News
- Nuclear waste may become fuel for decades-long autonomous operations worldwide
- DARPA wants batteries delivering power continuously for up to 30 years
- Project Omega is converting radiation directly into usable electrical energy efficiently
Scientists working with a United States defense programme are developing compact nuclear batteries intended to supply electricity continuously for several decades.
The effort revolves around radioisotope power systems that convert radiation directly into electricity instead of storing energy through chemical reactions.
Developers believe these lightweight devices could eventually keep drones, satellites, and remote equipment operating without conventional battery replacements for years.
Nuclear waste becomes fuel for decades of uninterrupted powerThe programme falls under DARPA's "Rads to Watts" initiative, which seeks compact energy sources delivering high energy density and longevity.
A recent $3.37 million award supports development of a proof-of-concept device producing more than 10 watts per kilogram.
One participant in the programme, Project Omega, is developing the generator that uses isotopes extracted from existing nuclear waste rather than newly produced radioactive material from dedicated facilities.
“Solar cells directly convert sunlight into electricity…Ours directly convert radiation into electricity,” said Stafford Sheehan, CEO and founder of Project Omega.
“We already have some of these small devices running; the ones that are specifically designed to meet the DARPA figure of merit are going to come out early next year.”
Researchers estimate that more than 100,000 metric tons of nuclear waste currently remain stored across 52 reactor locations nationwide.
Sheehan argued that existing stockpiles provide abundant material while unresolved disposal issues continue generating expensive legal disputes for authorities annually.
“At a high level, we take nuclear waste, we recycle it into two products: one is fuel for reactors…the other are power isotopes, so isotopes you can use to power things.”
Unlike conventional rechargeable cells, the proposed units use solid-state isotope blocks layered with semiconductors generating electricity through radiation exposure.
Military planners see obvious advantages for drones and satellitesRadioisotope power systems have powered spacecraft and scientific missions for decades, typically using plutonium-based materials.
Project Omega will now use Strontium-90, which developers describe as less hazardous than Plutonium-238 alternatives currently employed.
The batteries are also expected to function across temperature extremes that frequently create complications for military hardware in difficult environments.
Military interest arrives as demand for unmanned systems grows alongside persistent concerns surrounding charging requirements during extended deployments worldwide.
A drone capable of operating for 30 years with continuous onboard power would alter assumptions surrounding endurance and logistics requirements.
Several organisations are participating in the Rads to Watts programme, including Morgan State University, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Northrop Grumman, ARA, and Widetronix.
Researchers expect a minimally viable prototype to emerge by early 2027 following testing under increasingly realistic operating conditions and scenarios.
However, conversion efficiency, radiation effects, reliability, and safe deployment still require extensive evaluation efforts.
If the technology succeeds, autonomous systems capable of operating for decades could become technically feasible.
Via Defense One
It may not always be among the first brands to get a particular type of product to market, but you can usually rely on Bose to have done a proper job by the time it gets around to it. And on paper, that seems to be exactly what’s happened with this new Lifestyle Ultra Speaker — it’s priced and specified to meet the market-leaders head on, and has one or two points of difference to try and make its case even stronger.
The looks, for instance, are just distinct enough from the usual ‘cylinder of sound’ design to stand out in a showroom. The specification, which includes a 38mm mid/high driver angled to fire upwards through the top of the cabinet, promises authentic spatial audio performance where many a rival relies on digital sound processing in an effort to achieve the effect. And the appearance of Alexa+ as a voice assistant marks the first time a non-Amazon product is using the technology.
One of the best wireless speakers around? Yes, in a word. In practice, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker has an awful lot to recommend it and immediately becomes a real contender. There's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, with Apple Airplay and Google Cast baked in too. It’s also a punchy, detailed and respectably dynamic listen, can play very loudly indeed if you so desire, and has a definite and well-defined sensation of height to its sound. You’ll need to be into the EQ settings to get treble response balanced out and calmed down, but overall this is an upfront, energetic but not remotely unsubtle performer that deserves a place on even very short shortlists.
