Tech

The 16 best portable Bluetooth speakers for 2026

Published

5 hours ago

19 February 2026

Portable Bluetooth speakers have become an easy default for listening away from your desk or living room. They’re the kind of tech you grab without thinking, whether you’re heading outside, cleaning the house or packing for a weekend away. The best portable options manage to sound bigger than they look, delivering clear audio without weighing down your bag.

Battery life and durability matter just as much as sound quality now. Many modern speakers are built to survive splashes, dust and the occasional drop, while still offering quick pairing and stable connections. Some are designed for solo listening, others are meant to fill a space with music and keep going for hours.

We’ve tested a wide mix of portable Bluetooth speakers to see which ones are actually worth carrying around. Whether you want something small and simple or a speaker that can anchor a get-together, these are the models that stood out.

Quick Overview

Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $50 to $200

Soundcore

If you’re looking to spend as little as possible and get a speaker that will free you from using your smartphone to blast out tunes, the Soundcore Select 4 Go is a good option. It has decent sound quality for a speaker its size, and it’s loud enough to fill a standard-sized living room, bedroom or desk area outside. You can even pair two of them together to get bigger sound, too. It’s IP67 water- and dustproof, and it’s designed to float so it can handle an accidental dunk in the pool without any issue. And with a battery life of 20 hours, it’ll provide music for the entirety of your next party without breaking a sweat. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor

JBL

JBL made a handy, convenient little speaker in the Go 4. It gets decently loud and doesn’t sound too distorted at those higher volumes. Will it stand up to more expensive speakers on this list in terms of sound quality? No, but it sound good for its size, which is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Made in part with recycled materials, the Go 4 is IP67 water- and dustproof, and you can pair two of these speakers together to get an even wider sounstage. — V.P.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

If you’re just looking for a small Bluetooth speaker that can kick out some decent volume, the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 fits the bill. The audio quality here is fine; it doesn’t stand out in terms of fidelity, but the volume you get from this affordable little speaker is what makes it a good choice. If you’re bopping about outdoors on your bike or chilling in the park, it’s usually more about portability and volume anyway. The rubbery rear strap works well on relatively thin things like belts, backpacks and bike handlebars.

While it’s small and affordable, this mini speaker features a USB-C charging port for your devices in a pinch and you can wirelessly connect two of them for party mode or stereo sound. It also supports voice assistants for both iOS and Android users, and if you want to take calls on your phone via speakerphone, that’s easy to do as well.

Soundcore

Soundcore has been releasing some very able speakers lately and one of its newest is a quality personal portable. The Motion 300 is of the pint-sized variety, but offers 30-watts of punchy and bright output. It’s IPX7 rated so it can handle a bit of water, and it works with the Anker Soundcore app that allows a fair amount of customization from EQ settings to button brightness. It also supports hi-res audio using the LDAC codec for Android users with a compatible device.

The Motion 300’s size and frequency range don’t quite allow for a ton of bass, but it’s relatively loud and thumpy, especially when it has surfaces to reflect off of. Soundcore has even extended its high-frequency range to 40kHz, and while its utility is debatable, the Motion 300 does sound crisp in the high-end spectrum. You can also enable adaptive audio, which helps optimize its sound delivery depending on the speaker orientation (on its back, standing up or hanging from its removable button-fastened strap).

The speaker’s design merges a funky style with office-machine chic, from the playfully speckled soft touch exterior to the metallic, logo-emblazoned grille. Its 1.7-pound weight and clutch-purse size makes it better as a handheld or stowed in your bag rather than hanging from a backpack or bike handlebars. Ultimately, you get great sound in a small package with features you can tweak to your liking, all at an approachable $80 price tag.

Ultimate Ears

The latest version of a previous pick (the Wonderboom 3), the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is a tiny yet powerful portable that can deliver big sound. It’s still a cute, barrel-shaped small speaker with a nubby little strap that probably needs a carabiner to help attach it to most things. It offers up to 14 hours on a single change, and underneath, you can easily access the protected USB-C port whenever you need to refill. With an IP67 rating on top of the company’s five-foot drop test durability, it can go with you almost anywhere and survive to tell the tale.

Although there’s no app support or connectivity with the rest of the Ultimate Ears speaker lineup, you can easily pair it with other UE speakers for stereo sound. There’s also an outdoor mode button on the bottom that boosts the mid and high range to help the audio carry over a greater distance — perfect for when you need a compact party speaker that still delivers the best sound possible in its class.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

This nondescript wedge of a wireless speaker could easily slip under your radar, but it’s worth a listen. It has a bright and bassy output, which is helped along by Qualcomm aptX support for hi-res audio. This Anker Soundcore device has a solid, slightly heavy build with a metal front speaker grille, a soft-touch rubberized exterior (that loves your greasy fingerprints) and IPX7 water resistance. While it’s not the lightest or most portable, it has good sound, especially for the price. Plus the app offers EQ customization, so you can fine tune to your liking.

There’s also a 3.5mm aux input for wired connections. You can use it as a speakerphone when taking calls as well, or easily play music from your devices. That’s fortuitous, as we found that this small speaker works well as a mini soundbar alternative and the wired input offers a foolproof connection. Aside from that, you can easily charge the Motion+ thanks to its standard USB-C charging port and it should last up to 12 hours on a single charge.

JBL

We considered the JBL Flip 6 the best JBL speaker for most people (you can still find it available online), and the JBL Flip 7 only improves upon the previous model. Sound quality is solid from lows to highs, even with the volume up at high registers. The cylindrical shape works well on its side or even standing on its end to save desk space. It has a capable carrying (or hanging) strap and raised buttons you can discern in the dark.

The JBL Portable app gives you a 3-band EQ to customize the sound profile if desired and if you have two Flip 7 speakers, you can run them as a stereo pair. If you happen to have a mix-and-match assortment of different PartyBoost-enabled JBL devices, you can connect multiple speakers for a bigger sound. And with a USB-C charging port, it’s a versatile device that’s easy to take with you on the move.

Bose

While the $119 Bose SoundLink Micro is half the size, we found that it’s definitely worth the extra $30 if you trade up to the SoundLink Flex. While it’s still not a room filler, the speaker offers some bright, dynamic finesse to your tunes, along with a significant amount of bass for its size. It’s similar to the scale of a small clutch bag, with a very small strap for carabiner-type hanging. Much of the exterior is sheathed in soft-touch silicone, except for the powder-coated steel speaker grilles. Like others in this range, the speaker is IP67 rated so it can handle the elements and sound good doing it.

