Tech
The perfect soundbars for small spaces
Not everyone has the space for a surround sound system or even a full-sized soundbar. If that’s your situation, we’ve come up with several small options that will work for your crowded space.
We’ve tried to ensure with this list of the best small soundbars that even though they’re small, there’s still an option that will suit every need.
We’ve chosen Dolby Atmos soundbars, soundbars that work with older TVs that don’t have HDMI ports, or models that come with subwoofers. We’ve got an array of options to choose from.
Any soundbar we look at, we do so by watching lots of movies and listening to plenty of music. We examine how well each model handles dialogue, effects, and different genres of music. From these tests, we determine which ones are worth your cash.
Keep reading to discover all the best small soundbars available right now. We have other guides to have a look too which includes our best soundbars and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
We’ve also narrowed down the best surround sound systems for those with the space and budget to create a bigger sound system.
Best small soundbars at a glance
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Learn more about how we test soundbars
Soundbars were created to boost TV sound quality – which means we end up watching a lot of TV. We play everything – news reports for voices, movies for scale and effects steering – to ensure that the soundbars that come through the doors at Trusted Reviews are given a proper challenge. We’ll play different genres of music, too, since a good soundbar should be capable of doubling-up as a great music system.
More complex soundbars feature network functionality for hooking up to other speakers and playing music around the home, so we test for connectivity issues and ease of use. We cover the spectrum of models available, everything from cheap soundbars costing less than £100 to those over £1000, to ensure our reviews benefit from our extensive market knowledge. Every product is compared to similarly priced rivals, too.
Pros
- Clean and balanced sound
- Upgradeable
- Excellent size
- Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support
Cons
- HDMI eARC input only
- Limited DTS support
Pros
- Sharp, clear and spacious sound
- Small footprint
- Affordable at its current price
- Wall-mount brackets included
Cons
- LED menu is practically invisible from a seated position
- No HDMI eARC
Pros
- Clean and powerful TV audio
- Surprising amount of bass
- Wide soundstage
- Optional surround sound
Cons
- Remote setup can be fiddly
- Better at TV than music
Pros
- Exciting, dynamic sound (in the right mode)
- Ultra-compact dimensions
- Comes with a subwoofer
- Good range of connections
Cons
- Sub can hog the attention at times
- Not truly immersive
Pros
- Impressive nearfield Dolby Atmos effect
- Clear, articulate voices
- Solid feature set
- Versatile footprint
- Classy design
Cons
- Short on meaningful bass
- Fussy indicator light arrangement
Pros
- Clear, detailed sound with decent bass
- Decent with music
- Neat and tidy design
- Impressive SuperWide feature
Cons
- Odd volume issues with sources
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Clean and balanced sound -
Upgradeable -
Excellent size -
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support
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HDMI eARC input only -
Limited DTS support
Compared to the original Beam, the Beam Gen 2 comes with addition of an eARC HDMI port that allows it to play full-fat lossless Atmos soundtracks.
That also means you’ll need an eARC compatible TV to get the best out of it.
Otherwise, things remain the same with the Beam 2nd Gen, with it best suited for TVs up to and including 49-inches.
The current Beam supports Wi-Fi and the Sonos S2 app, which offers access to a multitude of streaming services such as Tidal, Deezer and Qobuz, as well as Sonos’ own Radio service.
You can also call on voice assistance in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, as well as initiate Trueplay (as long as you’ve got an iOS device), which optimises the Beam’s audio performance according to the environment it is in.
During testing we found it produced an excellent audio performance, offering a solid low end and a generally balanced sound across the frequency range.
It also handled music impressively, with no noticeable distortion, handling more subtle elements with nuance. The addition of Dolby Atmos isn’t achieved through upfiring speakers but through virtual processing, and it offers a good performance with a decent sense of dimensionality when we watched Captain Marvel on Disney+.
The Beam 2 doesn’t have fully-featured DTS support but the similarly compact Polk Magnifi Mini AX and Denon Home Sound bar 550 do support DTS:X.
Like the Sonos both can be paired with a subwoofer for added ‘oomph’. A slightly more expensive but still impressive alternative is the Sennheiser Ambeo Mini.
While the Beam 2 is not perfect, as a means of getting Atmos into the home in a small form factor, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a very good way of doing so.
