Building the next generation of robots for successful integration into our homes, offices, and factories is more than just solving the hardware and software problems – we also need to understand how they will be perceived and how they can work effectively with people in those spaces.

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In summer 2025, RAI Institute set up a free popup robot experience in the CambridgeSide mall, designed to let people experience state-of-the-art robotics first hand. While news stories about robots and AI are common, with some being overly critical and some overly optimistic, most people have not encountered robots in the flesh (or metal) as it were. With no direct experience, their opinions are largely shaped by pop culture and social media, both of which are more focused on sensational stories instead of accurate information about how the robots might be used effectively and where the technology still falls short. Our goal with the popup was two-fold: first, to give people an opportunity to see robots that they would otherwise not have a chance to experience and second, to better understand how the public feels about interacting with these robots.

Designing a Robot Experience for the General Public

Some earlier versions legged robots, built by the RAI Institute’s Executive Director, Marc RaibertRAI Institute

The ANYmal by ANYrobotics (left) and a previous model of the RAI Institute’s UMV (right)RAI Institute

The pop-up space had two areas: a museum area where people could see historical and modern robots, including some RAI Institute builds like the UMV and an interactive experience called “Drive-a-Spot”. This area was a driving arena where anyone who came by could take the controls of a Spot quadruped, one of the more recognizable, commercially available robots available today.

The guest robot drivers used a custom controller built on an adaptive video game controller that was designed so that anyone of any age could use it. It featured basic controls: move forward, back, left, right, adjust height, sit, stand, and tilt. The buttons were large so that tiny or elderly hands could use the controller and the people who drove Spot ranged in age from two to over 90.

The guest robot drivers used a custom controller built on an adaptive video game controller that was designed so that anyone of any age could use it.RAI Institute

The demo area was designed to be a bit challenging for the Spot robot to maneuver in – it contained tight passages, low obstacles to step over, a barrier to crouch under, and taller objects the robot had to avoid. Much to the surprise of many of our guests, Spot is able to autonomously adjust itself to traverse and avoid those obstacles when being supervised by the joystick.

RAI Institute

The driving arena’s theme rotated every few weeks across four scenarios: a factory, a home, a hospital, and an outdoor/disaster environment. These were chosen to contrast settings where robots are broadly accepted (industrial, emergency response) with settings where public ambivalence is well-documented (domestic, healthcare).

The visitors who chose to drive the Spot robot could also participate in a short survey before and after their driving experience. The survey focused on two core dimensions:

• Comfort: how comfortable would you feel if you encountered a robot in a factory, home, hospital, office, or outdoor/disaster scenario?
• Suitability: how well would this robot work in each of those contexts?

The survey also recorded emotional reactions immediately after driving, likelihood to recommend the experience, and open-ended responses about what they found memorable or surprising. The researchers were careful to separate the environment participants drove through from the scenarios they were asked to evaluate in the survey). This distinction is important for interpreting the results given below.

Did Interacting with the Robot Change People’s Feelings about Robots?

Out of approximately 10,000 guests that visited the Robot Lab, 10 percent of those drove the Spot and opted-in to our surveys. Of those surveyed, more than 65% of people had seen images or videos of Spot robots online, but most had never seen one of the robots in person.

Increased Comfort Through Experience

Across all five contexts presented in the survey (factory, home, hospital, office, and outdoor/disaster scenarios), comfort scores increased significantly after the driving session. The effects were small to moderate in magnitude, but they were consistent and statistically robust after correcting for multiple comparisons across all participants spanning children to older adults.

The largest gain appeared in the outdoor/disaster context, which started with low comfort despite high-perceived suitability. People already thought Spot would be useful in search-and-rescue scenarios; they just weren’t comfortable with it performing in that scenario. This discomfort may stem from media portrayals of quadruped robots in military contexts. A few minutes of hands-on control appears to partially dissolve that apprehension.

Participants who drove through the factory-themed arena showed no significant increase in comfort, but this scenario already had the highest rating of any rated context at baseline, leaving little room for improvement.

No matter their previous experience, most people were neutral about having a Spot robot in their home before their driving experience. However, after the experience of controlling the Spot robot, people had a statistically significant increase in their comfort at having a Spot in their home and also felt that a Spot robot was more suitable for work in any environment, not just the one they had driven it in.

Better Understanding of Where Robots Can Fit into Daily Life

Perceived suitability for Spot to operate in each context also increased. However, the pattern in the data is different. The largest gains weren’t in the high-baseline industrial and outdoor contexts. They were in home, office, and hospital – the very environments where people started out most skeptical.