Setup and connecting to the speaker should be done from within the aptly named Bose Connect app. You can also turn off voice prompts (which can become annoying) and pair with similar speakers for either party mode or stereo.

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

Read our full Beats Pill review

The new Pill has impressive bass performance due to the company’s decision to increase the size of the woofer rather than keep its previous arrangement that included two smaller ones. The speaker struggles at its loudest volumes, but it’s plenty loud enough well below that. The IP67 rating is more rugged than the Pill+ and over 24 hours of battery life will keep the tunes going for a long time. Plus, there’s lossless audio over USB-C and the ability to top off your phone or earbuds with the speaker’s battery.

This is a solid choice for anyone seeking crisp clarity with true low-end thump if a track demands it. The addition of lossless is also nice for times you’d like a little more quality in your tunes. And you can also put two Pills together for bigger sound or use them as a stereo pair. — Billy Steele, Senior Reporter

Marshall

The Emberton III Bluetooth portable from Marshall continues to iterate on a design we’ve loved for a while. This clutchable rectangular slab has a max output of 20 watts to deliver the brand’s signature sound. It may not be the loudest in its size range, but it focuses more on balanced output than raw power. There’s still 360 sound as well, making it a good companion for small get togethers.

The latest model has more than 32 hours of battery life and a rugged IP67 rating. There’s also a built-in microphone, so you can use it to take calls while you’re getting ready for the day or chilling out in the backyard.

JBL

If you’re willing to spend a little more for bigger sound and more hours of battery life, the midrange JBL Charge 6 is a great upgrade over the Flip 6 or Flip 7. It has the same bright output and capable low end, but in a slightly larger package. If you’re looking for a smallish portable speaker, but something capable enough to entertain a few guests, this works.

Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $200 to $450

Ultimate Ears

Read our full UE Everboom review

The Everboom is a decent mid-range option in the Ultimate Ears lineup. The best features are its high durability and Outdoor Boost for better sound outside. You’ll get loud, 360-degree audio, but like a lot of UE speakers, there’s a lack of overall fidelity due to subdued mid-range tone. There’s plenty to like here, especially if you’re looking for something to take on an adventure that won’t weigh you down too much. The price is, however, a bit on the high side with the limited suite of features. But, all of the basics, and slightly more, are covered. Plus, it floats! — B.S.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

Marshall launched the Middleton in January 2023 and positioned it as the new flagship for its portable Bluetooth speaker line. It’s the largest of the company’s IP67 rugged portables (measuring 4.3 x 9 x 3.75 inches) and offers a significantly louder output, with 50-watts of 360-degree sound. There are dual woofers and tweeters for the front and back, with passive radiators along each side. It also offers Stack Mode, which lets you pair with any other Middleton, Emberton II or Willen speakers nearby to expand your listening experience.

The Middleton can be managed through the Marshall Bluetooth app, but it also includes most of those same controls on the top. There’s a Bluetooth button (which doubles as the Stack Mode control) and a multi-use joystick for power on/off, volume control and track selection (forward or back). You also get bass and treble controls, which are a welcome addition and a first for one of Marshall’s speakers without physical knobs.

It has that traditional Marshall look, made with a soft-touch exterior composed of 55-percent post-consumer recycled plastic and is 100-percent PVC free. It also has a carry strap you can easily fit your hand through. Any dust, dirt or prints on the outside can be scrubbed off with a damp cloth, and even the exposed USB-C and 3.5mm input port components are waterproofed. That USB-C port can be used to recharge the speaker, or power up your other devices with its 9,600mAh battery.

Of course audio purists should know that it only supports SBC, but the sound quality is still top notch for most people. And while Marshall devices are usually priced at a slight premium, the good sound quality and decent low-end capability definitely makes this model worth checking out.

JBL

If you’ve enjoyed any of the smaller JBL speakers out there and are willing to spend a bit more, the Xtreme 4 is a good all-around choice. It’s big enough to warrant a shoulder strap, but still only about the size of a football. When we tested the previous version, the Xtreme 3, we found it to have pleasant dynamic sound, with hefty lows and a lively high end that seems slightly better balanced at this size than the smaller options from JBL in this range.

This is easily a favorite if you want something under $400 with a little more gusto than your average portable, but still being IP67 weatherproof. It has enough output to breathe life into a small soiree or backyard hang, although while it’s quite loud, it’s best when it’s close by or indoors where the bass can resonate to its fullest.

Best portable Bluetooth speakers: $450 and higher

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

If you didn’t know about Marshall’s history in amplifiers and rock music, the design should clue you in. The Tufton is the largest portable Bluetooth speaker from the company, looking much like an amp itself (as do most of them). It has physical knobs at the top and a carry strap to help move it about. While it may appear as rugged as concert gear, it’s less impervious to the elements as some with just an IPX2 rating, so it’s protected from light splashes from above.

Whether or not you’re a fan of the brand, the rich and distinctly thumping output may make you one. We felt pulled into the sound while listening to the Tufton, a bit more than most other speakers we tested at this scale. It’s dynamic, warm and, dare we say, analog in its audio presence. It’s also multi-directional with a supplemental driver on the back along with a bass port.

There’s no app to adjust the EQ, just the physical controls including a Bluetooth connect button, a power/volume knob and two for bass and treble. Once powered on, you can use the volume knob to set a max headroom and adjust volume on the fly from your source. The bass and treble knobs help you choose the tone of your adventure, from a purely flat soundscape to an enhanced one. We just wish you could see the dial indicators in the dark. Other features include aptX support and quick-charge capabilities that provide four hours of listening time in just 20 minutes, plus great standby battery life.

Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget

The UE Hyperboom is an all-arounder with good looks, portability, plenty of connectivity options and a loud and punchy (albeit compressed) output. The technical fabric exterior (which now includes a white option) lets it live among your furniture without screaming “party box,” while the optical input offers a possible TV speaker alternative. The large capacitive buttons on top let anyone adjust the volume, pause or play the music and select from two concurrent Bluetooth connections or a hardwired input (3.5mm or optical). On the edge with the silicone carrying handle there are the wired ports, plus one for charging USB devices and another for power. You can expect to get up to 24 hours of battery life, and the Hyperboom is good at holding a charge on standby.

This capable and loud (roughly 100dB) speaker will please most people as long as the party is of primary concern over fidelity. The ability to remotely power your device on or off using the UE app is also a welcome feature. Plus you can easily expand the sound to other Ultimate Ears Boom speakers (except Wonderboom) using the PartyUp feature. The IPX4 rating means a few spilled drinks won’t hassle it, but it’s not the best Bluetooth speaker choice for all-weather adventures.

