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Sphotonix media
Gaming Gear

1960s tech used to produce 30TB tapes you can use right now

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  • Sphotonix’s 5D optical storage media has appeared on the latest installment of Mission Impossible
  • A rare feat for a new product, its appearance is central to the movie plot
  • Like Microsoft Silica, it uses silica based material to store up to 360TB per glass platter

Storage startup Sphotonix has landed itself a money-can’t-buy starring role in the big-budget Hollywood movie “Mission Impossible, The Final Reckoning,” where it ended up being part of the actual scenario rather than a disposable, forgettable prop.

(No spoiler alerts) In it, its core product, a 5D optical storage media is used to store a critical element of the movie plot, potentially for billions of years.

Having been used to back up the full human genome in January 2025, we know that it can store up to 360TB on a 5-inch rectangular glass platter and uses a proprietary laser-based nano etching technology called FemtoEtch.


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That’s far more than the largest SSD (the 122.88TB Solidigm P5-5336) or HDD (36TB models from Seagate or WD) currently on the market – more about how the technology works is in the promotional video below.

Other exotic storage competitors that want to rival cold storage, archiving media such as LTO tape, include ceramic (Cerabyte), Silicium (Microsoft Silica), DNA (Biomemory, Catalog), optical disc (Folio photonics, Optera Data).

This is a tough market as witnessed through the demise of Sony’s legacy 5.5TB ODA media, but experts agree: the rapacious appetite of AI for bytes, at rest or on the move, has changed the dynamics of the ecosystem.

The worldwide enterprise information archiving market will balloon to more than $17 billion by 2031, according to research published by Verified Market Research in 2024.

SPhotonix expects that by 2028, the world will produce almost 400 Zettabytes of data, with thousands of data centres globally gobbling more than 1000TWh of power.

The storage startup was founded upon over 30 years of research by its Chief Science Officer, Prof. Kazansky, at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Center.

I reached out to SPhotonix to find out more about the performance and other related specs of the media, as well as any meaningful time frames and prices.

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US sanctions Philippines tech firm accused of aiding crypto scams
Crypto Trends

US sanctions Philippines tech firm accused of aiding crypto scams

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The US Treasury has sanctioned a Philippines-based technology firm and its alleged administrator, accusing it of providing services to thousands of crypto scam websites.

Funnull Technology is linked to most crypto scam websites reported to the FBI, with victims’ losses surpassing $200 million, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on May 29. 

Funnull purchases IP addresses in bulk from cloud service providers and sells them to scammers, allowing them to host and operate clones of legitimate investment platforms, to deceive victims and steal their crypto, according to OFAC.

In one instance in 2024, OFAC said Funnell purchased a repository of code used by web developers and altered the code to redirect visitors of legitimate websites to scam websites and online gambling sites.

Source: Treasury Department

“These services not only make it easier for cybercriminals to impersonate trusted brands when creating scam websites but also allow them to quickly change to different domain names and IP addresses when legitimate providers attempt to take the websites down,” OFAC said. 

Crypto wallets, Funnull admin sanctioned 

The accused administrator of Funnull, Liu Lizhi — a Chinese national who managed the firm’s employees — was also added to OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list as part of the sanctions. 

Generally, being on the SDN list means any assets the individual has in the US are frozen, and it’s illegal for people in the US to conduct any financial transactions or have business dealings with them; violators can face civil and criminal penalties. 

Related: US Treasury’s OFAC can’t restore Tornado Cash sanctions, judge rules

OFAC also sanctioned two wallet addresses it said are associated with Funnull, which blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said in a May 29 report were likely “used to receive payment from cyber criminals.” 

Funnull offers bulk IP addresses to scammers looking to operate scam websites. Source: Chainalysis

“Additionally, the addresses show indirect exposure to various types of scams and domain management infrastructure vendors,” Chainalysis said.

Chainalysis claimed Funnell is a central player in a network known as the Triad Nexus, which includes over 200,000 unique hostnames associated with investment scams and fake trading apps. 

As a result of the sanctions, everyone in the US is now forbidden from interacting with all property and business interests where Lizhi and Funnull have a more than 50% stake, with violators possibly facing civil or criminal penalties.

Magazine: Coinbase hack shows the law probably won’t protect you: Here’s why



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Germany is considering a 10 percent digital service tax on US tech giants
Gaming Gear

Germany is considering a 10 percent digital service tax on US tech giants

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Under new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany could impose a new 10 percent tax on major online platforms such as Google and Facebook. Reuters reported that political factions in the country struck a deal earlier this year to pursue these fees for digital service companies.

