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I spend a lot of time traveling for work, testing laptops, accessories, and other hardware, so I've become very selective about what earns a permanent place in my bag.

These five gadgets are the ones I reach for every trip because they solve real problems without adding much weight, and right now they're all reduced in price on Amazon.

The first thing I never leave home without is Anker's compact 10,000mAh power bank . It's small enough to slip into any bag yet has enough capacity to keep my iPhone 17 Pro and Dell 15 Laptop running through long flights, delayed trains, or full days away from a power outlet. Fast USB-C charging makes topping up devices quick and convenient.

My top business travel gear

A slim, lightweight 10,000mAh power bank with fast USB-C charging, capable of recharging smartphones multiple times. Its durable, scratch-resistant design, two-way USB-C port, and compact size make it ideal for travel and everyday use. View Deal

Create a secure private Wi-Fi network wherever you travel with this compact Wi-Fi 7 router. It supports up to 90 devices, offers VPN protection, multi-mode connectivity, and fast 2.5GbE wired networking for work and entertainment. View Deal

Expand your workspace anywhere with this ultra-slim 15.6-inch Full HD portable monitor. It features an IPS display, built-in adjustable stand, USB-C and HDMI connectivity, HDR support, and a protective sleeve for travel. View Deal

Enjoy quiet, distraction-free working with this compact Bluetooth mouse, featuring 90% quieter clicks, smooth optical tracking, an ambidextrous design, and up to 18 months of battery life for laptops, tablets, and desktops. View Deal

Transfer, edit, and back up files at speeds of up to 2,000MB/s with this rugged portable SSD. It offers 1TB of storage, hardware encryption, advanced thermal management, and broad compatibility with PCs, Macs, cameras, consoles, and smartphones. View Deal

Don't travel without these devices

Reliable internet is incredibly important for me, and while I'll often opt for an eSim on my phone, TP-Link's Roam 7 BE3600 Wi-Fi 7 Portable Travel Router lets me create a secure private network from hotel, airport, or public Wi-Fi.

Built-in VPN support adds another layer of security when I'm working remotely or accessing sensitive files.

InnoView's 15.6" portable monitor is another essential piece of my travel setup. The Full HD IPS display gives me a second screen for editing, writing, or managing multiple applications at once, while the integrated stand and protective sleeve make it easy to pack and use anywhere.

I always stow Logitech's compact M240 Silent Bluetooth Mouse in my bag. It's useful for navigating my screen and silent clicks are welcome when working in cafés, airport lounges, or shared workspaces.

The long battery life means I rarely need to think about replacing batteries between trips.

Finally, I always carry a Samsung T9 Portable SSD . With transfer speeds reaching up to 2,000MB/s, it's ideal for backing up photos, moving large video files, or carrying projects between devices.

Its rugged construction, hardware encryption, and broad compatibility with laptops, desktops, cameras, and even smartphones make it one of the most useful accessories I own.

None of these products are particularly flashy, but every one of them has earned a place in my travel bag by making work easier, more secure, and more productive.

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NASA-affiliated aircraft, including F-5 Tiger IIs jets , will kick off roughly seven hours of flyovers above Washington, D.C., to mark the Fourth of July. Today, NASA also officially unveiled an F-15D Eagle and an F/A-18B Hornet jet wearing new star-spangled paint schemes as part of larger celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The aerial showcase over the nation’s capital tomorrow will also see wave after wave of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters from across the U.S. military, as well as foreign air forces. It is set to be an unprecedented aerial review, unlike anything seen in recent decades.

A full flyover schedule is available on the website of the Freedom 250 organization , the primary organizer of various 250th anniversary celebrations. A more truncated flyover program has already come and gone today. The full aerial review is set to start tomorrow at 1:14 PM ET with a “NASA F-5 Flyover,” followed immediately by a “NASA Fleet Review.”

The full Fourth of July flyover schedule from the Freedom 250 website at the time of writing. Freedom 250

The NASA “Freedom 250” F-5 team consists of four privately owned aircraft , including one that belongs to its current administrator, Jared Isaacman. They have already been taking part in various airshows and other events since April. Three of the F-5s, wearing their special 250th anniversary schemes, touched down at Andrews Air Force Base just outside of Washington, D.C., on June 30.