Participants who drove the Spot robot in a home-themed environment didn’t just consider homes more suitable for robots; they also rated hospitals and offices as more suitable. This result suggests that hands-on control alters something more fundamental than just context-specific familiarity. It may change a person’s underlying understanding of a robot’s capabilities and, consequently, where they believe robots are appropriate.

Results by Demographic

The hands-on experience seems to be similarly effective across genders, although it does not completely eliminate existing disparities. For example, men reported higher baseline comfort than women across all five contexts. However, all genders improved at similar rates after interaction. The gap didn’t significantly widen or close in most contexts, though it did narrow in factory and office settings.

Age effects were more context dependent. Children (aged 8–17) rated factory environments as less comfortable and less suitable before the study. However, this could be because most children do not have experience with factory settings or industrial environments. After interaction, this gap largely persisted. By contrast, children showed stronger gains in office comfort than older adults and entered the study rating home contexts more favorably than adults did.

Participants ranged from age 8 to over age 75.RAI Institute

Participants who had previously driven Spot (mainly robotics professionals) began with higher comfort across the board. But after the hands-on session, people with no prior exposure caught up to experienced drivers. This level of familiarity would be difficult to replicate with images and videos alone.

Post-Interaction Results

Post-interaction emotional data was overwhelmingly positive. “Excitement” was reported by 74% of participants, “happiness” by 50%, and only 12% reported “nervousness.” Over 55% rated the experience as “brilliant” and 62% said they were very likely to recommend it to a friend.

The open-ended responses added a lot more color. The most commonly mentioned moments were locomotion and terrain adaptation (22%). This included the way Spot navigated steps, tight spaces, and uneven ground and expressive tilt movements (22%), which people found surprisingly dog-like or dance-like. A smaller set of responses (3%) described anthropomorphic reactions: worrying about “hurting” the robot or finding its behavior “silly” in a way that prompted genuine emotional response.

When asked what tasks they’d want a robot to perform, responses shifted meaningfully. Before driving, answers clustered around domestic assistance and heavy or hazardous labor. After driving, domestic help remained prominent, but entertainment and play jumped from 7.5% to 19.4%. Companionship also appeared at 5%. References to hazardous or industrial tasks declined as people who had operated the robot began imagining it as a companion and playmate, not just a labor-replacement tool.

Key Takeaways from The Robot Lab

In the not-so-distant future, robots will become more common in public and private spaces. But whether that integration into daily life will be accepted by the general public remains to be seen. The standard approach to building acceptance has been passive exposure such as videos, exhibits, and articles. This study suggests giving people agency and letting them actually operate a robot is a qualitatively different intervention.

Short, well-designed, hands-on encounters can raise comfort in precisely the social domains where ambivalence is highest and where future robotics deployment will likely take place. This hands-on experience shouldn’t be limited to tech conferences and museums, as it may be more valuable than just entertaining.

Fun for all ages!RAI Institute

We consider the popup a success, but as with all experiments, we also learned a lot along the way. For our takeaways, in addition to the increased comfort with robots, we also found that the guests to our space really enjoyed talking to the robotics experts that staffed the location. For many people, the opportunity to talk to a roboticist was as unique as the opportunity to drive a robot, and in the future, we are excited to continue to share our technical work as well as the experiences of our humans in addition to our humanoids.

Does building a space where folks can experience robots firsthand have the potential to create meaningful, long-term attitude shifts? That remains an open question. But the effect’s direction and consistency across different situations, ages, and genders are hard to ignore.

Pop-Up Encounters with Spot: Shaping Public Perceptions of Robots Through Hands-On Experience, by Hae Won Park, Georgia Van de Zande, Xiajie Zhang, Dawn Wendell, and Jessica Hodgins from the RAI Institute and the MIT Media Lab, was presented last month at the 2026 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction in Edinburgh, Scotland.

For the fifth and final time, The Boys are coming back. Season 5 of Amazon’s hit series, which was created by Eric Kripke and inspired by the comic book run by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, returns for its victory lap. That’s not to say that this is really the end — The Boys’ cinematic universe has grown with spinoffs Gen V, the short-lived Diabolical animated series and the other in-development spin-off currently in the works.

But by all accounts, this is the last run of Homelander and Billy Butcher’s respective crews. Their five-season-long story arc, and the enduring battle between Butcher’s resistance fighters and Vought’s 7, will reach its final crescendo. Needless to say, the internet is about to be lit up with Supe reviews, rumors and gossip.

All the familiar faces are back, including Antony Starr, Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Chace Crawford, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso and Tomer Capone. Jensen Ackles makes his return as Soldier Boy; his Supernatural co-stars Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins are also on board for the new season.