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review: Price and release date- Launched May 15, 2026
- $299 / £299 / AU$499 in black or white (the 'sand' finish is pricier)
The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs £299. Or, at least, it does in either of the black or ‘white smoke’ finishes. If you fancy the Bang & Olufsen-tastic ‘sand’ finish with its natural oak base, you’re looking at £349.
In America it sells for $299 / $349, while in Australia (where the ‘sand’ finish does not seem to be available), the going rate is AU$499.
At this price, the Lifestyle Ultra Speakers' chief rival in the Bluetooth arena is probably the slightly more expensive (at its regular price, anyway) JBL Xtreme 5. And that's a five-star speaker, so competition is tough. That said, the Bose you're reading about offers streaming over your home's Wi-Fi network too, so in that category, your easy comparison is the Sonos Play.
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review: SpecsWeight:
1.66 kg (3.6 lbs)
Dimensions:
18.5 x 12.1 x 16.8 cm
Battery life (quoted):
N/A (plug-in only)
Connectivity:
Bluetooth 5.3 with BLE; Wi-Fi (Google Cast; AirPlay; multi-room)
Drivers:
Two front-facing drivers ( 1x 3-inch woofer; 1x 1-inch tweeter), plus a 1.5-inch up-firing 'twiddler'
Aux-in:
Yes
Charger port:
USB-C
Microphone:
Yes; built-in array
Waterproof rating:
Not rated
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review: Features- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity
- Three-driver speaker array includes 38mm up-firing mid/high drive unit- 3.5mm analog input
In most respects, the feature-set of the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is somewhere between ‘very good’ and ‘very good indeed’ — the features we know about fall into one of those categories, anyway. This is Bose we’re dealing with, of course, which means there are no details whatsoever regarding some aspects of specification forthcoming.
I’m going to go ahead and guess the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker uses Class D amplification, and that there’s an adequate amount of power on board (the ‘sound quality’ section will let you know how I’ve come to this particular conclusion).
What I know for sure is that there’s a three-driver array on board that’s in receipt of this mysterious amplification — a forward-facing 76mm mid/bass driver below a 25mm tweeter, with a 38mm mid/high driver angled up and out through the top of the cabinet.
As for what these drivers are made from, or the frequency response they’re capable of generating, well, your guess is as good as mine. Whatever the frequency response is, though, it’s bolstered by a rear-facing ‘QuietPort’ bass reflex port at the rear of the cabinet.
The port is towards the bottom of the back of the cabinet, just above a 3.5mm line-level analog input that constitutes the Bose’s only physical connectivity.
Wireless stuff is handled by dual-band wi-fi and Bluetooth — the latter is version 5.3 but is only compatible with the bog-standard SBC and AAC codecs, which is a shame when you consider the number of alternatives that are capable of local streaming to a higher standard. Still, Wi-Fi means Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Spotify Connect are all available, with TIDAL Connect promised sooner rather than later.
- Features score: 4.5 / 5
- 184 x 121 x 167mm (HxWxD)
- Choice of three finishes
- Fixed grille
You make your own mind up when it comes to looks, of course, but for my money the shape of the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker makes a very pleasant change from all those cylindrical speakers that make up the bulk of the competition the Bose faces. The soft, rounded shape is miles ahead of the rather boxy stuff Bose has been turning out before now.
At 184 x 121 x 167mm (HxWxD) the proportions are pleasing, and the speaker is just about compact enough to work happily on a shelf (as long as there’s space above it for the up-firing driver to do its thing, of course). The standard of build and finish is basically impeccable, and there’s even a suggestion of tactility to the plastics Bose has used here. No matter which of the three available finishes you choose (the black of my sample, the ‘white smoke’ alternative that has more than a hint of grey about it, or the cost-option ‘sand’ alternative), the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker looks and feels the part.
The looks are nicely enhanced by the wraparound grille that covers a good portion of the front of the speaker. The fact that it’s notably proud of the main body makes it look very much like it can be detached — but it can’t, so don’t even try. No good can come of it.
