Technology

Outside of the invention of penicillin, noise-cancelling cans might be humanity’s greatest creation. I’m not just making that obviously wild statement as an audiophile. Oh no, I’m spouting those controversial words as someone who has suffered from severe insomnia for many moons.

A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to go on my ultimate dream vacation. Make no mistake: this was bucket list territory of the highest order. As a lifelong Jurassic Park fan, my best friend was gracious enough to join me on a trip to Honolulu in Hawaii.

In case you don't speak fluent 'Spielberg Dinosaur 101', Honolulu is the Hawaiian island where several key scenes from the dino masterpiece were filmed – the gorgeous Kualoa Ranch, to be exact. Such is the pull of the all-time great 1993 masterpiece, 22 years on, the stunning tourist-luring spot still runs several JP themed tours a day.

So what does my favourite film of all time have to do with my AirPods Max and an incredible holiday I’d been dreaming up since I was eight years-old? That would be Apple’s first class noise-cancellation features. With a press of their highly effective Noise Control button, you could silence even the mighty roar of Jurassic Park’s T-Rex.

Not that I was overly concerned with the greatest (very much extinct) predator that has ever walked the Earth disturbing my sleep while staying in Waikiki with my bestie in early 2023. At full blast, the roar of the Tyrant Lizard King could probably shift this planet’s tectonic plates. Yet even the dino to end all dinos can’t hold a prehistoric candle to the constant hum of a mobile food van’s energy generator when you’re trying to nod off. But I’ll get to that.

To the Max

(Image credit: Future)

This is where my Apple AirPods Max’s $399 / $399 credit card-crippling price tag justify that significant outlay. They saved my sleep on this incredible holiday.

Sure, we all know effective noise-cancelling features can put a set of the best over-ear headphones into an elite bracket. Yet without trying to sound hyperbolic, my AirPods Max’s headline noise-kiboshing features put them up there with some of the finest tech purchases to have dented my bank balance.

Recently, and far from the picturesque mountain ranges of Honolulu, I rediscovered the power of Apple’s noise-slaying tech. It is quite simply the best in class din-dampening wizardry. This is a tale about trying to work at a kitchen table beside an adorable doggo, whose snores could perforate your eardrums. Again, that’s another tale I’ll get to in a bit.

It’s no secret that in a busy office, background noise (constant chatter, someone dropping a big jug of milk behind you, the low-level thrum of the printer/scanner/microwave/AC unit above your head, the gurgle of the water cooler as another colleague takes a glass) can severely dampen your productivity. It's hardly a spoiler akin to discovering Darth Vader is Luke’s perpetually wheezing papa. Yet when it comes to craving peaceful moments on vacation, the AirPods Max’s noise-nixing features are nothing short of transformative.

When I had the privilege of staying in Kauai for a few days – one of the smaller Hawaiian islands that Jurassic Park was primarily filmed on – noise-cancelling saved my sleep. And the last lingering remains of my sanity. Despite being the primary filming location of what I’d argue is the greatest, most influential blockbuster of all time, Kauai also has one, far more annoying credit to its name… roosters that won’t stop crowing their guts out.

Cock-a-doodle-boo

(Image credit: Future)

The beautiful island is absolutely covered with them. And you know what? They really enjoy screaming for hours on end during the dead of night. As someone who suffers from crippling arachnophobia, it’s the audio equivalent of sharing your bed with a dozen tarantulas… all of which are into hardcore metal bangers.

Thankfully, my AirPods Max and their noise-kiboshing features helped to slay the rooster racket. I'm a poor sleeper generally, so I’ve never been more appreciative of a piece of technology, even if wearing Apple’s chunky cans in bed is pretty uncomfortable for a side sleeper like myself (although I'm told you can buy ANC sleep earbuds, too).

The best noise cancelling headphones can bring your lobes much welcome peace during what should be the most relaxing days of your life. You know what didn’t bring out my inner audio zen? Staying in an oh so cheap and cheerful two star ‘hotel’ in downtown Waikiki, one that just so happened to be situated above that aforementioned mobile food truck and the world’s noisiest generator. This is where noise-cancelling features really came into their own again.

