BlueAir PetAir Pro for $500: As the owner of two cats, I really wanted to love Blueair’s PetAir Pro, a new addition to the growing market of pet-pitched air purifiers. The PetAir promises a unique pet-owner experience. It has a Pet Mode that senses when the pet is on the purifier, which quiets the fan speed and actual air cleaning capacity. It also has a pull-out prefilter that collects pet hair, an H13 HEPA, and a carbon activated filter to capture VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and odors. There’s even a storage space for toys. There are several things to consider regarding the PetAir. At less than 10 inches high, it sits at the ground level. If you’re looking for a pet-specific air purifier, then the fan/airflow placement might be ideal, and it can also effectively clean the air with the recommended five air exchanges per hour in a 260 square-foot-room. I prefer taller models, as they seem to react more quickly to air pollutants higher in the room like those created by cooking. Room placement is one of the reasons that diminutive air purifiers are often referred to as “tabletop” models, as they can get closer to breathing space. As for my two testers, I could not get either cat to lay on the bed, and my 30-pound dog was over PetAir’s weight limit of 25 pounds. I put catnip on the PetAir, then wondered if I had just created more particle pollution. I also physically put my cats on the purifier, hoping they would use it properly. They didn’t, but I did collect cat hair in the prefilter. For the money, I wish the PetAir had a built-in heated pet bed, as I am sure my cats would have used it for warmth. As any pet owner knows, pets do not always enjoy or use products designed for them.
Others We Tested
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Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Airthings Renew for $300: I wasn’t expecting to like the unassuming minimalist Renew from Airthings as much as I did. Its gray box design is so understated, quiet, and powerful that it was easy to plug it in and forget about it. The Renew is also the first purifier I’ve tested that gives the user three placement options: it can stand up with the air output facing up and sideways, and the entire box can lie on the floor. The Airthings app not only shows data graph style, but it also is a remote to adjust the purifier settings, including setting the panel lock, handy for cat owners. The control panel and the indicator light are barely there, and it’s not easy to see the tiny light letting me know my indoor air quality. At first, I thought the main drawback was size. The Renew is made for a bedroom, home office, or nursery. If you place it in a larger room, it’s going to have to run at its highest setting. The main drawback that I noticed after several months of use was the exterior prefilter. It did its job capturing pollutants, but I wasn’t able to clean it. Unlike Blueair’s fabric exterior prefilters, which are machine washable, I was unable to effectively clean the Renew fabric cover, even with my vacuum.
Coway Airmega ProX for $999: The Coway Airmega ProX is the monolith your high-ceilinged home needs. If you’re living in an A-frame, double-height ceiling loft, or any home with a ceiling higher than 8 feet, the Coway Aimega ProX is for you. The ProX gives off a TARS robot from Interstellar meets giant stereo speaker vibe. It’s blend-into-the-room-mocha beige and can clean the air four times per hour in a 1,000-square-foot space when running at its highest setting. And even at its highest and therefore loudest setting, it hovers around 50 decibels, slightly louder than the sound of falling rain—making it one of the quieter large tower air purifiers I’ve tested. It also has a control panel lock that is a plus for parents and cat owners alike. However, even though the 50-pound ProX has hidden handles and built-in lockable wheels, it really is just too heavy for the home consumer.
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Coway Airmega 400S for $650: Coway has yet to make a bad air purifier, and the Airmega 400S is another banger from the air purifier innovators. The 400S checks all the boxes when it comes to features. It has a reliable auto mode that adjusts the fan speed according to the air quality using its built-in air quality sensor. It also has a timer to schedule one, four, or eight hours of running time. And while it has a serviceable app, its built-in air sensor and auto-adjust fan keep me from having to micromanage settings. The question is, can this air purifier do the job without me pushing buttons or checking the indoor air quality, and do it quietly? With the Airmega 400S, the answer is yes. I just wish its 15 x 23 x 15-inch dimensions didn’t make it so hard to place in a room.
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Air Doctor AD4000 Air Purifier for $799: As I went to pair Air Doctor’s newest air purifier, the AD4000, I realized that there was no WiFi button on the control panel. At 15 pounds and nearly $800, the AD4000 should be Wi-Fi compatible, especially since it has an internal air quality sensor. Users should have the option to view indoor air quality on the Air Doctor app dashboard. And while the AD4000 is made for larger spaces, if one wanted to achieve the four air exchanges per hour the AD4000 supposedly can do, then it would have its fan at the highest setting. My consumer sound level meter registered 100 dB at full blast. It sounded to me like a hair dryer on a low setting. For context, the CDC’s recommendation for noise levels for workers is that they are not exposed to 100 dB for over 15 minutes. It’s for that reason that all air purifiers need to be in a space where they can run the fan at the lowest setting. The AD4000 would do well in a 200- to 300-square-foot room. Lastly, when I unboxed the AD4000, the sticker with instructions to take the filters out of their plastic bags pulled off the control panel when I went to remove it.
Airdog X5 for $649: The Airdog X5 is the first washable filter air purifier I’ve tested. And while it doesn’t use a HEPA, it is California Air Resources Board certified. CARB lists it as electronic filtration instead of a HEPA filter; that would be listed as mechanical. As I’ve written before, if an air purifier isn’t CARB-certified, don’t buy it. I tested the Airdog in a large room. I even received the limited-edition pet plate. That is exactly what it sounds like—a plate that fits over the Airdog meant for a cat to perch on. Neither of my cats took to it. The Airdog has a responsive built-in sensor that was in sync with my other air quality monitors. And its electronic air filters, by way of their patented TPA technology, charge particles and then capture them. The best way I can describe it: Imagine that the PM 2.5 are mosquitoes and the Airdog is like an old-time mosquito zapper. It works a little like that, and if the filter gets dirty enough, it will make zap sounds.
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Briiv 2 Pro Air Filter for $374: There are big claims in Briiv’s 2 Pro Air Filter’s small package. At 2.5 pounds, the Briiv 2 Pro Air Filter is the smallest air purifier I’ve tested, though it’s far from the cheapest. The company claims that one Briiv equals the oddly specific 3,043 houseplants, and that it uses AI-powered air quality sensors. I don’t usually review units that are not CARB-certified (California Air Resources Board), but I was intrigued by the Briiv. That said, the actual space the Briiv 2 Pro can clean is extremely small. I entered the dimensions of my dining room into the Briiv’s website room calculator, and at 20 feet long by 11 feet wide with 9-foot ceilings, the room calculator summed up that I would need two Briivs to effectively clean my dining room. The calculator seems to contradict Briiv’s claim that the Briiv 2 will effectively improve the air quality in a 794-square-foot living space in just 11 minutes. I currently have the Briiv 2 in my kitchen, and the first time its indicator light went red due to my cooking, I couldn’t get the fan to activate. I ended up turning it to full blast through Briiv’s somewhat clunky app. I played around with the app, and since then, my Briiv’s fan auto-adjusts to bad air without needing my help. It also looks very cool.