“Freedom 250” F-5s seen at Andrews Air Force Base on June 30. USAF USAF

Another look at one of the “Freedom 250” F-5 team aircraft. USAF

As noted, NASA has also now unveiled the F-15D and F/A-18B with their special 250th anniversary liveries, as seen at the top of this story and below. Those jets could be part of the larger NASA Fleet Review.

The F/A-18B, at left, and F-15D, wearing their new 250th anniversary liveries. NASA

The NASA F-15D seen in the process of getting its new star-spangled paint scheme. NASA

The NASA F/A-18B also seen being painted in its new livery for the Fourth Of July. NASA

Spotters in Spokane, Washington, had first caught sight of these jets yesterday. Based on the assignment of its civilian N-number registration code in May of this year, the F-15D appears to be one of two ex-Oregon Air National Guard jets that NASA acquired in January.

The F/A-18B, at left, and the F-15D, at right, seen with their new liveries in Spokane on July 2. Tom Riley

@SpokaneSkyWatch @thenewarea51 Video of the @NASA F15 and F18 taxiing for departure from @iflyspokane this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/m7hu8RK65t

— Tom Riley (@sparkysqrd) July 3, 2026

What other NASA aircraft might make an appearance is unclear. Last week, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, did share pictures of T-38 , WB-57F , and Gulfstream V aircraft with Freedom 250 emblems painted on their fuselages, but it is unknown whether they will be part of the Fourth of July event.

A trio of NASA T-38s with special emblems marking the 250th anniversary of the United States celebrations. NASA

A “Freedom 250” emblem seen on a NASA WB-57F. NASA

This NASA Gulfstream V business jet has been adorned with a Freedom 250 NASA

NASA’s fleets do include a broad selection of other aircraft, including other Gulfstream business jet models and a variant of the U-2 spy plane called the ER-2 . Earlier this year, NASA also took delivery of a new Boeing 777 . Whether any of its experimental X-planes, such as the highly unusual-looking X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology test aircraft that may help pave the way for a new era of commercial supersonic flight , might join the flyovers remains to be seen.

U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft will follow the NASA flyovers, per the Freedom 250 website, but no specific aircraft types are mentioned. Today, the Coast Guard operates a mix of MH-65 Dolphin and MH-60T helicopters , as well as HC-130J, C-27J, HC-144, C-37, and now C-39 fixed-wing aircraft. C-39 is the designation given to new Gulfstream 700 VIP jets, the first of which was delivered in January . The Coast Guard is in the process of acquiring a second one of these aircraft, which will supplement, if not eventually supplant, its C-37s, which are based on older Gulfstream types, as you can read more about here .

The first of two Gulfstream 700-based C-39 VIP jets delivered to the Coast Guard. Lennon Popp

The U.S. Army’s Golden Knights and the U.S. Navy’s Leap Frogs , both of which are parachute demonstration teams, are set to follow the Coast Guard portion of the aerial review. Whether they will jump from different aircraft or the same one, and what type of aircraft will be utilized, are unknown. The Army has aircraft dedicated to supporting the Golden Knights, including Dash-8-based C-147As and UV-18C Twin Otters .

The parachute demonstrations are to be followed by a review of Army helicopters, which could include a mixture of AH-64 Apache , UH-60 Black Hawk , CH-47 Chinook , and UH-72 Lakota types. Special Operations MH-60Ms , MH-47Gs , and AH/MH-6 Little Birds from the famed 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment , the “Nightstalkers,” might also take part. The Army also has several VH-60 Black Hawks specially configured for VIP transport missions, known as “gold tops” because of their distinctive black-and-gold paint jobs, based in the broader Washington, D.C. area, that could be included in the flovers.

Army UH-60 Black Hawks and UH-72 Lakotas seen during a previous flyover of Washington, D.C. US Army

Waves of U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy aircraft – in that order – will come after the Army helicopters pass by.

The Air Force’s three waves are broken down into “heavies,” aircraft from Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), and fighters. We know from the schedule that a “Tri-Bomber Formation” made up of a B-2, B-1, and B-52 will come later in the day, but the “heavies” mentioned here also sound likely to include a mix of cargo aircraft and aerial refueling tankers. Executive transport types might also make an appearance at this point in the festivities. The new VC-25B “Bridge” aircraft , which made its maiden flight in the Air Force One role this week in taking President Donald Trump on a trip to North Dakota, is explicitly set to be part of the larger aerial review.