“These corporations do billions in business in Germany with extremely high profit margins and benefit enormously from the country’s media and cultural output as well as its infrastructure — but they pay hardly any taxes, invest too little, and give far too little back to society,” Germany’s Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer said of the draft rule during an interview with the magazine Stern.

Other nations around the world have also explored and enacted taxes on online revenue generated by the largest internet tech companies. Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, India, Austria and Canada have similar legislation to the draft rule Germany’s culture minister is proposing, according to Reuters.

If the tax is passed, Germany could see retaliation from President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump had said in February that he would seek tariffs on nations that impose a digital service tax on US tech businesses.



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Germany is considering a 10 percent digital service tax on US tech giants
Gaming Gear

Germany is considering a 10 percent digital service tax on US tech giants

by admin


Under new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany could impose a new 10 percent tax on major online platforms such as Google and Facebook. Reuters reported that political factions in the country struck a deal earlier this year to pursue these fees for digital service companies.

“These corporations do billions in business in Germany with extremely high profit margins and benefit enormously from the country’s media and cultural output as well as its infrastructure — but they pay hardly any taxes, invest too little, and give far too little back to society,” Germany’s Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer said of the draft rule during an interview with the magazine Stern.

Other nations around the world have also explored and enacted taxes on online revenue generated by the largest internet tech companies. Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, India, Austria and Canada have similar legislation to the draft rule Germany’s culture minister is proposing, according to Reuters.

If the tax is passed, Germany could see retaliation from President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump had said in February that he would seek tariffs on nations that impose a digital service tax on US tech businesses.



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Car HUDs Are Bad. Jaguar Land Rover Is Testing Tech to Change That
Product Reviews

Car HUDs Are Bad. Jaguar Land Rover Is Testing Tech to Change That

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New technology doesn’t arrive fully formed, I remind myself as I strap on a pirate’s eye patch, then place a heavily modified bicycle helmet onto my head. It isn’t the most glamorous getup. But here, in a small office on an unassuming business park on the outskirts of Cambridge, England, it could be the foundations of something quite remarkable

I’m here to meet AllFocal Optics, a startup that has patented a new type of nanophotonic lens with the power to transform everything from virtual and augmented reality headsets, to night vision goggles, binoculars, cameras and heads-up displays (HUDs). It’s the latter that piqued my interest, after hearing Jaguar Land Rover has embarked on a research project to discover whether the lens can improve car HUDs and, with it, road safety.

Its makers also claim—and prove, with the aforementioned helmet, as well as a butchered Meta Quest 3—that the lens can produce a digital image with perfect clarity, even if you have poor vision, without the need for glasses.

Founded in 2022 as Lark but since renamed AllFocal Optics, the company is headed by former Royal Academy of Engineering enterprise fellow Dr Pawan Shrestha. Dr Ash Saulsbury, former technology VP at Microsoft and former Meta AR boss, joined late last year as chair, around the same time that the startup secured a $5.3m funding round.

AllFocal Optics says the lens it has created offers two technological breakthroughs. Firstly, when used in an AR or VR headset, like the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3, it claims to provide crystal-clear vision to the wearer, even if they need glasses but aren’t wearing them.

Even if you require a significant prescription, or suffer from astigmatism, its makers say the lens beams a clear picture directly to your retina, bypassing the needs for glasses entirely. In theory, two people could share the same AR or VR headset, even if one has 20/20 vision and the other needs very strong corrective lenses.

I tried several prototypes of the lens and, yes, it works. I don’t wear glasses, so the first demonstration—viewing digital text beamed from a laptop to an augmented reality headset—didn’t seem overly impressive. But then I repeated the test while wearing glasses so strong I couldn’t see my own hands in front of my face, and yet the digital text was still pin-sharp. It’s the sort of tech demo that takes a moment to truly appreciate, but when your brain finally connects the dots it feels like magic.

Not only does the lens sidestep vision impairment, it also produces an image far sharper than the likes of Microsoft’s HoloLens (may it rest in peace), despite the input being the same 720p resolution. With the prototype lens it was easy—and this is where the eyepatch comes in—to read a chunk of text where half was augmented and half was printed on a sheet of paper, but with the HoloLens this was impossible. The augmented half of each line was a blurred mess.

