generators tend to reuse elements repeatedly in their creations, providing a potential clue that they are not real. Here, the nearly identical suits and postures may give it the appearance of A.I.

4. What about this interior?

Oops, not quite. This is an A.I.-generated image. This image might resemble a rustic bathroom, but it was made by A.I. Many social media pages share stunning architecture and interior designs without disclosing they are made by A.I. tools. While they may be convincing at first glance, there are usually telltale signs they are fake. There are often design elements that defy logic. Here, the shower head appears in a place where it would be impossible to use. Complex elements in the background can be garbled and nonsensical, like a tub faucet that seems to double as a telephone. As in other A.I. images, the text in the artwork appears garbled.

5. How about this man covered in tattoos?

“That is 100 percent real — it was taken at the hospital,” Mr. Huff said in an interview. “My boys are my world.”

6. Is this a real family?

Oops, not quite. This is an A.I.-generated image. It was found circulating on Facebook. Many commenters appeared to believe the image was genuine. The story that accompanied the photo suggested the men were a couple who had overcome adversity to build a family and advance in the armed forces. Many Facebook accounts have flooded the platform with A.I.-generated photos.

7. What about this movie still?

Many of the faces appear highly unusual, with garbled noses and misaligned eyes. Those mistakes were more common in older A.I. image generators, while newer tools have made rapid improvements.

8. Or this image of The Rock?

One giveaway in this image is the badge, which includes garbled text. Many A.I. systems still struggle to create real text, but they are getting better. This image was part of a series by Mr. Griffin showing celebrities in everyday jobs.

9. Is this unusual scene A.I.?

A.I. has excelled at creating unusual or otherworldly images like this, giving social media accounts a new tool to drive engagement and clicks.

10. What about President Biden here?

Though the resemblance to President Biden is striking, he would not be wearing military fatigues as a civilian.

Here are your results

You got 0 out of 0 responses correct, for a score of 0% .

A.I. images

Real images.

Surprised by your results? While not all A.I. tools can produce lifelike images, many can, and they are constantly improving. The fake images can increase the risk that people will be deceived online, and they also risk eroding the public’s trust, making it harder to believe genuine images.

Several social networks have announced plans to apply labels on images that were created by A.I., but those features are rolling out slowly.

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Explore Our Coverage of Artificial Intelligence

News  and Analysis

Apple, Microsoft and Google will need more access to our data as they promote new phones and personal computers that are powered by artificial intelligence. Should we trust them ?

Target is the latest retailer to put an A.I. chatbot in the hands of its workers, with the goal of improving the in-store experience  for employees and shoppers.

Ilya Sutskever, the OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist, has helped found a new A.I. company, Safe Superintelligence, which aims to build A.I. technologies  that are smarter than a human but not dangerous.

The Age of A.I.

The A.I. boom is a long-awaited gift for wonky consultants , as businesses rattled by tech’s latest trend have turned to these advisers for guidance.

A new study showed people real restaurant reviews and ones produced by A.I. They couldn’t tell the difference .

While some big companies are finding uses for A.I., many smaller businesses are just starting to dabble in the technology , if they use it at all.

Journey on the Trans-Siberian: Moscow to Yekaterinburg

This is the second part of a series about my trip across Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway in the summer of 2018. I’ll cover the overnight ride from St Petersburg to Moscow, the 16 hours I spent in the Russian capital, and the two-day ride from Moscow to Yekaterinburg.

After a few days in St Petersburg I boarded the overnight train to Moscow. The sleeper train “Red Arrow” departs at 11:55pm. I read (but didn’t confirm) the departure time was set in Soviet times to leave before midnight so travelers could get reimbursed for two working days.

There were three people already in the cabin when I walked in: In one of the top bunks was a girl who looked 20-something, and on the two bottom bunks, two Brazilian men who looked like soccer fans. (It was World Cup summer.)

We exchanged muted hello’s and filled out our breakfast order forms. Without wasting time I followed the process of settling into an overnight cabin:

• Examine and unpack the supplied bedding.
• Make the bed.
• If foreigners are in the cabin, motion to them to follow your lead.
• Exit the cabin to give others room to make their bed and, if they wish, to change into sleeping attire.
• Return when appropriate, and begin smalltalk to spark a deep and cross-cultural conversation that’ll grow richer and bring you closer together with every mile of track until the morning golden hour.