The VC-25B “Bridge” aircraft. USAF

The main components of AFSOC’s fleets today are AC-130J Ghostrider gunships, MC-130J Commando II special operations tanker transports, CV-22 Osprey tiltrotors, and new OA-1K Skyraider II light attack planes. We may well see examples of all of the Air Force’s current tactical jet fleets – F-22 Raptors , F-35A Joint Strike Fighters , F-15E Strike Eagles , F-15EX Eagle IIs , F-16C/D Vipers , and A-10 Warthogs – in the “fighter” wave.

An “Executive Rotary Wing Airlift” flyover will come in between the Air Force and Marine Corps waves. The Marines are the most prominent operators of aircraft in this category, being responsible for the VH-92 , VH-60 , and VH-3 presidential helicopters , also commonly known as Marine Ones, as well as a fleet of MV-22 Ospreys used for executive airlift missions. The Army’s aforementioned “gold top” Black Hawks, as well as the Air Force’s UH-1N Twin Hueys based at Andrews Air Force Base, are in this “executive” category, as well.

A pair of VH-92As, the newest Marine One helicopter, fly in formation. Blend Qatipi

The waves of other Marine and then Navy rotary wing and fixed-wing aircraft will follow. As with the Air Force waves, it seems likely that we will see a broad swath of types that these services currently fly. On the fixed wing side, this could include F-35B and C Joint Strike Fighters , F/A-18E/F Super Hornets , EA-18G Growlers , F/A-18C/D Legacy Hornets , and KC-130J Hercules tanker-transports. On the rotary-wing front, there are MV-22 and CMV-22 Osprey tiltrotors , as well as its AH-1Z Viper , UH-1Y Venom , CH-53E Super Stallion , CH-53K King Stallion , and MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters.

It should be noted here that there are heavy restrictions on how and when uncrewed aircraft, even ones belonging to the U.S. military, can fly within the U.S. national airspace. This makes it very unlikely that drones from any of the services will be part of the aerial procession.

Flights by the Navy’s Blue Angels and its separate Super Hornet demonstration team, as well as the Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey demonstration team , are next in the program. The Blue Angels have various signature maneuvers , some of which they might be able to incorporate into their flyover.

Per the Freedom 250 website, the Navy and Marine Corps demonstration teams will be followed by another review of Air Force fighters, then the Tri-Bomber formation mentioned before. The Navy’s F-35C demonstration team will go next, and then the Air Force’s Thunderbirds .

Like the Blue Angels, the Thunderbirds have several signature maneuvers , and a “Delta Break” (more commonly referred to as a “Delta Burst”) is explicitly on the schedule. This entails the Thunderbirds’ F-16s flying in a delta formation before breaking outward, giving the appearance of a starburst in the sky. Smoke trails from the jets during the maneuver, adding to the effect, as seen in the video below.

An “Air Force One Flyover” is sandwiched between the Thunderbirds’ initial flyby and the Delta Burst per the schedule on the Freedom 250 website. Whether this will feature anything besides the new VC-25B “Bridge” aircraft remains to be seen. That plane is set to lead a “HUGE 1” flyover, the composition of which is unclear.

A “U.S. Stealth Airpower Flyover,” which would include the B-2, F-22, and F-35, comes next in the program. The F-22 Raptor demonstration team has its own specific slot in the schedule, capped off with a flyby in afterburner. The sun will still be setting at 7:53 PM ET when it is set to occur, but the visual should still be impressive. There will also be a B-1 bomber flyover with the afterburners at 8:07 PM ET.

The entire aerial review program ends with another “HUGE 1” flyover, a “Twilight Jump” by the Golden Knights, and then finally a “Night Pass” by the B-1 in afterburner at 10:36 PM ET, by which time the sun will have fully set for the day. A B-1 made a similar flight over Washington, D.C., as part of the UFC America 250 event at the White House back on June 14.

The roar of a B-1B Lancer assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, over Washington, D.C., tonight.

