I watch a fair few films, though recently I haven’t been going to the cinema as much. That’s more to do with the quality of films available (if there’s anything that will kill cinema, it will be the dearth of quality).
That doesn’t mean I watch more films at home per se, as if I’ve gone in the opposite direction and sided with home releases, but if I do miss out on a cinema release, I’m not as fussed about waiting for the home release.
I missed out on watching Predator: Badlands, which I wanted to see in the cinema, but after a couple of weeks it became increasingly hard to find it at a nearby cinema. I ended up waiting for that to hit Disney+.
But this week, while opening the MUBI app for the first time in a while, I saw that it had Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value on it. I’d added The Worst Person in the World on the service a while ago and hadn’t got round to watching it yet. So, I thought I’d watch that as a primer since I’d not seen a Trier film before, then watch Sentimental Value afterwards.
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Sentimental Value is opening in UK cinemas this week, but I found it rare to be able to see a film on streaming before cinemas. A sign of the changing times? Possibly, but I don’t think it’s a good one.
I did not have a great experience watching Sentimental Value at home. And it’s all my own fault.
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Too many distractions
My experience watching The Worst Person in the World should have been a clue.
The amount of times I stopped the film, either to have a look at something on another screen, or looking away from the screen to eat dinner – I was in distraction mode. I still enjoyed the film but I hadn’t noticed my own behaviour at the time – it was just the case of watching a film at home, like everyone else. The film fits into my schedule, not the other way around.
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Sentimental Value felt different, at least in my head. “It’s a new release, I should pay more attention to what’s happening”, I thought. I need to find a dedicated time – not be interrupted, focus on what’s happening etc.
The first time I watched it, I got through an hour before I stopped because it was late and I was tired. Silly me.
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I reconvened the next night. But it didn’t feel right starting in the middle of the film. What if I missed some important detail, a reference, a cinematic sleight of hand that’s repaid in the second, and obviously more emotional half of the film?
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I should start again.
I get through even less this time. “I forgot, there’s the Short Skate events going on at the Winter Olympics. That’s live, I can’t miss that. Real Madrid are playing Benfica, I should watch some of that as well. Can’t miss out on live events when I can always come back to this film”.
Off I close the MUBI app. I’ll come to this film later. The next day, in the afternoon at the office. I’m testing a TV, I think to myself, I’ll give Sentimental Value a look on this Philips OLED910. I restart the film, get drawn into the story – lunch is over, back to work.
I restart it again in the evening. Noticed aspects I hadn’t paid attention to the first time. Stop and start the film because I’m getting notifications from my phone through my smartwatch. I’m too connected. I get through the film – it’s really good by way – but the experience could have been much better. And that is on me.
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The reason why we need cinemas
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
Sure, I could turn this into a prayer for why we need cinemas, but this scattershot, stop-and-start experience I had watching Sentimental Value affected my, well, first multiple viewings.
Being able to sit in the dark, in a sort of silence, with no distractions or interruptions, would have made for a better experience. Perhaps I wouldn’t have understood everything about the film on the first watch, I wouldn’t have been able to restart or rewind, but I think it would have stuck in my mind more.
I would have wanted to revisit the film, maybe in cinemas, but it wouldn’t have been spotlit in the way it was. It would have had my undivided attention, and I would have been more invested in its story, characters and emotions.
Ultimately, I still was, but the clutter in my mind from all the devices I have by my side affected the viewing experience. Just because I can look at my phone or laptop and have a conversation with a friend about investments (it’s a thing I’m doing) doesn’t mean I should.
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It’s an obvious thought – there’s nothing new here – but this is probably the first time I’ve watched a film at home before it’s been released in cinemas, and the flip-around is not something I enjoyed.
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I will likely go to the cinemas and catch Sentimental Value – to give the attention it deserves. While streaming offers convenience, with a good-quality TV and sound system, it’s a decent approximation of a cinema experience, but it can’t beat it in my mind, for no other reason than we’re all slaves to our devices and to what’s happening elsewhere.
Sometimes, it’s better just to be disconnected from the outside world, and that’s an experience cinema offers better than any other medium.
Devices that were limited to only run a web browser were relatively common around 2000, as many people wanted to surf the Information Super Highway, but didn’t quite want to get a regular PC — being in many ways the retro equivalent of a Chromebook. The Compaq iPAQ IA-2 from 2000 that [Dave Luna] got is no exception, with a Microsoft CE-based OS that is meant to be used with Microsoft Network (MSN) dial-up, which amusingly is still available today.