Looking Sharp

What’s more, the text remains sharp regardless of what your eyes are actually focused on. I experimented with focusing first on my hand just a few inches from my face, then on the other side of the room, yet the augmented text stayed in focus. Interestingly, its size adjusts depending on where you’re looking; I could make it appear as a tiny font on my finger, or as poster-sized writing on the opposite wall. It’s also possible to look through it, focusing on the middle-distance as you might while driving, but no matter what your eyes and their lenses do, the digital text remains sharp and legible.



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The best Memorial Day tech sales from Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Dyson and others that you can get today
Product Reviews

The best Memorial Day tech sales from Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Dyson and others that you can get today

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It might surprise you, but Memorial Day can be a great time to shop for tech. In years past, we’ve seen solid Memorial Day sales on all manner of gadgets including many of our favorite tablets, headphones, charging accessories, robot vacuums and more. That’s on top of all the seasonal items that usually gets discounted at this time like smart grills and grilling gear, pizza ovens and outdoor tech.

If you’re on the market for any of those things, now’s a good time to shop. Memorial Day sales are live, and we expect them to be live at least through the end of the day today. Below, we’ve collected all of the best Memorial Day tech deals we could find for 2025, and we’ll continue to update this post with the latest offers.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Amazon Prime Day, though. The biggest iteration of the online retailer’s annual shopping event typically happens in July, and Amazon confirmed it will be back again this year (although official dates remain unknown). Tech is usually heavily discounted on Prime Day for Prime members, so if you’re unsure about a purchase, you could take the chance and wait a little while longer to see if that pair of earbuds you’ve been eyeing drops even further in price during Prime Day. If not, Memorial Day offers the next best opportunity this time of year to save on gadgets and gear.

Peacock Premium (one year) for $25 ($55 off): The latest Peacock deal gives you one year of the Premium membership for only $25 when you use the code SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout. This ad-supported tier gives you access to some live sports content and more than 50 always-on channels, as well as the whole library of on-demand TV shows and movies Peacock has to offer. The deal runs through May 30.

MasterClass (one-year) for $72 (40 percent off): MasterClass’ Memorial Day sale discounts one-year subscriptions by 40 percent, which brings the most affordable tier down to $6/month or $72 for the whole year. With the Standard plan, you get access to over 200 classes that you can watch on one device while connected to the internet. For offline and multi-device access, consider one of the higher subscription tiers that are also on sale.

ProtonVPN (two years) for $81 (66 percent off): ProtonVPN two-year plans are 66 percent off and down to only $81 right now. You’ll save more than $150 on the total cost of the subscription with this deal, and in addition to VPN coverage for all your devices, you also get access to features that let you block ads, malware and other trackers.

Best Buy Memorial Day sale: Running through May 26, this sale includes big discounts on laptops, TVs, wearables, appliances and more. Standout deals include the Bose QuietComfort headphones for $229, a 75-inch LG 4K TV for $480 and the GoPro Hero 11 Mini for $130.

Ooni Memorial Day sale — 20 percent off almost everything: Most of Ooni’s pizza ovens are on sale for Memorial Day, including the second-gen Karu 2, which is down to $319 from $399. The company’s indoor electric pizza oven, the Volt 12, is also included in the sale: you can grab it for $629 instead of the usual $899.

Anker On-the-Go sale — up to 50 percent off for members: It’s free to sign up as an Anker member, and then you can get up to half off charging gear during this sale. For example, the Anker Prime 20K 200W power bank normally costs $130, but members can get it for $80 right now. Members will also get free gifts with some purchases, like a free 100W USB-C to C cable when you spend $79 or more.

Sonos Memorial Day sale —25 percent off portable speakers: You can save up to 25 percent on Sonos portable speakers right now, including the Move 2 and the Roam 2. The former is the more powerful of the two, with an IP56-rated design, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and up to 24 hours of playback time. The Roam 2, on the other hand, will be easier to toss in your bag before heading to the beach, plus it has an IP67-rated design, Wi-Fi connectivity and 10 hours of playtime.

PopSocket Memorial Day sale — up to 50 percent off: Through May 26, you can get half off some PopSocket grips, cases, wallets, mounts and more. There’s a lot of variety in the styles on sale, so you’ll likely be able to find something that fits your personal taste. Tons of MagSafe grips and cases are included, as well as MagSafe wallet accessories, too.

Apple AirTags (four-pack) for $75 (24 percent off): iPhone owners will appreciate how easy it is to keep track of things like wallets, keys, handbags and more with AirTags. These Bluetooth trackers monitor the location of your belongings so you can check in on them using the Find My app. Those with newer iPhones can also use UWB technology to get turn-by-turn directions to find their stuff when the AirTag is within close range.