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Mila Air 3 Critter Cuddler for $399: Mila makes seven bespoke filters that are designed specifically for moms-to-be, allergy sufferers, pet owners, etc. Add Mila’s built-in sensor and easy-to-use app dashboard, along with its wooden-legged modern box design, and the Mila is an immediate favorite. The more I cover air purifiers, the more go big to go quiet comes to mind. Smaller models tend to run loud on their highest settings. The Mila was not as quiet as I hoped. At full blast, the Mila hit 70 decibels on my consumer decibel reader. And at a CADR rating of 447 m3/hr, the Mila would do nicely in the average American 200-square-foot bedroom. You could run the Mila at its highest setting for CDC’s recommended five air exchanges an hour in a 400-square-foot room, but that is quite noisy. I ran the Mila in my sons’ 200-square-foot bedroom, and its auto setting adjusted correctly to the room’s air quality. And while Mila gets its outdoor AQI (air quality index) from PurpleAir, it couldn’t seem to find my PurpleAir outdoor monitor.
Photograph: Kat Merck
Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan for $330: This Dreo offers 99.97 percent HEPA filtration and an air quality sensor. It also has control capability through a remote, the Dreo app, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa. Best of all, the fan and purifier can operate independently of each other, in case you have need for just one or the other or are looking to save on filter life (replacements run around $40). The 12-month warranty isn’t the greatest, but the device has been trouble free for nearly two years in our long-term tests. if you’re in the market for a fan and purifier in one, this model is definitely worth a look. —Kat Merck
Eye-Vac Air for $249: I was more than curious to test out the Eye-Vac Air with its 2-in-1 air purifier and touchless vacuum. Eye-Vac Air’s air purifier has two sets of HEPA and activated carbon filters pulling in air from both sides of the purifier. Its filter placement makes it possible to place the Eye-Vac flush against the wall, especially useful in kitchen settings. The air filter is capable of cleaning the air effectively, achieving five air exchanges per hour in a 120-square-foot space. While Eye Vac has a large, easy-to-read control panel, there are only two options for both the air purifier and the vacuum: manual or automatic. There are indicator lights for both when the bagless vacuum canister is full and when the air purifier filters need replacing. The air purifier also has three fan speeds, but there are no color-coded indicator lights that correspond to air quality. Instead, there are three blue bars that correspond with the purifier’s three fan settings.
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
SwitchBot Air for $200: I was excited to try this air purifier/side table hybrid complete with a mood light and phone charger. At first I wanted to place it next to my bed, but as I read the fine print, I saw the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table needs 12 inches of clearance on three sides. Air purifiers, especially cylindrical air purifiers, need unobstructed airflow. The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table allows for one side to be 1 inch away from a wall, but not curtains. Those kinds of placement restrictions keep the side table from being a side table. If you don’t mind a small table that can stand against the wall, then the air purifier table might work for a small entryway or bathroom. It has both a HEPA filter for PM 2.5 and an activated carbon filter to remove odor and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). And while the SwitchBot table can exchange the air in a 260-square-foot room five times an hour, that would be at its highest, loudest setting. The ideal size for the SwitchBot would be more like a 100-square-foot space, such as a mud room, entryway, or bathroom.
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Windmill Air Purifier for $399: I like the Scandinavian look of this bamboo purifier, and it’s more furniture-esque than other purifiers. Still, with the blue model, the nicks in the veneer show up as white. It’s possible the bamboo finish might wear better. I really like this brand and reviewed its desk fan and air conditioner, the latter of which pairs with the Windmill Air app, and I’m equally happy using the app with its air purifier. The Windmill has an internal sensor and indicator light: green for good, yellow for moderate, pink for bad, and red for unhealthy. And while the Boost setting is the loudest, it is still relatively quiet at its lower setting. I prefer to run it on the auto-adjusting Eco mode.
Coway Airmega 50 for $80: A mini-me to the brand’s Airmega 100, the Airmega 50 (see our full review) has many of the features of Coway’s larger and more expensive models and is the cheapest Coway air purifier yet. The Airmega 50 was surprisingly effective for an air purifier the size of a roll of paper towels. The built-in sensor triggers both auto mode and the air quality indicator light, which gives the user instant information with nightlight vibes. One issue I have with all Coway air purifiers is the fact the custom color air quality indicator lights are different from the US air quality index’s six color-coded categories. Instead of green signalling good air, Coway’s green means air quality is moderate. See how it’s confusing. Blue, which is not on the US AQI color scale, means good.
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Puroair 240 HEPA Air Purifier for $159: At under 9 inches tall, the Puroair 240 is tiny. And like so many of the smaller tabletop models, it’s also loud. It might be effective in a small space, say a room about 100 to 150 square feet. And like most of the units we review at WIRED, it’s California Air Resources Board Certified or CARB-certified. I found its filter size too small to effectively clean an average-sized room. And while I still review smaller air purifiers, there are larger and quieter models on the market for relatively the same cost that have greater air exchanges in a larger-sized room. The Puroair’s indicator light is adjusted by the 240’s internal sensor and is green for acceptable, yellow for moderate, and red for poor air quality. At times, I found the thin sliver of the indicator’s light difficult to see. The 240 has auto or manual mode, a timer, child lock, and filter replacement light. It also has a three-stage filter, including the tightly woven HEPA 14, activated carbon, and prefilter. Lastly, the 240’s black plastic attracted a noticeable amount of fingerprints.
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Dyson Purifier Cool Gen 1 for $430: This is one of four Dyson purifiers I’ve tested over the years, and I continue to have a love/hate relationship with them. I admire the design and built-in air quality sensor, but there always seems to be something I don’t like with each model. Sometimes I’m not able to get a replacement remote, as Dyson moves on to new models at breakneck speed, and I’ve never really used the magnetic spot atop the filter to rest the remote. This time I was surprised that the Cool Gen1 wasn’t Dyson app compatible. I had to use the remote to adjust the fan speed. On the plus side, I do like the way the fan works, but this isn’t an oscillating fan in the traditional sense. Instead, the Cool Gen 1 TP10 has air blowing out of the sides of the long upright oval, and it shifts direction, aiming the cool air back and forth in a room.
Blueair Blue Signature for $450: This new purifier is designed to double as a side table, and there are accessories such as a chrome ring base, a wooden leg base, and six different color sleeves to match the purifier to fit the room. Without the bases, I found the 15-inch height to be too low for a functional side table. I didn’t test-drive the wooden leg base, but it might make it the right height for a side table. I found the barely there control panel difficult to navigate. And the PM 2.5 count showed only when I waved my hand over the panel. It has an indicator light that shines from its side. When it first arrived, the light moved back and forth like a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica and it took time to adjust the light to a static setting. Aside from that, the Signature works with Blueair’s easy-to-use app. Pet hair did collect on the cloth outer sleeve, but after I machine-washed and dried it, it looked good as new.