Scroll on to learn when and where to watch The Boys season 5 and more streaming details.

Read more: Prime Video: 24 of the Best Sci-Fi TV Shows You Need to Stream Right Now

When does The Boys season 5 come out?

The Boys will have a two-episode premiere for its fifth season, kicking off on Wednesday, April 8, at 12 a.m. PT (3 a.m. ET) on Prime Video. Each Wednesday after, a new episode will drop until the finale, which is scheduled to hit streaming on May 20.

Here’s the complete episode schedule:

• Episode 1: Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite — April 8
• Episode 2: Teenage Kix — April 8
• Episode 3: Every One of You Sons of Bitches — April 15
• Episode 4: Though the Heavens Fall — April 22
• Episode 5: One-Shots — April 29
• Episode 6: King of Hell — May 6
• Episode 7: The Frenchman, the Female and the Man Called Mother’s Milk — May 13
• Episode 8: Blood and Bone — May 20

Prime Video is one of the membership perks of Amazon Prime, which costs $15 a month or $139 a year. If you’d like a membership but don’t want to get Amazon Prime, you can do so for $9 a month. 

Prime Video’s standard service comes with ad breaks for viewers in the US. If you want to go ad-free, there’s an additional $3 monthly fee. This option is available to both Amazon Prime subscribers and those who pay for a standalone Prime Video membership. For more information about the streamer, check out our review.

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How to watch The Boys season 5 with a VPN

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However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance. 

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If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions, ensuring you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN usage is crucial.

While browsing our website a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon “How and When the Memory Chip Shortage Will End” by Senior Editor Samuel K. Moore. His analysis focuses on the current DRAM shortage caused by AI hyperscalers’ ravenous appetite for memory, a major constraint on the speed at which large language models run. Moore provides a clear explanation of the shortage, particularly for high bandwidth memory (HBM).

As we and the rest of the tech media have documented, AI is a resource hog. AI electricity consumption could account for up to 12 percent of all U.S. power by 2028. Generative AI queries consumed 15 terawatt-hours in 2025 and are projected to consume 347 TWh by 2030. Water consumption for cooling AI data centers is predicted to double or even quadruple by 2028 compared to 2023.

But Moore’s reporting shines a light on an obscure corner of the AI boom. HBM is a particular type of memory product tailor-made to serve AI processors. Makers of those processors, notably Nvidia and AMD, are demanding more and more memory for each of their chips, driven by the needs and wants of firms like Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic, which are underwriting an unprecedented buildout of data centers. And some of these facilities are colossal: You can read about the engineering challenges of building Meta’s mind-boggling 5-gigawatt Hyperion site in Louisiana, in “What Will It Take to Build the World’s Largest Data Center?”

We realized that Moore’s HBM story was both important and unique, and so we decided to include it in this issue, with some updates since the original published on 10 February. We paired it with a recent story by Contributing Editor Matthew S. Smith exploring how the memory-chip shortage is driving up the price of low-cost computers like the Raspberry Pi. The result is “AI Is a Memory Hog.”

The big question now is, When will the shortage end? Price pressure caused by AI hyperscaler demand on all kinds of consumer electronics is being masked by stubborn inflation combined with a perpetually shifting tariff regime, at least here in the United States. So I asked Moore what indicators he’s looking for that would signal an easing of the memory shortage.

“On the supply side, I’d say that if any of the big three HBM companies—Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix—say that they are adjusting the schedule of the arrival of new production, that’d be an important signal,” Moore told me. “On the demand side, it will be interesting to see how tech companies adapt up and down the supply chain. Data centers might steer toward hardware that sacrifices some performance for less memory. Startups developing all sorts of products might pivot toward creative redesigns that use less memory. Constraints like shortages can lead to interesting technology solutions, so I’m looking forward to covering those.”

To be sure you don’t miss any of Moore’s analysis of this topic and to stay current on the entire spectrum of technology development, sign up for our weekly newsletter, Tech Alert.

The news is full of reports from the moon-bound Integrity, otherwise known as Artemis II. Mostly, the news is good, but there has been one “Houston, we have a problem…” moment. The space toilet, otherwise known as the Universal Waste Management System or UWMS is making a burning smell while in use. While we would love to be astronauts, we really don’t want to go ten days without using the can, and it made us wonder how, exactly, the astronauts answered the call of nature.

The Old Days

Back in the Apollo-era, going to the bathroom was a messy business. The capsule wasn’t that big, and there were no women on board. So you simply strapped an adhesive-rimmed bag or tube to yourself and answered nature’s call with your two closest coworkers right there.