Factors to consider in a portable Bluetooth speaker

Weather-proofing

IP ratings (Ingress Protection) are the alphanumeric indicators you often see in a product’s spec sheet that define water and dust resistance. It’s usually a combo of two numbers with the first indicating solid object ingress and the second being water. The former goes from 0 (no protection) to 6 (dustproof). The water-resistance rating goes from 0 (no protection) to 9 (protected against immersion and high pressure jets). When an X is used instead of a number, that means the product wasn’t tested for resistance. If it’s a waterproof speaker, it may have some innate resistance to solids, but there’s no guarantee.

IP67 is a common rating these days indicating highly resistant and potentially rugged speakers often featured in audio products like outdoor speakers. These are safe for quick dunks in the pool or tub and should be more than OK in the rain or in the shower. They’re also good options for the beach, playground and other rough environs.

Additionally, speakers with ports and a high rating will often include a tight-fitting cover over the charging or auxiliary ports. If you plan on using the ports, that may limit the product’s rated ability to fend off the elements.

When looking for the best portable Bluetooth speaker, consider the IP rating and also how you plan to use your Bluetooth speaker when making your decision. It may be worth splurging on a better sounding model with a lower IP rating if you’ll mostly be using it indoors, for instance.

Battery life

The focus of this guide is on the best portable speakers, and while “portable” can be a relative term, these devices are generally for people who are likely to find themselves far from a power outlet. These days, around 12 hours of playtime seems to be the baseline but obviously, the more battery life you can get out of a speaker, the better, especially if you plan to listen to podcasts or music on the go.

That said, be careful when looking at battery specs, as they frequently list a maximum runtime (“up to” x amount of hours). This usually means they tested at a low to mid volume. If you like your tunes loud with punchy bass, it can often end up cutting the expected usage time in half or more. Luckily, some manufacturers also list the expected hours of battery life when used at full volume and that transparency is appreciated. Bear in mind, however, that not all of the best Bluetooth speakers use the same charging port. Some support USB-C charging, while others use micro-USB, and some may even come with an adapter for added convenience.

Additionally, if your audio system or mini Bluetooth speaker also happens to have Wi-Fi connectivity, they’re usually designed for always-on functionality. Unlike normal Bluetooth speakers that go to sleep after a short period without use, these will usually stay awake (to listen for your commands) and slowly run down the battery. If you’re out and about, you’ll want to remember to turn these speakers off manually when not in use to maximize battery life.

Range

Bluetooth 5 offers better range and more reliable connectivity than its predecessors, making it a great feature to look for in the best Bluetooth speaker. That said, Bluetooth range can still be tricky. Some companies list their product’s longest possible range, usually outdoors and in an unobstructed line-of-sight test environment. Other companies stick with a 30-foot range on the spec sheet and leave it at that, even though they may be running Bluetooth 4.x or 5.x. That’s likely underselling the speaker’s potential, but unpredictable environments can affect range and there’s little point in promising the moon only to get complaints.

I’ve seen signal drop issues when crouching down, with my phone in the front pocket of my jeans, and barely 30 feet away from a speaker inside my apartment. I ran into this issue across several devices regardless of their listed Bluetooth connectivity range.

If you’re hosting a patio party and duck inside, it’s wise to keep any wireless Bluetooth speakers relatively close by just in case. It’s hard to gauge what aspects of any environment may interfere with a Bluetooth signal. In general, take range specs around 100 feet or more as a perfect-world scenario.

Latency

This is a minor mention for those out there who use a speaker for their computer output, or as a mini Bluetooth soundbar solution for setups like a monitor and streaming box. It’s annoying to find that your speaker’s latency isn’t low enough to avoid lip sync issues. Luckily, it seems that most speakers these days don’t often have these problems. Only a handful of the few dozen speakers I tried had persistent, noticeable lip-sync issues. Aside from occasional blips, all of our picks worked well in this regard.

If you plan to frequently use a speaker for video playback, look for devices with the most recent Bluetooth 5 technology and lower latency codecs like aptX. Also make sure the speaker is close to the source device as distance can be a factor. To avoid the issue altogether, though, consider getting one with a wired auxiliary input.

Extra features

Some speakers don’t just play music — they bring the party to life with built-in LED light effects and a full-on light show that syncs to your music. If you love a bit of visual flair with your tunes, it’s worth checking out models that offer LED light customization options.

Sound quality also plays a huge role in picking the right speaker. The best Bluetooth speaker should deliver a balanced mix of punchy bass, clear highs and strong vocals. Many models also include customizable sound modes that let you tweak the EQ to better suit different genres — whether you’re blasting EDM, listening to a podcast, or just want a more immersive experience that would impress even an audiophile.

If aesthetics matter, many models come in a tiny size that makes them extra portable, with plenty of color options to match your personal style. Whether you want a sleek black speaker or a vibrant eye-catching design, there are plenty of choices to fit your vibe.

Other portable Bluetooth speakers we tested

Sonos Roam

While there’s a lot to like about the Sonos Roam, there are plenty of other Bluetooth speakers with more features and better battery life. In our review, we gave the Roam a score of 87, praising it for its good sound quality, durable waterproof design and ability to work well within an existing Sonos speaker ecosystem. But the price is just fine at $180, and we found Bluetooth speakers that offer more at lower price points. Plus, the Roam taps out at 10 hours of battery life, and all of our top picks can run for longer than that on a single charge.

Monoprice Soundstage3

The Monoprice Soundstage3 offers relatively big sound at a midrange $250 price, with a variety of inputs rarely found on a portable Bluetooth speaker. The boxy, minimalist design is no nonsense, even if it’s more of a less-rugged, bookshelf-styled homebody. While the speaker puts out crisp highs alongside booming lows, we found the bass can overpower the rest of the output, so it’s not for everyone. And after using the speaker for many months, we also found the low-slung, poorly labeled button panel along the top can be a bit annoying to use. If you want a speaker for road trips, favor mids and highs, and plan on using physical buttons for volume control and input selections, there are better options out there.

JBL Boombox 3

Fans of JBL’s bluetooth speaker sound profile who want to crank up the volume, but also want a rugged and portable option, may enjoy the JBL Boombox 3. It’s a decent grab-and-go speaker with a very loud output, although it’s not as good as some of the loud-speaker styled options for long-throw sound and big outdoor areas. However, the price for this speaker line remains prohibitively expensive compared to other options with big sound that cover a bit more ground. If the JBL brand is your thing and you like the rugged, portable form factor, we recommend looking for discounts, or shopping around and exploring the available options including the (less portable) JBL PartyBox series.