While holidaying in Hawaii, my friend slept like a vampire… a vamp who’s been heavily sedated before taking that trip to the Land of Nod. I, on the other hand, could barely catch 40 winks during a tornado. Throw in relentless generators, cheeky chickens and the fact the residents of downtown Waikiki never seem to go to bed, and you’re left with an incredibly effective recipe for a terrible night’s sleep. My ears – nay, my very sanity! – owe my AirPods Max a lot.

Circling back to work issues, it’s hardly an eye-rubbing shocker that headphones able to nullify loud sounds can be tremendously effective when it comes to getting work done with minimal distraction. That brings me back to my recent issues with constant ear-pummelling pooch snoring.

A dog's din(ner)

Forget any of the toothy residents of John Hammond’s doomed theme park; I’ve been staying at my cousin’s house recently and the noise his French bulldog makes would drown out the wails of that poor cow as it's being crunched by Jurassic Park’s ruthless raptors.

Yes, Spielberg’s T-Rex could perforate your eardrums with a mild cough in certain movie theaters. But my cousin’s ageing Frenchie could easily ruin both your sleep and productivity from half a house away, due to its adorable squished nose and the resulting room-reverberating racket of her snores.

And hoo-boy, does that dog enjoy its sleep – just try writing a tech feature within 30 ft of that lovely little hound. Without my AirPods Max, I would never have gotten a single word written over the past few weeks. You’d think I was some sort of weird Frenchie whisperer, the way Pixie decides to plonk herself down for an epic nap the second she seemingly hears my digits tapping away on one of the best gaming laptops.

It’s no surprise that the finest headphones or best noise-cancelling earbuds can significantly improve your sleep and ability to work in peace. Whether dealing with a Hawaiian cockerel or a pooch who loves noisy napping more than I love oxygen, subduing ambient noise through headphone tech can genuinely have an uplifting effect on your general mood.

And when it comes to trying to catch some kip on a dream vacation, nullifying noise is an absolute soul-lifting game-changer. And my set of Max cans didn’t just save my trip to Hawaii – they were also lifesavers in both New York’s Times Square and Tokyo. Now those are two cities that really have a creative interpretation of what constitutes sleep.

When it comes to the AirPods Max’s best in class noise-cancelling, Apple is top of the tree in my book. Those premium cans have improved the three best holidays of my 39 years on the spinning rock, and for that, my eardrums will be forever thankful to them.

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• Alibaba's DAMO Academy has launched its first server-grade RISC-V processor
• The C930 is designed for high-performance computing, rivaling Intel and AMD's offerings
• RISC-V's open-source design avoids licensing fees and geopolitical restrictions

Alibaba has launched its first server-grade RISC-V processor, the C930, designed for high-performance computing and positioned as an alternative to Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC CPUs.

The new chip, developed by Alibaba’s research arm DAMO Academy (short for Discovery, Adventure, Momentum and Outlook), was announced at a conference in Beijing and is the latest addition to Alibaba’s XuanTie RISC-V processor series, which includes the C910 launched in 2019 and the C920 released in 2023.

In response to the ever-tightening US trade restrictions on advanced technology exports, Chinese firms such as Alibaba’s DAMO Academy, Huawei, and Tencent have been ramping up efforts to develop their own chips to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. RISC-V in particular is gaining traction in China due to its open source nature, which allows companies to design and customize processors without the licensing fees or geopolitical risks associated with proprietary architectures like x86 and Arm. The Chinese Academy of Sciences is set to introduce its own RISC-V-based XiangShan CPU this year.

An aggressive investment

At the Beijing conference, DAMO Academy also outlined future plans for the XuanTie processor series, which includes the development of new chips for use in AI accelerators, automotive computing, and high-speed interconnection.

A report from the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba, states, “The launch of the new chips came days after the tech giant announced an aggressive investment plan of at least 380 billion yuan (US$52 billion) in AI and cloud infrastructure over the next three years. The company, which is China’s largest cloud provider, aims to meet surging demand for AI models fuelled by the recent popularity of the high-performance, low-cost models developed by Hangzhou-based start-up DeepSeek.”

The reports adds the planned outlay exceeds Alibaba’s total spending on AI infrastructure over the past decade and will lead to the construction of more data centers across China.