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Coway Airmega 250 for $399: The Airmega 250 has a decently large footprint, but it’s rated to clean a 930-square-foot room twice an hour. That’s why I put it smack dab in the middle of the first floor of my home to clean the air in my kitchen and living room. Every time we cook, the smart air purifier mode automatically detects unhealthy particles in the air and ratchets up the fan’s power. It also recently did this when I had someone patch some drywall in my mudroom. (This mode works with the help of a PM10 and PM2.5 particle sensor.) The fan at its highest setting isn’t that loud—I measured it at 60 decibels standing right in front of it. There’s a Sleep mode if you want it silent. You get the usual controls, like timer functionality and replacement indicators for the filter. Speaking of, the Airmega 250 uses a true HEPA filter that needs to be replaced once every six to 12 months. This, combined with the washable prefilter that you should be keeping clean every two weeks and the activated carbon filter, allows the air purifier to remove 99.999 percent of ultrafine particles down to 0.01 microns, or so Coway says. It’s super easy to remove these filters to clean and swap them out. The whole system is roughly 21 pounds, so you can move it around fairly easily. Coway offers a three-year warranty. The Coway Airmega 250S is the same model but with Wi-Fi functionality, so you can control it via an app and see more details. The last thing I need is another app, but maybe you don’t mind. —Julian Chokkattu
Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max for $399: Standing at just under 2 feet tall, the NeverChange Max can be placed as close as 3 inches from a wall, making it a good fit for crowded spaces. It also has an air exchange of nearly five times per hour in a 216-foot space. The Max has a HEPA filter to capture fine particles in the air along with an activated carbon filter to trap odors and gases, as well as Shark’s own “Odor Neutralizer Technology”—a small cartridge that’s filled with an Ocean Breeze “fragrance pod.” It looked like solid perfume, but the scent reminded me more of an interstate service area than the beach. When I moved the Max next to my cats’ litter box and turned it on to the highest setting, it rid the room of any cat odor in less than a minute. It works. The Max touts that its owner can save $300 in filter costs in the first five years, as Shark’s filter lasts 10 times longer than some other filters. Reading the fine print, this is only true when the Max is used in 300-square-foot room. I’ve written about bespoke air scores in air monitors, and I have the same issue here with Shark’s air quality grades. The Max doesn’t have smart features, nor does it have an app or remote control. And at nearly $300, the Max only has a two-year warranty. Still, because of its easy setup, low maintenance, ability to operate so close to the wall, and possibly useful odor neutralizer technology, it’s perfect for a dorm room.
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Shark NeverChange Air Purifier for $250: A lot of what was true for the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max is true for the line’s smaller NeverChange. It has an air exchange of nearly five times per hour in a 130-square-foot space. And while I couldn’t find a seal from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, or AHAM, on the NeverChange, it meets the standards for measuring the clean air delivery rate, or CADR, for a room that size, like a bathroom or laundry room. And it’s in those rooms that cat owners often tuck away their odor-causing litter boxes. And like the Max, the NeverChange uses a HEPA filter to capture fine particles along with an activated carbon filter to trap odors and gases. I tested the matte black finish that didn’t collect pet hair and was impervious to fingerprints. The NeverChange also has “Odor Neutralizer Technology,” a small cartridge that is filled with a “fragrance pod.” Like the Max, NeverChange touts the same cost savings in only replacing the filter every five years. In the fine print, those savings are only true when the NeverChange is used in 135-square-foot room, again the size of a large bathroom or laundry room. Still, because of its small size, its ability to operate so close to the wall, and the possibility of useful odor-neutralizer technology, I would recommend it to all my fellow cat ladies and cat gentlemen.
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Oransi AirMend True Carbon for $350: While other AirMend models are made for HEPA filters, the True Carbon doesn’t have a HEPA. Instead, it has a 3-pound activated carbon filter. There’s a remote but no internal sensor, so raising the fan speed is a manual operation. It took a few tries using the remote, as there is a small lag time as the fan adjusts to different speeds. I appreciated the magnetic remote holder on the top of the purifier. It’s quiet on most settings and has an easy-to-miss minimalist design, blending into most spaces. The True Carbon is for those that need serious odor removal. I placed the True Carbon next to my two cats’ heavily trafficked litter box and within half hour it eliminated the smell. I knew it was working when my son couldn’t detect an odor. I could see the True Carbon being an essential appliance for smoker households, kitchens that retain smells, or cat owners. It’s surprisingly effective, but this is for VOCs and odors. The True Carbon is HEPA-less—it cannot capture fine particulates from the air. What you gain with a supersized activated carbon filter, you lose in standard air purifying ability such as removing PM2.5. That might be fine for your needs. Oransi also makes a wall mount and handy travel bag sold separately.
PurOxygen P500i for $170: This machine cleans the air of a smaller-than-average-sized room, and its easy-to-read display, app compatibility, side handles, and unique all-in-one filter make it easy to like. I usually stay away from small-room air purifiers due to their loud noise and less-than-ideal air-cleaning power. And while at its highest setting, the P500i reaches up to 50 decibels, it operates quietly at lower speeds and can effectively clean the air in a home office or a room smaller than 200 square feet. The purOxygen utilizes a combined filter that has a prefilter that can be un-velcroed and hand washed, an activated carbon, a HEPA 13, along with a cold catalyst filter. A cold catalyst, also known as low temperature catalyst filtration, can cause a chemical reaction that can break down gases, like VOCs, and convert them to less harmful substances. And while the P5001 is California Air Resources Board or CARB-vertified as a mechanical air purifier, the EPA does not recommend catalysts due to their limited effectiveness.
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Coway Airmega IconS for $649: Coway continues to make some of the prettier air purifiers, as you might have noticed in this guide, and that continues with the Airmega IconS. It looks like an end table, and so I keep it right next to my couch. The star of the show is the Qi wireless charging pad, so when I sit down, I just plop my phone right on the machine to let it recharge. Any phone with wireless charging support should work, though you may need to take your phone case off. Like all Coways, it’s powerful—it cleans the air in spaces up to 649 square feet—easy to control, and simple to clean. This version is Wi-Fi enabled and voice-controlled. —Medea Giordano
Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro
Dreame Air Pursue PM20 for $700: This purifier promised to redefine air quality management, “with innovative human tracking capabilities and precision detection systems, delivering personalized air purification that adapts to every need.” The Pursue reminded me of the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04 in shape, but the Pursue is designed to follow human movement, directing clean air in the user’s direction. The Pursue that WIRED tested worked well at first, but stopped pursuing early on. While this could have been user error, no amount of clicking the remote put it back into Pursue mode.
Mila Air Mini for $229: This was unfortunately too petite to effectively clean the rooms used for testing without running it on its loudest setting.
Ikea Starkvind for $200: Ikea’s Starkvind hit the American market in 2021. It’s stylish and relatively inexpensive and has the option to add on a carbon filter for gases such as benzene. It can be purchased either on its own or built into a wooden side table, but it’s worth noting that the Starkind took me an hour to assemble. While it is CARB-certified, meaning it passed the rigorous standards of the California Air Resources Board, it does not have a HEPA filter. Thinking I had an early version made for media, I went to my local Ikea. I bought a Förnuftig, and its manual listed the filter as HEPA. It’s not. We reached out to the company; at the time of publication, Ikea said it was still routing the question to the appropriate team. The question remains: If you’re buying an air purifier, why not buy a HEPA?