Soundcore Motion X500

Soundcore speakers have generally been good and often reasonably priced. The Motion X500 loosely falls into that category. It has a tall, metallic lunchbox vibe with a fixed handle and pumps out a respectable 40 watts of crisp, clear sound for its size. It can get pretty loud and serves up a good dose of bass, although its primarily a front-facing speaker.

There’s LDAC hi-res audio support for Android users, but the main selling point on this is spatial audio. This is done through an EQ change and the activation of a small, up-firing driver. There’s a slight benefit from this if you’re up close and directly in front of it, but it’s not a total game changer for your listening experience. The original pre-order price of $130 made it a decent option in terms of bang for your buck. But it went up to $170 at launch, making it less appealing even if it’s still a good middle-of-the-road option if you want small-ish, clear and loud. If you can find one on sale for the lower price, it’s definitely worth considering. There’s also the larger and louder X600 ($200) if the overall concept is working for you.

Portable Bluetooth speaker FAQs

How does a Bluetooth speaker work?

Bluetooth technology lets devices connect and exchange data over short distances using ultra high frequency (UHF) radio waves. It’s the frequency range that’s carved out for industrial, scientific and medical purposes, called the 2.4GHz ISM spectrum band. This range is available worldwide, making it easy for companies to use with devices for global markets.

Bluetooth speakers include this tech, which lets them communicate with source devices like smartphones, tablets or computers in order to exchange data. The two devices pair by sharing a unique code and will work within the proscribed range for the device and Bluetooth version.

Ever since Bluetooth 4.0 was released over a decade ago, new iterations usually improve on range, use less power and offer expanded connectivity with features like multipoint (allowing more than one device to be connected at the same time, for instance).

Who should buy a Portable Bluetooth speaker?

If you want to play music while you’re out-and-about on something other than headphones, a portable Bluetooth speaker is probably what you want. There’s a broad range of devices for all types of circumstances. Many adventurous people will want a relatively lightweight portable that’s rugged enough to handle the elements while also packing enough charge to play for hours on end. Others may simply need a speaker they can move around the house or use in the backyard. In this case, you can choose larger less rugged models that may offer better sound.

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Tech

These are the 8 editor-approved laptops I’d buy this week from $199

Published

15 minutes ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Even though it’s a quiet time of the year when it comes to sales events, there is always a significant number of laptop deals available each week. So, I’m here to use my years of bargain-hunting experience and uncover the top offers that are worth buying right now, with prices starting at $199.

I’ve selected a range of options to suit different budgets and needs: whether you need a budget-friendly device for light use, a great value option for everyday use and work, or a performance powerhouse for more demanding creative or productivity tasks.

You can find my 8 top picks below, including laptops available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Dell — three retailers where I often find the best deals. Just a heads up: some are leftovers from the recent Presidents’ Day sales, so they may not be around much longer.

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How Many Fighter Jets Can The Newest Aircraft Carrier Hold?

Published

28 minutes ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

While there are many United States warships, those that are likely the best known are called “Enterprise.” The U.S. Navy has been commissioning ships with that name since the first Enterprise defended American supply routes from the British in May 1775. The trend continues with the new USS Enterprise (CVN-80), the third Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth ship to be thus named. The USS Enterprise was expected to launch in 2025, but it was delayed and is now expected to launch in 2030.

Because of the ship’s name and the fact that Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers are the largest warships ever constructed, there’s a great deal of public fascination surrounding it. The aircraft carrier is massive, and once it launches, The Enterprise will be able to carry a variety of aircraft, including fighter jets, helicopters, and various drones. In terms of combat aircraft capacity, the Enterprise should be able to accommodate between 70 and 90 aircraft, but this depends on a variety of factors, including the type of fighter jets it employs.

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) carries 75 aircraft, operated by the Carrier Air Wing Eight . It consists of three squadrons of F/A-18E Super Hornets. These are being replaced over time as more F-35C Lightning IIs (the U.S. Navy carrier variant) are brought onboard. Because the Enterprise is the same model and because it won’t be ready until 2030, it’s likely that its Carrier Air Wing will consist of the same number of squadrons, though with more F-35Cs than its predecessors.

The aircraft of the USS Enterprise (CVN-80)

The number of fighter jets that a U.S. aircraft carrier can hold is dependent on several factors. Nimitz-class carriers, which are being replaced by Gerald R. Ford-class ships, carry around 56 fighter jets and other aircraft. The USS Enterprise will likely have the capacity to hold 90 aircraft, though not all of them will be fighter jets. In addition to the F-35C, the Enterprise could also be home to several F/A-18A/C and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, which are highly capable multirole fighters employed throughout the U.S. Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers.

When the USS Gerald R. Ford was launched, it paved the way for the vessels that followed, but there were issues with several of its systems. The lessons learned from the Ford helped guide changes to the Enterprise’s design, accommodating the F-35C and its upgraded Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar. As a result, the two ships are different in some aspects, though they’re fundamentally similar. The F-35C differs from the A and B models, as it’s designed to utilize the Enterprise’s Catapult-Assisted Take-Off Barrier-Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) system.

The F-35C features larger wings with foldable wingtips. This makes it possible for the Enterprise to hold more F-35Cs than other models, as foldable wingtips allow for a smaller storage footprint. While the U.S. Navy isn’t in the habit of detailing the specifics of its Carrier Air Wing composition and capacities, given the size and attributes of the USS Enterprise and the F-35C, it will likely carry a minimum of 75 fighter jets. Some estimates indicate the number could be as high as 90, but this is unlikely, as room must be made for non-combat aircraft as well.

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Suddenly Toto's most valuable business isn't toilets, but chipmaking ceramics

Published

38 minutes ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Behind the investor interest is a highly specialized component: electrostatic chucks, or ESCs, used in semiconductor etch tools to hold wafers flat, clean, and thermally stable while they are bombarded with plasma.
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How To Sync Your Life On A Digital Display

Published

1 hour ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Adam Doud/SlashGear

One of my favorite parts about my job is my ability to test new things and push the limits of my comfort zone with a new piece of tech. When I take on a review, I need to do my best to integrate that piece of tech into my workflow, and I never really know how that’s going to shake out.

I never pictured myself being a digital calendar guy. I mean sure, I live and die by my Google Calendar, but it never occurred to me to get a digital screen whose sole purpose it is to show me what’s coming up on a given day. I had the opportunity to test Skylight’s first calendar around this time last year (SlashGear has a Skylight Calendar (2025) review as well).

Since then, I’ve tested a number of alternatives to the Skylight calendar. At the end of it all, I kept coming back to the Skylight. From a feature-completeness standpoint, it has just the right amount of features — without trying to be something that it’s not.