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Sharp, clear and spacious sound -
Small footprint -
Affordable at its current price -
Wall-mount brackets included
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LED menu is practically invisible from a seated position -
No HDMI eARC
The Samsung HW-S61B is still going and serves as an excellent, affordable rival to the Sonos Beam Gen 2.
Its a compact speaker cabale of producing a crisp, clear and punchy sound. It offers plenty of energy and outright attack that easily betters anything a TV can produce.
Its built-in subwoofer provides impact to action scenes, and with Atmos content, the soundstage is bigger than the dimensions of the bar and TV, producing plenty of size and scale to go with Hollywood blockbusters.
It’s pretty solid performer with music content whether over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, though the former produces a clearer, more detailed performance. The lack of HDMI eARC is a disappointment as it means you won’t be getting the highest quality Dolby Atmos sound possible, and we’re not big fans of the design when it comes to placement of the LED screen. We can barely see it at the best of times given how small it is.
Features include Amazon Alexa voice control, though this would need another connected speaker to be able to use. AirPlay 2 is another means of playing audio to the system, while if you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you can tap it on the surface of the soundbar and play music to it.
If after you’ve bought the speaker, you’re looking to upgrade and add more, the S61B does support the SWA-9200S wireless rear speaker system.
If you have a Samsung Q-Symphony compatible TV can also take advantage of that feature, whereby the TV and soundbar speakers combine for a bigger sound.
There are other options in the market if you are looking for a soundbar and subwoofer combo, most notably the Polk MagniFi Mini AX, but its Atmos performance isn’t as convincing as the Samsung.
New models have launched this one first went on sale, and we’ll be hoping to get reviews of those models at some point.
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Clean and powerful TV audio -
Surprising amount of bass -
Wide soundstage -
Optional surround sound
-
Remote setup can be fiddly -
Better at TV than music
If you’re something with an older TV (say a Pioneer Kuro) or have a second, smaller TV without HDMI inputs, the Sonos Ray is tailor made for you.
It only supports audio through an optical connection, so you won’t have to worry about HDMI handshake issues.
Audio through an optical connection keeps things simple enough, though you do miss out on advanced 3D audio like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. There’s only enough bandwidth for Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks.
There’s no built-in microphones for voice control from the likes of as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can still have those smart features, but you’ll need to connect the Ray to another smart speaker.
The design looks a little different from other Sonos soundbars with its lozenge-shaped look and curved ends. Our reviewer felt it was a less in-your-face design that makes the Ray better to blend in with its surroundings more. You can also fit it into an AV rack if you wanted to conceal it from view.
The sound is surprisingly wide for its size, with effective bass performance too. It offers a clear and obvious improvement on a TV with dialogue making audio tracks much easier to understand. With music we felt it sounded decent, perhaps not quite as good as it is with TV series and films, but passable enough. For its primary job of making audio clearer, the Sonos Ray does a brilliant job.
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Exciting, dynamic sound (in the right mode) -
Ultra-compact dimensions -
Comes with a subwoofer -
Good range of connections
-
Sub can hog the attention at times -
Not truly immersive
While a small soundbar is helpful in terms of reducing space, its size isn’t always great for producing a more cinematic sound, especially when it comes to bass. The Polk MagniFi Mini AX has you covered in that respect.
This an ultra-compact Dolby Atmos/DTS:X soundbar from American brand Polk, and it differs from other options on this list in that it is not just an all-in-one effort but one that comes with sizeable subwoofer.
This allows it produce and energetic and dynamic performance, and given the weight and power behind the subwoofer’s performance, it’s probably one that’s sure to alert the neighbours to what you’re watching.
In our opinion the Polk doesn’t full suffice as an immersive soundbar but performs better than the Creative Stage 360. It can do a decent impression of height effects but not with the greatest sense of definition, while its soundstage is front heavy, though you can add Polk’s SR2 surround speakers as real channels for a greater sense of space.
Dialogue can be enhanced with Polk’s VoiceAdjust technology, although we found that while it did its job of boosting voices, it also had a tendency to raise surrounding noise as well.
Tonally we felt the soundbar sounded accurate and there’s good levels of detail and clarity to enjoy when the soundbar is put into its 3D mode, which also gives a bigger, wider soundstage to Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks.
With music it’s a solid performer, playing music with a crispness that we found avoided sibilance or harshness.
