Nadella announced Project Solara, billed as a “new chip-to-cloud platform” for AI agent devices.

Steven Bathiche, who leads Microsoft’s plied Sciences Group, demonstrated onstage a new portable device built with Qualcomm silicon.

“It’s a turnkey solution for building unique agent-first devices,” Bathiche said, as he showed off an early prototype.

“The Access Badge, built using Qualcomm silicon for wearables — this digital badge is a lightweight form factor designed for agent interactions on the go,” he said. You can unlock the badge with your fingerprint and use verbal commands to control the AI agent.

During the demo, he asked the badge to take photos for a social media post, using it to scan the crowd at the Build keynote. He asked Copilot to find some good shots from the audience scan, clean them up and send them to him and his team for review.

Microsoft is already working with AccuWeather, Best Buy, CVS Health, Levi Strauss and Target on the badge.

The other device Microsoft unveiled was a stationery-agentic AI MediaTek device, powered by Microsoft’s new Work IQ. Microsoft Work IQ provides workplace context for AI agents working in organizations, including access across Microsoft 365 — like emails, documents and meetings — and will be generally available on June 16.

Microsoft did not have a prototype of the MediaTek device on hand (which looks like those table-side payment terminals used in restaurants), and no news on when it could launch, but said it’s designed to be kept on your desk at work.

“Just walking up to the device securely signs you in, giving you direct access to your matrix … this means frictionless yet protected access to Microsoft 365 Copilot grounded in Work IQ, and with a simple glance at surfaces what matters next in your workday, helping you think, plan and even act by delegating tasks to your agents with a simple t or just using your voice,” Bathiche said.

The screen behind Bathiche displayed images of wearables like smart glasses and smart watches, as well as tablets and screens.

“This is the moment to imagine where your agents should live, what form they should take and what new work they can unlock,” Bathiche said.

We test lots of routers at CNET HQ — mesh and otherwise — so we’re constantly updating our rundowns of the top systems on the market. I’ll note any new mesh systems we test here as we go, along with a quick summary of my takeaways. Please note that this list includes several systems that were tested at my home instead of our latest test setup.

Arris Surfboard Max AX6600: A high-powered Wi-Fi 6 system with an upright, cylindrical design, the Surfboard Max was able to deliver fast speeds to other Wi-Fi 6 devices in my tests, but the performance was inconsistent with earlier-gen Wi-Fi 5 devices. I also didn’t like the Ethernet jacks on the bottom of the device, which force you to bend your cables to the extreme in order to plug the router in.

Asus ZenWifi XD6: The middle child from the Asus family of Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers, the ZenWifi XD6 is a dual-band mesh system. It won’t give you the tri-band build of the ZenWifi XT8, nor will you get that system’s multi-gig Ethernet jack. Still, the system performed as well as any dual-band mesh router I had ever tested when I first reviewed it, so it isn’t a bad pick by any stretch. Available for around $140, it’s a reasonable price for a high-performance system.

Asus ZenWifi XT8: One of the most powerful ZenWifi systems, the tri-band XT8 performed well in our speed tests and was among the first mesh routers to include multi-gig Ethernet WAN ports on each device. Available in a two-pack for $330, the former CNET Innovation Award winner is a reasonable alternative, but it isn’t quite as good a value as the Netgear Orbi 870 or Eero 7.

Eero 6: Amazon’s first Wi-Fi 6 mesh router, the Eero 6 hit the market back in 2020, but it didn’t blow us away during our tests. Eero systems that followed it did a lot better in my speed tests and they offer the same smart home perks, such as built-in radios for Zigbee and Thread.

Eero Pro 6E: The Eero Pro 6E did an excellent job in our speed tests, finishing toward the top in just about every category while also delivering a noticeable speed bump to Wi-Fi 6E devices that can connect over the 6GHz band. The Eero 7 is the better value for most households, but if you’re a Wi-Fi 6E power user with gigabit speeds at home, then upgrading to the Eero Pro 6E merits strong consideration.

Eero Max 7: It’s Amazon’s newest, largest and priciest Eero mesh system, and it adds in support for Wi-Fi 7, the new Wi-Fi standard that promises to build upon Wi-Fi 6E’s foray into the 6GHz band. In our speed tests, the Max 7 was cable of hitting blazing-fast speeds, but at more than $1,000 for a two-pack, you’re better off spending less for the Orbi 870.

