Technologies

Microsoft Researchers Figure Out How to Store Data Inside Glass Using Lasers

The researchers say the data could be retrieved from the glass in 10,000 years.

Most of the world’s information is stored digitally right now. Every year, we generate more data than we did the year before. Now, with AI in the picture, a technology that relies on a whole lot of data, the amount of digital information we save is increasing exponentially.

The research arm of Microsoft has been working on a method for data storage that uses a laser to write inside glass. The researchers say that the information written in the glass will last for 10,000 years.

If this method can be scaled for commercial use, it could change how we store the world’s information. Data rot — losing information due to old storage systems — means we have to transfer data at least once every generation to keep it. Otherwise, it gets corrupted with age.

Microsoft’s Project Silica research director Richard Black tells CNET that its work shows long-term digital storage in glass is practical, not just a science experiment.

«One of the biggest challenges with today’s storage is that media wears out and has to be replaced regularly,» Black says. «Glass doesn’t have that problem.»

Using a laser to modify pieces of glass to keep data safe for many lifetimes could have a drastic and lasting impact on all of the information we decide to keep.

Glass memory

Storing data in glass instead of using traditional digital systems is a project Microsoft has been working on for quite a while. Here’s a video that CNET made of the project six years ago, when it was just an idea.

On Feb. 18, Microsoft’s Project Silica published a paper in the science journal Nature that shows real advances in this long-term project. One of the big advances is writing the information on a less expensive material, which makes this technique more affordable.

Originally, the researchers used glass called fused silica. But this material, which is used for components in lasers and semiconductors, is expensive to manufacture, which could make the storage technology cost-prohibitive for many purposes.

Now, the researchers figured out how to store information in a sturdy glass that’s used for kitchen cookware, called borosilicate glass. This material cuts down the cost significantly.

Writing with lasers

To write in the glass, Project Silica has been using femtosecond lasers. A femtosecond is one quadrillionth of a second. This kind of laser emits super-fast pulses. It’s commonly used for eye surgeries because it can cut underneath without damaging the surface.

To store information, the laser cuts voxels inside the glass. A voxel is like a pixel, but it stores information in three dimensions, like a cube, instead of in two dimensions. The video game Minecraft famously uses voxels to create its worlds.

«The key breakthrough is something the team calls phase voxels: tiny, controlled changes written inside ordinary borosilicate glass using a single laser pulse,» Black says. «This makes writing and reading data simpler and faster, and allows the use of low-cost glass rather than specialized materials.»

Because glass is a hard material, it’s not going to change over time. That’s why this storage method could maintain the integrity of the data for much longer than a standard computer system.

To retrieve the information, Project Silica has devised archives to hold the pieces of glass. Robots retrieve the glass, and then a neural network reads the data that’s written inside. Microsoft has a website that shows the robots zooming across the archive to retrieve the glass.

Perpetual storage

Microsoft has already used this storage technique in proofs of concept. In 2019, Project Silica stored the 1978 Superman film inside a piece of glass the size of a drink coaster.

In Svalbard, Norway, this technology is being used for the Global Music Vault project, which is designed to «future-proof» a wide variety of music. Microsoft also says this technology could complement projects like the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, a doomsday vault that has a repository of seeds from different plants around the world.

«Glass is extremely durable and can tolerate heat, humidity, electromagnetic interference and physical damage much better than hard drives or magnetic tape,» Black says. «It also lasts far longer, meaning data doesn’t need to be recopied every few years.

«Because it’s naturally resistant to tampering and doesn’t require ongoing power or frequent replacement, it’s especially well suited for archives,» he continues. «Over long time scales, it can also be more sustainable than today’s storage technologies.»

Technologies

Google’s Pixel 10A Is Coming to Japan With an Exclusive Blue Edition and Special Wallpaper

This model comes with creatively designed stickers and a special look for Pixel’s 10th anniversary.

Don’t be blue: Google is releasing an Isai blue edition of the Pixel 10A to celebrate the Android phone line’s 10th anniversary, setting it apart with its own sticker set, specialized wallpaper and custom icons. But it’ll only be available in Japan.

Announced Tuesday on the Google Japan blog, the Isai blue Pixel 10A has a dark blue look and includes bonus decorations designed in collaboration with Japan’s Heralbony art company. These include an exclusive bumper case and stickers for customization.

This edition of the Pixel 10A will arrive in Japan on May 20, following the April 14 release of the Pixel 10A in its original colors of lavender, berry, fog and obsidian. The Isai blue model costs 94,900 yen, which roughly translates to $595, and includes 256GB of storage.

This makes it slightly less expensive than the US model’s 256GB edition, but it comes with a number of fun extras at no additional cost.

Google’s creation of a country-specific model for Japan may also reflect strong sales in that market. In 2023, the IDC analytics firm (via 9to5Google) reported that the Pixel 7 series accounted for 10.7% of the country’s market share, a 527% increase from 2022.

Technologies

Can’t Wait for New Emoji? Here’s How to Create Your Own on iPhone

Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhones can create custom emoji in a few easy steps.

Apple brought new emoji to all iPhones when the company released iOS 26.4 on March 24. The new emoji include «🫍» orca, «🫪» distorted face and «🫈» hairy creature — or as we might normally call it, Sasquatch. According to Emojipedia, there are 3,953 emoji with more on the way, including a pickle. But there’s no emoji for a dog wearing pajamas, a plate with burgers and fries and many other things. But if you have Genmoji on your iPhone you can create these emoji and many more.

Apple released iOS 18.2 in 2024 and the company introduced its own emoji generator, called Genmoji, to Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones at that time. The Unicode Standard, a universal character encoding standard, is responsible for creating new emoji, and approved emoji are added to all devices once a year. With Genmoji, you don’t have to wait for new emoji to appear on your iPhone each year. You can just create them as you need them.

Read on to learn how to use Genmoji on iPhone to create your own custom emoji. Just note that only iPhones with Apple Intelligence, like the iPhone 17 lineup, can use Genmoji at this time.

Note: The new emoji may not display correctly for Apple users whose devices aren’t on a 26.4 software version.

How to make custom emoji

1. Open Messages and go into a chat.
2. Tap the plus (+) button next to your text box.
3. Tap Genmoji.

You can then type a description of an emoji into the text box near the bottom of your screen and tap the check mark on your keyboard to enter that description into Genmoji. You can also tap different suggestions and themes that are right above the text box. And with iOS 26 or later, you can also combine and use emoji to create others rather than describing a new emoji or using suggestions.

Your iPhone will generate a series of new emoji for you to pick from according to your description, and you can swipe through these new emoji. When you find the one you want, tap Add in the top right corner of your screen and the new emoji will be available to use as an emoji, tapback or a sticker. Now you don’t have to wait for the Unicode Standard to propose, create and bring new emoji to devices.

For more iOS news, here’s what to know about iOS 26.4 and iOS 26.3. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet for other tips and tricks.

Technologies

Save Over 20% on This Handy 10,000-mAh Anker Nano Power Bank

Keep your devices charged on the go with this Anker Nano power bank, now down to just $46.

We’ve just spotted the Anker Nano 45-watt portable power bank for just $46 at Amazon right now. This saves you $14 — a 23% discount on its list price. Though it’s $6 more than the lowest-ever price we saw during Black Friday, it’s still a solid discount when you take the rising cost of tech accessories into account. It also matches the lowest price we’ve seen in 2026. It comes in four colors: black, green, pink and white. They’re all on sale for the same price.

This Anker Nano portable charger weighs approximately 8.2 ounces and measures a compact 3.21×1.99×1.42 inches. Despite its small size, it has a retractable cable and supports fast charging in compatible Apple, Samsung, Google Pixel and other smartphones. It also has a large 10,000-mAh capacity and a smart display so you always know how much juice is left in your power bank.

The Nano can charge an iPhone 17 to up to 50% battery in an estimated 20 minutes, and is powerful enough to charge tablets and laptops. Need to charge your devices while charging your power bank? You can do so safely thanks to pass-through charging so you’ll never have to go without battery life.

We’ve also compiled a list of the best power banks for iPhones and for Android, in case this deal isn’t quite a fit for you.

Why this deal matters

If you travel, have a long commute time or are otherwise always on the go, a portable charger can help you keep your devices fully powered. This 45-watt Anker Nano power bank is compact, includes a loop that lets you keep track of it easily and has a built-in cable so you don’t have to keep up with extra cords. Amazon’s $14 discount makes this a solid deal for anyone looking for a compact power bank.