Apple Magic Mouse (USB-C) for $68 (14 percent off): Apple’s Magic Mouse has a multi-touch surface that lets you swipe and scroll easily, and it connects quickly to your Mac over Bluetooth. This latest models charges up over USB-C, and you can even connect it to the USB-C port on your Mac when it needs more juice.

Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off): The latest Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for most people thanks to its always-on OLED display, accurate and continuous activity tracking, solid workout tracking capabilities and handy features provided by watchOS 11.

MacBook Air (M4, 13-inch) for $849 ($150 off with discount and coupon): Our top pick for the best laptop for most people, the latest MacBook Air has an impressively thin design and performance to match thanks to the M4 chipset. It also has excellent battery life and a comfortable keyboard-and-trackpad combo.

Apple iPad Air (M3, 13-inch) for $699 ($100 off): This is the larger version of our top pick for the best iPad for most people. Recently updated with the M3 chipset, the latest iPad Air is extra speedy and powerful, plus it now has a better display than before and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. If you’re looking for a big-screen iPad but don’t want to pay top dollar, this is the most budget-friendly option available.

Apple Pencil Pro for $99 (23 percent off): If you have a new iPad Pro or iPad Air, this is the best Apple Pencil to get. It has a built-in gyroscope, supports squeeze gestures and pressure sensitivity and still magnetically attaches to the side of iPads for charging and safe keeping.

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $298 (25 percent off): The XM6 headphones just came out, but the XM5 were our top pick for the best wireless headphones for years before that. Nothing else really comes close to Sony’s XM lineup, and the XM5 remain excellent headphones today with great ANC, a lovely sound profile, good battery life, multi-device connectivity and more.

ThermoWorks ThermaPen One for $76 (30 percent off): We’ve long been fans of the ThermaPen One, so much so that it’s reserved a spot on our best grilling gear list for a number of years. It provides accurate food temperature readings within a second or so, and its display is now brighter than the previous model. The screen will also auto-rotate depending on how you’re holding the ThermaPen, so it’ll be easier to read.

ThermoWorks RFX starter kit (four-probe) for $349 ($86 off): ThermoWorks’ new smart grill probe is accurate and reliable, and the starter kit includes everything you need to get grilling immediately. We gave it a score of 92 in our review and declared that “the company simply does not miss.”

Thermacell E-Series rechargeable mosquito repeller for $32 (20 percent off): Thermacell devices have long been some of our favorite outdoor gear, and the E-series is compact but powerful. It’ll keep mosquitos away within its 20-foot range and now it comes with a fast-charging dock.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for $1,049 (19 percent off): Our top pick for the best premium Android phone, the S25 Ultra has everything a tech-lover would want in a smartphone. It has excellent performance and battery life, a stunning display, a slimmer overall design and a new 50MP ultra wide sensor in the rear camera array.

Samsung Type-C flash drive (512GB) for $50 (23 percent off): This high-capacity flash drive supports read speeds up to 400MB/s and works on a variety of devices including laptops and smartphones. In addition to having a five-year warranty, this flash drive is waterproof, shock-proof, magnet-proof, temperature-proof and X-ray-proof.

Samsung 24-inch Essential monitor S30GD for $100 (23 percent off): This 1080p IPS display has a 100Hz refresh rate and can be adjusted via tilting. Its design is pretty slim with thin bezels, and it connect to your computer via HDMI port.

Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for $350 (26 percent off): The V8 is a great entry-level Dyson that boasts 40 minutes of runtime, two power modes, a motorbar cleaner head that works on all kinds of flooring and four additional cleaning attachments. Also available at Dyson in the Absolute model.

Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum for $800 ($200 off): One of our top picks for the best robot vacuums, the 360 Vis Nav has the strongest suction of any robovac we’ve tested, and it has excellent obstacle avoidance. It may not come with a self-emptying base, but it does the basics of a robot vacuum arguably better than most others. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy and QVC.

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 (43 percent off): The top budget pick in our best streaming devices guide, this latest model of the Fire TV Stick HD is an easy way to update an aging TV with streaming smarts. It supports HD video and all major streaming services, plus the updated remote can now control your TV’s power and volume.

Blink Mini 2 (two-pack) for $38 (46 percent off): These are some of the best security cameras if you’re looking for something cheap and only need basic functionality. They record 1080p video and send motion alerts to your phone, plus they work with Alexa voice commands. Blink Mini 2 cams are wired, but they can be placed outside with the right weather-resistant power adapter.