To add insult to injury, the “#2 bags” needed some packet mixed in to keep it from going bad in the bag before it could return to Earth for — no kidding — scientific study.

The system was far from perfect. Apollo 8 and Apollo 10 both had to do some housekeeping due to leaky bags.

Astronaut Ken Mattingly reportedly said, “Man, one of the feats of my existence the other day was, in 42 minutes, I strapped on a bag, went out of both ends, and ate lunch…. I used to want to be the first man to Mars. This has convinced me that, if we got to go on Apollo, I ain’t interested.”

Still, it was better than the first Mercury launch, where Alan Shepard famously relieved himself in his spacesuit while sitting on the pad for over eight hours. Later missions used hoses.

Things got slightly better with Skylab, where there was more room. The Shuttle also had a toilet. You got a curtain for privacy, but you couldn’t go #1 and #2 at the same time. Also, apparently, the contraptions were not easily workable for females.

Modern Times

The early International Space Station used a similar system to the shuttle. However, in 2020, the UWMS debuted. It is easier to use for the female anatomy, and it has a door. This is essentially the same bathroom crammed into Integrity. Given the size of the capsule, we doubt the door is more than a symbol, but still.

Rather than explain the UWMS operation, you can watch the video below. Note that everyone has their own funnel. There are some things you just don’t want to share.

What’s That Smell?

We don’t know what the burning smell is on Integrity, but we are sure we are going to find out. One other thing we never quite see addressed is how you clean up afterward. We aren’t sure we want to know.

Perhaps it is ironic that the first Artemis mission with a crew is having bathroom problems. After all, the Artemis slogan is “Let’s Go!” You’ll have to finish that joke on your own.

Back in 2016, NASA solicited ideas about space toilets. If you have any ideas, maybe drop them a line.

Microsoft says that Storm-1175, a China-based financially motivated cybercriminal group known for deploying Medusa ransomware payloads, has been deploying n-day and zero-day exploits in high-velocity attacks.

This cybercrime gang quickly shifts to targeting new security vulnerabilities to gain access to its victims’ networks, weaponizing some of them within a day and, in some cases, exploiting them a week before patches are released.

“Storm-1175 rapidly moves from initial access to data exfiltration and deployment of Medusa ransomware, often within a few days and, in some cases, within 24 hours,” Microsoft said.

“The threat actor’s high operational tempo and proficiency in identifying exposed perimeter assets have proven successful, with recent intrusions heavily impacting healthcare organizations, as well as those in the education, professional services, and finance sectors in Australia, United Kingdom, and United States.”

Microsoft has also observed Storm-1175 operators chaining multiple exploits to gain persistence on compromised systems by creating new user accounts, deploying remote monitoring and management software, stealing credentials, and disabling security software before dropping ransomware payloads.

In October, Microsoft reported that Storm-1175 had been exploiting a maximum-severity GoAnywhere MFT vulnerability (CVE-2025-10035) in Medusa ransomware attacks for over one week before it was patched.

Another vulnerability Storm-1175 exploited as a zero-day was CVE-2026-23760, an authentication bypass in SmarterTools’ SmarterMail email server and collaboration tool.

“While these more recent attacks demonstrate an evolved development capability or new access to resources like exploit brokers for Storm-1175, it is worth noting that GoAnywhere MFT has previously been targeted by ransomware attackers, and that the SmarterMail vulnerability was reportedly similar to a previously disclosed flaw,” Microsoft added.

“These factors may have helped to facilitate subsequent zero-day exploitation activity by Storm-1175, who still primarily leverages N-day vulnerabilities.”

​In recent campaigns, Storm-1175 has exploited more than 16 vulnerabilities across 10 software products, including Microsoft Exchange (CVE-2023-21529), Papercut (CVE-2023-27351 and CVE-2023-27350), Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure (CVE-2023-46805 and CVE-2024-21887), and ConnectWise ScreenConnect (CVE-2024-1709 and CVE-2024-1708).

Microsoft has also seen them exploit vulnerabilities in JetBrains TeamCity (CVE-2024-27198 and CVE-2024-27199), SimpleHelp (CVE-2024-57726, CVE-2024-57727, and CVE-2024-57728), CrushFTP (CVE‑2025‑31161), SmarterMail (CVE-2025-52691), and BeyondTrust (CVE-2026-1731).

CISA issued a joint advisory with the FBI and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) in March 2025, warning that the Medusa ransomware gang’s attacks had impacted over 300 critical infrastructure organizations across the United States.

In July 2024, Microsoft also linked the Storm-1175 threat group, along with three other cybercrime gangs, to Black Basta and Akira ransomware attacks that exploited a VMware ESXi authentication-bypass flaw.

