This feeder also comes with extra plastic flowers and a little brush for scrubbing them, and the app sends reminders when it’s time to clean. You’ll also find fun, seasonal touches in the app, like the ability to send digital bird holiday cards with the photos your feeder captures, and a tool that superimposes hats, clothes, and various accessories on the birds, which is actually funnier than it sounds. However, as with the Birdbuddy Pro seed feeder, below, the big downside is that the feeder’s sensor doesn’t always pick up every bird that visits, which can definitely be a bummer when you see something interesting out the window but it doesn’t show up in the app.

Best Smart Birdhouse

Smart Bird Feeder With the Best App

The photos aren’t nearly as impressive as those by competitors like the Birdfy Pro Duo, Camojojo Hibird, or Kiwibit, and the camera, frustratingly, only captures a small portion of the birds that actually visit. However, Birdbuddy’s app is a consistent standout, with a user-friendly design and plenty of helpful alerts, like if a cat is detected nearby, or if it’s time to clean the feeder.

It also serves you insights gathered over time, like what time certain species seem to prefer to visit. (Finches apparently like to visit my yard at 10 am daily.) The Birdbuddy also “sleeps” at night and does not seem to emphasize capturing photos of people, so it wouldn’t make a good choice to double as a security camera, and there are also unique seasonal features like the ability to send holiday cards or “dress up” visiting birds with hats, glasses, and sweaters. (It is funnier than it sounds, really!) Both Birdbuddys work with 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi only.

Another Birdbuddy downside is the infuriatingly small, hinged opening for filling the 4 cups’ worth of seed. The feeder comes with its own spouted cup, but I have yet to fill the feeder without making an enormous mess. I also tested the 3-in-1 Nutrition Set ($39), which includes a screw-on tray that can variably become a water fountain, jelly dish, or fruit stake for fruit-loving species like orioles. I’ve used it as a jelly dish and water fountain and found that it blocks enough of the perch area that birds tend to shift out of camera view to avoid it. However, this feeder is still worth it for those who like a more streamlined app experience or want to take advantage of some of its unique sharing features, especially Premium’s ability to share your feeder livestream with others.

If You Want to Use an Existing Bird Feeder

If you have a non-smart bird feeder you already like, or are interested in building your own and are just looking for a camera, Hibird’s stand-alone DIY feeder camera is what you want. It’s compatible with both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz Wi-Fi bands—a rarity for bird-feeder cameras—and the cute green owl face streams the same better-than-average-quality 4K HD video and 32 MP pics as the bigger Hibird feeder, above. There is a subscription tier with features like increased storage, but the camera is still usable without it. There’s an auxiliary solar panel included for charging, and you can mount it via its quarter-inch nut on the included bendable arm and bracket, or jury-rig a custom solution. It pairs seamlessly with the Hibird app, with access to AI (which is just OK), livestreaming, and the Dr. Bird ChatGPT-like feature, where you can ask bird-related questions. (The answers are corny and not as granular as they could be, but the function still could be useful for some.)

Foundation Future Industries, a San Francisco startup founded in April 2024, has secured $24 million in research contracts with the US Army, Navy, and Air Force to test humanoid robots designed to breach enemy positions. The company’s Phantom MK-1 is a 5-foot-9, 176-pound humanoid with 19 upper-body degrees of freedom, five-fingered hands, a camera-first vision system, and an LLM-driven autonomy stack that blends independent operation with supervised teleoperation. Two units were sent to Ukraine in February for frontline testing in logistics and reconnaissance, described as the first deployment of humanoid robots to any theatre of combat. The company is seeking $500 million in new funding at a valuation exceeding $3 billion. Its chief strategy adviser is Eric Trump, the son of the sitting president, a detail that prompted Senator Elizabeth Warren to call the Pentagon contracts “corruption in plain sight.” The company’s CEO previously ran a fintech startup that went bankrupt with tens of millions in consumer deposits unaccounted for.