Blink Outdoor 4 security cameras, 5 camera system for $200 (50 percent off): This pack-up includes give weather-resistant Blink Outdoor 4 cameras plus a Sync Module 2 to connect them all. These are some of our favorite security cameras thanks to their wireless design, accurate and speedy motion alerts and the ability to save footage locally when you use a thumb drive with the Sync Module 2.

Ring Battery Doorbell for $55 (45 percent off): This 2024 battery-powered Ring video doorbell records 1440p video, sends motion alerts to your phone and supports two-way talk, live view and quick replies. It powers up via USB-C, and it can be installed with or without hardwiring it to your existing doorbell setup.

Lenovo ThinkVision 23.8-inch Monitor T24i-30 for $139 (59 percent off): This FHD IPS panel has a three-side, NearEdgeless bezel design and can be adjusted via tilt, lift, swivel and pivot. In addition to four USB-A ports for connecting peripherals, it also supports a number of display connections including HDMI, DP and VGA.

iRobot Combo Essential robot vacuum for $150 ($125 off): This is a great entry-level robot vacuum that has the added convenience of being a mopping machine, too. It’ll suck up dirt, debris and pet hair while it vacuums, and you can use the included water reservoir when you want to mop hard floors.

Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum cleaner for $150 (25 percent off): A top budget pick in our best cordless vacuums guide, this Levoit machine has a single-button start, tackles debris and pet hair with ease and it has a lightweight design that can be easily disassembled for convenient storage.

Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds for $45 ($35 off): Our top pick for the best budget wireless earbuds, the Space A40 punch above their weight in almost every way. They have excellent ANC, a good sound profile overall, a comfortable fit, multi-device connectivity and wireless charging support.

Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Robot Vacuum and Mop for $700 (30 percent off): A version of one of our favorite robot vacuums, this Shark machine can vacuum and mop floors for you. Its self-emptying base station holds up to 30 days worth of debris, and it has a refill tank for the mopping reservoir as well.

Nori Press steam iron for $90 (25 percent off): This is essentially a flat iron for your clothes with six fabric settings to get the wrinkles out of your clothes. It was one of the things on our staff wishlist during the 2024 holiday season, and it would make a great gift for apartment dwellers who don’t have the space for a full ironing board, or those who travel often and need their clothes to look fresh.

Tineco Pure ONE S11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for $140 ($60 off with coupon): Our top budget pick among the best cordless vacuums, this Tineco machine offers good suction and a relatively lightweight design at a great price. It also includes the company’s iLoop smart sensor, which will auto-adjust suction power as you clean.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.





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Bark Watch
Gaming Gear

7.5M Kids Protected With Bark Watch, the Tech Training Wheels Device That Eases Your Kids Into Tech Safely

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There are 3 options when it comes to kids and the internet and social media. Let them go unrestricted and potentially subject them to all of the many online dangers, take a hard line and try to keep them off entirely, or find a way to allow and monitor responsible and safe usage.

The third option is ideal, and the Bark Watch is one of the most effective and powerful tools for keeping kids safe that we’ve seen. It’s a stylish and durable smartwatch that closely resembles an Apple Watch, but it has no apps or social media or web access, and it allows parents to monitor the texts, photos, videos, and contact lists on their kids’ phones, along with their location. The Bark Watch has 24/7 GPS location tracking, and can be used to text or make video calls, but only to contacts approved by parents.

See at Bark

Start Them Safely

It’s almost a given that your kids will eventually be fully online, but the Bark Watch is an outstanding way to get their online presence off to a safe start. It’s a standalone device that can be used for phone calls, video calls, and texting. If your kid already has a phone and you’re rethinking allowing it, their number can be ported onto the Bark Watch free of charge.

The parent then downloads the Bark app from the iOS App Store or Google Play site, and they have access to their kids’ data, texts, photos, contacts — everything that could become problematic in a world of unfettered internet exposure.

One of Bark’s truly ingenious features is how it uses AI to detect bullying, depression, suicidal ideation, online predators, and other hazards, and sends an alert to the parent’s phone. The GPS location function lets parents see where their kid is 24/7, and the Bark Watch has a one-button SOS function that lets the child call for help if needed.

Sturdy Protection

The Bark Watch itself is built to withstand the rigors and everyday abuse that kids put their tech devices through. It’s sturdy and has an IP68 waterproof rating to keep it running even as your kids are out being kids. And it performs great as a phone either in voice or video mode, and takes great photos and videos so your kid can enjoy the perks of sharing them digitally — but only with your approval and oversight.