Linksys Velop MX2000: Available in a two-pack for $150, the Linksys Velop MX2000, also known as the Velop Atlas 6, is decent enough as baseline Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers go, but you’ll find better value and faster speeds if you shop around.

Nest Wifi Pro: The Nest Wifi Pro mesh router reworks the original Nest Wifi pitch by ditching the built-in Google Assistant smart speakers and adding in access to the 6GHz band via Wi-Fi 6E support. With a built-in Thread radio and robust smart home controls via the Google Home p, it’s a decent pick for smart home enthusiasts, and it was as stable a performer as I’ve seen in my speed tests. Still, those speeds were a bit lackluster, and the system also lacked backward compatibility with previous Nest Wifi and Google Wifi hardware. At $400 for a three-pack, it’s a bit expensive for such middle-of-the-road performance.

Netgear Orbi AX6000: Originally released as the Netgear Orbi 850 series, and recently updated to the 860 Series, both generations of Netgear’s flagship AX6000 mesh router offer strong performance, but I wasn’t as impressed with the system’s speeds on a gigabit network, where several systems that cost less have managed to outperform it in my tests. Even so, this is one of the most consistent mesh routers I’ve tested, with reliable speeds from test to test. If that type of steady performance is what you’re after, then it belongs high on your list.

TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro: The Deco X4300 Pro is an impressive system that features some of the best Wi-Fi 6 speeds we’ve seen, plus multi-gig Ethernet jacks on each device. The Deco W7200 still seems like the better value for most homes, but if you’re looking for a step up from that system, put the X4300 Pro on your radar.

TP-Link Deco X55 Pro: The X55 Pro earned CNET’s lab award for the fastest Wi-Fi 6 router, and it’s worth considering as a mesh system, too. It shares a lot of similarities with the Eero 6 Plus — support for Wi-Fi 6, far-reaching range, gigabit Ethernet jacks — and at $170, the X55 Pro is a solid value for a three-piece mesh system.

TP-Link XE75: TP-Link’s first Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, the XE75 did a decent job in our initial tests, though the system’s average upload speeds were lower than I’d expected. It’s a clear value pick and currently available in a two-pack for $150, so give it a look if you’re curious about Wi-Fi 6E but fearful about overspending. I’ll update this page once we’ve retested it in our lab, so stay tuned for that.

TP-Link Deco X90: With a multi-gig WAN port and a faster speed rating, the Deco X90 is a midrange upgrade pick over the Deco W7200, and it costs $259 for a two-pack. It performed well in my tests, but not enough that I’d recommend it over the Eero 7

The four day shopping bonanza takes place earlier this year.

You may not have heard of UK-based Noble Audio, but it makes some excellent-sounding earbuds and headphones and has gradually been producing more affordable true-wireless models. A couple of years ago, I added its FoKus Amadeus buds ($320) to CNET’s list of best-sounding wireless earbuds as my “top audiophile” pick. Now we get the Osprey, which are available for preorder on Thursday for $199 and ship in Late June.

I haven’t tried the new buds yet, but like other Noble Audio earbuds, the Osprey have a faceplate with an eye-catching marbled finish and an aluminum charging case. The company’s earbuds are on the larger side and feature dual-drivers — the Osprey pairs a 10mm dynamic driver paired with a custom balanced armature driver.

Noble says, “This carefully considered design provides confident, controlled bass, a natural and expressive midrange, and clean, extended highs with excellent separation.” Multiple ear tip options are included to support an optimal seal, which I certainly preciate.

While the earbuds feature active noise canceling, don’t expect it to be top-tier ANC, as audiophile wireless earbuds like the Fokus Amadeus don’t have the strongest noise canceling since it tends to impact sound quality. Also, the rated battery life is adequate but not great — up to 5 hours with noise canceling on and 7 hours with it off at moderate volume levels.

Noble Osprey key specs

• Hybrid dual-driver configuration: 10mm dynamic driver + custom balanced armature
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 40kHz
• Bluetooth 5.4
• Chipset: Airoha 1571 (Airoha is a subsidiary of MediaTek)
• Supported Codecs: SBC, AAC and LDAC
• Bluetooth multipoint
• Active noise cancellation and transparency mode
• Dual microphones with cVc noise reduction
• Battery life: Up to 5 hours of playback with ANC on and 7 hours of playback with ANC off
• 10-minute quick charge gets you about 2 hours of playback
• USB-C charging
• Noble Audio p support with equalizer settings and firmware updates
• Price: $199