The machine

The Phantom MK-1 walks at 1.7 metres per second, carries a 44-pound payload, runs on eight cameras with no bulky LiDAR, and uses proprietary cycloidal actuators delivering up to 160 newton-metres of torque. Its AI stack translates high-level task instructions into motion through an LLM pipeline, with operators retaining final authority over lethal decisions. The unit cost is approximately $150,000, with a lease model available at $100,000 per year. The MK-2, expected this month, consolidates electronics to reduce short-circuit risk, adds waterproofing and larger battery packs, increases payload capacity to 175 pounds, and uses cast-moulded bodywork to speed manufacturing and reduce costs. Foundation’s production targets are 40 units in 2025, 10,000 in 2026, and 50,000 by the end of 2027, with a steady-state target of 30,000 per year. Those numbers would require a manufacturing scale-up of 250 times in two years on a total funding base of roughly $21 million.

The company was founded by Sankaet Pathak, previously the CEO of Synapse, a banking-as-a-service platform that filed for bankruptcy in 2024; Arjun Sethi, CEO of Tribe Capital, which led Foundation’s $11 million pre-seed round; and Mike LeBlanc, a 14-year Marine Corps veteran and co-founder of Cobalt Robotics. LeBlanc provides the military credibility and has said the company believes there is “a moral imperative to put these robots into war instead of soldiers.” In June 2024, CNBC reported that Foundation had been fundraising with exaggerated claims about ties to General Motors, including assertions that GM had committed to invest and placed a $300 million purchase order. GM flatly denied all of it. LeBlanc confirmed the denial and said he was “embarrassed” the marketing materials existed. For a company asking the Pentagon to trust its robots in combat, the credibility gap matters.

The contracts

The $24 million in Pentagon contracts includes an SBIR Phase 3 designation, which qualifies Foundation as an approved military vendor, and specific research agreements for testing humanoid robots in breaching scenarios. Some contracts were inherited through the acquisition of a company called Boardwalk, including a US Air Force SBIR award valued at approximately $1.8 million. Eric Trump appeared on Fox Business to tout the contracts. Warren’s response was immediate: “Is the Pentagon a cash machine for Trump’s kids?” The political dimension is unavoidable. A sitting president’s son serving as chief strategy adviser to a company receiving Defence Department contracts raises governance questions regardless of the company’s technical merits. The contracts are real, but they are small. Shield AI recently raised $2 billion to scale its autonomous combat pilot, an AI system called Hivemind that flies aircraft autonomously and has been tested in combat conditions. Anduril secured a landmark $20 billion, ten-year US Army contract in March for its AI-enabled Lattice platform. Foundation’s $24 million is a research agreement, not a production order. The gap between a research contract and a deployed weapons system is measured in billions of dollars and years of testing.

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The Ukraine deployment adds a different kind of credibility. Two Phantom MK-1 units sent for logistics runs and reconnaissance sweeps in February represent real-world testing in a live conflict zone, and Foundation is using battlefield feedback to refine the MK-2 design. But “tested in Ukraine” is not “deployed in combat.” No humanoid robot has fired a weapon in a conflict. The units performed support tasks. The distinction matters because the company’s marketing, its fundraising narrative, and its Pentagon contracts all converge on the idea of a humanoid soldier, and the technology is not there yet. NATO-backed ARX Robotics secured 31 million euros for its autonomous battlefield robots, ground vehicles that perform logistics and reconnaissance without the complexity of bipedal locomotion. ARX Robotics is already scaling production of autonomous land drones to 1,800 units a year at a new UK plant, a manufacturing reality that Foundation’s targets have not yet approached.

The debate

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, a coalition of more than 250 NGOs, has been advocating for a new international legal instrument ensuring human control in the use of force since 2013. Approximately 90 states have called for such an instrument. A minority of militarised states, including the United States and Russia, have blocked its adoption. In November 2025, the UN General Assembly First Committee adopted a resolution with 156 states in favour and 5 against calling for negotiations on autonomous weapons. The Group of Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems has sessions scheduled for 2026 and is expected to submit a final report to the Convention on Conventional Weapons in November. This is the last year of the GGE’s mandate, making 2026 a make-or-break year for international regulation of autonomous weapons.