As America approaches its #Freedom250 anniversary, military flyovers remain a powerful tradition—honoring the past, celebrating the present and inspiring… pic.twitter.com/dyBPAA5A7y

— U.S. Air Force (@usairforce) June 15, 2026

There has been and continues to be much speculation about potential surprise appearances during the hours-long procession of U.S. military aircraft. The Air Force insists that the new B-21 Raider will not make an appearance . We also asked about whether a drone commonly and unofficially known as the “RQ-180,” or any of the demonstrators used in the Next Generation Air Domain (NGAD) program that birthed the F-47 sixth-generation fighter , might take part. We were flatly told no in response.

A pre-production B-21 Raider seen during aerial refueling testing. USAF

There is also set to be at least some degree of participation by foreign air forces, none of which is explicitly mentioned in the schedule on the Freedom 250 website.

“The national aerobatic display team of the United Arab Emirates, ‘Al Fursan,’ has arrived in the United States of America to take part in the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America,” the UAE’s Ministry of Defense notably wrote in an official post on X this morning, per a machine translation of the original Arabic. “The team will join the official air show on July 4th, flying side by side with the Blue Angels team and squadrons of the U.S. Air Force, in an extraordinary scene that embodies the depth of bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America, while reflecting the shared values and enduring partnership that unite the two nations.”

This is especially notable given that the Al Fursan team currently flies Chinese Hongdu L-15 jet trainers, as seen in the video below. This looks to be the debut appearance of any Chinese-made military aircraft in the United States.

وصول فريق الاستعراضات الجوية “فرسان الإمارات” إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية للمشاركة في احتفالات ذكرى الاستقلال الـ250

وصول فريق الاستعراضات الجوية الوطني لدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة “فرسان الإمارات” إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، للمشاركة في احتفالات الذكرى الـ250… pic.twitter.com/x0o3YQcdVH

— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) July 3, 2026

The French Patrouille de France aerobatic team, which flies Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets , has already flown over Washington, D.C., and New York City in the past two weeks as part of larger celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The French have dubbed this the “Liberté 250” tour , which they say also celebrates their historic relationship with the United States since its founding.

Arlington. Mount Vernon. Washington.

Aujourd’hui, la mission #Liberté250 a rendu hommage à quelques-uns des lieux les plus emblématiques de la mémoire américaine.

Un parcours symbolique pour célébrer près de 250 ans d’amitié entre la France et les États-Unis. pic.twitter.com/TKsVI7waqE

— Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (@Armee_de_lair) June 22, 2026

Le jour se lève en France.

Et à New York, le crépuscule s’embrase de bleu, de blanc et de rouge.

250 ans d’histoire commune #Liberté250 @America250 @PAFofficiel @Armees_Gouv pic.twitter.com/rJtEKSgBbV

— Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (@Armee_de_lair) July 2, 2026

As mentioned, tomorrow’s flyovers look set to be completely unlike anything seen in years. It will be a far larger gathering of aircraft than what was present at the parade marking the 250th Birthday of the U.S. Army last year. It will dwarf even what was put together to mark the Centennial of Naval Aviation in 2011.

Just from what’s on the public schedule, Washington, D.C., is set to see an unprecedented aerial extravaganza to mark this year’s Fourth of July.

Special thanks to Tom Riley for sharing his picture of the NASA F/A-18B and F-15D in Spokane with us.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

The post This Is The Massive Aerial Armada That Is About To Fly Over The Capital appeared first on TWZ .

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The enigmatic Scythians , a diverse group of nomadic tribes known for their ferocity in battle, were organized around elite dynasties of powerful men and women over 2,500 years ago, a new DNA study finds. The results reveal that social inequality arose in these nomadic groups around 900 B.C., during the Iron Age.

Most of what archaeologists know about the Scythians comes from ancient Greek and Roman accounts of the accomplished equestrians and from their large, mound-shaped tombs, called kurgans, that dot the Eurasian steppe grassland. The Scythians' tattooed mummies and intricate, animal-themed jewelry were as well-known in ancient times as their women warriors, who may have inspired the myth of the Amazons . But the Scythians left no written records of their own and were likely absorbed by other cultural groups after suffering several military defeats around 200 B.C.

In a study published Friday (July 3) in the journal Science Advances , researchers sequenced DNA from 85 Iron Age Scythians to better understand how these geographically spread-out groups were related and how their society was politically structured. They discovered that elite family dynasties ruled the nomadic groups from centralized locations, revealing the origin of social inequality among the Scythians.