One of the pitfalls of a new platform is the temptation to try to do too much, and I tested a few calendars that did just that. But Skylight comfortably stays in its lane with some obvious low-hanging fruit, and some not-so-obvious fruit as well. I’ve been using a Skylight Calendar 2 review sample provided by Skylight for around two weeks, and this is my full review.

Two steps forward and a step back

Adam Doud/SlashGear

Skylight actually has two calendars on the market right this minute — the Calendar 2 and the Calendar Max. The latter resides on my kitchen wall, and I’ll discuss that a bit as well, but the subject of this review is the former. The Calendar 2 replaces the previous version with a few upgrades, and a small step back from its predecessor. From a hardware standpoint, the screen on the Calendar 2 is faster, brighter, and more responsive than the previous generation.

If you’re using the calendar on a tabletop, the stand is mostly improved. The last calendar’s stand was solid metal, very heavy and to be honest, way overengineered. The new stand is lighter, but still sturdy, but it only works in landscape orientation…for some reason. This is actually the step back I referenced. I used the previous version of the calendar in portrait orientation on a shelf in between my desktop computer and another shelving unit. The calendar wouldn’t fit in landscape though, so it had to move it.

I’m not sure why Skylight made this call. I would imagine it was hard to simplify the stand and have it still work in both orientations. Whatever the case, I’m not thrilled, but that’s about the only thing I’m not happy about. By the way, you can wall mount the calendar in either orientation, so all is not lost.

One other improvement is the frame around the calendar is now magnetic and interchangeable, though the other frames won’t be coming for another month or so. Mine comes with black and it works just fine, but if you want more personality for your calendar, you’ll need to give it another 30 days or so.

Using a digital calendar

Adam Doud/SlashGear

The idea of a digital calendar never really appealed to me, until I had one. My family uses Google Calendar for all of our family activities — work schedules, school schedules, meetings, and the like. You would think it’s easy enough to pull out your phone or open a new browser tab and see everything that way — and it is. But having a digital calendar on the wall that just shows you what’s coming up all the time is extremely convenient — much like an old-school paper calendar.

You can glance up at the wall and see whatever is coming up. If you want to add an event, you can tap on a plus symbol to add an event or reminder. This version of the calendar is much more responsive than last year’s which is a great upgrade. When you open the new event box, you get a virtual keyboard that betrays the fact that this is an Android build, but one that is highly customized.

When an event is coming up, you get a little tone with an “OK” button, which is handy except when you can’t reach the button to dismiss it. I’d like to see a timer on the OK button to auto-dismiss it, but overall, the calendar is just there when you need it.

It’s so much more

Adam Doud/SlashGear

Beyond the calendar functionality, Skylight has built in some very smart features. Most of these are controlled with an app that I installed on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. In addition to the calendar (which syncs with Google, Outlook, Apple, Yahoo, and a few others) you can also set up reminders, repeating tasks or chores, and then there’s the one that’s most surprising and useful — meal planning, but it’s a little more than that.

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial “Don’t you just hate it when you get home form a hard day and you have to figure out what to eat? Well fortunately, Skylight can do all that for you!” If you have a black and white image of someone standing in their kitchen looking disheveled and shrugging in a very exaggerated way, you’re not alone. Ready for the super cringey part? Skylight does it with AI! But wait, don’t go anywhere. The AI is actually… kind of… good?

Your personal Sidekick

Adam Doud/SlashGear

Skylight’s AI feature is called Sidekick and it’s a handy little tool you can use to perform certain tasks. The obvious one is using Sidekick to capture an event from a poster or something like that. It can find the date, time, and event title and create an event for you. That’s quickly becoming table stakes for AI, but what about creating table steaks?

Sidekick can create a comprehensive meal plan for you and your family. In my case, I typed something to the effect of “My family has one diabetic person, so we have a real focus on protein and reduced sugars. We typically have ground beef and chicken on hand, but we’re not opposed to salads and other vegetables.” From that prompt, Sidekick whipped up a dinner plan for my family for seven days, included the recipes for the meals and added the ingredients to our shopping list.

The limitation here is that it added the ingredients to Skylights List feature, which is fine, except my family already has an app we’ve bought into to accommodate shopping lists and whatnot. I would love to see some kind of integration with AnyList, an iPhone app not enough people know about, but if you do that, you open a can of worms with customers asking, “Well you support XYZ, why not ABC?” I get it, and I respect Skylight for evading that nightmare scenario.

It’s not perfect, but it’s close

Adam Doud/SlashGear

I did not go into the digital calendar experience expecting it to be life-changing, but it really has been. Paper calendars are fine, but once you go digital, it’s hard to go back. Having your life digitized and hanging on the wall at all times is just so useful. Plus, compared to other digital calendars I’ve used, I can promise you Skylight is absolutely killing it. There is some room for improvement, and some caveats to be aware of.

The first is a big note — things like meal planning and magic import are behind a paywall called the Plus Plan. It’s $79 for a year, which isn’t too bad, but when everything in life is a subscription, it grates a little.

A feature that the Plus Plan unlocks lets you use your calendar as a digital frame when it’s not in use. This tracks because Skylight got its start in the digital photo frame industry. However, I never used the digital frame feature because to me, it defeated the purpose of having a digital calendar. The only way to turn off the frame is to tap on the screen, but that kills the ability to glance at the calendar and see what’s coming up.

Price, Availability, and Verdict

Adam Doud/SlashGear

The Skylight Calendar 2 is available from Skylight’s website for $299. It will be coming to other retailers in the future as well.

That price is a tad on the high side. I love the digital calendar, don’t get me wrong, but that’s a pretty high barrier for entry. Personally, I think it’s worth it, especially if you spring for the Plus Plan (which also gives you an extra $20 off the purchase price) and really buy into the Skylight ecosystem. Skylight offers free returns for up to four months, so you can really test drive it to make sure it’s for you.

All that being said, the convenience of putting your digital life on the wall at all times is pretty intoxicating. I suspect you’ll forget about the purchase price soon enough once you get it set up and realize how helpful it can be.

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How S’pore’s pole & aerial studios survive

Published

1 hour ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Hanging midair may be difficult, but running an aerial or pole business comes with even higher stakes

Whether you’re suspended five metres above the ground on silks or spinning around a pole, the physical risks of aerial silk and pole classes are obvious. What’s less visible is the financial balancing act required to keep a studio open in Singapore.

The country has seen waves of fitness trends, from spin and reformer pilates to HYROX, many of which have shuttered in recent years. In contrast, aerial and pole studios have been around since over a decade ago, still surviving amid a saturated fitness scene thanks to a tight community and the versatility of the sports.