Foundation’s stated policy is that human operators retain final authority over lethal decisions, a “human-in-the-loop” commitment that the Pentagon’s own Directive 3000.09 on autonomy in weapon systems requires for autonomous and semi-autonomous platforms. But the company’s LLM-driven autonomy stack and its stated ambition to “reduce teleoperation needs over time” are in tension with that commitment. An LLM-driven task-to-motion pipeline that learns to operate more independently with each iteration is, by design, moving toward the autonomous capability that the international community is trying to regulate. The AI warfare push that made Helsing one of Europe’s most valuable tech firms, valued at 12 billion euros for military AI software that coordinates drone swarms, shows the scale of capital flowing into autonomous military systems. The ethical guardrails are voluntary. The funding incentives point in one direction.

The race

China demonstrated a motion-controlled humanoid robot for military tasks at an international military cadets event in Nanjing. WuBa Intelligent Tech secured approximately $69 million for its RoboWolf quadrupeds, backed by NORINCO, the state-owned defence conglomerate. The Pentagon added Unitree, a consumer robot-dog maker, to its Chinese Military Companies list in February 2026. War on the Rocks reported on a hidden system turning Chinese technology companies into military suppliers. Viral videos purporting to show a Chinese humanoid robot army were debunked by France 24 as AI-generated fakes, but the fakes themselves reflect the narrative arms race: the perception that a country is building robot soldiers may matter as much as the reality in shaping defence budgets and procurement decisions.

Russia has established an Unmanned Systems Forces as a new military branch, is deploying the Kurier autonomous mortar system that loads and fires without human input, and is rapidly expanding its ground drone fleet in Ukraine. Neither country has deployed humanoid robots in combat. The military robotics that are actually in use, on both sides of the Ukraine war and in US border patrol and base security operations, are wheeled, tracked, or quadruped. They succeed because they are simple, cheap, and expendable. A bipedal humanoid that costs $150,000 and falls over on rough terrain is none of those things. Defence tech venture capital hit a record $49.1 billion in 2025, nearly double the prior year, and Goldman Sachs projects 50,000 to 100,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2026 across all sectors. Surging defence stocks that signal huge potential for military tech startups have created a funding environment where the pitch “humanoid robot soldiers” opens cheque books. Whether the technology justifies the pitch is a question the battlefield will answer, and the battlefield, so far, favours wheels over legs.

After 15 years as Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook will be stepping down from the role in September. 

On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I discussed Apple’s big announcement. We reflected on how Apple has changed since Cook took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, and what challenges incoming CEO John Ternus will be facing.

“If you look at a certain camp, it is very much like, ‘John Ternus is a product guy and this is going to be amazing’ and it’s very nostalgic and going back to Steve Jobs,” Kirsten said. “But I think what people forget is that Tim Cook actually made another product, which was completely around operations.”

Similarly,  Sean noted that Cook has given Ternus a strong “running start” as “the company’s numbers just sort of keep going up.” But a running start doesn’t guarantee victory: “How much volatility is around the corner? Are we really looking at a situation [with] the breaking apart of a global economy, along with the rise of artificial intelligence changing how business gets done?”

Keep reading for a preview — edited for length and clarity — of our full conversation.

Anthony: The decisions that Apple makes also trickle down to a bunch of other companies, because there are all kinds of startups that maybe don’t build their entire business on the iOS platform, but certainly a significant part of their business comes on the iPhone.

Kirsten: I think it’s been really interesting to see the different pockets of the tech world responding to whether this is a good or bad move and [asking] what were the successes of Tim Cook and what does Apple need now?

If you look at a certain camp, it is very much like, “John Ternus is a product guy and this is going to be amazing” and it’s very nostalgic and going back to Steve Jobs. But I think what people forget is that Tim Cook actually made another product, which was completely around operations. And there has been some really interesting coverage, in even books that have done deep dives into this. His operations strategy is an Apple product. And it changed whole economies. 

The question to me is: What happens when a strategist and operations guy leaves? Who is filling that void? Because you can make great products, and that’s very important in the Apple universe for sure. But you need to have an operations strategy. And the world is changing, it isn’t the same as it was when Tim Cook was first building this out.

Sean: It isn’t, but  it’s hard to imagine a better running start to get as a new CEO than the company that Tim Cook has built. 

As much as people complain about some of Apple’s products stagnating, the iPhone hasn’t really changed the design in many generations, whatever new products you do get are very kind of niche and overthought, like the Vision Pro —  for all of that, the company’s numbers just sort of keep going up. They’re bringing in a ton of revenue. They make an incredible amount of money from the services business that Tim Cook spun up. 