The new C930 server processor is expected to begin shipping to clients later in March 2025.

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• Dummy units of three iPhone 17 models have appeared
• A hands-on video shows off the new designs
• We also have predicted thicknesses for each of the handsets

If Apple sticks to its usual schedule this year, then we're just six months away from the launch of the Apple iPhone 17, and a new hands-on video leak shows off dummy units for the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro.

Posted by iDeviceHelp (via @MajinBuOfficial), the video gives us a good look at the designs of the three handsets. These dummy units have apparently been created based on "internal documents" covering the designs and dimensions of the phones.

We can see the rather dramatic redesign that the iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to be getting this year, with a full camera bar across the top of the rear casing. It's an updated look that we've now seen in multiple leaks.

The iPhone 17 Air – apparently replacing the iPhone 16 Plus this year – is getting a similar camera bump on the back, but it'll be smaller. The iPhone 17, meanwhile, is sticking with a more traditional design that's not too far off from the iPhone 16.

Different dimensions

This leaked hands-on video doesn't really reveal too much about the phones besides the designs, but the thicknesses are stated as 0.3 inches (0.72 mm) for the iPhone 17, 0.22 inches (5.59 mm) for the iPhone 17 Air, and 0.34 inches (8.64 mm) for the iPhone 17 Pro.

That would make the iPhone 17 about the same thickness as the iPhone 16, and the iPhone 17 Pro a little thicker than the iPhone 16 Pro – perhaps to fit in a bigger capacity battery (or at least that's what we're hoping.

There's some speculation in the video that the iPhone 17 Air will be too thin to fit in the MagSafe magnets – though wireless charging will still be supported. The most recently launched iPhone, the iPhone 16e, doesn't support MagSafe.

No doubt there'll be a lot more in the way of leaks and rumors between now and September, when these phones are expected to make their debut. They'll be joined by the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which will basically be a larger iPhone 17 Pro.

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Those clicks and pops aren't supposed to be there! Give your music a bath with this handy guide.

The S Pen has been a feature of Samsung’s biggest and best flagship smartphones since the original Galaxy Note in 2011, but in 2025, you’d be forgiven for questioning its future.

Yes, the now-iconic smartphone accessory is still part of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but there was no mention of the S Pen on stage Galaxy Unpacked in January – even Samsung’s official press release for the new phone relegates it to the small print – and the company actually removed Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tech from the latest S Pen model, meaning it’s no longer able to carry out Air action shortcuts and remote control features.

In isolation, these changes might seem inconsequential (Samsung told TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff that it removed the S Pen’s Bluetooth features because so few people were using them). But the accessory is clearly not the high-priority marketing tool it once was for Samsung, which has prompted speculation about its potential discontinuation on social media platforms, Samsung’s own community forum, and indeed here on TechRadar.

So, what does Samsung have to say about the S Pen’s future? At MWC 2025, I put the question to the company’s Mobile Experience (MX) VP of Product and Marketing in the UK, Annika Bizon, and her response should allay the concerns of worried S Pen fans.

Post by @1louisclemmons View on Threads

“Multimodal is really important to us,” Bizon explained. “So [that’s] how people use their phone – whether they're speaking, whether they're writing, whether they’re in a meeting. People do use their S Pens in meetings to write notes. So, I don't see a space where the S Pen is not a key part of our portfolio.

“And honestly, when you look at the Ultra, it’s something people genuinely come back to us around. [They ask us] “Will it have an S Pen?” And it goes back to the Note days. [...] We see the S Pen as something that is key to the Ultra experience at this point.”

In a recent feature piece speculating on the S Pen’s future, we noted that “major advancements in AI mean that some of the unique functions of the S Pen are no longer quite so unique,” but Bizon is confident that the arrival of Galaxy AI on the best Samsung phones hasn’t harmed the S Pen’s appeal: “Creativity is one of our core values. If you’re creative, you want to be able to draw and sketch things. And with Sketch to Image being one of our AI features, you can sketch beautifully using the S Pen. It’s got quite a big design edge."

Bizon concluded: “The research says [consumers are using the S Pen], and it’s something that we’re proud of as being part of our portfolio.”