In order to get a more useful OS on it, like Windows 98, you have to jump through quite a few hoops, as [Dave] found out. Although there is an IDE connection on the mainboard, this cannot be booted from, likely due to BIOS limitations. This means that he had to chain boot via the 16 MB NAND Flash drive that the original OS booted from, which was done by writing MS-DOS to the Flash drive using another workaround as it’s not a standard IDE device either.
From this you can then boot Windows 98 from an IDE drive by pretending that it’s an ATAPI IDE device to dodge a limitation on IDE devices. The system’s hardware isn’t really going to make it into a blazing fast retro computer. It only has a 266 MHz Geode GX1 CPU and supports up to 256 MB of SDRAM. The IA-2 is also limited to 800×600, which required the use of an external monitor (as seen above) hooked up to the internal VGA port to set the proper resolution in the OS.
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But at least it can run DOOM, so that bare minimum requirement can be ticked off.
An AI agent went rogue at Meta, exposing sensitive company and user data to employees who did not have permission to access it.
Per an incident report, which was viewed and reported on by The Information, a Meta employee posted on an internal forum asking for help with a technical question — which is a standard action. However, another engineer asked an AI agent to help analyze the question, and the agent ended up posting a response without asking the engineer for permission to share it. Meta confirmed the incident to The Information.
As it turns out, the AI agent did not give good advice. The employee who asked the question ended up taking actions based on the agent’s guidance, which inadvertently made massive amounts of company and user-related data available to engineers, who were not authorized to access it, for two hours.
Meta deemed the incident a “Sev 1,” which is the second-highest level of severity in the company’s internal system for measuring security issues.
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Rogue AI agents have already posed a problem at Meta. Summer Yue, a safety and alignment director at Meta Superintelligence, posted on X last month describing how her OpenClaw agent ended up deleting her entire inbox, even though she told it to confirm with her before taking any action.
Still, Meta seems bullish on the potential for agentic AI. Just last week, Meta bought Moltbook, a Reddit-like social media site for OpenClaw agents to communicate with one another.
We benchmarked Crimson Desert across 40 GPUs to see how it performs at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Here’s what to expect from your system – and how well it’s optimized for modern hardware.
Corsair manages to pack a lot of punch into its K100 Air Wireless keyboard, priced at $130 today only (was $330). Pull the full-size board out of its packing, you can’t help but note how light it is, weighing in at less than two pounds. The brushed aluminum on top provides a robust feel despite the fact that the board is only 11mm thin at the borders and 17mm where the keys are located, while its low profile allows users to type all day without ever using the wrist rest because their hands naturally fall into place.
The switches are Cherry, which provide a nice mechanical feel that is typically only found on bulkier boards. Each press is shallow, at 1.8mm deep, with 0.8mm of actuation and a clear tactile bump that indicates that every key is registered, and even though you don’t have to push very far, you still receive plenty of pleasing feedback, making it ideal for rapid-fire typing sessions and the like.
Stunning, Refined, and Ultra-Thin: The K100 AIR is an unbelievably thin wireless gaming keyboard just 11mm at its slimmest point, seamlessly blending…
Fast Wireless and Wired Connection Options: Three ways to connect to up to five different devices – Via sub-1ms SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS on PC or Mac…
Masterful Wireless Multi-Tasking: Quickly switch between wireless connections on your PC, Mac, and more at the press of a key, with secure AES 128-bit…
Wireless connectivity, on the other hand, is close to perfect. Slipstream technology at 2.4GHz frequency reduces lag to less than one millisecond and can poll up to 2,000 times per second. If you choose wired, you can get an even faster response, up to 8,000 hz, and Bluetooth allows you to connect up to three devices at once, making switching between laptop, phone, and console a breeze.
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Battery life is another area where the K100 Air Wireless excels. Users frequently expect slim designs to have limited battery life, but in this case, the RGB lighting lasts 50 hours on its own, and you can go up to 200 hours of ordinary use before needing to recharge. If you run low on battery, adaptive brightness will automatically activate to save power in low-light situations.
In terms of customization, the software that comes with the board is extremely robust, since you can store up to 50 distinct profiles directly on the board itself, allowing you to carry your settings with you wherever you go without any further effort. You can even perform some pretty weird per-key lighting; 20 layers, anyone? There are distinct buttons for media playback and volume, as well as a smooth volume control wheel. With macro command support, you can program extra keys to do any function you wish.