They’re doing, in some ways, better brand-building than in a while, by even going out and making content, like winning an Oscar for a movie, there’s just so much going on. And it seems like such a sturdy business, even in turbulent times, that Ternus can not have to worry about what the first year looks like. 

We should say: Tim Cook is resigning as CEO in September this year. He’s also going to be executive chairman. So I think the idea here is, Tim Cook’s not going away and he’s still going to be your sort of shield against, and also sort of partner with, the Trump administration. Because he certainly has proved his ability to do that — sacrificing, I think, what many people would argue are some of Apple’s values in the process, in order to make sure those relationships are durable enough. Donald Trump even put a Truth Social post out about how Tim Cook kisses his ass all the time, in response to this news. 

So the question, with all that said, is: As comfortable a start as this probably is for Ternus, how much volatility is around the corner? Are we really looking at a situation [with] the breaking apart of a global economy, along with the rise of artificial intelligence changing how business gets done? Is that something that’s really going to be easy for him to handle? And who is he going to put alongside him to make sure he’s able to handle it?

Anthony: And I think related to that is the question [is,] Apple seems to have a very durable business right now, both on the hardware side and increasingly on the service side, but to what extent can it continue to have that business just playing the old hits? At what point does it actually need to create a new product category?

I don’t know the exact answer to that. And maybe the iPhone [and] the creation of the smartphone category, in particular, is a once-in-a-generation kind of thing, you can’t really expect that to happen every 10 years or more.

I think there’s also this interesting question around AI. It seems like that is not a category that Apple has had a lot of success in, and maybe that’s okay. Maybe whatever products end up breaking through there, that’s just software on your iPhone, on your MacBook, and Apple is fine not having to build all of that [and] instead doing these partnerships like it’s doing. 

But I don’t think that’s guaranteed. I think there’s probably a lot of stress and concern about what that future looks like.

Kirsten: Just really quickly, I was going to say that also Apple can and does have the cash on hand to make some big bets and acquisitions. And I’ll be really curious to see how John [Ternus] executes on that.

I mean, one of the places where I reported on Apple was the special projects team, Project Titan, the supposed Apple car, and that seems to have petered out and a lot of money was spent on that. Is he going to make any big bets? 

You guys were talking about cash on hand, and I think it’s more than $45 billion at the end of 2025. So they have a lot of money to play around with. Is he going to do anything with it in the near term?

Sean: The other thing I think we should point out is, as we talk about Apple having a durable business, the App Store is also really crushing it lately. Sarah Perez wrote a really good story this week for us about all the different ways that numbers are up in the App Store — installs, new releases to the App Store, it’s just a really fascinating look for anybody who wants to dig into some data of one of the biggest sort of software marketplaces in the world.

In a world where everybody’s talking about how your ability to vibe code anything is going to remove the need for distributed software, [the App Store] is clearly proving that wrong.

from the so-you-say dept

This week, our first place winner on the insightful side is Thad with a comment about Palantir’s general creepiness:

I mean, yeah, the name of their company is basically “I read Lord of the Rings and wanted to be Sauron.”

In second place, it’s MrWilson with a comment about Arkansas’s latest failed attempt to pass an unconstitutional social media law:

This is another one of those scenarios where it functionally doesn’t matter if the sponsors/authors of such bills are constitutionally illiterate or maliciously anti-constitutional. The result is the same. It’s at least performative for voters and campaign donors that you’re “doing something,” but if it passes, and it doesn’t get struck down immediately, and it has confusing and contradictory language, that’s a feature, not a bug. If the social media companies can’t figure out how to legally offer their services to children, they’ll opt out of doing so entirely—the same way the demise of Section 230 would require shutting down user input to avoid massive lawsuit damages. That’s a win for authoritarian conservatives who want to control narratives and legitimize only their preferred propaganda outlets. Notice that no censorial conservative legislator writes has their lobbyists write a law targeting Truth Social’s practices.

For editor’s choice on the insightful side, we start out with an anonymous comment about a certain type of person that’s well-represented in the Palantir crowd:

They all think they’re John Galt personified

I expect everyone to read “Atlas Shrugged” when they’re a teenager.