With Chromecast available along with Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and a USB connection that can play MP3 music. With Atmos and DTS:X support for the same price as the Sonos Sub Mini, this is a good value soundbar/subwoofer combination.
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Impressive nearfield Dolby Atmos effect -
Clear, articulate voices -
Solid feature set -
Versatile footprint -
Classy design
-
Short on meaningful bass -
Fussy indicator light arrangement
Measuring in at 52 x 72 x 110cm (WHD) and weighing under 2kg, the SB700 is stocky yet lightweight enough to carry from room to room, which means it can double as both a sonic enhancer for small TVs and a companion for a workstation. We would advise against relying on the SB700 as the main audio source for a living room, though.
Included with the SB700 is a useful remote control that sports treble and bass controls, input selection and all the various EQ modes including voice, movie, music, night and neutral. Sharp also usefully throws in an HDMI cable, which plugs easily into the soundbar’s rear and shares a port alongside optical, USB (service) and 3.5-mm audio inputs.
Powering the four onboard 1.75-inch drivers is a Class D-based 140W of peak power. Plus, as well as Dolby Atmos decoding, the Sharp processes a 3D mode, also known as DAP (Dolby Atmos Processing). We especially appreciate how the SB700 is a plug-and-play device and supports Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity too.
Overall we were impressed with the SB700’s audio quality. While it does struggle with bass and doesn’t quite offer a satisfying loud movie night, it still offers plenty of prowess with midrange and high frequencies too. Plus dialogue sounds clear too.
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Clear, detailed sound with decent bass -
Decent with music -
Neat and tidy design -
Impressive SuperWide feature
-
Odd volume issues with sources
What the Creative Stage Pro lacks in features, it more than makes up for in terms of sound and design quality.
While the Stage Pro feels more like a desktop soundbar rather than a cinema bar, it does sport a smart appearance with a useful display at its front that can be seen from the sofa. Although undoubtedly compact, its height can block the TV’s IR receiver which means you might struggle to use your remote control with your TV.
Otherwise, the bar is paired with a similarly unassuming subwoofer that relies on a wired connection to the soundbar. Usefully, as it’s front-firing, you’re free to place it anywhere.
As mentioned earlier, despite its “Pro” moniker, there aren’t many features at play here. While there is Bluetooth 5.3 and support for Dolby Audio and Dolby Digital+ soundtracks, there’s no Wi-FI. Even so, it still covers the basic connections including an optical input, DMI ARC, USB-C and even an auxiliary input.
Having said that, there is one notable feature: SuperWide. This expands the size of the Stage Pro’s sound and pushes audio out wide in a way that’s much bigger than the speaker. Depending on how close you’re sitting to the speaker, you can choose between Near-Field and Far-Field too. The latter is especially impressive as it manages to keep voices clear while expanding the width of the soundstage.
Overall, although it’s not an immersive soundbar, we were pretty impressed with the sense of the height it can provide. Otherwise, the subwoofer does a good job at providing a punchy sense of bass.
We did struggle with the soundbar’s volume levels, especially when switching between sources, as the Stage Pro can veer from excessively loud to surprisingly quiet. It’s frustrating, as it seems as if there’s no way to minimise those swings in volume.
FAQs
No, but it’s best for them to at least be similar in size. For a full-size soundbar, it’s best to partner them with TVs 50-inches and above. With compact soundbars that TVs’ 49-inches and smaller would be the best fit.
No, you won’t need a soundbar that’s the same brand as the TV. Any soundbar can work with any TV it is connected to. Where you may want to consider is whether the soundbar and TV have been optimised to work best with each other. LG and Sony both have soundbars that share features with their respective TVs.