When compared to other wireless options on the market, the K100 Air Wireless truly shines out; Logitech and Razer models, for example, cannot compete in terms of battery life or polling speed. It doesn’t hurt that this one has larger inbuilt storage and supports multiple devices. The build quality is likewise excellent, as the board’s low thickness does not compromise ruggedness.
Identity protection company Aura has confirmed that an unauthorized party gained access to nearly 900,000 customer records containing names and email addresses.
The company states that the incident was caused by a voice phishing attack targeting an employee, which exposed the sensitive data of 20,000 current and 15,000 former customers.
In a communication this week, Aura states that the data originated from a marketing tool used by a company acquired by Aura in 2021, which exposed limited information.
Aura is a consumer digital safety firm that sells identity theft protection, credit and fraud monitoring, and online security tools for phishing protection, positioning itself as an all-in-one service for online protection.
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Earlier this week, the threat group ShinyHunters claimed the attack on their data extortion site, stating that they stole 12GB of files containing personally identifiable information (PII) on customers, as well as corporate data.
The threat actor leaked the stolen files, saying that the company “failed to reach an agreement with them despite all the chances and offers” they made.
Leaked Aura data on the ShinyHunters site Source: BleepingComputer
According to Aura, the compromised customer information includes full names, email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers. The company emphasizes that Social Security Numbers (SSNs), account passwords, and financial information were not compromised.
The Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) service analyzed the leaked data and added it to its database, noting that customer service comments and IP addresses were also exposed. HIBP also stated that 90% of the email addresses exposed in this incident were already present in its database from past security incidents.
BleepingComputer has asked Aura about the discrepancy between HIBP reporting a little over 901,000 affected accounts, and the company said that their figure was accurate.
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This is explained by the fact that the data collected through the marketing tool was inherited when acquiring the company in 2021. However, the database contained only 35,000 Aura customers. The company declined to comment further on ShinyHunters’ claims or the alleged Okta SSO compromise.
Currently, Aura is conducting an in-depth internal review in partnership with external cybersecurity experts and has confirmed to BleepingComputer that they have also informed law enforcement authorities.
Aura told us that it will soon send personalized notifications to all affected individuals.
Malware is getting smarter. The Red Report 2026 reveals how new threats use math to detect sandboxes and hide in plain sight.
Download our analysis of 1.1 million malicious samples to uncover the top 10 techniques and see if your security stack is blinded.
The problem is that agencies often lack the staff and resources to do thorough reviews, which means the whole system is leaning on the claims of the cloud companies and the assessments of the third-party firms they pay to evaluate them. Under the current vision, critics say, FedRAMP has lost the plot.
“FedRAMP’s job is to watch the American people’s back when it comes to sharing their data with cloud companies,” said Mill, the former GSA official, who also co-authored the 2024 White House memo. “When there’s a security issue, the public doesn’t expect FedRAMP to say they’re just a paper-pusher.”
Meanwhile, at the Justice Department, officials are finding out what FedRAMP meant by the “unknown unknowns” in GCC High. Last year, for example, they discovered that Microsoft relied on China-based engineers to service their sensitive cloud systems despite the department’s prohibition against non-US citizens assisting with IT maintenance.
Officials learned about this arrangement—which was also used in GCC High—not from FedRAMP or from Microsoft but from a ProPublica investigation into the practice, according to the Justice employee who spoke with us.
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A Microsoft spokesperson acknowledged that the written security plan for GCC High that the company submitted to the Justice Department did not mention foreign engineers, though he said Microsoft did communicate that information to Justice officials before 2020. Nevertheless, Microsoft has since ended its use of China-based engineers in government systems.
Former and current government officials worry about what other risks may be lurking in GCC High and beyond.
The GSA told ProPublica that, in general, “if there is credible evidence that a cloud service provider has made materially false representations, that matter is then appropriately referred to investigative authorities.”
Ironically, the ultimate arbiter of whether cloud providers or their third-party assessors are living up to their claims is the Justice Department itself. The recent indictment of the former Accenture employee suggests it is willing to use this power. In a court document, the Justice Department alleges that the ex-employee made “false and misleading representations” about the cloud platform’s security to help the company “obtain and maintain lucrative federal contracts.” She is also accused of trying to “influence and obstruct” Accenture’s third-party assessors by hiding the product’s deficiencies and telling others to conceal the “true state of the system” during demonstrations, the department said. She has pleaded not guilty.