The Bark Watch can be purchased for $7 per month, and the Bark service is $15 per month. Porting an existing phone number to the watch is free. A Bark Premium membership can be extended to allow parents to also monitor their kids’ tablets and other devices. It’s a small investment to make your kids’ transition into the often fraught world of tech and online access easy, fun, and most importantly, safe.

See at Bark



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Viking Boat Rebuild
Product Reviews

An Archaeologist Sailed the Seas Using Only Viking Tech. Here’s What He Learned

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Vikings were formidable Scandinavian warriors and sailors who, from around 800 to 1050 CE, raided, traded, and settled throughout northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland, and even as far as North America. Most of what scholars know about Viking maritime networks, however, has to do with their start and end points. After all, they could have taken any number of routes in between. To shed light on this gap, an archaeologist decided to follow in the Vikings’ footsteps—or, more accurately, their wake.

In order to reconstruct their seafaring itineraries, Lund University archaeologist Greer Jarrett sailed functional Viking-like boats along the Norwegian coast in a series of experimental voyages. By experiencing these journeys firsthand, the archaeologist hoped to understand where it would have made most sense for Viking sailors to seek shelter along the way to their destination. In this way, he identified four natural harbors that could have served as pitstops hundreds of years ago.

“A lot of the time, we only know about the starting and ending points of the trade that took place during the Viking Age. Major ports, such as Bergen and Trondheim in Norway, Ribe in Denmark, and Dublin in Ireland. The thing I am interested in is what happened on the journeys between these major trading centres,” Jarrett explained in a statement. “My hypothesis is that this decentralised network of ports, located on small islands and peninsulas, was central to making trade efficient during the Viking Age.”

Between September 2021 and July 2022, Jarrett and his crew undertook 15 sailing trials and two approximately three-week-long trial voyages in seven different Nordic clinker boats: traditional, small, open, wooden sailboats whose use in Nordic regions dates back almost 2,000 years. It wasn’t always smooth sailing—once, the pole supporting the mainsail snapped over 15 miles (25 kilometers) from the coast, and they had to tie two oars together to secure the sail until they managed to return to land. Overall, they covered 1,494 nautical miles.

The experimental archaeologist decided that possible “havens” along maritime itineraries should have provided fresh water, shelter from swells and winds, and a good view of the sea. Furthermore, they had to be reachable in low visibility, big enough to host several boats, approachable and exitable from different directions, and located in a “transition zone”: coastal points between exposed regions and inner areas.

Along with these criteria, Jarrett’s investigation integrated a digital reconstruction of Viking Age sea levels, pre-established knowledge of large Viking maritime centers, and information about traditional 19th and early 20th century sailboat routes from sailors and fishermen. The archaeologist also clarified that his work regards long-range Viking expeditions rather than voyages for raiding and war purposes.

“This study’s emphasis on practical seafaring knowledge and experience seeks to counter the common academic bias towards terrestrial and textual sources and worldviews,” he wrote in the study, published earlier this month in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory.

In this way he claims to have identified four potential Viking havens. These remote locations along the Norwegian coast each have varying degrees of pre-existing archaeological evidence indicating past human presence. Presumably, Jarrett is the first to suggest they may have also been pit stops along Viking maritime journeys.

“The list of possible Viking Age havens,” he explained, indicating a diagram in the study, “is intended as a working document, which can shape and be shaped by future archaeological surveys and excavations.”

It’s worth remembering that, even with digital reconstructions of the Viking-era seascape, experimental voyages can never provide evidence of Viking activity to the degree of direct archaeological evidence. Nevertheless, creative and practical approaches such as Jarrett’s stand as a reminder that sometimes the solution to a problem requires a different perspective—literally. It remains to be seen whether his work will inspire future archaeological surveys.



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Memorial Day Tech Deals 2025
Gaming Gear

Memorial Day Tech Deals Live: Best savings this holiday weekend

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Refresh

2025-05-23T16:08:05.147Z

Our favorite gaming monitor is now $259

(Image credit: Future)

Dell’s 32–inch, S3222DGM has long been at the top of our list of the best gaming monitors overall, thanks to its epic 3700:1 contrast ratio, 165 Hz refresh rate and sharp, 2560 x 1440 resolution. Sure, there are fancier monitors than this curved display, but none that fall within its very affordable price range.

Now, the S3222DGM is on sale for just $259 at Best Buy as part of the store’s Memorial Day tech deals. That’s a nice discount off of its $329 typical price and easy for almost anyone to afford.