Full Specs
| Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Review | Samsung HW-S61B Review | Sonos Ray Review | Polk MagniFi Mini AX Review | Sharp HT-SB700 Review | Creative Stage Pro Review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK RRP | £449 | £329 | £279 | £429 | £199 | £129 |
| USA RRP | $449 | $349 | $279 | $499 | – | $169.99 |
| EU RRP | €499 | €419 | €298 | €479 | – | – |
| CA RRP | CA$559 | CA$499 | – | CA$699 | – | – |
| AUD RRP | AU$699 | AU$599 | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturer | Sonos | Samsung | Sonos | Polk | Sharp | Creative |
| Size (Dimensions) | 651 x 100 x 69 MM | 670 x 105 x 62 MM | 559 x 95 x 71 MM | 366 x 104 x 79 MM | x 110 x MM | 420 x 265 x 115 MM |
| Weight | 2.8 KG | 2.7 KG | 1.95 KG | – | 1.9 KG | – |
| ASIN | B09B12MGXM | B09W66KSXN | B09ZYCBWYF | B09VH9C5VV | B0CR6M8RW3 | – |
| Release Date | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2022 | 2024 | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 30/09/2021 | – | 31/05/2022 | – | – | – |
| Model Number | Sonos Beam (2nd Gen) | HW-S61B/XU | Sonos Ray | MagniFi Mini AX | HT-SB700 | – |
| Model Variants | Black or white | S60B | – | – | – | – |
| Sound Bar Channels | – | 5.0 | 5.1 | – | 2.0.2 | 2.1 |
| Driver (s) | 1x tweeter, 4x mid-woofers, 3x passive radiators | Centre, two side-firing | 2 x tweeters, 2 x mid-woofers, 2 x low-velocity ports | two 19mm tweeters, three 51mm mid-range, 127mm × 178mm woofer | 2 x 1.75-in full-range forward-facing drivers plus 2 x 1.75-in full-range up-firing drivers | – |
| Audio (Power output) | – | – | – | – | 140 W | 80 W |
| Connectivity | HDMI eARC, Optical S/PDIF (via adaptor) | – | Optical S/PDIF | AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.0, Chromecast, Spotify Connect | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| ARC/eARC | ARC/eARC | ARC | N/A | ARC/eARC | eARC | ARC |
| Colours | Black, white | White, Black | Black and white | Black | Matt black | Black |
| Voice Assistant | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant | Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Bixby | – | N/A | – | – |
| Audio Formats | Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, Dolby Atmos, PCM | Dolby Atmos (Dolby Digital Plus), DTS Virtual:X, AAC, MP3, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, OGG, AIFF | DTS, Dolby Digital, Stereo PCM | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio, DTS:X, DTS | Dolby Audio, Dolby Atmos | – |
| Power Consumption | – | 31 W | – | – | – | – |
| Subwoofer | – | – | – | Yes | – | Yes |
| Rear Speaker | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | No | No |
| Multiroom | Yes (Sonos) | – | Yes (Sonos mesh) | – | – | – |
Tech
April’s Pink Moon Won’t Actually Be Pink, but It’s Tied to Easter
The first full moon of spring 2026 is on its way, and with it, an early Easter. April’s Pink Moon is scheduled for the first day of April, and while it’s not a lunar eclipse like the full moon in March, it should still light up the sky.
The best time to view the full moon is the evening of April 1. Per The Old Farmer’s Almanac, peak illumination occurs at 10:12 p.m. ET. That’s well after dark for much of the US, and since the moon is set to rise at around 8 p.m. local time in all time zones, most of the US should get a chance to see it at peak illumination.
The only ones left out are those on the West Coast, where the moon won’t rise until around an hour after peak illumination. It doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme since the moon will still be completely full. If you miss the full moon due to inclement weather, the moon will still be mostly full in the two days leading up to and after April 1, so you’ll have plenty of chances to see at least a mostly full moon.
Happy Easter!
The Pink Moon doesn’t have any special characteristics like January’s supermoon or last June’s micromoon. (More of those will come later in 2026.) There is still some cultural significance for this year’s Pink Moon. In Christianity, the first full moon that takes place after the spring equinox determines the calendar dates for Easter. That particular full moon is known as the Paschal Moon.
Easter is always observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. That means the date for Easter this year is April 5.
Since the holiday doesn’t have a fixed date like Christmas, it’s commonly referred to as the “movable feast” and can take place anywhere between March 22 and April 25. The dates are based on the fact that Christianity recognizes the spring equinox as March 21 every year, even though the astronomical date varies slightly, making March 22 the earliest day Easter can occur. The moon cycle is 29.5 days, and when you do the math, the latest you can go is April 25. The next time Earth is scheduled to have an Easter on April 25 is 2038.
Tech
After telling players to refund, Crimson Desert will support Intel Arc
The launch of Crimson Desert wasn’t smooth for everyone, especially Intel Arc GPU users. While the game was a AAA release that showed refreshing levels of polish, it didn’t support Intel Arc graphics at all.