Except the Brazilian men didn’t speak English, and the girl, probably on-guard, remained silent. I went to sleep.

It wasn’t the rocking that stirred me awake every hour, but the impressive guttural symphony coming from the man below me. The snores came in different tones and rhythms, transforming mid-breath with no particular pattern, which made them difficult to ignore. (A few days later, Tatiana, another cabin-mate, refuted my story by telling me sound doesn’t travel upwards. “Then he cheated physics,” I said.) I forced my earplugs deeper and felt relief that this is only a seven-hour trip.

By morning the Brazilians still didn’t speak English but the girl was more inviting. She’s a mother of two—which surprised me—and was headed to Moscow for a meditation seminar. I made whatever smalltalk I could fit between bites of fried cheese fritters until we arrived in Moscow.

It was early morning, and my first objective was to find a quiet part of the city where I can rest until some nearby coffeeshop opens. I took the metro to the nearest patch of green on Google Maps—a park called “Clean Ponds.”

The only available bench was next to a group of Russian men still drinking from the night before. One of the men was slumped over, another was drying in the sun after taking a dip in the pond, another was throwing fists at the wet one, and the rest were fighting to stay upright—only because it’s easier to keep drinking when upright. I decided against napping, and instead enjoyed the scene unfolding to my left.

A woman approached and sat next to me, holding her small dog, and complained about the park’s occupants. Following a light conversation, she lit a cigarette, told me about her (deceased) husband’s medical invention, and proposed I introduce the product to the US market in return for a cut of the profits. She did this while parrying advances from one of the men. (“I have a job and own an apartment in a good location, behind the McDonald’s,” he said.) She gave me her phone number before leaving, probably dreaming of business ventures in America that will not happen.

When the woman left, the party group noticed me. “Where the f— did you come from?!” one of them said. I was prepared to give (and take) a few hits and run, but managed to ease the tension with some jokes and handshakes.

I gave up on rest and went in search of coffee and breakfast.

Irina and Red Square

Irina is a lawyer living in Moscow who’s trying to improve her English. We met on a language-learning website, and arranged to meet in person to walk through the Red Square and practice English/Russian.

The Red Square was staged for the World Cup and crowded with tourists. It felt like the Russian version of Times Square, which I found intolerable. I snapped some shots and hurried us to lunch.

We found a Georgian restaurant just off the main boulevard and spent the next hour chatting about Russia’s legal system, language exams, graduate school, and how long could it possibly take to cook chicken.

In 2007 I was supposed to visit St Petersburg aboard my college’s training ship. My cousin warned me I should brush up on my Russian: “We have smart relatives there, don’t embarrass yourself.” I searched for Russians to chat with online and found Polina.

We spoke every other day in the months leading up to my voyage that summer. I started to like her. We made unrealistic plans for her to travel from Moscow to St Petersburg to meet me for the few days I’d be there. It never happened. Just days before my ship’s scheduled arrival, the captain diverted us to Estonia after failing to get the proper docking permits or visas for Russia. Polina and I exchanged only a few emails over the next decade.

This time, the plan worked.

We met and crisscrossed the Moskva river over bridges as we spoke of life in Russia, her newborn son, traveling, her dreams of returning to freelancing, the things we still do and those we don’t… I don’t remember where we walked or what we passed.

Is this what Captain Smith made me miss? I imagined myself at 19, and Polina getting permission from her mom to take the overnight train to St Petersburg, and my needing to return to the ship by midnight, and maybe ending up like my shipmate and the Croatian girl he fell in love with on the first day in port in Dubrovnik…

The thought made me happy but also underscored the passage of time. We were far from 19, and we both found love on native soil, and she became a mom, and I had to catch the train to Yekaterinburg before midnight.

After saying goodbye to Polina, it was time for the next segment of the Trans-Siberian Railway: A one-and-a-half-day ride to Yekaterinburg. I stocked up on ramen noodles and tea, and made my way to the train.