Morento Air Purifier for $67: This CARB-certified model caught our attention earlier this year for its value. With a CADR of 200 cubic feet per minute, the Morento is not only more powerful than most others at its price point, it’s got all the features of higher-end models, including a PM2.5 sensor and ring-light indicator, plus smart capability through the Havaworks app. During the testing period, however, the fan never increased speed to compensate for higher PM2.5 levels, even when I burned incense in the room to raise the level into the 500s. This persisted despite the machine being set to auto mode both in the app and on the machine itself, plus my cleaning the sensor and resetting the unit by unplugging it. Regardless, even if this feature had been working properly, the Morento gives a strangely wide margin for acceptable PM2.5 levels—the ring light indicator continued to glow green (“good”) up to 75 PM 2.5, which is 15 times more than the World Health Organization–recommended level of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. —Kat Merck
FAQs
How to Shop for an Air Purifier
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How does a busy shopper find the right size purifier for a room they want to clean? The US Centers for Disease Control recommends that one should aim for five air exchanges per hour, in a metric known as the ACH. When looking at an air purifier, look at the cubic feet per minute in airflow at the lowest setting. When measuring the cubic footage of your room, you need the area of the room times the height. Imagine a one-foot cube of styrofoam. How many cubes could you fit into a room?
Anyone shopping for an air purifier also needs to look for two acronyms and terms. First, look for CARB certification, which means that that unit passed the rigorous standards of the California Air Resources Board. Next, check the filter type. Below, we break down the differences. Also, don’t forget to unwrap your filter! There’s a special kind of horror that comes with realizing you’ve been running your air purifier with a plastic-wrapped HEPA filter.
HEPA Filters: This is a high-efficiency particulate air filter that can remove at least 99.97 percent of dust, mold, pollen, bacteria, and airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. It’s a great option for those who suffer from allergies or respiratory issues, since it can help to clear out airborne particles that can trigger symptoms—like sneezing, sore throat, difficulty breathing, coughing, and more. It’s worth noting, however, that HEPA filters don’t remove volatile organic compounds from the air the way activated carbon filters do. But these are typically paired with carbon filters.
Activated Carbon: Activated carbon filters (also known as activated charcoal) are highly effective because they are very porous and have a large surface area—allowing the filters to absorb gas pollutants, odors, and VOCs. They’re best for removing fumes, smoke, and chemicals from the air. But these filters have to be replaced more often depending on the environment. For example, if there’s a wildfire in your area and the air purifier is working more intensely than usual, it’s important to replace a saturated filter to avoid toxic gases from being released back into the air.
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Washable Air Filters: A few of the options we’ve listed in this guide come with washable prefilters in addition to a HEPA and/or activated carbon filter—which is what you’ll typically find. These are the most cost-effective since you don’t have to buy new ones each time you need to replace a filter. Simply remove it, scrub it with soap and water, and let it dry.
UV-C Sanitizer Filters: Ultraviolet filters use UV light to kill viruses, parasites, mold spores, and bacteria. They can’t remove airborne particles, VOCs, or gas pollutants, so they’re only fully effective when combined with a HEPA filter. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, UV lights without proper lamp coatings have the potential to emit ozone. We recommend checking this list from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers for models that have been shown to emit little to no ozone.
How to Check Your Air Quality
Many large states and cities are required to report the local outdoor Air Quality Index, which was established by the EPA and measures the concentrations of major air pollutants, like ground ozone and carbon monoxide, that are regulated by the Clean Air Act. We like AirCare (iOS, Android), but your state or county may have even more localized apps.
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To check if your indoor air quality stacks up, consumer monitors like the Temtop M10 ($90) and Airthings View Plus ($300) also measure carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity, in addition to pollutants and particulate matter. The M10 measures formaldehyde too, a noxious chemical that off-gases from common household items, such as particleboard furniture and some foam mattresses. Need more information? Check out our complete guide to checking your air quality.
How Do We Test Air Purifiers?
I haven’t lived without air purifiers since I started covering air quality back in 2019. I test them for a minimum of four weeks each in either my 130-plus-year-old Brooklyn apartment or a cabin in Maine. I use a gas stove for cooking and have two cats and a dog. I do not have central air nor an HVAC with MERV filters. There is no over-stove exhaust fan to remove fumes to the outside, and I use a decibel meter to test noise level on high, and an air quality monitor to indicate how well and how fast each unit is working to clean the air.
How Does WIRED Select Air Purifiers to Review?
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We look at popular models from all brands—both new and long established—and at all price points, taking into consideration features, size, effectiveness, and consumer popularity. Samples are often provided by the companies themselves with the understanding that editorial coverage is not guaranteed. WIRED does earn affiliate revenue from purchases, but this does not factor into our editorial decisions.
What Does WIRED Do With Air Purifiers After Testing?
A handful of top picks are kept around for longer-term testing, evaluation against new picks, and for use in testing auxiliary products like food dehydrators and the Plantaform indoor smart garden, but all others are donated to local organizations, including NYC public schools.
AI spending is surging, but the full impact often remains an open question. Closing the gap requires clear answers to how AI is governed, measured, and tied to business outcomes.
ROI uncertainty isn’t unique to AI: In the Apptio 2026 Technology Investment Management Report, 90% of technology leaders surveyed said that ROI uncertainty has a moderate or major impact on overall tech investment decisions, a 5-percentage point year-over-year increase. In other words, tech leaders are increasing their reliance on ROI – even if they don’t fully know how to measure it. And AI economics involves new and unpredictable costs, further complicating ROI calculations. Faced with increasing uncertainty and increasing budgets, technology leaders need a clear, reliable framework for evaluating AI ROI.
Organizations increasingly expect scaled AI to pay its own way, at least partially. According to Apptio’s technology investment management report, 45% of organizations surveyed intend to fund innovation by reinvesting savings from AI-driven efficiencies. That model assumes that such savings are both achievable and quantifiable. Meanwhile, the two-thirds of organizations planning to reallocate existing budget capital to AI will need clarity on the trade-offs involved.
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Much like the early days of public cloud, AI costs and returns are difficult to predict. Pricing varies widely across providers and continues to evolve, while consumption is unpredictable. The pressure to adopt quickly is also formidable as organizations navigate the threat of disruption by more agile competitors.
The new math of AI ROI
Considering the many variables, tech leaders should view AI ROI as a matter of optimization. At a high level, the implementation of AI initiatives is inevitable. The question is how to achieve the greatest possible returns — both financial and organizational.
Start with the business problem. There are many ways AI can deliver positive impact, but organizational resources and focus may be limited. Make sure you’re prioritizing the right initiatives by basing your AI investment strategy on quantifiable goals tied to real business outcomes. Are you trying to improve decision-making speed? Increase throughput or capacity? Or chasing cool edge cases with high potential returns but minimal strategic relevance?