- Design score: 5 / 5
- Spacious and punchy presentation
- Pronounced ‘height’ element to sound
- A little more width and a little less high-end vigour wouldn’t go amiss
First things first: the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker makes good use of its up-firing driver — dial in some ‘height’ in the control app, queue up a FLAC file of Idles’ Never Fight a Man with a Perm, let the ‘TrueSpatial’ processing do its thing, and you get a presentation that’s considerably taller than the cabinet from which it’s coming.
There’s nice even frequency response on display, too — the Bose digs respectably deep, hitting good and hard and the bottom of the frequency range, and the transitions to the midrange and into the highest frequencies is pretty smooth. While it goes out of way to ensure no part of the frequency range is over- or under-represented, the speaker does project the midrange just a little. The ‘V’ shape that results is more of a bump than a spike, though. Control of the bottom end is pretty tight, so the speaker has no real issues in expressing rhythms confidently. Detail levels are high at every stage. The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is quite an insightful listen, and pays good attention to the more minor details in a recording — the fact that it presents quite a spacious and well-defined soundstage helps to make this obvious.
There’s a good sensation space to the overall sound, and certainly more than enough room for every participant in a recording to get the space in which to operate — but the left/right width of the presentation is quite curtailed in comparison to the height element. The result is a slightly narrow, notably tall sound that’s slightly counter-intuitive right until the moment you get used to it.
The tonal balance is, for the most part, pretty consistent; the Bose is a fairly neutral device in this respect. There’s a slight lack of substance to treble sounds compared to the rest of the frequency range, a tiny hint of toothiness that’s rather at odds with the robust way the rest of the range is presented. It’s nothing a moment or two examining your EQ options can’t mitigate, though.
Add in a reasonable facility with dynamics — the broad stuff about volume and intensity, and the more subtle dynamics of harmonic variation too — and the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker makes a pretty convincing case for itself. Unless, of course, you’re listening to content that simply doesn’t enjoy being forced into a spatial audio presentation. You can minimise the effect of the height channel in the app, but you can’t defeat the ‘TrueSpatial’ processing — and uncooperative recordings can sound just a touch vague where more compliant stuff is quite sharply focused.
- Sound quality: 4.5 / 5
- Alexa+ voice control
- Physical and app control too
- No auto-calibration feature
As far as ‘setup’ is concerned, the Bose is either mercifully straightforward or rather underpowered — it depends on your point of view. In order to get up and running, it’s simply a question of finding a suitable position for the speaker (Bose will sell you a wall-mount of a dedicated stand, and there’s a thread in the base of the cabinet for use with third-party supports) and plugging it in. Then it’s simply a question of logging into wi-fi and to Amazon in order to activate the voice assistant. There’s no automatic room calibration routine available here (which is distinct from the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar that launched at the same time), so any tweaks to the performance of the speaker will have to be made in the Bose control app.
The app itself is clean and logical, and as well as some EQ adjustment (plus a slider to increase or decrease the sensation of sonic height) it’s where you can create a stereo pair with a second Lifestyle Ultra Speaker or incorporate your speaker into a home theatre system. Use the Google Home app, meanwhile, and a multiroom system using any and all compatible speakers can very easily be set up.There are some physical controls on the top of the speaker, too.
Capacitive buttons take care of play/pause, volume up/down, Bluetooth pairing, input selection, and waking this voice assistant — there’s a button to defeat the mic too, in case you don’t want Alexa+ to listen out for you.
This is the first non-Amazon product to take advantage of Alexa+ voice control and, while Amazon has kept some smart features for itself, this version works very well indeed. It’s alert to voice prompts, and is rapid in its responses to any questions or instructions you might have.
- Setup & usability: 4.5 / 5
Obviously there’s no shortage of wireless speakers at this sort of money, and some of them are very good indeed. Spending your money with Bose rather than with, say, brands as credible as Apple, Denon, Sonos or WiiM (to name just a few) does have upsides, though.