So there you have it. Unless Samsung has a change of heart between now and next year, you can expect the S Pen to be a feature of the as-yet-unconfirmed Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, March 8 (game #1139).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1140) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1140) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1140) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1140) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1140) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• I

• W

• R

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1140) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1140, are…

• SKILL
• IDEAL
• WHERE
• REHAB

My three start words today were completely random, but if I hadn't included a word with the letter K (Flack was the best I could summon with the letters I had left), allowing me to guess SKILL, then I doubt I would have checked out after seven turns – still my Quordle PB.

I realize I’m a bit slow on the uptake, but Quordle feels more like a wordsearch than a Wordle roguelike when you have a good start like this. It almost feels like cheating.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1140) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1140, are…

• DEVIL
• NEWER
• ALOOF
• FLAIL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR
• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
• Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT
• Quordle #1120, Monday 17 February: SADLY, WAFER, LITHE, IDIOM

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, March 8 (game #636).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #637) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SOLID
• METAL
• MICKEY
• MOUSE
• CONCRETE
• PHYSICAL
• STONE
• TABLET
• ABRACADABRA
• MICROPHONE
• FAVOR
• KINDNESS
• BRICK
• SERVICE
• CENTERFOLD
• SCANNER

NYT Connections today (game #637) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: PC peripherals
• GREEN: Construction
• BLUE: It’s nice to be nice 
• PURPLE: Billboard hits 

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #637) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: COMPUTER INPUT DEVICES 
• GREEN: BUILDING MATERIALS 
• BLUE: HELPFUL DEED 
• PURPLE: #1 SONGS FROM 1982 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #637) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #637, are…

• YELLOW: COMPUTER INPUT DEVICES MICROPHONE, MOUSE, SCANNER, TABLET
• GREEN: BUILDING MATERIALS BRICK, CONCRETE, METAL, STONE
• BLUE: HELPFUL DEED FAVOR, KINDNESS, SERVICE, SOLID
• PURPLE: #1 SONGS FROM 1982 ABRACADABRA, CENTERFOLD, MICKEY, PHYSICAL

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

METAL MICKEY popped out at me from today’s grid, both the title of an obscure 1980s children’s show directed by Mickey Dolenz and the brilliant second single by the wonderful Suede. It was of course just a diversion on our quest to find the true answers.

None of the #1 SONGS FROM 1982 have aged particularly well, although Steve Miller's ABRACADABRA (not to be confused with Lady Gaga’s fab new TikTok-friendly hit – which title aside nobody ever will) was sampled by Eminem and remains an utter earworm that I will now be singing to myself for the rest of the weekend.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 8 March, game #636)

• YELLOW: FAUX ARTIFICIAL, FAKE, IMITATION, MOCK
• GREEN: WASHING MACHINE CYCLES/SETTINGS BULKY, COTTON, DELICATE, SPIN
• BLUE: WORDS SAID FREQUENTLY IN THE "BILL AND TED" MOVIES BOGUS, DUDE, EXCELLENT, TOTALLY
• PURPLE: __BOX CHATTER, JUKE, SHADOW, SOAP

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, March 8 (game #370).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #371) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Kitty corner

NYT Strands today (game #371) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• WASP 
• COPS
• SLAG
• WITH
• PURE
• VIBE

NYT Strands today (game #371) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Feline habits

NYT Strands today (game #371) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #371) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #371, are…

• PURR
• HISS
• SNUGGLE
• STRETCH
• SWAT
• BLINK
• POUNCE
• SPANGRAM: CAT BEHAVIOR

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

This puzzle filled with CAT BEHAVIOR does not include the one thing our cats Ringo and Opal do the most: snooze. That said, they do PURR a lot, especially while eating or if there’s the imminent promise of eating.

Once they were always busy – hunting mice, bringing in frogs (we have no idea where from, as there is no water or ponds nearby) and working on month-long projects to entrap some poor baby birds.