When we reviewed the Dell S3222DGM in 2022, we were really impressed with its combination of vibrant images and tear-free gaming. “There is nothing better than a high-contrast VA panel, and the Dell S3222DGM is one of the best I’ve seen,” Contributing Editor Christian Eberle wrote. “It strikes a rare balance between gaming performance and image quality.”

In our tests, the monitor showed a contrast ratio of 3,718:1, which even beats other VA monitors we tested and it absolutely destroys IPS monitors, which usually can’t even hit 1000:1.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

According to our colorimeter, the Dell S3222DGM can reproduce a strong 122.6 percent of the sRGB gamut and 85.9 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut. The color quality also stands out because of the high contrast ratio. Those bright colors will look extra bright when the dark pixels next to them look really dark.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The monitor also has excellent build quality and comes with two HDMI 2.0 ports, a single DisplayPort 1.2 port and a 3.5mm audio jack.

2025-05-23T14:47:07.877Z

Snag a 13-inch MacBook Air for $899 and up

(Image credit: Future)

If you like Mac laptops, but not breaking the bank to get one to get one, now is a great time to act. In honor of Memorial Day, Amazon is selling the 2025 MacBook Air with M4 CPU, 16GB of RAM and your choice of SSD depending on the price.

A config with a 256GB SSD, which is pretty sparse but you can make it work if you need to, is just $899. The same config, but with a 512GB SSD goes for $1,099.

When we reviewed the MacBook Air back in March, we had our hands on the 15-inch version of the model, which had the same M4 chip with 16GB of RAM. Overall, we found it nearly matching the speeds of the MacBook Pro and exceeding Intel-powered laptops like the Lenovo Y oga Slim 7i and Dell XPS 13.

(Image credit: Future)

You can expect similar performance from the 13-inch MacBook Air that’s on sale, but in a smaller form factor. The 15-inch Air weighs just 3.3 pounds but the 13-inch model tips the scales at just 2.7 pounds.



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The Best Travel Tech for Families (2025)
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The Best Travel Tech for Families (2025)

by admin


Ah, the joys of a vacation. A little time to unwind and put your feet up. Or if you have kids, a chance to get moaned at in a new time zone. The nagging kicked off before my family left the airport on our last holiday and didn’t let up.

“Dad, my internet isn’t working.” “Dad, where can I charge this?” “Dad, what’s the Wi-Fi password?” “Dad, are we there yet?”

Luckily, this year I planned ahead, and you can too with our best travel tech guide to a harmonious family vacation. Disclaimer: I’ll show you how to keep everyone online and fully charged, but I can’t accept responsibility for non-tech-related family arguments.

The Internet

In theory, it would be great to leave your phones and tablets behind and immerse yourself in the vacation experience to “live, laugh, love” your way around the world. In reality, travel has dull moments and downtime, and teenagers cannot be separated from the internet for long. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by ensuring that everyone can get online.

A Travel Router

My top tip is to set up a travel router before you go. Plug it into your existing router and then connect all the devices you are taking on vacation, but most importantly, you, your partner, and your kids’ phones. Now, when you arrive at your apartment or hotel, you can plug in, connect the travel router to public Wi-Fi, or even connect your phone to the router and use it as a hot spot, so everyone is securely connected without needing any login details. Here’s the one I recommend in our Best Wi-Fi Routers guide.

Connecting Smartphones

You should check your roaming options based on where you are going, but it’s a safe bet that roaming charges will be a hefty unwelcome extra expense when you get home, especially if you allow your kids to connect to foreign networks. You have a few options to avoid this issue.

  • Use your phone as a hot spot: I have certain roaming travel allowances on my phone contract that my wife and kids don’t have, so it made sense to use my phone as a hot spot for them to connect to when we were out and about. Check your contract before you do this, but even if you don’t have specific benefits, you’ll find it cheaper to get data for one device than more. Here’s how to use your phone as a hot spot. It will drain your battery faster, but I have a tip for that below in the charging section. Remember to turn off cell service or mobile data on the rest of your family’s phones.
  • Buy a Travel SIM or eSIM: You can snag international SIM cards to switch into your phone when you land abroad. This can be a cost-effective way to make sure you have plenty of data and can connect to foreign networks, although it does mean using a different number for the duration of your stay. We have a guide on how to use an eSIM for international travel.
  • Buy a hot spot: Instead of using your phone as a hot spot, you could always snag a purpose-built one for everyone to connect to. These portable devices need a SIM or eSIM and enable you to connect multiple gadgets via Wi-Fi. Some portable hot spots even come with service included. I recently tested the excellent but pricey Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro ($800) and the cheaper but inferior Acer Connect Enduro M3 5G ($356).