Determine what success looks like. AI can introduce a new capability or augment an existing one. For new capabilities, articulate the possibilities you’d like to unlock, such as new revenue opportunities, workflows, or decision-making processes. For augmentations, establish baseline performance and the expected lift you aim to achieve with AI.
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Consider how finances will influence your evaluation. Some use cases may show minimal results in the near-term but drive significant value in the long-term. What’s your timeframe for return? On the other hand, more successful rollouts with rapid adoption can generate unexpectedly high inference bills. Would that mean pulling the plug — or leaning in further? What should your cost and return curve look like over the years? As you map your timeline, establish clear thresholds to determine whether you’ll proceed, pause, stop, or accelerate your investment.
Identify the right KPIs. The returns on an AI investment can be even more difficult to evaluate than the costs. Usage, efficiency, and financial impact all matter. But AI success metrics won’t always be straightforward. There may be new usage patterns you don’t yet have a way to measure. Your technology environment may experience follow-on shifts that call for further evaluation. Will you be able to lessen your reliance on other tools, such as reducing seats in your data analytics platform? How will you factor in cross-tool pricing comparisons for multiple AI providers with shifting rates?
To gain full context and insight, you must also take into account the alignment of the initiative with your broader strategy and consider the opportunity cost of the investments you might otherwise have made. Remember that you’re not evaluating AI business value in isolation; you’re deciding whether it’s the best use of finite capital across all your investments.
These decisions will call for a level of insight far exceeding what was needed to justify traditional purchases like network infrastructure or enterprise software. Tech leaders navigating the complexities of AI economics should consider a new framework for data-driven decision-making.
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Making AI investment sustainable with TBM
Technology business management (TBM) helps make ROI more concrete and measurable, so it can be relevant to the business. By bringing together IT Financial Management (ITFM), AI FinOps (cloud financial management for AI workloads), and Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM), a TBM framework connects financial, operational, and business data across the enterprise.This makes it possible to account for AI value and cost across a wide array of dimensions — and translate hypothetical innovation into board presentations and budget justifications that hold up under scrutiny.
TBM can help leaders build a trustworthy cost foundation that captures AI spend across labor, infrastructure, inference, storage, and applications. As AI workloads shift dynamically, TBM provides visibility into how that spend is distributed across on-premises systems and cloud environments — both of which require different capacity planning for specialized skill sets. The framework also connects investments to business outcomes, aligning AI initiatives with strategic priorities and measurable results. With increased visibility, you’re able to identify issues and make decisions fast, such as catching cost spikes early. Early detection can help to determine if the usage shift merits shifting funding. This unified view of financial and operational data helps leaders scale what’s working and reassess what isn’t as adoption increases. TBM provides essential visibility and context across the entire AI spend management conversation. Even as pricing evolves, tooling changes, and workflows shift, you can apply the same analytical approach and understand what’s actually working and demonstrate ROI. Leaders who operationalize AI within a TBM framework can:
Evaluate ROI at both project and portfolio levels
Spot unexpected cost spikes
Compare multiple AI tools
Understand ripple effects across run-the-business systems
Defend investment decisions with confidence
Understand and manage total costs and usage across the AI investment lifecycle
From theory to practice
Organizations are moving beyond AI experiments, and we’re past the point where these investments can be funded on optimism alone. Amid heightened uncertainty and cost sensitivity, boards are asking more strategic questions and finance wants trustworthy data.
Enterprise leaders who treat AI as a managed investment, rather than a bet on innovation, are those who will scale it successfully. To fund AI responsibly, leaders must establish clarity around scope, outcomes, cost drivers, and readiness. A TBM-driven approach provides the data foundation, visibility, and accountability to make those decisions.
Ajay Patel is General Manager at Apptio, an IBM Company.
Sponsored articles are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. For more information, contact sales@venturebeat.com.
Again, I feel like I’m going crazy here, but the obviously extremely partisan Supreme Court has struck again. I will repeat some of the basics, because it’s hard to believe how blatant all of this is. In November, a (Trump-appointed) judge threw out Texas’s new congressional maps, noting that the Texas state government had made it quite clear it was done for racial reasons, making it a violation of the Voting Rights Act. The judge wrote a detailed 160-page ruling showing how the Trump administration itself had essentially locked in the Texas legislature’s need to draw maps based on race, by threatening them with a civil rights complaint if they didn’t.
The Supreme Court, however, blocked that new map in December, saying that because of the upcoming midterm elections (still months away in December), Texas had to use those new maps (which had only been created in August) because (according to Samuel Alito) Texas voters needed “certainty.” Of course, they could have gone right back to the maps Texas had been using up until August — but somehow that would have shaken things up too much.
Then, a few weeks ago, the Supreme Court issued its Callais decision, effectively wiping out the remaining bits of the Voting Rights Act. Louisiana immediately declared a state of emergency and sought to throw out the map it had already started using for primary season — to redraw it in a much more racist way. And Samuel “the voters need certainty” Alito helped them along by rushing the certification of the Callais decision.
Now, just a few days later, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court has also vacated an even more detailed ruling rejecting maps in Alabama for being racist. The conservative majority claims that this is in light of the ruling in Callais:
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The judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in that case is vacated, and the case is remanded to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit with instructions to remand to the District Court for further consideration in light of Louisiana v. Callais
Now, that’s already odd for the same reason I raised earlier about the Supreme Court (led by Justice Alito) claiming back in December that they couldn’t overturn Texas’ new map (which has only been announced, and never actually used, months earlier) for the sake of “voter certainty.” Yet here they are issuing a ruling EIGHT DAYS before the Alabama primary.
What the fuck?
It’s bizarre for multiple other reasons as well, including that the Supreme Court already heard a related case regarding the map in Alabama and ruled that it violated the Voting Rights Act (Alito, naturally, dissented). The state went to redraw its map based on that, but the lower court rejected the new maps almost exactly a year ago in an astounding 571-page ruling.
Notably, while that ruling does find that the new maps violate the Voting Rights Act (in multiple ways), it also found that the maps directly violate the Fourteenth Amendment (this discussion is towards the end of that 571-page ruling, so perhaps Alito and the other conservative Justices didn’t read that far?). And, as much as the Court believes it can invalidate the Voting Rights Act, it cannot invalidate the Constitution.
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So we have a ridiculously thorough 571-page district court ruling — finding that the maps violate not just the VRA but also the Fourteenth Amendment — and the conservative majority just waves it away. Yet the conservatives on the Supreme Court — the same group who said no last-minute map changes for “voter certainty” — just ordered that clearly discriminatory, unconstitutional map into use, because of how they changed their interpretation of the Voting Rights Act.
But, as Justice Sotomayor points out in her dissent, that would totally ignore the Fourteenth Amendment part!
At the end of that trial, the District Court concluded “with great reluctance and dismay and even greater restraint” that Alabama had not merely spurned the opportunity to remedy past discrimination, but in fact had intentionally violated the Fourteenth Amendment.
Given that, the ruling in Callais could only possibly impact the VRA part of the lower court decision. Not the Fourteenth Amendment bit. But the majority on the Supreme Court just ignores that.