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There is no public indication that such a case has been brought against Microsoft or anyone involved in the GCC High authorization. The Justice Department declined to comment. Monaco, the deputy attorney general who launched the department’s initiative to pursue cybersecurity fraud cases, did not respond to requests for comment.
She left her government position in January 2025. Microsoft hired her to become its president of global affairs.
A company spokesperson said Monaco’s hiring complied with “all rules, regulations, and ethical standards” and that she “does not work on any federal government contracts or have oversight over or involvement with any of our dealings with the federal government.”
This story originally appeared on ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Compass’ signature 3-phased marketing strategy, in which sellers are encouraged to launch their home as a Compass Private Exclusive and then enter a Compass Coming Soon phase before listing publicly via the MLS, had been in direct conflict with those standards.
Compass dismissed its lawsuit without prejudice, which means the company could file the case again at a later date.
What Compass said: Reffkin specifically cited Zillow’s “Preview” product announcement — which he referred to as a policy “reversal” — in a post on social media announcing the dismissal.
“Because of this reversal, we are dismissing our lawsuit against Zillow,” he wrote.
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“Our goal has always been to give homeowners more choice to decide when, where, and how to market their homes. We are pleased to see that both other brokerages and portals are now recognizing the strong consumer demand for more options in how they sell their homes,” Reffkin’s post said.
“At Compass International Holdings, we will always defend our real estate professional’s ability to put their clients first, and we will continue to advocate for more choices, not fewer, for homeowners.”
What Zillow said: “Zillow welcomes Compass’ decision to voluntarily withdraw its lawsuit. As we said from the outset, the claims lacked merit, and the court’s preliminary injunction ruling reinforced that view,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“The underlying issue remains: Private listing networks are not in the best interests of consumers, and they never have been. Restricting listings to hidden networks limits transparency, disadvantages buyers and sellers and undermines fair access to real estate information which is so critical in this housing affordability crisis,” the statement continued.
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The Listing Access Standards “were introduced to protect core principles of competition, openness and access that support healthy markets and benefit homebuyers, sellers and agents,” and those standards “remain in effect.”
“Zillow will continue to choose not to display listings that were previously hidden from the public for the benefit of any one company. Any suggestion that these standards are no longer being enforced is incorrect,” the company said.
“Hidden listing networks that gate access to listings behind a registration wall or require buyers to work with a specific brokerage do not meet our standards and, to the extent Compass continues operating a network of inventory hidden in the shadows, those listings remain at odds with our standards.”
Zillow had recently notched a win in its court battle with Compass. Months after filing a preliminary injunction asking the court to pause Zillow’s ban while the case proceeded, a judge denied Compass’ request in a Feb. 6 ruling that allowed Zillow to continue enforcing its listing standards.
Compass said at the time that it planned to move forward with the lawsuit, declaring that the judge’s ruling was “not a loss.”
“A sincere thank you to Zillow for offering homeowners more choice,” he wrote in response to Zillow’s announcement. “Sellers deserve the choice to decide when, where and how they market their homes.”
REI’s Member Days sale starts today and runs through March 23, 2026. As the name implies, the bulk of the deals are exclusively for REI members. Members get 20 percent off one full-price item with the coupon code MEMBER26. Members also get 20 percent off one used Re/Supply item, and 40 percent off all REI Co-Op Campwell and Wonderland tents. If you’re not yet an REI member, you can join today.
We’ve combed through the member deals, as well as some more limited outlet deals to find the best price on all our favorite tents, backpacks, outdoor apparel, and more.
Updated Wednesday, March 2026: We’ve added a few more deals, including a great sale on REI’s Flash 22 daypack, a Sea to Summit sleeping pad, a Mystery Ranch backpack, and an Exped sleeping pad.
WIRED Featured Deals
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What You Should Get With Your Member Coupon
During the REI Member Days sale REI Members get 20 percent off one full-price item with the coupon code MEMBER26. Here are a few pieces of outdoor gear we love that are good candidate for buying with your member coupon. Not an REI member? You can sign up today and get access to the coupon.
Upgrade Your Sleeping Experience
Therm-a-Rest
NeoLoft Sleeping Pad
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I just got back from a three-day trip using this pad for the first time in a few months. What a revelation it is, every time I sleep on this thing. I’d been testing other pads most of the winter. While some are very good, nothing compares to the Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft for comfort. This pad reinvigorated my love of backpacking by ensuring that I get a great night’s sleep in the backcountry. It’s cushy and comfortable, like a plush car-camping pad, with excellent pressure relief (pro tip: for max comfort, don’t over inflate it). The R-4.8 insulation keeps you warm down to about freezing, though I’ve used it in colder conditions by pairing it with a closed cell foam pad. I also love that it packs up quite small considering how massive it is when inflated.
Lighten Your Load With an Ultralight Tent
Big Agnes
Copper Spur HV UL Tent
The Big Agnes Copper Spur tents are high quality, lightweight, and well designed. At 2 pounds 10 ounces for the two-person model, this is one of the lightest freestanding tents on the market. It’s easy to set up, and stable even in strong winds. The Copper Spur is also very livable, with steep sidewalls to maximize interior space. Mesh pockets help with gear storage and give you a place to stick your headlamp for dispersed light. The ingenious “awning” design makes getting in and out a snap (provided you have trekking poles to set it up). All seams are taped with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane tape. They’re also durable despite their lightweight fabrics, standing up to years of abuse on the trail. I do recommend grabbing the footprint ($80), though, to help protect the floor. It also allows you to pitch the fly only, which is nice shelter on sunny days at the beach.
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Grab REI’s Best Lightweight Backpack
Photography: Scott Gilbertson
REI Co-op
Flash Air 50 Backpack
I tested this pack quite a bit last summer as part of an upcoming ultralight backpack guide. It’s very comfortable, carrying a 25-pound load without issue. It’s not the lightest pack I’ve tried (it’s 1 pound, 14 ounces for a medium), but like most REI-brand gear, it strikes a great balance between features and price. It’s made of UHMWPE ripstop nylon, with shaped steel piping for the frame, making it studier than a frameless pack. I love the precurved back panel and hip belt, which were much more comfortable than most ultralight framed packs in this class. It’s got nice load lifters as well, and the minimalist design works well to keep weight down. My only real gripe is that the exterior pocket isn’t very big.
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Get the Best Camp Stove
Coleman
Cascade 3-in-1 Stove
Any flame will work, but Coleman’s Cascade 3-in-1 stove really elevates your outdoor cooking experience. I lived full time in an RV for over seven years and cooked on this stove almost every day. It’s all about the cast iron grates. They’re sturdier than the usual metal and don’t warp over time. Apply a light coat of oil to them periodically and they’ll develop a protective seasoning just like a cast iron pan. The flat top is also handy for cranking out camp pancakes for a hungry family. The coupon brings the price here down to $200.
Deals on Camping and Backpacking Gear
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Nemo Equipment’s Mayfly Osmo tent is the two-person tent I reach for the most. It’s solidly built, cleverly designed, and has proved durable, and most importantly, dry, in my years of testing. I tested the Mayfly two-person model, which has a trail weight of 3 pounds 8 ounces. A little heavier than our top pick for ultralight hiking (the Copper Spur suggested above) but still pretty light when split between two people. It’s a semi-freestanding design, which means there are fewer poles, but you have to stake out the foot-end of the tent. Two sewn-in ridged stays help ensure there’s plenty of room by your feet, but the Mayfly is on the tight side. Two sleeping pads fit, and hikers under 6′ 4″ will be fine, but if you’re not close with your hiking partner, the three-person model for $375 ($125 off) will be a better option.
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The Dragonfly Osmo is a slightly lighter tent than the Mayfly above, aimed at ultralight backpackers who want a freestanding tent. I’ve tested and liked the one-person version, which is spacious, lightweight, and sturdy. The Osmo fabric is Nemo’s proprietary blend of nylon and polyester, which in my experience sheds rain better than most nylon rainflies. The Dragonfly Osmo 3-person version is also on sale for $435 ($145 off), and the bike-packing friendly two-person version, with poles that fit between your handlebars, is on sale for $376 ($204 off)
This is the best value of the REI Member’s Day sale. The Wonderland 6 replaces my beloved Kingdom 6, as REI spacious, hoop-design family car camping tent. While I prefer the square design of the Base Camp 6, the Wonderland 6 is undeniably roomier, better ventilated, and overall a better choice for most families. The biggest thing I miss about the Wonderland is the interior divider wall, which makes it easy to have a sleeping area and separate area for hanging out. The Wonderland 4 is also on sale for $257 ($172 off), but I highly recommend the two-person version as it’s nearly the same price and gives you considerably more living space.
Photograph: Thermarest
The Z-Lite Sol weighs next to nothing (10 ounces for the small), folds up small enough to lash to the outside of any pack, and can double as a chair, extra padding on cold nights, table, you name it. I am too old and too soft to be the sort of ultra-minimalist who gets by with just a Z-Lite for sleeping, but I still have one around on almost every backpacking trip I take.
The self-inflating Comfort Plus inhabits an interesting borderland between car camping pad and backpacking sleeping pad. At 3 pounds it’s definitely not light, but if you don’t mind the weight it’s a comfortable option. The open-cell interior offers a nicely cushy sleeping experience with enough padding to help even side sleepers avoid bottoming out.
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Formerly our top pick for backpacking sleeping pads, the Exped Ultra 7R is still a great winter sleeping pad, especially at this price. The Ultra has down insulation inside it to achieve the high R-rating. At under 2 pounds for the wide version, it’s not that heavy for a four season pad, but it is quite bulky, taking up considerable pack space due to the down. I have used this pad down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit and was very comfortable (in a 10-degree bag). Exped rates it to –20 degrees F.
Photograph: REI
Sea to Summit’s Ether Light XT is a 4-inch thick ultralight sleeping pad—the ever-popular Therm-a-Rest X-Lite is only 3—making it the best ultralight option for side sleepers. I also like the baffle design better than the Therm-a-Rest, and it seems to be a little more durable in my testing. Note that the XT has been replaced by a newer model, but this one is still great.
Nemo’s Forte 35 is our favorite synthetic sleeping bag. It’s rated to 35 degrees (comfort rated), making it a good choice for summer. What I like most about this bag, and nearly all of Nemo’s sleeping bags, is the wider cut through the torso area down to the knees. This bag is almost a hybrid of a mummy bag and your father’s good old 1970s square sleeping bag. Which is to say, this bag is roomy.
Photograph: Adrienne So
The Arc’teryx Beta SL rain jacket is our favorite rain jacket. This is Arc’teryx’s lightest rain shell, but it’s also one of the few jackets that has never failed to keep me dry. It has Gore-Tex’s latest fabric innovation, called ePE (expanded polyethylene)—it’s a breathable, waterproof membrane laminated to a nylon face (PFC-free). It has a hydrostatic head (HH) rating of 28,000, which is far better than the usual rating of 10,000 that you find in most jackets. This deals takes a little of the sting out of the one thing I don’t like about this jacket—the price.
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Patagonia’s classic rain jacket, now with a a PFC-free DWR finish. I like the roomier fit of the Arc’teryx Beta SL above, but this jacket is 95 percent as good and less than half the price of the Beta. It’s got a two-way adjustable hood, and cuffs have velcro to give a nice, tight seal against the rain. The only real complaint I have with this jacket is that’s it’s on the noisier side, but at this price, I can deal with a little extra nylon crinkling.
There’s only a couple colors available at this price, but this is a great deal on one of the most packable synthetic puffer jackets we’ve tested. If you’re avoiding down, but want a light puffer for three-season backpacking, or just around town wear, this the jacket to get.
Photograph: REI
Another deal with limited color selection, but this is too good of a price to ignore. The 650 Down Jacket is one of the best budget three-season puffers you can buy, more so at this price. At 10.9 ounces, it’s reasonably lightweight and has large hand pockets and some very nice internal pockets for stashing a hat or gloves. The kids’ version is also on sale in a nice yellow color that’s handy for spotting your child in the snow.
Patagonia’s Down Sweater is a much-loved, classic puffer jacket. It uses 800-fill-power down and borders on overstuffed, making for a beefier coat than many others I’ve tried. It has plenty of loft nonetheless, and the recycled nylon ripstop fabric still looks like it does the day I took it home (that fabric is now made from recycled fishing nets).
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Nemo’s Resolve is a great pack that incorporates a low-waste footprint into the design. It uses solution-dyed fabrics and eschews straps and buckles in favor of bungees and pull-tabs. This does make adjusting it fussier, but once you’re used to it and have the fit dialed in, it’s not an issue. The Resolve is a comfortable pack. While technically frameless, it feels like it has some structure. and it sits nice and high on your back. At 1 pound 15 ounces, it’s also pretty light.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
The Flash 22 is possibly the best-value day pack on the market, especially on sale. I was surprised by how comfortable this thing is, despite the lightweight straps and minimal padding. It carries loads up to 15 pounds without straining the shoulders, and the side stash pockets are fabulously large—big enough for a Nalgene bottle or rain jacket. The Flash 22 is made of 70-denier recycled ripstop nylon, which is on the lighter side, but mine has held up well, even coming through some rough canyon hikes in Utah without any more than mud stains. Note that this deal is only on the print versions.
This is Mystery Ranch’s stab at an ultralight pack. It’s still 3 pounds, 13 ounces, but the full suspension system can handle loads far beyond what most ultralight packs (even those with frames) can handle. This is one of the most comfortable packs I’ve tested and my top pick for any load over 25 pounds, but unfortunately, Mystery Ranch has discontinued it, so this might be your last chance to snag one.
If you want to bring a chair backpacking, this is the one to get. It’s just about the lightest on the market at 18 ounces, and it packs down nice and small. Nemo also solved the main problem with all pole chairs: The included base pad keeps it from sinking in soft ground.
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Photograph: Ryan Waniata
As with most Yeti sales, this one applies only to a single color, in this case the insanely bright Firefly Yellow. I can almost guarantee you will never lose it if you get that color. Yeti’s Hopper cooler is my go-to cooler for an afternoon at the beach. It’s just large enough for ice, drinks, and snacks for my family of five.
Assuming you aren’t currently hiding under a very large rock, you’ve likely noticed that gas prices spiked dramatically in early March. Pain at the pump can be attributed to the war in Iran, specifically the difficulty of getting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all exported oil and natural gas typically passes. Until recently, gas prices were relatively low, averaging just below $3 a gallon in the U.S. At time of writing, the average price of a gallon is $3.79, but of course, you may pay more or less depending on where you live.
According to GasBuddy, the cheapest gas can currently be found in Oklahoma, where residents will pay about $3.20, and residents of the Golden State are getting hit the hardest. Californians are paying more than $5.53 per gallon as of mid-March. One station in Los Angeles raised prices to more than $8 a gallon. Why is gas so much more expensive in California, especially when the state is home to several refineries? It all comes down to science — the formula of the gas, to be specific.
Fuel standards differ from state to state and often reflect local air quality needs. The federal Clean Air Act sets national standards but permits states to set their own specialized programs. In 1996, California’s Air Resources Board mandated that the state sell a unique blend to help reduce pollution. It’s cleaner than gas sold elsewhere, but more expensive to make because it requires more processing. Because California is the only state with this requirement, it can’t simply import gas from other states.
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Other contributors to cost
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California’s strict fuel standards aren’t the only contributors to its high fuel costs. There’s also an age-old complaint: taxes. The state pays more in taxes per gallon than any other part of the country. A whopping $0.90 of each gallon is a combination of local, state, and federal taxes. In addition to high taxes, California’s tough environmental standards impact more than just the blend of the fuel. The Cap-and-Invest Program, previously called Cap-and-Trade, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and its Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which is designed to decrease the carbon intensity of fuel, both increase costs at the pump.
California is also considered a fuel island — an isolated market that refines most of its own fuel. There are no pipelines across the Rocky Mountains and only a few from the Gulf Coast. Additionally, there are few refineries outside the state that can meet California’s strict blend requirements. To further complicate the issue, the state is losing refineries at an alarming rate. The Phillips 66 Wilmington refinery closed in late 2025, and Valero Energy Corporation plans to close its refinery in Benicia this year.
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In 2023, California passed a law that would allow it to cap refinery profits and penalize oil companies for price gouging, legislation that many hoped would help when prices skyrocketed. The law has never been used, however, and in 2025, the California Energy Commission delayed it for five years, worried that penalizing refineries could lead to more closures. Critics of the law maintain it doesn’t address the real issue — the state’s isolation — while proponents argue that the state remains dangerously exposed to global shakeups in the energy market.
Apple is finally fixing one of Family Sharing’s most awkward limitations in iOS 26.4, letting multiple adults on one family pay for their own purchases without breaking shared access.
Apple updates payments for Family Sharing
For years, Family Sharing forced everyone into a single payment method whenever purchase sharing was enabled. The approach worked for traditional households, but it created friction for anyone sharing with friends, partners, or extended family. One person effectively became the default payer, even when it made no practical sense. iOS 26.4 changes the structure by letting adult members use their own payment methods while still joining shared purchases. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
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