Download Ahead of Time

To prepare for the journey, you should download maps in advance and plot your routes. If you use Google Maps, you can tap your profile icon at the top right (bottom right if you use Apple Maps) and choose Offline maps to get started. Downloading a map of the area you are visiting is a good way to save data and serves as a backup in case there are connection issues when you arrive.

Courtesy of Simon Hill

Courtesy of Simon Hill

If you’re looking for directions in Google Maps, say for public transport from the airport to the hotel, remember you can tap the Leave drop-down box (Now in Apple Maps) and select a day and time to get the correct directions for your arrival.

It’s also a great idea to ensure you and your kids have some entertainment on your phones before you go. Pick a few movies or episodes of a favorite show and download them the night before. Here’s how to download videos to watch offline. Some of the best mobile games can also be played offline (I recommend Mini Metro).

Entertainment

Speaking of entertainment, you should take some with you. At the end of a busy day sightseeing or roller coaster riding, you might want to unwind with an hour of TV, and the novelty of Spanish soap operas or French debate shows will wear off quickly if you don’t speak the language. I always pack our Chromecast, but any of the picks in our Best Streaming Devices guide will do. This Roku stick is our favorite and plugs easily into any available HDMI port.

Just make sure that you are logged into all your streaming services and that you connect them to your travel router before you go. That way, you have all your favorite shows and the correct next episode lined up. If you get blocked by those annoying login screens for hotel Wi-Fi, you can always connect to Wi-Fi on your phone and log in, then use it as a hot spot for your streaming stick to connect to.

Travel Charging

It’s crucial to pack charging gear when you travel. You’ll want travel adapters, charging cables, and power banks. Make sure you have the right adapters for the country you are visiting, make sure you have a charging cable for every device you are taking, and test them all out before you leave home. Don’t forget about your smartwatch, fitness tracker, or smart ring. I also recommend taking at least one spare travel charger just in case. I run through various options in my Best Travel Adapters guide, but the top pick is ideal for family trips.

Ceptics

GaN 70W Universal Travel Adapter

The top pick in our Best USB-C Cables guide will charge any device with a USB-C port, but this Nomad cable is a handy option for folks with an Apple Watch.

Nomad Universal Cable for Apple Watch

You can also find several options for different devices in our Best Portable Chargers guide, but this is the one I recommend for travel.

Security

One of our favorite password managers, 1Password, features Travel Mode, enabling you to delete any sensitive data from devices before you travel and restore it with a click after you’ve crossed a border. This prevents anyone, including law enforcement at international borders, from accessing your complete password vault. You may also be interested in how to protect yourself from phone searches at the US border.

If you are staying at campsites or rented accommodations and have concerns about anyone rummaging through your stuff, or you feel there’s a risk of theft, it might be worth packing a portable security camera. For Airbnbs and places with Wi-Fi, try a camera from our Best Indoor Security Cameras guide. Our top pick is compact and affordable.

If you need something that can go outdoors or connect to a mobile network because there’s no Wi-Fi, I recommend this Arlo camera in my Best Outdoor Security Cameras guide. But it is expensive and requires a cell service plan when Wi-Fi isn’t available.

Bonus Travel Tips

Here are a few bonus tips that might help your family trip go a little more smoothly. Bon voyage!

While it’s always a good idea to carry a little cash just in case you run into a store or service that doesn’t accept cards, you can also get plastic that’s widely accepted and enables you to change money with a couple of taps. I love the Wise card and use it on all my trips because it offers instant electronic currency exchange in the app with decent rates for many major currencies. You also get a contactless Visa debit card you can use on your travels. Remember, it’s usually best (cheaper) to pay in the local currency whenever you get a choice.

Photos and videos can help you preserve the highlights of your vacation to bore your extended family and friends with, but they’re also nice to have and look back on in future years. The best camera is the one you have with you, so probably your phone, but if you want to up your game, consider our Best Compact Cameras, Best 360 Cameras, and Best Action Cameras guides.

We always travel light because it means no waiting for bags at the airport and makes it much easier to hop on and off buses and trains. Check out our Best Carry-On Luggage guide for recommendations, but always check the airline’s rules for bag size before you go. On our last trip, I used the Ekster TravelPack Vacuum Kit ($129) to compress my clothes and squeeze more in. If you’re staying at an Airbnb or rented apartment, you can always wash clothes, so you don’t need to pack as much.



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