The researchers generated genomes from the skeletons of 38 elite and 47 non-elite people buried in kurgan tombs across 20 archaeological sites between 900 and 200 B.C. The non-elite tombs were smaller than the elite tombs, and they lacked the impressive weapons and gold artifacts of the elite tombs.

Based on DNA, the researchers discovered that elite people were 11 times more likely to be related to each other than they were to be related to non-elite people, suggesting there was a powerful extended family group that ruled the steppe nomads.

Among the elite, they discovered two pairs of biological brothers, a brother and a sister, and a parent and child. In one case, the two brothers were buried at different sites some distance apart. They also found two elite grandfathers and grandsons buried in different cemeteries. But the elite people were still buried closer together than the non-elite people were.

One of the tombs, called a kurgan, prior to excavation. (Image credit: Rinat Zhumatayev) "It is possible that this indicates some degree of geographic centralization of the elite burials being on average closer to each other," study co-author Ainash Childebayeva , a genetic anthropologist at the University of Texas at Austin, told Live Science in an email. "For example, in Siberia there is an area known as the ' Valley of the Kings ' that contains many large mounds that are likely elite of the similar time period as in our study."

The researchers also investigated the historical claim by Greek authors such as Herodotus that women held high-status positions.

"An important observation from our study was the noticeable presence of elite women," study first author Ayshin Ghalichi , an archaeogeneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, said in a statement . "Nearly half of the elite individuals in our dataset were female, indicating that women held high social status within Iron Age Scythian society."

Mysterious "Golden Man"

A reconstruction of the "Golden Man," whose DNA was sequenced in the study. (Image credit: © Gulmira Mukhtarova) DNA evidence also solved a long-standing question about the " Golden Man ." This skeleton of a teenager, discovered in 1969 in a kurgan in Kazakhstan, was found with more than 4,000 gold ornaments and a silver bowl with an inscription that has never been deciphered. Although the skeleton's sex could not be determined based on the bones, experts assumed the person was a powerful male warrior, even though women held nearly equal power among the Scythians.

"Although the data we were able to generate is low coverage, we found that the individual was a lot more likely to be genetically male than female," Childebayeva said, but "we did not identify any relatedness for the Golden Man."

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The young age of the Golden Man – 17 based on his bones – and his elite burial status together provide clear evidence of elite dynastic rule, Childebayeva noted. An additional example that is "even more striking" comes from the pairing of a grandfather and his 1-year-old grandson, both buried in elite kurgans, Childebayeva said. These burials of elite children reinforce the conclusion that Iron Age steppe nomads inherited their social status.

"The results presented here further our understanding of the rise of social inequality and differentiation among ancient Eurasian nomadic groups and highlight the practices of the earliest nomadic groups of Central Eurasia in the first millennium BCE," the researchers wrote in the study.

Can you identify these historical objects of war? Test your smarts with our weapons of the world quiz!

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There are a lot of monitors out there these days, and every one of them is touting how great it is in one way or another. Whether that is visual clarity or resolution, aspect ratio, custom zoning, colors, anything like that.

However, what isn't said is that even though there are iPads that you can buy with tandem OLED displays, most people in a business context or professional context just don't need that and probably don't even understand what they're looking at, even if they had all of the monitors at their disposal. I'm saying this from experience as well. It's not just me saying that as a tech reviewer isolated in a box, but as somebody who procures monitors for a growing business.

I've had several people who, when trying to figure out what they want for a monitor, simply just say they want a 27-inch screen because that's what they're used to and that's all they need and want. I've set up several workstations with much nicer setups, only to see the settings toned down to the point where they are using it as is: a 27-inch HD monitor rather than a fantastic 4K display with color accuracy.

The USB-C feature adds a layer of simplicity to this monitor: instead of needing a dock or an HDMI plug-in, you can simply train your team to plug in their company laptop with a single USB-C cable. One-cable setups are super easy, and this monitor does that very, very well.

For those who need simple and those who don't need anything fancy, this may just be one of the perfect monitors that fits that gap, while every other monitor seems to be trying to push for the best of the best of the best in some other area that may or may not matter to the masses.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future ) Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: Price and Availability

The Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C S2725DC is widely available from Dell in all regions, as well as retailers such as Amazon. It retails for around $250 / £250.

For what you're getting, that feels like a phenomenal price to me. Especially when buying these out in bulk across multiple locations, offices, or similar setups.