If you looked for more details and stumbled upon the FAQ, Pearl Abyss simply told you to seek a refund.
And as expected, this didn’t go down so well with the gaming community. Now, the studio is changing course and has confirmed that Intel Arc support is officially in the works, marking a major shift in stance.
The backlash clearly worked
The controversy was picked up quickly after launch, with players calling out the lack of support. This was even more surprising since Intel was working with the studio during development, and reportedly even offered drivers and engineering help for Arc GPU support.
But following the immediate backlash, the developers issued an apology.
What went wrong in the first place?
At launch, Crimson Desert simply would not run on Intel Arc GPUs, throwing up an “unsupported hardware” error. It wasn’t a minor bug or performance issue; what was surprising was the complete lack of compatibility. This affected both discrete Arc cards and Intel’s integrated graphics.
The decision raised eyebrows almost immediately, considering how widely Intel iGPUs are used across laptops and PCs. The good news is that Pearl Abyss has now committed to fixing it. While it has confirmed active development for compatibility updates, performance optimization, and a “smooth and stable gameplay experience” on Arc GPUs, there’s still no clear timeline for when this support will actually roll out.
Tech
Windows 11 users are still fixing the Start menu with third-party tools
While Microsoft rethinks where they’ve failed with Windows 11, many users rely on tools like Open Shell, Start11, StartAllBack, and ExplorerPatcher to take back control of the UI. Open Shell remains a free favorite with a customizable Windows 7-style menu, while Start11 and StartAllBack offer more polished tweaks for modern systems. ExplorerPatcher rounds things out as another powerful free option.
Tech
Andrew Jones Returns with Jones and Cerreta Speakers: New Brand to Debut at AXPONA 2026
Andrew Jones doesn’t need a reintroduction, but he’s getting one anyway. After shaping some of the most important loudspeakers of the past three decades at KEF, Pioneer, ELAC, and now MoFi Electronics, where he still leads loudspeaker design—one of the industry’s most respected and technically grounded engineers is stepping out with something new. Jones and Cerreta, a Los Angeles based speaker company co-founded with Jamie and Bill Cerreta, marks the first time Andrew Jones has put his name on the door.

Set to debut in just 17 days at AXPONA 2026, the new brand signals more than another product launch. It’s a reset. Known for delivering reference level thinking at real world prices, Jones is now pairing that engineering discipline with a more design forward approach aimed at listeners who want both sonic credibility and visual impact. The debut loudspeaker is being positioned as a clear departure from his previous work, but the core philosophy remains intact: engineering decisions that serve the music first, not the spec sheet.
Who Is Behind Jones and Cerreta?
Jones and Cerreta brings together three partners with very different backgrounds across engineering, music, and technology, all focused on how music is created, reproduced, and experienced.
Andrew Jones – Lead Speaker Designer and Co Founder

Andrew Jones is one of the most experienced loudspeaker designers working today, with a career that spans KEF, Infinity, Pioneer, TAD, ELAC, and now MoFi Electronics, where he continues to lead loudspeaker design. He studied physics with a focus on acoustics and has worked extensively on crossover design and driver integration.
At KEF, he worked with concentric driver technology, and later at Pioneer helped establish TAD’s transition into the home audio market, including the development of a beryllium concentric driver. At ELAC, he played a key role in building out the company’s North American speaker lineup. Jones and Cerreta is the first company where his name is directly attached as a co founder.
Jamie Cerreta – Creative Strategy and Co Founder

Jamie Cerreta brings more than 25 years of experience in the music industry. He currently serves as President of Peermusic in the U.S. and Canada and has worked closely with artists, producers, and songwriters across a wide range of genres.
His experience includes working with artists such as Ray LaMontagne, My Morning Jacket, and Manchester Orchestra, as well as supporting the development of newer artists and writers. He also serves on the Executive Board of the National Music Publishers Association S.O.N.G.S. Foundation. His role focuses on how recorded music translates from the studio to the listener.
Bill Cerreta – CEO and Co Founder

Bill Cerreta is an electrical engineer with more than 30 years of experience in Silicon Valley, currently working at Pure Storage on data infrastructure technologies. He brings experience in product development, team leadership, and business operations.