Vulcan Post speaks to three studio owners to understand the economics behind their businesses and how the financial and operational stress keeps them on edge more than any stunt ever could.

The unglamorous side of running a studio

(Left): Adelene Chua-Adams, founder of Adedance; (Right): Students at an aerial class at Adedance./ Image Credit: Adedance

Setting up an aerial or pole studio isn’t as simple as renting any open space. Because both disciplines require significant ceiling height and structural integrity, not every commercial unit can accommodate the equipment safely.

For aerial silks, hoops, and pole rigs, ceilings must be high enough to allow tricks and inversions, while the floors and beams need to withstand dynamic loads—sometimes dozens of students swinging or spinning at once.

As such, for many studio owners, finding a suitable location proved unsurprisingly difficult, including the founder of Adedance Artistic & Aerial Productions (Adedance), Adelene Chua-Adams.

“Aside from the old badminton hall in Geylang, nowhere was very big and able to cater to aerial properly,” shared Adelene. This led her to start offering small-scale aerial classes at her Yio Chu Kang family home in 2017, before eventually taking the gamble of opening her own studio in Tai Seng.

cost to start an aerial studio — The costs one needs to pay to start an aerial studio, according to Adelene Chua-Adams./ Image designed by Vulcan Post

But the hunt for her own space was far from smooth. Adelene shared that many of the units she liked were classified under Zone B1, a commercial zoning category that requires businesses to pay 12 to 24 months’ upfront government levies before they can operate legally.

“We tried many avenues of appeal, but ultimately couldn’t get around this extra cost from the URA and SLA. Lesson learned there.”

That’s just one operational cost. Adelene also shared that starting an aerial and/or pole studio requires three to four months’ rent as a deposit, and renovations can cost anywhere from S$50,000 to over S$100,000, not to mention the additional cost of purchasing and installing the truss, sound systems, air conditioning, lighting and signage.

All in, opening an aerial or pole studio can easily require a six-figure upfront investment before the first class even begins.

jasmine Han mad collection pole — (Left): Jasmine Han, founder of MAD Collection; (Right): A pole class at MAD Collection./ Image Credit: @cameranoire via Instagram/ MAD Collection

Jasmine Han, founder of MAD Collection (formerly known as SLAP Studio), pointed out that finding a space with strong ceilings and flooring is essential to protect the safety of the instructors and students. However, she emphasised the need to negotiate favourable quotes for renovations, as it can set the owners back before they can break even.

“You need to have a professional engineer to come and certify the safety and ensure the rigging is up to a certain standard,” she added. “Nothing we do is rocket science, but it’s a lot of little, little things.”

She also pointed out that most studios often run without the help of external investors and have to pay recurring expenses, such as managing their online payment systems, studio maintenance and staff salaries, even during holiday closures.

Beyond capital, owners must also be able to adapt to unforeseeable situations, from finding last-minute teacher replacements to handling customer complaints and even fixing broken toilets. For them, the physical fear of falling is easier to manage than the constant uncertainty of running a small business in Singapore.

As a business owner, every single day, you are stepping on Legos and eating glass all at the same time. But this is what you need to have the ability to change directions quickly, to be able to get up when somebody punches you in the face.
Jasmine Han, founder of MAD Collection

Diversifying revenue streams in a competitive market

The costs of setting up and running aerial and pole studios make steady, predictable revenue essential: businesses cannot rely on hype alone.

All three studios offer class packages for students, ranging from trial classes to weeks to months-long term-based systems with varying price points. Here is a breakdown of their offerings and prices:

Category	MAD Collection	Adedance Aerial	Milan Pole Dance Studio Singapore
Drop-In Class	~S$42	~S$38–$48	S$48
Term Course (eight weeks)	~S$278	S$259–S$388 (varies)	N/A (no rigid term)
Trial Package	S$15 per one hour trial	S$35 / S$85 (three-class)	S$50/ S$85 (three-class)
Class Pack (10+ classes)	–	S$410–S$453+	S$440
Practice Session	S$12.50	S$15–S$20	S$15
Monthly Membership	–	–	S$265+

With classes priced roughly between S$38 and S$48, studios operate within narrow margins—high enough to cover overhead costs, but low enough to remain competitive, especially in a market that has grown more saturated over the years.

According to Tracy Mak, the co-owner of Milan Pole Dance Studio Singapore (MPDS), there are over 30 aerial and pole studios in Singapore, among the highest per capita globally.

tracy mak milan pole dance studio singapore — (Left): Tracy Mak, co-owner of Milan Pole Dance Studio Singapore (MPDS); (Right): MPDS offers classes from pole to aerial hoop and silks/ Image Credits: Milan Pole Dance Studio Singapore

“With increasing competition within aerial and pole, as well as the lifestyle dollar of travel and other fitness options, people are spoilt for choice, less committal and increasingly price sensitive,” she pointed out.

As such, studios have to expand their class offerings to create additional revenue streams. For example, Adedance offers acrobatic, contortion and handstand classes, and MAD collection and MPDS offer heels and dance classes apart from pole.

adedance walkover milan pole dance studio singapore kids aerial silks mad collection pole heels — (Left): Walkover classes at Adedance; (Middle): Kids aerial silk class at MPDS; (Right): Pole heels class at MAD Collection./ Image Credit: Adedance/ MPDS/ MAD Collection

These studios also offer corporate packages, where they perform for events such as dinners, dances and brand launches. Adelene noted that 75% of Adedance’s income comes from classes and 25% of it comes from performances, which provide higher-ticket revenue but are less predictable than weekly classes.

“We’ve performed for massive events ranging from F1, the SEA Games Opening Ceremony, Mercedes car launches overseas and more,” she said.

Collaboration is key to survival and growth

Over the years, aerial and pole have grown steadily in popularity, a trend the three business owners largely attribute to the strength of their community. In the early days, studios relied almost entirely on word of mouth to attract students.

Pole, in particular, has also seen a shift in perception, according to Tracy.

She recounted that when she tried pole 18 years ago, she was admittedly sceptical as the sport was seen as taboo due to its association with strip clubs in the West. Today, more people view it as a “serious” form of fitness that is suitable for all ages.

“There are still lingering stereotypes, but overall, people are far more open,” added Tracy. “There’s much more recognition and respect, especially as people see how physically demanding and impressive it is when we perform tricks in the air.”

Beyond running her studios, both located within Outram Park, the 46-year-old aims to elevate the entire industry to be recognised nationwide. In 2025, she gathered key players in the aerial and pole scene, including MAD Collection and Adedance, to organise the first Singapore Aerial Pole Fiesta as part of the Singapore Urban Sports and Fitness Festival 2025.