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Samsung isn’t chasing the soundbar market; it has effectively been running it for 12 straight years alongside two decades of dominance in global TV sales. The company’s 2026 Q-Series soundbars, the HW-Q990H, HW-Q900H, HW-Q800H, and HW-QS90H, build on that position, with the flagship Q990H and QS90H first previewed at CES 2026 and now joined by the full lineup. Following its latest OLED, Neo QLED, MiniLED, and Frame TV announcements, Samsung is tightening its grip on the TV and home audio ecosystem in one move.

Our Editor at Large Chris Boylan got to spend some quality time with the QS90H and Q990H at Samsung’s US headquarters last month and was impressed by what he saw (and heard).

Samsung Q-Series Soundbars

Samsung’s 2026 Q Series soundbars are aimed at anyone who wants a cinematic experience without dealing with an AVR or a room full of wired speakers. The focus here is scale and flexibility, delivering immersive sound that adapts to different room sizes and listening habits without requiring a dedicated home theater setup.

Q Series Soundbar Features 

Here are some key features shared across Samsung’s 2026 Q Series soundbars:

AI Dynamic Bass Control: Designed to deliver deeper, more controlled low frequencies with reduced distortion, while supporting high resolution audio up to 24-bit/96kHz.

Active Voice Amplifier Pro: This feature analyzes background noise in real time and adjusts dialogue levels accordingly, helping voices cut through without constantly reaching for the remote.

Wireless Dolby Atmos: Although Q-Series soundbars provide a Dolby Atmos-compatible HDMI-eARC connection, there is a wireless connection option. The soundbars are compatible with Dolby Atmos delivered over Wi-Fi from select streaming sources.

Pro Tip: Samsung’s Wireless Dolby Atmos is not the same as Dolby Atmos Flex Connect. 

Eclipsa Audio: Samsung’s Q-Series SoundBars incorporate Eclipsa Audio, an open immersive surround sound format developed by Samsung in partnership with Google and other companies. Similar to Dolby Atmos, Eclipsa Audio expands on traditional surround sound with the addition of height information. With Eclipsa Audio-encoded content, sound can come from all around and above the listener. This enables a more enveloping and immersive listening experience with sound emanating from all three dimensions, just like in real life. Eclipsa Audio is currently the only immersive surround sound format supported on YouTube.

Sound Elevation: Designed to align audio with what you’re seeing on screen, this feature directs sound upward so dialogue appears to come from the characters, not the soundbar sitting below the TV.

Auto Volume: Helps keep levels consistent across channels, apps, and sources, reducing those sudden jumps that usually send you scrambling for the remote. 

Q-Symphony: This feature allows Q Series soundbars to work with compatible Samsung TVs and Wi Fi speakers as a single, integrated system. It can pair with up to five Samsung audio devices, creating a more flexible home theater setup while adjusting performance based on speaker placement in the room.

SpaceFit Sound Pro: Samsung’s built-in room calibration system uses the soundbar’s onboard microphones to analyze your space and adjust playback accordingly. It can update settings automatically over time, or recalibrate when the soundbar is moved, helping maintain consistent performance without manual tweaking.

Voice Assistants and Control: Q Series soundbars support voice control via Alexa, Google Assistant, and Bixby. For those who prefer buttons, onboard controls and the upcoming Samsung Sound app handle the basics, and there’s even a dedicated Spotify Connect button. Notably, a traditional remote is not included.

HW-Q990H

The HW-Q990H is Samsung’s Q Series flagship and its most ambitious soundbar to date. It uses an 11.1.4 channel layout with three front channels, two side firing, two wide firing, and four rear channels, along with four upfiring channels split between the front and rear. The included compact subwoofer features a dual 8-inch driver design aimed at delivering serious low end without overwhelming the room.

Height effects are handled by the upfiring channels in both the bar itself and the included rear speakers, while next generation AI tuning adjusts output in real time based on both the room and the content. The goal is to deliver a level of immersion that approaches a full home theater system, without the rack of gear or the wiring that usually comes with it. Just as important, Samsung is focusing on features that address everyday soundbar frustrations rather than piling on gimmicks.

The Q990H supports Dolby Atmos and DTS-X as well as Eclipsa Audio immersive surround sound.

The main soundbar measures 48.5 inches wide, 2.8 inches high, and 5.5 inches deep, making it a solid match for 50-inch and larger TVs. It can be placed on a shelf or wall mounted.

Per editor at Large, Chris Boylan, the HW-Q990H offered a cinematic sound on DTS-X and Dolby Atmos soundtracks like “Blade Runner” and “F1” with nice immersion and surprisingly solid bass reproduction, considering the compact size of the included subwoofer.