He is also an active record collector and has spent years sourcing vinyl pressings internationally. In addition, he restores and builds vintage audio equipment, including tube gear and speakers. His role combines technical knowledge with operational oversight as the company launches its first products.
What Is Jones and Cerreta Bringing to AXPONA 2026?
Here’s what we actually know so far—and it’s just enough to raise eyebrows. The debut speaker is a floorstanding design with no model name and no announced pricing, although nobody should expect this to land anywhere near entry level.
The headline detail is the use of a concentric driver, which tracks with Andrew Jones’ long history at KEF and TAD—but this time it is paired with field coil, a technology rarely seen in modern loudspeakers due to cost, complexity, and power requirements. That combination alone suggests this is not a continuation of his ELAC or MoFi playbook.
Beyond that, details are scarce. No published specs, no confirmed materials, no crossover topology, and no official performance targets. Which means one thing: whatever shows up in Room 302 at AXPONA is likely doing something different enough that they’re not ready to fully spell it out yet.

What Is a Field Coil Driver?
Field coil drivers are an old idea that never fully went away—they just became too complicated and expensive for most modern loudspeakers. Instead of using a permanent magnet like almost every speaker today, a field coil driver uses an electromagnet powered by an external power supply to generate the magnetic field that drives the voice coil.
That difference matters. Because the magnetic field is actively generated, it can be stronger, more stable, and in some cases adjustable, which can improve control, dynamics, and overall efficiency. It’s one of the reasons field coil designs have a reputation for sounding exceptionally clean and immediate when done well.
The tradeoffs are real. Field coil systems require an external power supply, add complexity, generate heat, and significantly increase cost. That’s why they’re mostly found in ultra high end or boutique speakers, often from companies like Cessaro, Voxativ, Tune Audio, Line Magnetic, and Feastrex.
What makes this relevant now is that Andrew Jones is reportedly using a field coil concentric driver in a floorstanding speaker. That’s not how this technology is typically deployed. It’s usually seen in horn systems or single driver designs, not something that looks like it could scale into a broader product line.
In other words, the technology itself isn’t new. Where and how it’s being used this time might be.
Where and When to Hear Andrew Jones’ New Speaker at AXPONA 2026
Jones and Cerreta will make its public debut at AXPONA 2026, taking place April 10 to 12 in Chicago, Illinois, with demonstrations scheduled in Room 302 throughout the show. Attendees will be among the first to see and hear Andrew Jones’ latest loudspeaker design, which promises a fresh take that blends legacy ideas with new engineering approaches.
Andrew Jones will also host a Master Class on April 11 from 5:00 to 5:45 PM in Expo Hall, titled Reimagining the Dual Concentric Driver, offering insight into the thinking behind the new design and how it challenges traditional implementations.
We’ll be there for a first listen—and if history is any guide, this won’t be a quiet debut.
For more information: https://jonesandcerreta.com
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Tech
TeamPCP deploys Iran-targeted wiper in Kubernetes attacks
The TeamPCP hacking group is targeting Kubernetes clusters with a malicious script that wipes all machines when it detects systems configured for Iran.
The threat actor is responsible for the recent supply-chain attack on the Trivy vulnerability scanner, and also an NPM-based campaign dubbed ‘CanisterWorm,’ which started on March 20.
Selective destruction payload
Researchers at application security company Aikido say that the campaign targeting Kubernetes clusters uses the same command-and-control (C2), backdoor code, and drop path as seen in the CanisterWorm incidents.
However, the new campaign differs in that it includes a destructive payload targeting Iranian systems and installs the CanisterWorm backdoor on nodes in other locales.
“The script uses the exact same ICP canister (tdtqy-oyaaa-aaaae-af2dq-cai[.]raw[.]icp0[.]io) we documented in the CanisterWorm campaign. Same C2, same backdoor code, same /tmp/pglog drop path,” Aikido says.
“The Kubernetes-native lateral movement via DaemonSets is consistent with TeamPCP’s known playbook, but this variant adds something we haven’t seen from them before: a geopolitically targeted destructive payload aimed specifically at Iranian systems.”
According to Aikido researchers, the malware is built to destroy any machine that matches Iran’s timezone and locale, regardless if Kuberenetes is present or not.
If both conditions are met, the script deploys a DaemonSet named ‘Host-provisioner-iran’ in ‘kube-system’, which uses privileged containers and mounts the host root filesystem into /mnt/host.
Each pod runs an Alpine container named ‘kamikaze’ that deletes all top-level directories on the host filesystem, and then forces a reboot on the host.
If Kubernetes is present but the system is identified as not Iranian, the malware deploys a DaemonSet named ‘host-provisioner-std’ using privileged containers with the host filesystem mounted.
Instead of wiping data, each pod writes a Python backdoor onto the host filesystem and installs it as a systemd service so it persists on every node.
On Iranian systems without Kubernetes, the malware deletes every file on the machine, including system data, accessible to the current user by running the rm -rf/ command with the –no-preserve-root flag. If root privileges are not available, it attempts passwordless sudo.

source: Aikido
On systems where none of the conditions are met, no malicious action is taken, and the malware just exits.
Aikido reports that a recent version of the malware, which uses the same ICP canister backdoor, has omitted the Kubernetes-based lateral movement and instead uses SSH propagation, parsing authentication logs for valid credentials, and using stolen private keys.
The researchers highlighted some key indicators of this activity, including outbound SSH connections with ‘StrictHostKeyChecking+no’ from compromised hosts, outbound connections to the Docker API on port 2375 across the local subnet, and privileged Alpine containers via an unauthenticated Docker API with / mounted as a hostPath.
Tech
Apple Prepares To Add Search Ads To Apple Maps
Apple is reportedly preparing to add search ads to Apple Maps, “and it could start to roll out to users by the summer,” reports AppleInsider, citing sources from Bloomberg (paywalled). From the report: Apple will make an announcement as soon as March. This will bring ads to search queries within the navigation app, which will operate similar to Google’s advertising system. Retailers and brands will be able to bid for ad spots located against search queries for specific terms, such as types of food or services. The winning bid will be able to show an ad at the top of the results, pointing to a related location for that business. Apple also announced in January that it would add more ads within the App Store, starting March in the UK and Japan.
Tech
Samsung will soon let you control smart home devices from your car’s dashboard
Your car might just become the new smart home hub for your house. Samsung has expanded SmartThings integration, enabling drivers to control their smart home devices directly from their car’s infotainment system. It’s called Car-to-Home.
Building on the earlier Home-to-Car capability that allowed users to monitor their cars from inside the house, the Car-to-Home feature flips the functionality so you can control your smart home appliances, such as air conditioners, lighting systems, and other smart switches, from your car’s dashboard.

What can the Car-to-Home feature do?
The practical scope of the feature is broader than it might sound, as it is compatible with devices such as air conditioners, air purifiers, robot vacuums, lights, and cameras. Connecting is straightforward — drivers scan a QR code displayed on their car’s infotainment screen and link their vehicle to their SmartThings account.
Apart from manual control (flipping the switches), the Car-to-Home feature unlocks location-aware automation that genuinely changes how your home responds to your day. You can set routines so that the SmartThings network turns on the required appliances as you park your car in the garage.
I can see people using the feature to pre-cool their rooms or run air purifiers before they arrive home after a tiring day at the office. On the contrary, the feature should also shut everything down (automatically), as you get in the car and leave the driveway. There’s a dedicated Away Mode for handling lights when you’re away.

Who gets access, and when?
For now, the feature is available on select Hyundai and Kia cars, specifically those that feature the connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) introduced after November 2022 in Korea. However, both Samsung and Hyundai aim to expand the feature to their customers throughout the world in due course.
Eligible models include the Grandeur, Santa Fe, Ioniq 5, K5, Sorento, and EV9. Samsung also plans to extend the feature to Genesis vehicles equipped with the ccIC27 infotainment system.
As and when the feature becomes available to a wider audience, it could drive a behavioral shift in which cars become central nodes in someone’s smart home ecosystem, linking mobility and domestic technology in ways that were, until recently, purely speculative.
Tech
The F-22 Raptor Is Getting 2 New Upgrades
The F-22 Raptor is one of the premier fighter jets in the sky and one of the few fifth-generation fighters in active service in 2026. Still, despite its bleeding-edge placement in the United States Air Force’s arsenal, it’s getting a little long in the tooth, having first been introduced to service all the way back in 2005.
The War Zone reported that a Lockheed Martin-produced mockup of the new version of the Raptor was at the Warfare Symposium, a convention for the defense industry and elements of the United States military. The outlet reported some noteworthy changes being made on this plane. Namely, the aircraft is slated to get upgrades in the form of some extra range and another set of eyes.
Fuel tanks and sensor pods might not sound like a big deal, as those components have been mounted to wing pylons of various aircraft for decades. But it’s not so easy to make these kinds of adjustments on a plane as stealthy as the F-22. That’s because external fuel tanks and sensors don’t have the same stealth considerations as the rest of the aircraft. A big fuel tank is nice, but it can make the plane more visible to radar.
The latest and greatest Raptor
The newer and stealthier sensor pods are posited to give the Raptor better infrared tracking capabilities, according to The War Zone. Given the F-22’s primary role as an air-to-air fighter and the increasing prevalence of powerful stealth fighters from potentially adversarial air forces, any extra capability would likely be welcome.
Specifics as to how much extra range the fuel tanks will give the Raptor and what the sensor pods will allow the F-22 Raptor to do are likely classified. Nevertheless, upgrades are expected to enter service, or at least more advanced testing, over the course of 2026.
The F-22 Raptor, despite all of its menace and upcoming capabilities that, at least on paper, seem to entirely outclass most other jets, has never seen much air-to-air combat apart from shooting down a suspected surveillance balloon. The jet’s exclusivity paired with the fact that Air Force fighters don’t shoot down jets that frequently, means that the F-22 doesn’t see a lot of air-to-air action (at least that we know of).
Tech
Operation Alice: The dark web isn't as hidden as it seems, as global crackdown shows
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Europol recently unveiled “Operation Alice,” a major effort to dismantle a large network of fraudulent websites hidden within the dark web. The investigation began in 2021 and initially focused on a platform named Alice with Violence CP. In the end, the operation took down one of the largest dark web…
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Tech
Remembering IEEE Power & Energy Society’s Mel Olken
Mel Olken
Former executive director of the IEEE Power & Energy Society
Fellow, 92; died 9 January
Olken became the first executive director of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) in 1995. In 2002 he left the position to serve as founding editor in chief of the society’s Power & Energy Magazine. Olken led the publication until 2016, when he retired.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the City College of New York, Olken was hired as an electrical engineer by American Electric Power, a utility based in Columbus, Ohio. He helped design coal, hydroelectric, and nuclear power plants. While at AEP, he was promoted to manager of the electrical generation department.
He joined IEEE in 1958 and became a PES member in 1973. An active volunteer, he chaired the society’s energy development and power generation committee and its technical council.
Olken was elected an IEEE Fellow in 1988 for “contributions to innovative design of reliable generating stations.”
He became an IEEE staff member in 1984 as society services director for IEEE Technical Activities. From 1990 to 1995 he served as managing director of Regional Activities group (now IEEE Member and Geographic Activities), before becoming PES executive director.
He received a PES Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 for his “broad and sustained technical contributions to the development of power engineering and the power engineering profession.”
Stephanie A. Huguenin
Research scientist
IEEE member, 48; died 1 October
Huguenin was an administrative assistant in the physics and biophysics department at Augusta University, in Georgia. According to her Augusta obituary, she died of an illness acquired during her volunteer work in India.
She received a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1999 from the College of Charleston, in South Carolina. During her senior year, she worked as a mathematics and science tutor at the Jenkins Orphanage (now the Jenkins Institute for Children), in North Charleston. After graduating, Huguenin traveled to India to volunteer at an orphanage run by the Mother Teresa Foundation.
Upon returning to the United States in 2001, Huguenin worked as a freelance research consultant. Three years later she was hired as a systems administrator and archivist by photographer Ebet Roberts in New York City. In 2010 she left to work as an operations strategist and technical consultant.
She earned a master’s degree in communication and research science in 2016 from New York University. While at NYU, she conducted experimental and theoretical research in Internet Protocol design and implementation as well as network security and management.
From 2020 to 2024 she was a research scientist at businesses owned by her family. She joined Augusta University in 2023.
She was a member of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society and the IEEE Systems Council.
Huguenin volunteered for the Internet Engineering Task Force, a standards development organization, and the American Registry for Internet Numbers. ARIN manages and distributes internet number resources such as IP addresses and autonomous system numbers.
The nonprofits she supported included the Coastal Conservation League, the Longleaf Alliance, the Lowcountry Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy, and Women in Defense.
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