Nothing in the District Court’s Fourteenth Amendment analysis is affected by this Court’s opinion in Callais. Most obviously, Callais changed the legal standard for vote-dilution claims under §2. See 608 U. S., at ___ (slip op., at 19) (“[W]e must understand exactly what §2 of the Voting Rights Act demands”). It said not a word about the standard for Fourteenth Amendment intentional-discrimination claims like the one that the District Court decided on remand in round two.
Even worse, Sotomayor points out that in Callais itself, the majority had claimed that the earlier 2022 ruling regarding the Alabama maps (where they said it violated the VRA) remains good law. But this new ruling clearly contradicts that claim.
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Callais also insisted that this Court’s prior decision in Allen remains good law. See id., at ___ (slip op., at 36) (“[W]e have not overruled Allen”). These cases are, of course, Allen. So if Allen is good law anywhere, then it must be good law here. This Court’s finding of racially discriminatory vote dilution is an inextricable, permanent feature of this case, and Alabama’s willful decision to respond by entrenching rather than remedying that dilution is, as the District Court correctly recognized, evidence of discriminatory intent
So, was Alito lying a week and a half ago when he said that Allen was still good law? Or did he just change his mind now, because he’s decided that he needs to proactively strip Black voters of their franchise for the sake of helping Republicans get a few more seats in the House?
And John Roberts wonders why people claim the Supreme Court is “partisan.”
Sotomayor also points out the ridiculousness of doing this a week before the election:
Even if Callais had something to say about the evidence necessary to establish discriminatory intent, it still would not be appropriate to vacate the decision below at this time. That is because Alabama’s congressional primary election is next week, and vacating the District Court’s injunction will immediately replace the current map with Alabama’s 2023 Redistricting Plan until the District Court acts, even though voting has already begun. Vacatur is an equitable remedy, and the Court should not lightly wield it to unleash chaos and to confuse voters.
Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed that she didn’t point to Alito’s “voters need certainty” claim for refusing to block Texas’ new maps back in December.
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There is no good-faith reading of these events. Alito said Allen was still good law — then acted as if it wasn’t, twelve days later and eight days before an election. He said voters need “certainty” — then vacated a 571-page ruling finding unconstitutional discrimination with a week to go before Alabama’s primary. And the majority just waved away the Fourteenth Amendment finding entirely, as if they simply didn’t notice it was there.
John Roberts keeps insisting the Court isn’t partisan. At some point, the gap between that claim and what the Court actually does becomes its own kind of answer.
Flimsy and corrupt authoritarian populism is dedicated to pretending that the oligarchs and autocrats really care about the people. One way Trumpism has done this is by pretending they actually care about reining in corporate power. That’s included an elaborate, multi-year performance about how MAGA Republicans were going to curb abuses by “big tech” and bring back meaningful antitrust reform.
“Netflix’s years-long bait-and-switch has led the company right to where it promised never to be: addicting children and families to its platform, mining those users for data, and then converting that data into lucrative intelligence for global advertising juggernauts.”
Granted Netflix is not unique here. In a country too corrupt to pass meaningful privacy laws (because MAGA Republicans just like Ken routinely work to kill them), nearly every company you interact with on a daily basis now monetizes your every movement and online choices, “anonymizes” it (a meaningless term), sells access to dodgy international data brokers, then repeatedly lies about it.
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They do this because Republicans, corporate lobbyists, and many “centrist” Democrats have, quite unsubtly, worked tirelessly to dismantle corporate oversight and regulatory autonomy. Most companies have been eager to take advantage, including Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who, like countless other CEOs, used to at least pay empty lip service to never tracking or monetizing consumer data.
Paxton’s lawsuit insists Netflix has built a vast surveillance economy that includes peoples’ kids viewing habits, violating Texas consumer protection law:
“Netflix built this surveillance machinery to scrutinize how users and their children behave—what they click, how long they linger, what they avoid, when they pause, what draws them in, what they replay or skip, where they are, what devices they use, what other devices are in their home, what other apps they interact with, and much more. Each action is a data point revealing something about the user. This is not simply about deciding what show to queue up next.It is about learning who the users and their children are.”
Again: almost every single company you interact with does this now. Many in ways that are far worse than Netflix (see: the entire unregulated data broker economy). Paxton knows this. So why single out Netflix? And why now?
These sorts of lawsuits take a while to build momentum, so I suspect Paxton’s inquiry began during the mad conspiratorial heat of MAGA’s Netflix breakdown earlier this year, and is only culminating now. And I suspect Paxton will be eager to share any juicy and harmful tidbits found during trial prep to help frame the company (which in reality has been pretty amicable toward Republicans and trans bashing comedians) as a useful “woke” culture war prop.
That’s not to say Netflix doesn’t do anything wrong and isn’t (like every tech company) abysmal on surveillance and privacy, but it is to say that authoritarians don’t actually care about the public interest. And they certainly don’t actually care about mass commercialized surveillance, given they’ve played a starring role in cementing it and eliminating all accountability for it.
The American public’s broad and growing hatred of corporations and the extraction class has long been a fertile recruitment playground for autocratic zealots like Trump and Paxton, who love to put on adorable little stage plays where they pretend to be “reining in corporate power” and “embracing meaningful antitrust reform.” But it’s uniformly a performance always driven by ulterior motives.
If guys like Trump and Paxton actually cared about consumer privacy, they’d openly and loudly support a national privacy law that holds all companies (and executives, personally) accountable for privacy and security failures when it comes to consumer data. If they cared about consumer privacy, they’d relentlessly target data brokers that sell oceans of consumer data to any nitwit with a nickel (including foreign intelligence). They’d fund and staff U.S. regulators tasked with policing privacy abuses.
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They don’t do that because that might impact them and their friends financially, and disrupt the U.S. government’s ability to spy on Americans without a warrant. So instead you get these highly selective and flimsy populist performances that single out administration “enemies” for failing to adequately bend the knee, while tricking rubes into thinking they’re being tough on corporate power.
You’ve probably seen a Foucault pendulum in a museum. This Victorian-era science demonstration is named after physicist Léon Foucault and shows how the Earth rotates compared to a pendulum moving in a fixed plane. [RyanCreates] shows you how you can make your own, and it is surprisingly simple.
All you need is a heavy weight like a small mushroom anchor, fishing line, and a swivel — all things you can pick up at any sporting goods store. You’ll need a way to suspend it all, such as an eye hook in the ceiling.
In addition to the mechanical parts, the build calls for a camera to record the results and a lighter or other source of flame. The reason? To release the pendulum, you burn a thread that prevents it from swinging. This allows for a clean release with no sideways force.
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The amount of your rotation depends on your latitude. At 33 degrees north, for example, you can expect 360*sin(33)/24 or 8.17 degrees per hour of rotation. [Ryan] measured a somewhat larger number, which was probably due to an error source, especially since he is measuring the angle using captured camera frames in Photoshop. That has to introduce some error, and small pendulums like this are incredibly sensitive to errors.