Obviously there’s the standard of build and finish, the very pleasant aesthetic and the many positives about the way the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker sounds. But there’s also the open and agnostic nature of its multiroom capability, as well as the welcome and well-implemented appearance of Alexa+ as a voice assistant to be factored in too. So while this is not your only choice, the value for money it offers means it should really be on your shortlist.
- Value score: 4.5 / 5
You have other Google Home-compatible wireless speakers
The Bose plays nicely with any number of products from third-party brands
You enjoy a bit of height to your sound
That up-firing driver adds appreciably to the way your music is presented
You have plans for a home cinema system
One more Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, plus the matching Soundbar, makes for a quite compelling surround-sound set-up
Your Bluetooth source has good codec compatibility
Unfortunately, the Bose doesn’t
You’ve enjoyed the automatic room calibration some Bose products offer
The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker leaves you to deal with things manually
You’ve heard the width, as well as the height, available from alternative spatial audio speakers
The Bose ‘TrueSpatial’ processing doesn’t, in ultimate terms, deliver the ideal impression of ‘left/right’
Sonos Play
The Sonos Play is a portable, battery-powered speaker — with all the logistical positives and negatives that implies when compared to the Bose — but given that it costs exactly the same amount of money, that it’s part of a well-established ecosystem, and that it delivers a big, chunky but quite deft sound, it’s currently the product to beat.
Read our full Sonos Play review for more
JBL Xtreme 5
Want something fairly hefty that you can take outside in the rain, that isn't Wi-Fi enabled (only Bluetooth) but doesn't need to be plugged in? OK, it's possibly a long shot since you came here to read about a Wi-Fi enabled speaker for your home. But just in case, the JBL is a great five-star option for a similar price tag…
Read our in-depth JBL Xtreme 5 review for more
I used the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker on a kitchen worktop, a bookshelf, and a dedicated speaker stand. I used an iPhone 15 Pro to stream to it using Bluetooth (given the lack of worthwhile codec compatibility, there didn’t seem much point in getting anything better specified charged up), and I also used the iOS device to listen to Apple Music via AirPlay 2.
- First reviewed: July 2026
It's July, I'm fresh off writing my 2026 cameras half-year review, and in the process something became clear to me — neither Nikon nor Fujifilm has released a new camera this year (the Instax mini Evo Cinema instant camera doesn't count).
So while I've personally tested standout models from other manufacturers in recent months, such as the Sony A7R VI and Canon EOS R6 Mark III mirrorless cameras, plus the Ricoh GR IV and Panasonic Lumix L10 premium compacts, we're yet to see new Z-mount or X-mount bodies.
I'm sure the question on many a camera fan's lips is this: can we expect new Nikon and Fujifilm cameras later this year?
I've reviewed every major camera release over the last few years, attended countless events, and have studied the timeline and cadence of previous releases to form a picture of what could happen next.
I've considered which bodies could be due for an upgrade, and what direction each brand has been headed recently. So let's see what could happen next for 2026's quiet camera manufacturers, Nikon and Fujifilm.
Nik-none?The last Nikon camera body was the Nikon Zr from September 2025, which was its first cinema camera co-branded with RED. It packed super-impressive video specs, many of which were borrowed from the superb Z6 III, into a particularly small body with an epic 4-inch touchscreen and stellar audio features.
For a true mirrorless hybrid with viewfinder, we need to go even further back, over a year in fact, to the Nikon Z5 II in May 2025. This was a decent upgrade of Nikon's affordable Z5, which delivered a raft of performance improvements to redefine what entry-level full-frame models can do, and went on to bag our Camera of the Year 2025 award.
Currently, the range of Nikon cameras includes the Nikon Z30, Z fc and Z50 II APS-C bodies, and the Z5 II, Z6 III, Z f, Z7 II, Z8 and Z9 full-frame bodies, plus the ZR cinema body.