Through the event, aerial and pole studios were able to present themselves through performance showcases and interact with the local mainstream crowd by offering try-outs. The two-day event drew over 3,000 participants, and the positive reception has pushed Tracy to form the Singapore Aerial and Pole Federation.

As aerial and pole are still considered niche sports in Singapore, forming a federation can help them gain greater recognition from government bodies and corporates to advance these sports locally. This means having access to grants, donors and performance opportunities.

However, since the federation has yet to officially launch, studio owners still often rely on their own resources to keep their businesses running. With rising rents and intensifying competition, collaboration may be a more sustainable strategy than aggressive discounting, a trap many fitness businesses in Singapore have fallen into.

Jasmine also cautioned that engaging in price wars would only decrease the credibility others have built for decades, and that teachers also play a huge part in maintaining it.

“If you want to open a course, class or session, make sure your teachers are qualified enough to deliver and understand it,” she emphasised.

Despite its growth, there are some who believe aerial and pole are fads that will die off with time. Amid a wave of fitness studio closures in recent years, Tracy shared that it often keeps her on her toes as an owner.

That said, she firmly believes that these two sports have long-term potential in the country, with their combination of sport and art encouraging greater involvement. Adelene also echoes this sentiment, adding that participation has been higher than ever.

“I was actually surprised to hear this comment because we feel it’s anything but dying! Just pop into our studio at 7:30PM or on a weekend, and we are jam-packed!”

Mastering tricks in the air may take strength and balance, but running a studio in Singapore demands something else entirely: capital, resilience, and the ability to adapt quickly. For these founders, staying afloat financially is often harder than hanging from the ceiling.

For now, demand remains strong, and these founders are betting that discipline, not hype, will keep them in the air.

Learn about the businesses featured below:
Read more stories we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

Featured Image Credit: Adedance/ MAD Collection/ Milan Pole Dance Studio Singapore

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These are some of the most unique kitchen appliances you’ll see in 2026

Published

2 hours ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Midea has used KBIS 2026 to show it’s no longer just a budget-friendly appliance maker.

At this year’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Orlando, the brand unveiled one of its broadest line-ups yet — spanning kitchen, laundry and even climate tech. However, it’s the kitchen gear that stands out for 2026.

Leading the charge is an expanded French Door refrigerator range, now available in 30-, 33- and 36-inch sizes in both standard and counter-depth formats. Some models feature OneTouch AutoFill with MaxSpace, designed to optimise storage while cutting down on the usual fridge juggling act. It’s a practical upgrade, but the real headline grabber sits elsewhere in the kitchen.

Midea’s new premium dishwasher introduces STRAWash and SENSOR TruDry, a system built specifically to clean reusable bottles, tall tumblers and even straws using dedicated internal jets. There’s also a one-hour wash-and-dry cycle aimed at households that don’t want to wait overnight for clean dishes. It’s a small tweak on paper, but one that feels tailored to how people actually use kitchens in 2026.

The cooking line-up is expanding too, with new four- and five-burner gas and electric freestanding ranges, plus a forthcoming slide-in platform. Meanwhile, the company’s new over-the-range microwave features Soft Close Technology — eliminating the familiar microwave door slam in favour of a smoother, quieter close.

Beyond major appliances, Midea is also fleshing out its small appliance portfolio, covering everything from air fryers to espresso machines. The goal seems clear: reduce countertop clutter while keeping everything connected within one ecosystem.

While this showcase focuses heavily on kitchens, Midea is also pushing deeper into laundry and HVAC. Redesigned washers and dryers now include PowerMix Spray, Flexi AutoDose, and large TFT displays. In addition, its DIY-friendly EasySplit mini-split system builds on the success of the original Midea U.

Taken together, Midea’s 2026 portfolio signals a shift from individual appliances to full-home solutions. And if the dishwasher that cleans your reusable straw doesn’t sum up modern kitchen design, it’s hard to know what does.

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Seattle startup Adronite raises $5M to help enterprises understand their codebases

Published

2 hours ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Adronite CEO Edward Rothschild. (Adronite Photo)

Seattle startup Adronite raised $5 million in a Series A round led by Gatemore Capital Management, as it looks to expand its AI-powered platform designed to give large organizations visibility into sprawling and complex codebases.

The funding comes amid intense competition in the AI developer tools market. Unlike many AI coding tools that operate at the level of individual files or snippets, Adronite ingests complete codebases, including both modern and legacy systems.

The idea is to help organizations understand how their software works as a system, with applications in security analysis, modernization, and active remediation at scale.

Adronite can also build apps from natural language prompts and offers an AI chat feature that provides details on system-wide insights.

The system supports more than 20 programming languages and has been proven on a codebase with 2.5 million lines of code.

The 15-person company expects initial commercial deployments to begin in the first quarter of 2026.

There are various companies that offer code review tools, including CAST and Sonar.

Adronite co-founder and CEO Edward Rothschild is a former software engineer at Facebook and director of engineering at Nayya. He helped launch Adronite in 2023.

As part of the funding round, Liad Meidar, managing partner of Gatemore, was named chair of Adronite’s board. Gatemore has offices in New York and London.

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EV Sales Boom As Ethiopia Bans Fossil-Fuel Car Imports

Published

2 hours ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Financial Post: In 2024, the Ethiopian government banned the import of fossil fuel-powered vehicles and slashed tariffs on their electric equivalents. It was a policy driven less by the country’s climate ambitions and more by fiscal pressures. For years, subsidizing gasoline for consumers has been a major drag on Ethiopia’s budget, costing the state billions of dollars over the past decade. The country defaulted on its sovereign bonds in 2023 after rising interest rates drove up the costs of servicing its debts, and it received a $3.4 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund the following year.

In the two years since the ban on internal combustion engine vehicles, EV adoption has grown from less than 1% to nearly 6% of all of the vehicles on the road in the country — according to the government’s own figures — some way above the global average of 4%. “The Ethiopia story is fascinating,” said Colin McKerracher, head of clean transport at BloombergNEF. “What you’re seeing in places that don’t make a lot of vehicles of any type, they’re saying: ‘Well, look, if I’m going to import the cars anyway, then I’d rather import less oil. We may as well import the one that cleans up local air quality and is cheaper to buy.’”