If you try it and find the source of the error, we’re sure [Ryan] would love to hear from you. Museum pieces are typically much larger, have ultra-low-friction pivots, and use electromagnets to keep the pendulum moving since, after all, even a Foucault pendulum can’t run forever.
A few bottles of decent whisky, a legendary meal out with friends, or a new PS5. In 2026, $650 is the price of an enjoyable weekend. It’s fun, yet it’s fleeting.
But what if you could spend $650 to launch your dream business? What if, for the price of a games console, you could confidently hand in your letter of resignation?
Is it possible? The answer is yes. But only if you know which tools to leverage and which ‘start-up traps’ to skip. Over the last decade, I’ve launched 4 successful businesses. If I had to do it all again with $650 in my pocket, this is exactly how I would spend it.
From ecommerce brands to martial arts gyms, I’ve been building and launching businesses since 2017. Since then, I’ve spent hours selecting products, working out business systems, executing marketing campaigns, and finding smart ways to grow.
Essential software
Powerful, affordable software is the cornerstone of every successful startup launching on a budget. The trick here is to cover as many of your business needs as you can with just a handful of affordable subscriptions.
To get your business off the ground, you don’t need expensive tools – these will eat into your budget and often come with a bunch of features that a fledgling business doesn’t need.
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Here is what you need to get started:
A website platform like Hostinger. These platforms neatly package a bunch of tools under one roof. You can use Hostinger to build and host your website, buy a domain, execute email marketing campaigns, and even build web apps to help you run your business with its Vibe coding platform.
A design platform like Canva. Canva is one of the most beginner-friendly platforms for generating graphics for your website, email marketing campaigns, social media, and presentations. Most start-ups can get everything they need on Canva’s free plan, although upgrading (from $18/mo) will supercharge your graphics output.
A workspace like Google Workspace. Expensive licenses are a thing of the past. Cash-strapped, agile start-ups can now subscribe to platforms like Google Workspace from $7/mo, unlocking storage, AI assistants, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation tools.
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A payment processor like Stripe. Without the means to get paid, your startup won’t get far. Platforms like Stripe make it easy to accept payments online, charging you a small fee on each transaction.
Hardware
The only hardware you really need to get started is a reasonable laptop with an internet connection.
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Save investing in a flashy computer for when your business is off the ground and generating a decent profit – you can get started with a reliable laptop for less than $350, or you may already have something you can use.
Our experts voted the Acer Aspire 5 laptop the best budget business laptop. At $335, it is the most expensive item on our list of start-up essentials, but it will be the workhorse for getting your business idea off the ground.
The majority of us will work on our startup when we aren’t focusing on other commitments, such as work and family. This means we have a small amount of time to achieve big things. Using a portable monitor can help you seamlessly multitask, a pomodoro timer can help you maintain focus over prolonged periods, and a decent coffee machine will pay dividends when working late nights and early mornings.
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Business books
Personally, I love a physical book (yes, I’m old school), but when you’re launching your business, podcasts and audiobooks offer a great way to learn and find inspiration whilst keeping your hands free to work.
I’ve been a subscriber to Audible for over 7 years now and listen to books whilst working on my side hustle, walking the dog, and cooking. Out of the 90+ audiobooks I’ve listened to here are my top picks for start-ups.
Microsoft has fixed a Windows Autopatch bug that caused driver updates restricted by administrative policies to be deployed on some Autopatch-managed Windows devices in the European Union.
According to a service alert first spotted by Microsoft MVP Susan Bradley, the issue affected only a limited number of devices running client Windows platforms (i.e., Windows 11 25H2, Windows 11 24H2, and Windows 11 23H2).
Microsoft says that impacted Windows devices installed recommended driver updates without user approval, even when driver policies configured by IT admins required manual approval.
Affected systems also experienced unexpected behavior, including reboots and, in some cases, system failures, depending on the installed drivers.
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The company added that a service-side fix addressed the bug and that customers don’t have to take any action to resolve it.
“A limited subset of devices managed by Windows Autopatch in the European Union (EU) region might have received unexpected driver updates from Windows Update, despite administrative policies configured to restrict driver deployment,” Microsoft said.
“This issue has been fixed through a service-side fix. No client-side updates or further action are required from customers.”
Last month, Microsoft resolved another known issue that was causing systems running Windows Server 2019 and 2022 to upgrade to Windows Server 2025 “unexpectedly.”
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Microsoft first acknowledged the issue in September 2024, after widespreadreportsfrom Windows admins about servers being upgraded overnight to a Windows Server version for which they didn’t even have a license.
On Tuesday, it also confirmed that some customers are experiencing issues installing Office on their Windows 365 devices due to a configuration change introduced by a recent service update.
AI chained four zero-days into one exploit that bypassed both renderer and OS sandboxes. A wave of new exploits is coming.
At the Autonomous Validation Summit (May 12 & 14), see how autonomous, context-rich validation finds what’s exploitable, proves controls hold, and closes the remediation loop.
Hours spent staring at a screen do stack up, when parts of your body begin to revolt, and Razer took all of this into account when designing the Iskur V2 X. They focused on day-to-day comfort and long workouts, and priced it all at $194.99 after clipping the on-page coupon (was $300).
Setting this chair up takes about 20 minutes, thanks to the simple-to-follow directions and an included tool. Everything is neatly wrapped, and the metal base, gas lift, and fabric-covered pieces are all individually protected to prevent damage during shipping. Screws fit together perfectly, and the plastic covers simply snap into the joints to keep everything hidden. Once completed, the steel frame and aluminum wheelbase provide a surprisingly sturdy feel from the outset, allowing it to roll effortlessly across carpet or hard floors.
BUILT-IN LUMBAR SUPPORT — Designed with an integrated lumbar arch that gently supports the lower back and encourages a neutral sitting position…
WIDENED SEAT BASE WITH REDUCED EDGES — Sculpted with reduced edges to guide the body towards the center for optimal pressure distribution; enjoy…
CONTOURED HIGH DENSITY FOAM CUSHIONS — Experience a greater level of lower body support and stability with thick cushion padding that reduces…
The seat is made of thick, high-density foam, so it retains its shape even after weeks of stretching for up to 8 hours at a time. Testers reported no sinking or bottoming out, and the edges remained firm enough to keep your legs from moving forward during prolonged gaming sessions. The base is rather wide, allowing you to alter positions without feeling confined, yet the overall profile is compact enough to fit on a typical desk.
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The backrest features a fixed curvature that gently nudges the lower back, attempting to force you into a more neutral position. For persons who are 5’8″ to 6’2″, this curvature lines up quite naturally, reducing the pain caused by slouching. The fabric on the seat and back is also cool and breathable, so you won’t have flesh stuck to it or feel hot on long evenings. The stitching is neat and crisp, and the material appears to hold up far better than the thin vinyl garbage used on cheaper seats.
You can recline it up to 152 degrees using a simple lever on the right side, allowing you to lay back for a quick break or stretch out for an extended cut scene. Tension levels are simply adjustable, allowing the chair to sway gently without feeling too loose. The armrests move up and down and rotate inwards or outwards, so they should be enough for both keyboard work and controller grips, even if they lack the fancy extra directions found on some of the more costly models.