Riding the Trans-Siberian Railway is interesting for two reasons: The train itself, and the people on it. Life aboard the train doesn’t differ much from one segment to another, so I will write a separate article of observations and survival tips learned throughout the entire trip.

The people, however, did change with each segment. On this segment from Moscow to Yekaterinburg, as urban sprawl gave way to dense forests and wooden villages, I got to know a family from the Far North.

Tatiana, Nastia, and Sasha

My roommates for the 27-hour trip from Moscow to Yekaterinburg were Tatiana and her two children, Nastia and Sasha.

Within minutes of departure I took off my shoes to get comfortable and waited for the hallway activity to calm down before preparing for bed. Tatiana, somehow sensing my inexperience with long-distance train travel, pointed at the blue disposable slippers that came with the provided bedding and gently suggested I put them on. I thought they were silly and not for someone who’s used to rough traveling, so I responded that I’m alright in my socks. She tried to convince me a bit longer before giving up.

Moments later, I went to the bathroom—there’s one at each end of every car—and learned they’re just like airplane bathrooms: small and wet, and you don’t know from what . I returned to the cabin, changed my socks, and donned the blue disposable slippers. Tatiana looked on with approval.

They were traveling from their small military town near the Russia-Finland border (where her husband is stationed) to Novosibirsk — over 3,000 miles away — to visit her parents, as they do every summer. Airfare would cost them three months’ worth of income (by my own calculation), so they took the train, like many Russian families traveling to or from Siberia.

Our conversations spanned life in Russia, life in the US, Nastia’s college ambitions (she’s undecided between medicine and chemistry), traveling (because of the husband’s position in the military, the family is not allowed to travel outside of Russia), drawing, Russian literature, and more… We talked without end for two days while sharing food and drinking tea by the liter.

Tatiana teaches literature and Russian at their local school. She told me about life inside the arctic circle and showed me photos of polar lights, fields of flowers, her shirtless husband stepping out of a bania (a Russian sauna) and jumping into the snow, and other everyday scenes. She worried about what will happen after her husband’s military contract ends next year. She’ll miss Nastia when she stays behind in Novosibirsk for one final year of school and then university.

Tatiana also worried about my safety. She advised me to tell people I’m a local: “Your Russian is good enough,” she said, “that people will believe you and assume that your slight accent and slower pace is due to—” and she raised her fingers to her temple and did a twisting gesture. I nodded, thought for a moment, and decided that was a compliment.

Nastia is a straight-A student interested in chemistry and medicine. She’s not sure which of the two she’ll study in university, but she has another year to decide. She’ll stay with her grandparents in a small village outside of the city for another year until it’s time to attend Novosibirsk University. Although she studied english in school for several years, she never felt comfortable enough to speak it. (The faculty at their local school is made up of military spouses with little or no teaching experience.)

Nastia earns money on the side by painting custom designs on her clients’ nails. Her designs—from cartoon characters to landscapes to sunsets, all painted on half-inch-wide keratin canvases—are remarkable and belong in high-end nail salons of New York. I offered her some advice based on my consulting experience (she should charge more for more the elaborate designs). Her entrepreneurial spirit made me happy for her, maybe because it reminded me of my teenage years when I drew cartoons for money.

Sasha is just beginning to learn English, and this was his first encounter with a native speaker. He was nowhere near conversational English, so he engaged the only way he could: shouting out Russian words from his language workbook to see if I could respond with the right translation. “How do you say, um, ‘lion?’” he asked, and looked at me with a wide smile and alert eyes, waiting to hear a word that matched his notes. “Give Greg a break,” Tatiana said, more than once, after many animals were correctly translated, but I gave Sasha an approving smile to signal it’s alright. “Crocodile!?” he continued…

The next day, as the train approached Yekaterinburg in the early morning, I nudged Tatiana and Nastia awake to say “goodbye,” as they requested the night before, when we exchanged longer goodbyes and I told them how wonderful it was to meet and spend time with them. “Goodbye, Greg,” they replied, and both gave me a smile that I didn’t expect from anyone whose sleep was interrupted, who’s been on the road for weeks, who wouldn’t see her daughter (or mother) for a year, whose future was so uncertain… And still they smiled in the way that only good people do.

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