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And by the time they’re in their early or mid 20’s, I expect them to have acquired the intellectual maturity to figure out that it’s absolute bullshit from cover to cover.

Those who are incapable of this tend to try to use it as an instruction manual and cast themselves as saviors of the people, fearless leaders whose lofty goals must triumph, blah blah blah. As the best line in a series of bad movies observes: “There are always men like you.”

Next, it’s another comment from Thad, this time about Netgear’s mysterious exemption to the Trump FCC’s router ban:

Is it bribes?

I bet it’s bribes.

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Over on the funny side, our first place winner is an anonymous reply to a tiresome rant that accused Techdirt of falling for propaganda:

Are you a vampire?

Because damn, that’s a complete lack of self-reflection you have there.

In second place, it’s another anonymous comment, this time about the gross camaraderie on display at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner:

I imagine their laughter sounds like a ‘collaboration’ of turkey noises.

‘Gobbels Gobbels Gobbels!’

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For editor’s choice on the funny side, we start out with a comment from dfbomb about Minnesota manners:

Ah, I see, a non-native. Let me explain local culture and language:

Much like a Hawaiian “Aloha”, in Minnesotan “Fuck ICE” is both “hello” and “goodbye.”

Finally, it’s one last comment from Thad, this time about the Fifth Circuit ruling that Texas’s ten commandments law is constitutional:

Sounds like the Satanic Temple’s time to shine.

That’s all for this week, folks!

Wearable tech might be heading for a reset. We’ve already seen less intrusive devices like smart rings take off, but researchers are now pushing things further by stitching health tracking directly into clothing.

Researchers at National University of Singapore have developed a new battery-free textile system that can monitor blood pressure in real time, potentially turning everyday clothing into a full-time health tracker. The system, detailed in a recent Nature Electronics paper and reported by Tech Xplore, removes one of the biggest limitations of wearable, which is the need to constantly recharging the gadgets.

How the smart fabric breaks the wearable mold

Rather than relying on a built-in battery, the smart fabric uses ultra-thin sensors that stick directly to the skin and connect through a specially designed fabric. A “metamaterial” is at the center of this system, which is a carefully engineered fabric that wirelessly transfers power from a nearby smartphones to the sensors.

The setup splits power delivery and data communication into separate frequency channels that can help avoid interference and keeps the signal stable. In simpler terms, your phone acts as both the power source and the data hub that actively collects health data. So you won’t have to deal with the hassle of charging multiple gadgets. Being one of the biggest annoyances

Real-time tracking, even during workouts

The system focuses on monitoring systolic blood pressure, which measures the force of blood flow during heartbeats. In early tests, it was able to track these readings accurately even while users were exercising. This is where many wearable sensors struggle. So the level of consistency can be useful for long-term health tracking or early detection of cardiovascular issues.

The sensors themselves are extremely thin and flexible, designed to sit directly on the skin without getting in the way of movement. The textile layer then connects multiple sensors into a network, allowing continuous data collection across the body.

Battery-free wearables have been explored before. Though this approach does bring everything together into something closer to real-world use. By embedding the system into fabric, the researchers are pushing toward clothing that works as a passive health monitor rather than a separate device you have to remember to wear.

Running a fan page for your favorite celebrity is harder than you think. Once you pull back the curtain on what actually goes into managing these accounts, you realize that it’s far more demanding than most people would expect.

The BBC reported on how admiration for a public figure often turns into something closer to a full-time job, complete with pressure, expectations, and constant online scrutiny.

Why running a fan account isn’t all fun and games

Fan accounts don’t run themselves. Many of these pages are updated constantly and consistently, tracking every appearance, post, or public mention of a celebrity. The goal here is to stay relevant, fast, and visible in an algorithm-driven ecosystem.

This translates to late nights, early updates, and an always-on mindset. Missing a single major update can cost engagement, which is everything in the world of social media fandom.

When fandom starts to feel like work

These aren’t anonymous content farms. The people behind these accounts are often deeply connected to the celebrities they follow, which brings its own set of challenges. The report highlights fans running large accounts dedicated to global pop stars like Taylor Swift and K-pop acts such as BTS, where expectations are especially intense.