HW-Q900H

The HW-Q900H is a step down from the Q990H but still brings a substantial feature set. It uses a 9.1.4 channel layout with three front channels, two side firing, two wide firing, and two rear channels, along with four upfiring height channels split between the front and rear. The system also includes a compact active subwoofer with a dual 8 inch driver design intended to deliver strong low end without overwhelming the room.

Unlike the flagship, the Q900H supports Dolby and Eclipsa Audio formats but does not include DTS compatibility.

The main soundbar measures 43.71 inches wide, 2.8 inches high, and 4.73 inches deep, making it a good fit for a wide range of TVs. It can be placed on a shelf or wall mounted.

HW-Q800H

The HW-Q800H is a more streamlined option in the lineup, built around a 5.1.2 channel configuration with three front channels, two side firing, and two upfiring height channels, paired with a wireless subwoofer.

Like the Q900H, it supports Dolby and Eclipsa Audio formats but does not include DTS compatibility.

The soundbar measures 43.71 inches wide, 2.8 inches high, and 4.72 inches deep, making it an easy fit for most TV setups. It can be placed on a shelf or wall mounted.

HW-QS90H

The Samsung HW-QS90H takes a different approach, trading modular expansion for simplicity. It features a self contained 7.1.2 channel design with 13 drivers, including nine wide range speakers, eliminating the need for separate surrounds or a dedicated subwoofer.

The unit features a “Convertible Fit” design which uses an internal gyroscope to detect whether it is installed horizontally (like on a credenza) or vertically (like mounted on a wall) and automatically adjusts its driver array to accommodate these different placements. The result is a soundbar that adapts to the room rather than forcing the room to adapt to it, which makes a lot more sense as living spaces get tighter.

The QS90H uses a built-in Quad Bass Woofer system, designed to deliver meaningful low frequency impact from a single enclosure, keeping floor space clear and setup straightforward.

The QS90H supports both Dolby and DTS formats as well as Eclipsa Audio.

It measures 49.02 inches wide, 2.71 inches high, and 4.92 inches deep, and can be placed on a shelf or wall mounted.

Our Editor at Large Chris Boylan tested the QS90H with several 4K Blu-rays and clips from a Kaleidescape Strato E 4K media player including “Blade Runner, “Baby Driver,” “F1” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.” He found that the bar did a convincing job drawing the viewer into the action, when mounted on a wall below the company’s S90H OLED TV. Surround sound virtualization was effective at giving the illusion of sound coming from behind the viewing position and bass was solid for a one-piece unit though he did miss the bass extension you get with a separate dedicated subwoofer. Boylan confirmed that the bar could decode both Dolby Atmos and Eclipsa Audio (DTS-X is also supported).

Comparison

The Bottom Line 

Samsung didn’t reinvent the soundbar in 2026, but it didn’t need to. What it’s doing here is doubling down on the formula that put it on top in the first place: tight integration with its TVs, flexible system scaling, and fewer wires without completely sacrificing immersion.

What’s new or at least more refined is the range itself. You now have a clearer ladder from the full surround Q990H, to the more compact Q900H and Q800H, all the way down to the one-piece QS90H, which ditches the usual box of extras and goes all in on a single enclosure. The QS90H in particular stands out because it tries to solve the biggest real world problem: people want better sound, but they don’t want more stuff in the room.

What still makes Samsung unique is ecosystem control. Q-Symphony, SpaceFit, and Wireless Dolby Atmos aren’t just features, they are leverage. Pair these with a recent Samsung TV and you get the full experience. Use another brand and you leave performance and functionality on the table. That’s not a bug, it’s the strategy.

What’s missing is just as important. DTS support is inconsistent across the lineup, which is hard to ignore for anyone with a physical media library. But they do offer Eclipsa Audio decoding, which may matter in time as more content creators create immersive audio content in that format on YouTube. There’s also still a reliance on Samsung’s ecosystem to unlock everything, which won’t sit well with buyers who mix and match brands.

So who is this for? Anyone building a TV-first home theater who wants strong, immersive sound without the complexity of separates. If you already own a Samsung TV, the case is easy. If you don’t, these are still competitive soundbars, but the real value only shows up when you stay inside the walled garden.

Pricing & Availability

HW-Q990H – $1,999.99 at Samsung

HW-Q900H – $1,499.99 (Coming Soon) 

HW-Q800H – $1,099.99 at Samsung

HW-QS90H – $999.99 (Coming Soon)

Samsung has spent the better part of the last decade dominating the TV market and building a soundbar empire, but dedicated two-channel speakers and a whole home music ecosystem have never really been part of the conversation, until now. With the $499 Music Studio 7 (LS70H) and $299 Music Studio 5 (LS50H), Samsung is making a direct move into wireless whole home audio for 2026, and it’s not doing it quietly.