For decades, Ethiopia’s high import tariffs on vehicles put new car ownership out of the reach of most of the country’s population. Per capita gross domestic product is only about $1,000, and even by the standards of low-income countries, it has among the lowest car ownership rates. At 13 vehicles per 1,000 people, it’s a fraction of the African average of 73. With few cars manufactured in the country, the vast majority are imported, and most are bought used. The government’s import policy has upended the market. In parallel, tariffs for EVs were dropped to 15% for completed cars, 5% for parts and semi-assembled vehicles, and zero for “fully knocked down” — vehicles shipped in parts and assembled locally. That has made new EVs cost-competitive with old gasoline cars.

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For open-source programs, AI coding tools are a mixed blessing

Published

2 hours ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

A world that runs on increasingly powerful AI coding tools is one where software creation is cheap — or so the thinking goes — leaving little room for traditional software companies. As one analyst report put it, “vibe coding will allow startups to replicate the features of complex SaaS platforms.”

Cue the hand-wringing and declarations that software companies are doomed.

Open-source software projects that use agents to paper over long-standing resource constraints should logically be among the first to benefit from the era of cheap code. But that equation just doesn’t quite stick. In practice, the impact of AI coding tools on open source software has been far more mixed.

AI coding tools have caused as many problems as they have solved, according to industry experts. The easy-to-use and accessible nature of AI coding tools has enabled a flood of bad code that threatens to overwhelm projects. Building new features is easier than ever, but maintaining them is just as hard and threatens to further fragment software ecosystems.

The result is a more complicated story than simple software abundance. Perhaps, the predicted, imminent death of the software engineer in this new AI era is premature.

Quality vs quantity

Across the board, projects with open codebases are noticing a decline in the average quality of submissions, likely a result of AI tools lowering barriers to entry.

“For people who are junior to the VLC codebase, the quality of the merge requests we see is abysmal,” Jean-Baptiste Kempf, the CEO of the VideoLan Organization that oversees VLC, said in a recent interview.

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Kempf is still optimistic about AI coding tools overall but says they’re best “for experienced developers.”

There have been similar problems at Blender, a 3D modeling tool that has been maintained as open source since 2002. Blender Foundation CEO Franceso Siddi said LLM-assisted contributions typically “wasted reviewers’ time and affected their motivation.” Blender is still developing an official policy for AI coding tools, but Siddi said they are “neither mandated nor recommended for contributors or core developers.”

The flood of merge requests has gotten so bad that open-source developers are building new tools to manage it.

Earlier this month, developer Mitchell Hashimoto launched a system that would limit GitHub contributions to “vouched” users, effectively closing the open-door policy for open-source software. As Hashimoto put it in the announcement, “AI eliminated the natural barrier to entry that let OSS projects trust by default.”

The same effect has emerged in bug bounty programs, which give outside researchers an open door to report security vulnerabilities. The open-source data transfer program cURL recently halted its bug bounty program after being overwhelmed by what creator Daniel Stenberg described as “AI slop.”

“In the old days, someone actually invested a lot of time [in] the security report,” Stenberg said at a recent conference. “There was a built-in friction, but now there’s no effort at all in doing this. The floodgates are open.”

It’s particularly frustrating because many of open-source projects are also seeing the benefits of AI coding tools. Kempf says it’s made building new modules for VLC far easier, provided there’s an experienced developer at the helm.

“You can give the model the whole codebase of VLC and say, ‘I’m porting this to a new operating system,’” Kempf said. “It is useful for senior people to write new code, but it’s difficult to manage for people who don’t know what they’re doing.”

Competing priorities

The bigger problem for open-source projects is a difference in priorities. Companies like Meta value new code and products, while open-source software work focuses more on stability.

“The problem is different from large companies to open-source projects,” Kempf commented. “They get promoted for writing code, not maintaining it.”

AI coding tools are also arriving at a moment when software, in general, is particularly fragmented.

Open Source Index founder Konstantin Vinogradov, who recently launched an endowment to maintain open-source infrastructure, said AI tools are running into a long-standing trend in open-source engineering.

“On the one hand, we have exponentially growing code base with exponentially growing number of interdependences, And on the other hand, we have number of active maintainers, which is maybe slowly growing, but definitely not keeping up,” Vinogradov said. “With AI, both parts of this equation accelerated.”

It’s a new way of thinking about AI’s impact on software engineering — one with alarming implications for the industry at large.

If you see engineering as the process of producing working software, AI coding makes it easier than ever. But if engineering is really the process of managing software complexity, AI coding tools could make it harder. At the very least, it will take a lot of active planning and work to keep the sprawling complexity in check.

For Vinogradov, the result is a familiar situation for open-source projects: a lot of work to do, and not enough good engineers to do it.

“AI does not increase the number of active, skilled maintainers,” he remarked. “It empowers the good ones, but all the fundamental problems just remain.”

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Apple said to be working on camera-enabled AirPods, AI-powered pin and full-on smart glasses

Published

3 hours ago

19 February 2026

NewsAdmin

Apple is reportedly developing a trio of AI-powered wearables, including smart glasses, camera-equipped AirPods and a new AI pin device.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the products are designed to give Siri more “contextual awareness” by letting it see and interpret the world around you.

The headline device appears to be a pair of Apple-designed smart glasses aimed squarely at competitors like Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration. Rather than partnering with an established eyewear brand, Apple is said to be developing its frames in-house.

The company is focusing on premium build quality and multiple size and colour options. Reports suggest the glasses will feature an advanced dual-camera system. One high-resolution camera captures photos and video, while a second sensor feeds environmental data to Siri.

If accurate, the goal is to create what sources describe as an “all-day AI companion,” offering hands-free contextual queries similar to what Meta currently provides. This would come with Apple’s tighter hardware-software integration.

Alongside the glasses, Apple is reportedly exploring AirPods fitted with lower-resolution cameras. These wouldn’t be designed for photography, but instead to gather visual context for Siri while maintaining the familiar earbuds form factor. Microphones would also allow for voice interaction. As a result, the AirPods would become another extension of the iPhone’s AI system.

The third device in development is said to be an AI-powered wearable pin. The concept echoes products like the Humane AI Pin. However, Apple’s version would reportedly rely on the iPhone as its processing hub rather than operating as a standalone replacement. A built-in speaker is being considered, though that detail is not confirmed.

The broader strategy appears clear: rather than replacing the iPhone, Apple wants to surround it with AI-enabled accessories, reducing the need to constantly take it out of your pocket. It’s a different approach to some early AI hardware experiments that attempted to fully supplant smartphones. Those efforts haven’t always landed well.

There’s no official confirmation from Apple, and none of these products are unlikely to arrive before 2027. Still, if the reports hold up, Apple could be preparing its most ambitious wearable push since the Apple Watch. This time, the focus is centred squarely on AI.

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