Some admins described spending hours each day editing videos, translating content, and tracking updates just to keep their pages active. Fan page admins often find themselves pulled into arguments with rival fandoms, where even small disagreements can spiral into targeted harassment.

From the outside, fan pages might seem like a stream of edits, clips, and appreciation posts. In reality, they run on constant effort, emotional energy, and a need to keep up with a fast-moving internet culture. It might still seem worth it for many. But the idea that it’s easy or effortless doesn’t hold up once you see what’s happening behind the screen.

My morning coffee routine is one of my most sacred rituals, and there are plenty of affordable accessories that can make that first cuppa feel even more special. That’s true whether you rely on a dedicated coffee machine, a French press, a stovetop coffee maker or an AeroPress for your caffeine hit. (Me? I own all of the above, and switch between them depending on the occasion. No, I don’t have a problem.)

Below I’ve rounded up a selection of accessories that will give your coffee station an instant boost. All come in under $50, but most are sub-$20, and all can make a small but notable difference to your caffeine routine. My top pick is a Yeti travel mug, which is is equally great whether you’re sipping slowly at home or rushing around trying to get chores done. I have the Rambler travel ‘bottle’ and it’s completely leak-proof (even if I chuck it upside-down in my bag) and keeps my drink hot all morning. I’m also a huge fan of the fun range of colors you can choose from.

Do you have a broken kitchen appliance lurking at the back of a cabinet? Perhaps an air fryer that’s stopped heating, or a blender with a broken seal? You’re not alone. According to research from appliance manufacturer Tefal, 88% of British people have at least one unused appliance at home, and over a third have three to five in what Patrick Lucereau, Marketing Director at Tefal UK, calls a “kitchen graveyard”.

The problem is partly due to recycling awareness; people know they can recycle paper and glass, but many don’t realize that small appliances can be recycled too.

Edifier has built its reputation on delivering affordable, feature-rich speakers that don’t feel like compromises, and the new M90 continues that strategy with a compact active design aimed at both desktop and small room use. First introduced at CES 2026, where we got an early look and listen, the M90 is positioned as a flexible all-in-one solution that can move easily between nearfield listening and casual living room duty. After spending time with the system, it’s clear Edifier is targeting listeners who want simplicity, solid performance, and a smaller footprint at an affordable price.

About My Preferences:

This review is subjective, shaped by how I listen and what I value. I do my best to stay objective, but let’s be honest, bias doesn’t just pack up and leave the room.

My ideal sound leans toward controlled sub-bass, textured mid-bass, a slightly warm and natural midrange, and treble that extends cleanly without turning harsh. I also have mild treble sensitivity, so anything overly bright or aggressive tends to stand out quickly.

Testing equipment and standards can be found here.

Edifier M90 Specifications and Key Features:

The Edifier M90 is a compact active speaker system priced at $369.99, with cabinet dimensions of 133 x 212 x 225 mm (approximately 5.2 x 8.3 x 8.9 inches), making it easy to place on a desk, shelf, or media console. It uses a two-way, bi-amped design built around a 4-inch long-throw mid-bass driver and a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter, with dedicated amplification for each driver.

Total system power is rated at 100 watts RMS, split between 35 watts for the mid-bass and 15 watts for the tweeter per channel, and it can reach up to 100 dB SPL. That’s enough for nearfield listening or smaller living spaces without overreaching.

Connectivity is one of the M90’s stronger plays. Around back, you get HDMI eARC, optical, USB-C, and a standard AUX input, which covers everything from TVs and laptops to legacy gear. Wireless playback is handled by Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC and multipoint support, so you can stream higher-quality audio and switch between devices without the usual friction. The system also supports up to 24-bit/96kHz audio depending on the source.

Ease of use hasn’t been overlooked either. The M90 includes onboard controls for quick adjustments, an omnidirectional remote that actually works from across the room, and support for the Edifier ConneX app on iOS and Android for additional control and setup. DSP is doing a lot of the heavy lifting behind the scenes, managing how the speakers handle music, movies, and gaming to keep performance consistent across different types of content.