Following its latest OLED, Neo QLED, MiniLED, and Frame TV launches, these new Wi-Fi speakers, first previewed at CES 2026 and now fully detailed—pair a more refined, room-friendly sound with a distinctive “dot” design from Erwan Bouroullec that actually gives them an identity in a sea of forgettable boxes. Samsung isn’t chasing louder or flashier. It’s aiming for flexible multi-room and true two-channel performance wrapped in something people might actually want to look at for more than five minutes.

What sets Samsung’s Music Studio speakers apart from most competitors is that they can be used both for whole home audio (up to 10 speakers in the home) and also used as part of a multi-speaker home theater audio system (up to 5 speakers).

Music Studio 7 and 5 Shared Features

Here are some key features that the Music Studio 7 and 5 have in common:

Style: The Music Studio 7 and 5 feature a distinctive “dot” design concept created by renowned designer Erwan Bouroullec. The idea draws from a universal symbol found throughout music and visual art, while remaining rooted in Samsung’s current industrial design language. The result is a speaker that blends into a room naturally—doing its job without screaming for attention, which is how most people actually want their speakers to behave.

Wireless Streaming: Music Studio speakers support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming, with compatibility for Google Cast, AirPlay, and Roon Ready systems. That gives users real flexibility across platforms without being locked into a single ecosystem.

Voice Assistants and Control: Users can control the Music Studio 7 and 5 via voice commands using Alexa, Google Assistant, and Bixby. Non-voice control is available through onboard controls and the Samsung Sound App (coming soon). There is also a dedicated Spotify Connect button for direct playback. A traditional remote control is not included.

Audio Lab Pattern Control: This technology manages how sound is distributed across channels, reducing overlap and congestion so effects, music, and dialogue remain clearly defined.

AI Dynamic Bass Control: Designed to deliver deeper, more controlled low frequencies with minimal distortion, this system dynamically adjusts bass output in real time while supporting high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/96kHz.

Active Voice Amplifier Pro: Samsung’s AVA analyzes ambient noise in real time so voice audio remains clear and intelligible. Enabling this feature boosts dialogue from the Music Studio 7 and 5, making it easier to hear over background noise without cranking the overall volume. This is particularly handy for listening to podcasts, audiobooks, weather and news reports in a busy home.

Wireless Dolby Atmos: The Music Studio 7 includes a Dolby Atmos-compatible HDMI eARC connection with up-firing driver for height effects, while the Music Studio 5 offers neither of these things. Both speakers can reproduce Dolby Atmos music over a wireless connection from compatible streaming services, however, the Music Studio 5 virtualizes the height effects while the Music Studio 7 offers a discrete up-firing driver for the height channel. Both speakers can be a part of a Wireless Dolby Atmos system over Wi-Fi when used with compatible Samsung TVs and select streaming sources.

Pro Tip: Samsung’s Wireless Dolby Atmos implementation is not the same thing as Dolby Atmos FlexConnect. Although the two systems share some features and functionality, they are entirely different implementations.

Eclipsa Audio: Samsung’s Music Studio wireless speakers incorporate Eclipsa Audio, an open immersive surround sound format developed by Samsung in partnership with Google and other companies. Similar to Dolby Atmos, Eclipsa Audio expands on traditional surround sound with the addition of height information. With Eclipsa Audio-encoded content, sound can come from all around and above the listener. This enables a more enveloping and immersive listening experience with sound emanating from all three dimensions, just like in real life. Eclipsa Audio is currently the only immersive surround sound format supported on YouTube.

Q-Symphony: This feature allows the Music Studio speakers to work in tandem with compatible Samsung TVs, soundbars, and Wi-Fi speakers to create a more immersive home theater system. Q-Symphony supports pairing up to five Samsung audio devices and can automatically optimize sound based on speaker placement within the room.

SpaceFit Sound Pro: Samsung’s room calibration technology is built into both Music Studio models via onboard microphones. SpaceFit analyzes your listening environment and adjusts output accordingly. It can recalibrate automatically on a daily basis or whenever the speaker is moved.

Waveguide: This design technology helps direct and disperse sound more evenly throughout the room, improving coverage so audio remains consistent regardless of where you’re sitting.

Music Studio 7 (LS70H)

The Music Studio 7 (LS70H) is the flagship of Samsung’s 2026 Wi-Fi speaker lineup, designed to deliver a more immersive listening experience from a single enclosure.