The Nikon ZR was the first Nikon / RED co-branded camera, and I expect other models to follow next (Image credit: Tim Coleman)The most heavily rumored Nikon cameras are the Nikon Z9 II — what with the Z9 being over four years old — and new cinema camera bodies; potentially a premium and larger option with pro-grade connectivity that could sit above the ZR, plus an even more affordable version with an APS-C sensor.
We could get a new Z f-series model — both of the retro-styled bodies have been around for a while now. Personally, I'd like to see a Nikon camera in the Z f style, but as a compact camera version with a fixed fast aperture prime lens.
Tipsters believe we're unlikely to see another Z7 camera; the Z6 III (and obviously the Z5 II) is too recent for a replacement, while the Z8 has aged well and still holds its own today. CoolPix compact cameras have seemingly been sunsetted — besides refreshing its old 125x zoom bridge camera with the CoolPix P1100, we haven't seen a true new CoolPix in several years.
For me, having been hosted by Nikon at IBC 2025 in Amsterdam last September around the launch of the ZR, it was clear that Nikon has its head in cinema camera gear, so a high-end cinema body to follow the ZR is highly plausible, though I don't know what it would be called.
A new Nikon cinema camera with an APS-C sensor is also highly likely. In theory, it would effectively render a direct Z30 successor redundant, although it would cost a fair whack more than a potential Z30 II would. That would be a shame — the Z30 is Nikon's cheapest mirrorless camera, and Nikon has otherwise largely ignored truly affordable cameras for beginner photographers.
Fujifilm's next generation processor inbound?As for Fujifilm cameras, the X-T30 III was its most recent X-mount release, back in October 2025, which followed the classy X-E5 from June 2025.
Those launches meant that practically every current X-mount model is fitted with Fujifilm's latest X-Processor 5 chip, besides the X-Pro series, with a range of 26MP and 40MP options.
I wouldn't bank on an X-Pro 4 until the next generation of processor is out in the wild, if at all, and usually each new processor comes with the latest high-end X-T model, the most recent of which was the X-T5.
The wacky Fujifilm X-Pro 3 with its film simulation window and hidden rear LCD is among the X-series cameras most due a successor (Image credit: Future)It comes as no surprise then that the X-T6 is the most-rumored Fujifilm camera, which is being tipped for a September release when Fujifilm typically hosts its once- or twice-yearly X-Summit.
I've written about what upgrades I'd hope for in an X-T6, especially improved autofocus performance and an all-new processor, but otherwise it's hard to see where Fujifilm can better the X-T5 without treading on the toes of the high-speed XH-series.
Elsewhere in the range, the X100VI premium compact continues to sell well, and so I'd be really surprised if a seventh generation model comes this year — a new processor needs to come first, too.
Stepping outside of new gear and into photography, it's worth noting that Fujifilm recently shared its new 'Look Up' campaign (see below), encouraging people to look up from their screens and connect with the world around them, saying:
'Our cameras bring you back into the moment, giving you agency over how you see, how you feel and how you remember. They allow you to turn emotions into images — a grounding force that doesn’t tell you what to think, but helps you stay focused and present.'
Are you a Nikon or Fujifilm photographer? Which camera would you like to see next, and what are the upgrades that would benefit your photography the most? Have your say in the comments.
Walk deep into Walt Disney Imagineering’s sprawling, surprisingly unassuming Glendale campus, and you’ll eventually find Studio C.
It’s where Imagineering mixes the audio for its attractions, but when I recently stepped inside, I quickly realized it was much more than a recording studio. The room is lined with dozens upon dozens of speakers designed to recreate the sound field of Disney attractions, letting Imagineers hear a ride long before guests ever do.
During my visit, I watched a live mix session for Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, Shanghai Disneyland’s trackless dark ride, and the experience was almost uncanny. Sound moved seamlessly around the room, tracking the ride vehicle as though I were actually inside the attraction.
That same room became the proving ground for one of Imagineering’s most unusual engineering challenges yet: figuring out how to mix the audio for Soarin’ Across America.
(Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering)The reimagined version of Disney’s iconic flight simulator debuted this summer at both EPCOT at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California, timed for America’s Semiquincentennial celebration. Disney’s Unscripted behind-the-scenes video confirmed that Imagineers used the Apple Vision Pro during production of Soarin’ Across America, but it left one obvious question unanswered: why? That’s what I wanted to find out.
So I spoke with Greg Lhotka, Sr. Manager, Audio Media Design at Walt Disney Imagineering, who walked me through the surprisingly complicated process behind mixing one of Disney’s most technically demanding attractions.
“For Soarin’ Across America, we utilized Studio C not only as a production facility, but as a proving ground for an entirely new field-mixing approach developed specifically for this film. On the sound design side, we partnered with Skywalker Sound, and together we used Studio C to prototype and validate a custom speaker configuration that closely mirrors the unique audio architecture of the Soarin’ theaters.”
Disney ExperiencesDisney ExperiencesDisney ExperiencesDisney ExperiencesIf you’ve ridden Soarin’, you already know why that matters. Riders are lifted into the air in three stacked rows facing a massive curved projection screen, while sound moves not only around the theater but above and below you as well. As Lhotka explained, the attraction uses a four-tiered speaker system — upper, mid-level, lower, and a dedicated floor array — creating an audio environment that’s far more complex than a traditional movie theater.
Having now ridden Soarin’ Across America several times, it’s easy to appreciate the result. The updated film sweeps from New York Harbor and the Grand Canyon to California’s rolling hills and countless landscapes in between through soaring aerial cinematography, practical effects, and a soundtrack that glides almost effortlessly alongside you. The audio shifts just as fluidly as the visuals, making each transition feel natural as the ride carries you across some of America’s most recognizable landmarks and scenic vistas.
Studio C could simulate much of that during production, but not all of it.
“For Soarin’ films, mixing historically required the construction of scaffolding inside the theater to reach the appropriate listening height for final mix decisions,” Lhotka explained. “Even then, the process was far from ideal, as the ride canopy significantly influences the acoustics. For this project, one of the key requirements was that the theater remain fully operational and open to guests throughout production — eliminating the possibility of scaffolding altogether.”
How do you mix a show with over 1,000 audio tracks and an extremely complex panning matrix while seated in a ride vehicle?
That constraint forced Imagineering to rethink its entire workflow.
“The challenge was clear: how do you mix a show with over 1,000 audio tracks and an extremely complex panning matrix while seated in a ride vehicle? The solution came through an innovative use of new AR technologies. By leveraging advanced screen-sharing capabilities, we were able to remotely control our production system — directly connected to the theater — while seated in the ride vehicle itself. This allowed us to place virtual screens in our field of view, effectively bringing the mixing console into the theater environment.”
Before anyone tested it inside the attraction, Studio C became the test lab.
“Studio C once again played a critical role as our testbed. Over the course of a week, we evaluated multiple configurations to confirm that things could be controlled precisely in this way, and that the AR headset’s external cameras would allow us to view the film clearly in the theater’s low-light conditions while simultaneously monitoring the virtual screens. The final configuration exceeded expectations.”
Once validated, the workflow moved from experiment to production.
“This workflow was ultimately used as the solution — and it became the method by which Soarin’ Across America was mixed. The result is a soundtrack that was shaped directly from the guest’s perspective, using tools and techniques that reflect our continued commitment to innovation, immersion, and storytelling.”
(Image credit: Walt Disney Imagineering)Having experienced Studio C for myself, that revelation immediately clicked. The room is already designed to recreate the feeling of sitting inside a Disney attraction with remarkable accuracy. But even a purpose-built facility couldn’t perfectly replicate Soarin’s unique acoustics. The only place left to finish the mix was inside the attraction itself.
It’s an elegant solution that solved two problems at once. Guests never lost access to Soarin’ during production, and Imagineering’s audio team was able to shape the soundtrack from the exact seat every future rider would occupy. Rather than approximating the experience from scaffolding or even Studio C, the final mix was crafted where it mattered most: inside the attraction itself.