The Iskur V2 X costs $194.99, which is significantly less than its big brother, which costs $649, but it retains the same solid design and core support system that its bigger sibling received accolades for. Razer simply removed a few of the more ostentatious features, such as the adjustable lumbar knobs, four-way armrests, and head pillow that came with the previous model, in order to save money without sacrificing what was most important. The end effect is a chair that feels robust and is built to last, rather than a cheap, fragile item that will fall apart within a few months.
Ancient Slashdot reader ewhac writes: CERN, a longtime Open Source pioneer, has made several contributions over the years to KiCad (“KEE-kad”), an Open Source EDA (Electronic Design Automation) package widely used in the hobbyist and professional electronics communities. It’s gotten so widely used that users can now submit their KiCad design files directly to several electronics fabricators (rather than the traditional step of converting the layouts to Gerber files). Over the years, CERN has also developed their own symbol and footprint libraries to support their own internal electronic designs. Last week, CERN released those KiCad component libraries, containing over 17,000 symbols, under the CERN Open Hardware License.
Retrenchments and restructures are continuing to hit Singapore in 2026, as businesses grapple with rising operating costs, softer consumer demand, and growing geopolitical uncertainty stemming from the Iran war.
According to a recent Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) survey, 96 per cent of businesses reported facing increased operating costs due to higher energy prices.
These pressures have squeezed profit margins, pushing more firms towards hiring freezes, restructures, and even layoffs.
Here are some of the layoffs that have affected Singapore in 2026.
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1. Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (Mar 2026)
Image Credit: MR. AEKALAK CHIAMCHAROEN via Shutterstock.com/ Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore
The brewer plans to progressively phase down large-scale brewing at its Tuas plant by the end of 2027, with around 130 roles affected as production is shifted to regional facilities in Malaysia and Vietnam. Over time, the Tuas site will be redeveloped to support regional logistics and innovation activities, including a pilot brewery.
APBS last restructured in late 2023, cutting 33 jobs and giving affected staff severance, bonuses, and annual wage supplements.
Globally, parent company Heineken also flagged more cuts earlier this year, saying 5,000 to 6,000 jobs could go over the next two years as market conditions tighten. Singapore serves as its Asia-Pacific headquarters.
2. Yeo’s (Mar 2026)
Image Credit: Google Street View/ Yeo’s via Facebook
The company explained that consolidating production in its Johor and Selangor plants will help “optimise capacity utilisation and strengthen overall manufacturing efficiency” across its network.
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Despite the move, Yeo’s Senoko site will remain its headquarters, as well as a hub for cross-border logistics and limited-scale production.
In Dec 2024, it cut 25 jobs after Oatly shut its Singapore plant—roles that had been created specifically for that production. Earlier, in 2022, the company also retrenched 32 employees, citing shifts in consumer behaviour, retail challenges, and rising costs.
3. PropertyLimBrothers (Apr 2026)
Image Credit: PropertyLimBrothers
Singapore property agency PropertyLimBrothers (PLB) is undergoing a major internal reshuffle. Its media arm, PLB Media, has laid off some staff in Apr as several realtors also exit the business.
The restructuring follows online rumours that surfaced in Jan, alleging involvement between co-founder Melvin Lim and then vice-president of strategy Grayce Tan—claims that circulated widely on social media and drew public attention to the firm. Both individuals, who are married, subsequently stepped down.
The leadership changes have since triggered further internal restructuring, including the introduction of a new whistle-blowing channel as the company works to stabilise operations and governance amid the fallout.
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Previously in Sep 2025, the company announced that PLB Media would be closing down to rebrand as MediaX. It also said it had significantly reduced its editorial, tech, video, and overseas teams under PLB Media.
4. JLL (Apr 2026)
Image Credit: JLL
In Apr, global real estate consultancy JLL laid off some staff in Singapore following an organisational restructuring exercise.
The restructuring is part of a global effort to streamline operations and position the company for long-term growth amid shifting conditions in the real estate market, the firm said.
JLL has confirmed the restructuring but did not disclose the number of roles impacted.
At the same time, Amazon is also phasing out its local fulfilment operations in Singapore, including Amazon Fresh and its grocery partner network. The e-commerce giant said it is working with vendors and sellers on alternative ways to continue serving customers in the country.
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These changes form part of Amazon’s broader effort to adapt to growing customer demand in Singapore for products from its international stores in the US, Japan and Germany.
Read other articles we’ve written on tech giants here.
Featured Image Credit: Jaap Arriens via NurPhoto/ PropertyLimBrothers/ Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore/ Google Street View
Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz led the round on the back of $2bn+ in 2025 revenue and a $20bn Pentagon enterprise agreement signed in March.
Anduril Industries has raised $5 billion in a round led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, doubling its valuation to $61 billion eleven months after its previous mark. The Costa Mesa defence-tech company confirmed the round on Wednesday.
The valuation puts Anduril above Lockheed Martin’s market capitalisation by some measures and ahead of every other US private defence company.
The June 2025 round at $30.5 billion, led by Founders Fund, has effectively been re-priced within a year.
Reuters first reported in March that Anduril was sounding out a $4 billion raise at a $60 billion valuation; the final round came in slightly above both numbers.
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Revenue growth is the proximate justification. The company has told investors it brought in more than $2 billion in 2025, roughly double 2024’s figure, and has nearly doubled headcount over the same period.
The Pentagon awarded Anduril an enterprise agreement in March worth up to $20 billion over 10 years, by far the largest contract in the company’s history, and one of the largest single awards to a non-incumbent defence firm in the post-9/11 era.
The product mix has broadened from the original surveillance-tower business. Roadrunner-M, the vertical-takeoff interceptor drone Anduril designed to shoot down other drones and then land for re-use, has booked more than $350 million in orders, including a $250 million package for 500-plus units bundled with Pulsar electronic-warfare systems.
EagleEye, its augmented-reality headset for soldiers, is in active fielding. The company tested an autonomous fighter jet in February, and is building Arsenal-1, a $1 billion manufacturing plant in Ohio that is meant to industrialise the company’s hardware lines on something closer to a consumer-electronics cadence than a prime-style production timeline.
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The investor list reflects how defence has stopped being a venture-capital edge case. Thrive Capital, the firm built by Joshua Kushner, and Andreessen Horowitz, between them have led or co-led many of the largest AI-platform rounds of the past three years.
Their joint lead here puts defence tech inside the same capital pool that has been backing foundation-model companies.
Founders Fund, Sands Capital, and Counterpoint Global have been existing backers across earlier rounds.
What is not yet on the table is an IPO. Anduril chief executive Brian Schimpf and founder Palmer Luckey have repeatedly said the company will go public when the timing is right, and the new $5 billion is meant to fund Arsenal-1, further R&D, and continued contract execution rather than pre-IPO balance-sheet engineering.
The size of the round, and the lead-investor profile, has been read in market circles as a private-market alternative to a near-term listing.
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