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: Unboxing and First Impressions

Right out of the gate, the unboxing for this one is very similar to the last Dell 27" HD monitor that I tested. It's a very simple white box. Inside is just as simple. There is a monitor, a three-piece stand, and some included cables. The only difference is that this box includes a USB-C cable as well. That is actually a surprising length, making it long enough for you to route into a desk, pull away, or mount somewhere as well, if needed. I would have expected probably a meter or two, but this one seems to be quite a bit longer in a good way.

Once set up, I was able to plug in a test device via USB-C to confirm it had power. Then I tested it with all sorts of different devices that I had. I tested it on my MacBook, my iPad, another iPad, and my iPhone. I tested it with several other laptops and a couple of desktops, and all of them worked out great. This USB-C is quick and responsive. The screen looks sharp, and the few times that you need to use the OSD, it works well.

One thing worth noting on this is that the pop-out ports on the bottom actually work really well. Of course, they're not Thunderbolt 5 speeds, but they're fast enough to get the work done you may need to do on this: charge quick devices, transfer some smaller files, things like that. Of course, it doesn't need to have crazy high-speed transfer rates, because that's not the design of this monitor. That would be like trying to cram 57 cup holders into a Ferrari. That's just not necessary, because that's not what that vehicle is designed for. Same thing here. Why would Dell spend money and time and resources on crazy high-speed USB-C on a device that isn't designed to work that way?

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: Design & Build Quality

I've already mentioned it a little bit, but the design is simple. It's clean, and it's very work-friendly. This isn't the kind of monitor that's going to turn heads, and that's exactly what Dell was hoping for. This is the kind of monitor you would see on the desk of a data admin or an executive admin at a coworking space. Perhaps a hot desk scenario, maybe an accountant, account manager, or things of that nature.

The stand has some slight upgrades from past ones that I've griped about. Instead of a cable pass-through through the base, it actually has a little clip on the back. It's still not perfect, but it seems a little clearer and cleaner to use if you opt not to use the built-in stand. One thing to note is that the monitor is extremely light, so you will need to aggressively adjust your monitor arm to compensate for the reduced weight, which is not usually the case. Usually you have to account for heavier monitors.

There is an OSD joystick for selecting inputs, adjusting USB-C settings, or even choosing the original language when first setting up the monitor. Lastly, I do appreciate that this is a USB-C monitor, as that one-cable setup without needing another dock, another power, or another place to put a docking station really helps clean things up.

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future ) This monitor has functioned well for everyday work. I’ll be the first to note that it wouldn't be ideal for color-accurate creative work. Nor would it be great for those who try to fit everything on their display at once, expecting a high-resolution screen to help by scaling. It’s not for video editors, photo editors, creatives, gamers, or those.

But for people who work on spreadsheets, project management, emails, web-based content, writing documents, working with AI, perhaps even basic coding, and things in this realm, those who don’t have a specialty niche when it comes to displays, this will work great. I immediately thought of my friends who work in finance and Insurance. These guys would kill for a monitor like this, as it does exactly what they need without any fluff. It’s not going to take their time to set up and understand.

Well, of course, the single USB-C is a huge benefit for this monitor. It's also super great for IT professionals who need a simple setup to run a server or plug into a server room or something like that. Other devices can be plugged into the HDMI ports, and then when they walk in with their laptop, they can plug in with USB-C. You could, of course, also plug in other devices via USB-C, like desktops, but that would also be just as easy to plug in an HDMI cable. That's not necessarily a huge selling point.

One of the many things that USB-C can transfer is audio, and while this monitor does have speakers, do not expect them to be anything fancy. You can potentially get away with some background audio, maybe some lo-fi beats on Spotify or a virtual meeting, but I wouldn't expect these to be anything crazy or clear. They'll get the job done in some scenarios, but not in many.

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future ) All in all, I think it's pretty clear that this is a simple monitor for simple needs for those who don't have a niche need. Nor do they want to spend what some people spend on a car on a monitor.

Monitor technology has gotten incredible. I would know. I've tested most monitors out right now, and while I do love a fancy monitor, there is something to be said for a simple one that is just plug-and-play, without any bells and whistles, that still costs a very reasonable $200-$250.

There's still plenty of demand for that kind of display, and Dell putting out this monitor shows exactly that.

Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future For more top-performers, we've tested the best business monitors .