The neighborhood explored and conquered, they are both now very much in retirement mode and spend most of their time curled up inside whatever is the latest cardboard box to enter the house, conked out after three minutes of playing with a catnip toy. I think they would have found today’s Strands far too taxing.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 8 March, game #370)

• PLATOON
• PARASITE
• MOONLIGHT
• CODA
• SPOTLIGHT
• SPANGRAM: BEST PICTURE

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

• Vast photo archives exist, yet most images remain unseen
• Cunard’s exhibition highlights the need for preserving physical memories
• Shared experiences create a lasting photographic record for history

Americans take an astonishing 230 billion photos each year, with the vast majority captured on business smartphones., but new research has claimed these could all be at risk of being lost without warning.

A report from luxury cruise line company Cunard says photo books, once a staple of family memory preservation, have become less common, as only 3% of Americans store images in printed form, with most preferring to keep them on phones or in cloud storage.

The decline raises concerns about whether digital images will remain accessible over time, with nearly three-quarters of Americans fearing that without physical copies, future generations may lose valuable memories.

Shrinking tradition of printed photos

Many people assume their digital photos will always be available, but this is naïve - as over half of Americans have had to delete images due to storage limitations, while others have lost pictures when changing or damaging their phones.

Despite these risks, only a third of Americans surveyed reported using cloud backups, leaving countless moments vulnerable to loss, while 54% believe their digital images will still be accessible in 50 years, discouraging their use.

While Americans take an average of 17.3 photos per week, this number jumps to over 60 when on vacation. The ease of capturing images has led to an ever-expanding digital archive, albeit one with a precarious future.

Similar trends are seen in the UK and Germany; Brits capture 35 billion images annually, while Germans take 38 billion, yet only 2% of Brits and 4% of Germans store them in printed albums.

Concerns about long-term accessibility are slightly more pressing here, with just 51% of Brits and 58% of Germans confident that their digital photos will still be accessible in half a century.

In response to the growing dependence on digital storage, Cunard is encouraging people to share their holiday memories as part of a special exhibition.

“As a unique resource that captures Cunard’s unrivalled 185-year history, the Cunard archive is an incredible collection that is accessible to all. It is exciting to see how today’s events will shape the Cunard archive of the future and capture the stories of those connected to the brand,” said Siân Wilks, Cunard Archivist at the University of Liverpool Library.

Curated by photographer Mary McCartney, this showcase aims to highlight the significance of preserving images beyond digital screens.

The exhibition, which will be displayed at Liverpool’s Liver Building, will feature both historic and newly submitted photographs, offering a visual timeline of nearly two centuries of transatlantic travel.

“For 185 years, our ships have been at the heart of unforgettable moments for millions of guests and crew,” said Katie McAlister, President of Cunard, stressing the importance of the initiative.

“This is a chance to celebrate those memories and the stories they tell. By sharing your experiences, you’ll help Mary McCartney create something truly unique—an exhibition that brings Cunard’s incredible history to life for everyone to enjoy.”

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• Getac B360 and B360 Pro laptops enhance security, speed, and efficiency with AI
• B360 supports three SSDs, triple batteries, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity
• Built for extremes, B360 meets MIL-STD-810H and IP66 standards

Getac has launched two new AI-enabled rugged laptops, the B360 and B360 Pro, bringing AI tool capabilities to its rugged products for the first time following the introduction of the F110 and K120 last year.

Getac says these business laptops are designed for professionals working in extreme environments and demanding industries, such as defense, public safety, and utilities, are also the first fully rugged models to feature Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors and Intel AI Boost technology.

In testing, the devices processed text-to-report tasks within seconds, demonstrating the advantages of edge AI over cloud-based solutions.

AI-driven performance in a rugged design

Beyond AI, the B360 supports high-speed data transfer with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. It also features Wi-Fi 7, which improves wireless performance with faster speeds and lower latency.

The B360 comes with dual batteries as standard and the option to add a third, allowing extended operation without downtime. It supports up to three fast SSDs, providing a total capacity of 6TB.

For professionals handling graphic-intensive tasks, the B360 Pro includes an optional Nvidia Quadro RTX A500 4GB GPU. This enhances visual processing while ensuring smooth performance in applications such as mapping, surveillance, and 3D modelling.

Additionally, the B360 Pro features an optional media bay that can house a third battery, a DVD or Blu-ray drive, or additional storage.

Like most rugged laptops, the Getac B360 and B360 Pro meet MIL-STD-810H and IP66 standards, offering protection against shocks, dust, and water. They can also be fitted with a high-accuracy GPS.

In defence applications, the B360 Pro can be equipped with additional PCMCIA readers for expanded functionality and mounted in vehicles for mobile command operations. At press time, the price of these laptops has not been revealed. However, they will be available in April 2025.

“As the popularity of open source and Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) language models continues to grow at a rapid pace, we have collaborated with industry customers to develop innovative vertical market AI applications that enable them to take full advantage of the operational benefits on offer,” said James Hwang, President of Getac Technology Corporation.

"These advancements will drive demand for rugged Edge AI devices like the next generation B360 and B360 Pro, and accelerate AI adoption across the public safety, utilities and defence sectors."

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It's top versus bottom as the doomed Saints travel to Anfield.

Two sides eyeing European qualification meet at the Amex Stadium.

I. Loathe. The. Sonos. App. Sorry for that appalling punctuation, but since the firm retooled and relaunched its application last year, thousands of Sonos fans have been forced to endure audio anguish. Up until recently, it was about as dependable as a starving fox guarding a hen house.

Not long ago, we labelled 2024 as the year Sonos slipped. Why? Largely because of the redesigned Sonos app’s refusal to play ball with many of the company’s soundbars and smart speakers, like the wonderful Sonos Era 300.

I was first introduced to how annoying the app was a few months ago when I installed the updated software on my iPad Pro 13-inch (2024). All of a sudden, I could no longer tweak my EQ settings due to a maddening failed login loop that kept telling me to “Sign in as the System Owner to see this content” on both my tablet and iPhone 14 Pro.

It was only recently when I bought the Sonos Arc Ultra that I dared go near the app again. For the first two weeks of owning what we consider to be “the best one-box Dolby Atmos soundbar”, the System Owner loop was still stuck in full Groundhog Day mode for me… minus the Bill Murray-provided chuckles.

I would also say that this, perhaps, is not the most efficient use of space… (Image credit: Future) The sweet sound of success

Finally, I was presented with a glimmer of hope when I installed the app on my Asus Zephyrus G14 laptop. As soon as it allowed me to sign in as the owner of my system – a gobsmacking privilege, I know – the app suddenly started playing nice on my Apple devices. This meant I could at long last tweak the EQ of the best soundbar Sonos has ever made.

Sadly though, more software sadness soon presented itself. The app forced me to resync every one of my Sonos devices – a setup that spans the Arc Ultra, two Sonos Subs and a pair of Sonos Era 300 speakers.

Cue an hour-long experiment in twisted torture that involved scanning the pairing buttons of all my Sonos kit with my iPhone’s camera. The process proved to be incredibly finicky, and it took me around seven attempts on both of my Sonos Subs before the app finally recognized them. My poor, utterly ruined knees.

After obliterating all of my cartilage, my Sonos surround sound setup mercifully at least sounds glorious. And during that fortnight when I couldn’t sync my Era 300 speakers and subwoofers, it made me appreciate how much of an audio upgrade the Arc Ultra provides over the OG Sonos Arc.

Kai hard

With my subs out of action during the App Incident, I could instantly appreciate just how much weightier the bass of the Ultra was compared to the original Arc. Another significant improvement? The way the Arc Ultra handles Dolby Atmos effects. While watching the exhilarating final few episodes of Cobra Kai season 6, it was easy to hear the added height the Ultra pumped out sound during all that kickass karate action.

Patience was necessary to achieve (sound) balance. (Image credit: Future)

I also really appreciate how much clearer dialogue sounds on the Arc Ultra. While I never had many problems while watching the best Disney+ movies on my old soundbar, it was definitely an issue when playing some of the best PS5 games.

On the Arc Ultra, though, playing through Cyberpunk 2077 again is proving to be a delight. That’s in part because the voices of V, Johnny Silverhand and friends feel so much more enhanced; no longer being drowned out by the background buzz of Night City’s streets that blare from my Sonos Era 300 rear speakers.

Though I’ve only owned it for less than a month, I already consider the Arc Ultra the best piece of audio equipment Sonos has ever released. There’s no question that it’s one of the best soundbars you can buy today. I just wish I hadn’t gone through all that app agony to appreciate its full glory.

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