On the outside, it features a curved rectangular form that aligns with the series’ distinctive design language. Inside, Samsung has implemented a 3.1.1 channel configuration, including a built in subwoofer, with left, center, right, and top firing drivers working together to create a convincing sense of height and spatial depth without the need for a full surround system.

The LS70H measures 7.28 x 10.59 x 7.50 inches and weighs 12.35 pounds.

Music Studio 5 (LS50H)

The Music Studio 5 (LS50H) sits below the Music Studio 7 in Samsung’s 2026 Wi Fi speaker lineup and takes a different design approach, with a rounded top half and rectangular base that feels more decor friendly than most wireless speakers. It can reproduce stereo sound on its own or be paired with a second unit for a wider more enveloping soundstage. Though it has no built-in height speaker, it can reproduce virtualized Dolby Atmos immersive sound.

While it looks different from the Music Studio 7, the LS50H is still engineered to deliver controlled bass with minimal distortion and supports modern connectivity options, including Wi Fi casting, streaming services, voice control, and Bluetooth for seamless everyday use.

Inside, the Music Studio 5 uses a 2-channel configuration with a 4-inch woofer and dual tweeters, balancing clarity, low end presence, and a form factor that fits more easily into real living spaces.

The LS50H measures 9.88 x 11.18 x 5.39 inches and weighs 5.29 pounds.

Comparison

The Bottom Line 

The Music Studio 7 and Music Studio 5 mark Samsung’s most credible push yet into wireless whole home audio and two-channel audio. What makes them stand out isn’t just the feature list, it’s the combination of design, flexibility, and ecosystem integration. The Bouroullec “dot” design gives them a visual identity most wireless speakers lack, while support for Wi-Fi streaming, Roon, AirPlay, Google Cast, and Q Symphony makes them far more adaptable than the average plug and play box.

Samsung appears to be intentionally blurring categories here. The Music Studio speakers aren’t just lifestyle speakers. They can run in stereo mode, pair with each other for wider stereo separation, handle Dolby Atmos music, slot into a multi room system, or integrate into a home theater setup with Samsung TVs. That kind of versatility is where Samsung is clearly aiming to separate itself.

But there are tradeoffs. No analog input, no USB playback, and no phono stage means traditional sources are completely off the table without workarounds. If your system still revolves around physical media or external components, these aren’t built for you.

Competition is stiff. Sonos, Bluesound, Denon HEOS, Apple HomePod, and even higher end lifestyle brands like Naim all play in this space, and many offer deeper ecosystems or better support for wired sources. Samsung is betting that its design, TV integration, and Harman backed tuning will be enough to pull people in.

Who are these for? Not the purist with racks of gear and a Thorens spinning in the corner. These are for people building a modern system around streaming, multi room audio, and a Samsung TV who want something that looks good, sounds better than a soundbar on its own, and doesn’t require a weekend to set up.

Samsung isn’t just filling a gap here. It’s trying to create a new lane between soundbars and traditional stereo. Whether that lane gets crowded depends on how good they actually sound – and our initial listening sessions have us optimistic – but for the first time, it feels like Samsung is at least asking the right questions.

Pricing and Availability

Samsung Music Studio 7 (LS70H): $499.99 or less from Amazon  (available in Black)

Samsung Music Studio 5 (LS50H): $299.99 or less from Amazon (available in Black or White)

The mantra of the modern tech industry was arguably coined by Facebook (before it became Meta): “move fast and break things.”

But as enterprise infrastructure has shifted into a dizzying maze of hybrid clouds, microservices, and ephemeral compute clusters, the “breaking” part has become a structural tax that many organizations can no longer afford to pay. Today, two-year-old startup NeuBird AI is launching a full-scale offensive against this “chaos tax,” announcing a $19.3 million funding round alongside the release of its Falcon autonomous production operations agent.

The launch isn’t just a product update; it is a philosophical pivot. For years, the industry has focused on “Incident Response”—making the fire trucks faster and the hoses bigger. NeuBird AI is arguing that the only sustainable path forward is “Incident Avoidance”.

As Venkat Ramakrishnan, President and COO of NeuBird AI, put it in a recent interview: “Incident management is so old school. Incident resolution is so old school. Incident avoidance is what is going to be enabled by AI”.

By grounding AI in real-time enterprise context rather than just large language model reasoning, the company aims to move site reliability engineering and devops teams from a reactive posture to a predictive one.

The AI divide: a reality check on automation

Accompanying the launch is NeuBird AI’s 2026 State of Production Reliability and AI Adoption Report, a survey of over 1,000 professionals that reveals a massive disconnect between the boardroom and the server room.