Build Quality

The M90 feels well-built in the hand and features high-quality paint finishes. It doesn’t look out of place on a desk filled with high-end gear, which should suite deskscape enthusiasts well. The ports on the rear of the device are firmly set within the active speaker’s chassis, leaving no room for wobble or wiggle. 

The included remote is a little basic, but is still put together well. The buttons and responsive and sized well, making them easy to manipulate in a dark room. It has plenty of range too, so even larger living and theater rooms shouldn’t run into distance issues. 

I did find the M90 to be a little clumsy when used at my desk, however. Other desktop speakers often feature a front-facing selection of controls such as volume and power. The M90 does not, so you’ll need to use the wireless remote to manipulate its state even when sitting right next to it. Well, that or stand up and reach behind the right speaker , which isn’t a viable option for a wide (and cluttered) desk like mine. 

Listening

The M90 is a pretty flexible pair of speakers, but it feels most at home when running through your favorite album. Its default tuning is well-balanced, delivering crisp treble and an articulate upper-midrange. The M90 renders vocals nicely, capturing a strong share of nuance, particularly during quieter passages. The M90’s lower mids sit slightly back in the mix and aren’t overly emphasized, contributing to a more neutral, audiophile-leaning tonality.

This, paired with the speakers’ linear bass performance, give it a resolving, but sterile, timbre. You’ll want to pair the M90 with a discrete subwoofer to get a truly full-range experience, as the mid-bass woofer on the speaker doesn’t dig down much further than 150Hz. 

Cycling through the other presets add varying degrees of warmth back in to the mix, giving guitars and drums additional substance. This also relaxes the upper-midrange, allowing vocals to settle back towards the middle of the sound-stage rather than center-front. I don’t like the “Monitor” and “Dynamic” presets as much as the “Classic” tuning, but then again, I don’t have any particular need for a pre-calibrated studio-monitor profile. 

If you want to dive into personalization and fine-grained customization, the Edifier app allows you to configure and apply your own tuning via a 9-band software EQ. It works pretty and well and is responsive. The app is utilitarian in appearance, but functions smoothly and without bugs on Android. 

Strong Gaming Performance

The M90 is a great couch-gaming set of speakers. Hooking it up to my TV via HDMI eARC was easy, and before I knew it I had high-headroom, low-latency audio ready to go. First-person shooters are pretty playable on the M90, even in fairly small rooms. In my gaming den, the speakers are positioned about 10 feet from my chair, flanking a 65-inch OLED TV. In this setup, the M90 delivers its best spatial rendering.

Cramming the M90 on to my work desk delivered somewhat less-exciting results. Its sound-field operates best at longer distances, and my desk (60″ x 38″) didn’t give me enough depth for gunshots and subtle footsteps to accurately render in titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. 

Frustrating Quirks, Fixed via Firmware Update

The M90’s excellent performance and great pricing is hamstrung by a few odd-ball choices made on its default firmware. If you’re experiencing unpredictable fade-in behavior or are noticing that the M90 falls asleep during quiet passages in video content, then install the Edifier Connect app and update its firmware. That behavior is a bug that was fixed as of 4/12/2026.

Likewise, if you’ve plugged a subwoofer in to the M90’s line out and found its gain to be too low, you’ll need to update the M90’s firmware and then adjust the gain in the app. This is the only way to adjust the line-out gain, so if you’re not a smartphone owner, you’re out of luck. I’d have liked to have seen additional physical controls for sub-out gain so I can more-easily fine-tune my sub’s output. 

The Bottom Line

The M90 is a solid, cost-effective speaker for those that want to take advantage of modern eARC capabilities. Its strong technical capabilities, combined with its wide feature-set, make it a compelling proposition, especially when measured against its more-expensive peers. After updating the M90’s firmware, it becomes a capable and hassle-free companion for high-performance audio, especially for those that plan on deploying it in the living room.

Pros:

• Wide soundstage
• Lots of headroom
• Articulate and performant
• Customizable via EQ and tuning presets
• Solid directional abilities for gaming
• Includes responsive wireless remote
• Supports wide variety of input modes including HDMI eARC

Cons:

• Requires a subwoofer to get full-range sound
• Not suited for smaller desktops
• Some arrangements may require angled desk stands
• No front-facing physical volumes controls, awkward for desktop use

Where to buy:

Related Reading: