Robot vacuums solved floors years ago, while windows stayed stubborn. Tall panes, frameless panels, sliding doors, and mirrors still demand ladders, squeegees, and a weekend you would rather spend elsewhere. Ecovacs answered that gap with the Winbot W2S Pro Omni, a square climbing cleaner that sticks to vertical glass, sprays solution, scrubs edges, and returns to a portable station that cleans its own pad.

The machine comes in two parts: a small robot and a matching Omni station that work together. On one end is the robot, a nice tiny square that contains the microfibre pads, tank-style treads, and all of the sensors along its outside edges. The Omni station, located next to it, houses the battery, functions as a storage unit, serves as the control panel, and housing four scrubbers that clean the pad between uses. This item is designed to be used simultaneously; the station simply goes with the robot, so you don’t need an outlet right next to each window. When the job is completed, the two are connected by a cable that neatly retracts.

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The suction power is rather impressive, reaching 10,000 pa. It can adhere to glass (including tall or frameless surfaces) and remain in place. The robot is equipped with a variety of sensors, including bump sensors, optocoupler edge detection, pressure sensors, and an inertial unit, to aid in direction determination. The system detects every edge, including those challenging pieces of free-standing glass that older models occasionally overlooked. When the robot reaches a border, it simply stops, turns around, and continues on without incident. One of the great features is the auto-lift on the felt pads, which allows for more freedom to clean around corners and reduces the possibility of dirt being pushed into them.

The TruEdge 2.0 system handles the tough element, which is getting into the corners. It has extremely dense felt bristles set in an eight-tooth radial design, allowing it to reach the last millimeter along the frames and corners for a thorough scrub. In addition, the robot is capable of making dedicated edge and corner passes. It has three pressurized spray nozzles on each side that lay down a fine film that loosens all dirt, rain markings, and bird droppings before wiping them away with the microfiber pad. With this, it can cover roughly 90% of the path without leaving any dry places. Ecovacs claims that when combined, it can clean approximately one square meter in 90 seconds and provides a 46 percent efficiency improvement over the previous model.

The station’s battery lasts about 110 minutes, which is adequate for a decent piece of glass. If you find that you need additional time, just plug the station into wall power and continue working on the larger tasks. A full tank of solution will cover several hundred square feet, depending on the mode you choose. You can select your normal cleaning modes (quick, thorough, heavy duty, zone, edge, and deep) using the station buttons, the Ecovacs app, or voice commands.

Ecovacs is concerned about your safety, therefore they developed an exceptional 12-tier solution that combines hardware and software. They’ve also added air-pressure adjustment, which acts in a fraction of a second when suction drops. If the robot begins to lose suction, this will be enough to keep it from sliding off. They also have power-off protection, which keeps it locked for more than 30 minutes, allowing you to retrieve it safely. If you’re concerned about it falling, there’s a one-meter safety rope and enough anchoring power to keep it tight (nearly 800 newtons should suffice), and the noise level is 66 decibels thanks to all the air ducts, vibration control, and insulation.

It costs $599.99 and will be available from Ecovacs and most high-street retailers from August 10, 2026. It’s in the mid-to-upper price range for window cleaning robots, but it has a lot of the top models’ better suction and battery life, as well as improved edge work and pad upkeep, which the mid-range machines lacked. Overall, it’s a useful tool that makes one of the most irritating household duties a little easier.

The fintech’s French entity becomes its second full EU banking hub.

Revolut has received a full banking licence in France, giving the fintech giant a second European Union hub.

Revolut Bank SA (RBSA) was granted the licence following a joint assessment by the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) – a part of France’s central bank – and the European Central Bank, with the decision formally adopted by the ECB Governing Council. The company, which claims more than 75m customers worldwide, said the move marks a “historic milestone” in its European journey.

The licence lands as Revolut deepens its roots across western Europe, its largest and fastest-growing region with about 30m customers, including close to 8m who joined in the past year. Ireland accounts for more than 3.4m of those customers.

Over the last year, the company has committed more than €1bn in regional investment, hired more than 600 people and confirmed a 2027 opening for its new western European HQ in Paris.

RBSA will progressively begin serving customers across Europe, starting with France, before Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain follow in later phases. Revolut’s Lithuanian entity, Revolut Bank UAB – which currently serves its Irish customers – remains the cornerstone of operations for the rest of the EEA under a dual-hub model, with both the SA and UAB bodies supervised by their local regulator and the ECB.

“This licence gives us the foundation to build the next generation of banking for more than 30m customers across western Europe,” said Nik Storonsky, founder and CEO of Revolut. “France has become a leading financial hub, supported by a dynamic financial ecosystem and a robust regulatory framework. It is the ideal platform to accelerate Revolut’s next phase of growth, bringing us one step closer to our ambition of becoming one of Europe’s largest and most trusted banks.”

Béatrice Cossa-Dumurgier, CEO for western Europe at Revolut, said: “This achievement reflects months of close collaboration with the ACPR and the European Central Bank, whose rigorous standards have helped us build the right foundations for long-term growth in the region. We are grateful for the constructive dialogue we’ve had throughout this process. Our focus now turns to execution.

“We’ll begin by serving customers in France before progressively expanding across western Europe, while accelerating the localisation of our products and services to better meet the needs of retail and business customers in each market.”

The French approval is the latest in a run of regulatory wins for Revolut this year. It finally secured its full UK banking licence in March after a five-year wait, applied for a US banking licence around the same time, and in July launched its first Asia-Pacific banking entity in Australia after receiving regulatory approval there.

Revolut now operates across 40 markets. The company reported its fifth consecutive year of profitability in March, with group revenues up 46pc in 2025 to $6bn, and is reportedly gearing up for a public listing around 2028 at a valuation of between $150bn and $200bn.

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I’ve always thought the Atlas Cross Sport looked like an Atlas that didn’t quite find its personality; competent but a little forgettable. Volkswagen apparently agreed.

The automaker just revealed a fully redesigned 2027 Cross Sport. It now has a sharper exterior, a genuinely upmarket cabin, and, most importantly, more power under the hood. Further, it’s arriving early next year as the sportier five-seat alternative to the three-row Atlas.

So what actually changed on the outside and inside?

Based on an updated MQB Evo platform, the new Cross Sport measures around 4,968mm in length, over 127mm shorter than its three-row sibling. The lower stance and a sharply raked rear roofline give it a sporty look. 

Stacked LED headlights, an illuminated VW badge on every trim (except the base model), and a flush-mounted tailgate round out the exterior overhaul. Volkswagen is also offering three new paint colors, including a Blackberry Metallic option. 

Inside, you’ll get a wraparound dashboard loop, wood trim, contrast stitching, and ambient lighting that replace what used to feel like a fairly utilitarian cabin. Every trim now gets a reworked 12-way driver’s seat. Upper trims also add full-back massage for both front occupants.

What about the tech and the engine?

Following the global trend of larger screens, the 2027 Cross Sport gets a 15-inch infotainment display, which is standard on roughly 90% of the lineup, and a new physical dial for controlling volume and drive modes. There’s a 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster across the board as well.

Power comes from an updated turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which now makes 282hp, a 13hp bump. The engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic and optional 4Motion all-wheel drive. 

While the pricing hasn’t been announced yet, I’m expecting the company to reveal more details as the launch approaches in early 2027. With the Atlas family making up roughly a third of Volkswagen’s US sales, this redesign carries real financial stakes beyond just refreshing an aging model. 

• SpaceX and Tesla commit $16.8 billion to build a gigantic Texas chip factory
• TeraFab could cover more than 100 million square feet when fully built
• Elon Musk claims TeraFab will reach 50 times the size of the Pentagon

SpaceX and Tesla have revealed more details in their plan to invest $16.8 billion in a massive semiconductor factory planned for Grimes County, Texas.

The facility, known as TeraFab, is expected to manufacture chips for several computing-intensive applications associated with both companies.

If you were hoping for an all-glass iPhone, a new report from Barron’s might shatter that dream. The financial news source reports that Jefferies analyst Edison Lee believes development on an all-glass mobile device has come to a halt.

According to the report, Lee thinks the device was canceled because of “poor production yield,” or not enough defect-free units being successfully made during production.

An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The device was rumored to launch in the fall of 2027 to celebrate the iPhone’s 20th anniversary, and Barron’s reports it could have cost an eye-watering $2,060.

Rumors of an all-glass iPhone began after Apple filed for a patent in 2019 on an electronic device with a “six-sided glass enclosure.” The device in the patent resembles an iPhone, with app icons on one side and a way to signal to others that you’re on a call on the other side. The device also has curved glass panels and seemingly no cutouts.

“We believe the plan was to extend the all-glass features to future iPhone Pro and Pro Max models, further raising their average selling price and margin,” Lee wrote, according to Barron’s.

For more on Apple, here’s what to know about iOS 27 and everything the company announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Zachary McAuliffe

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Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him hanging out with his wife, son and dog in their home.

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For years, the Search button has been an integral part of the Google Search experience. However, right now, typing “google.com” into a browser is reportedly bringing up a new simplified layout that doesn’t include the Search button anymore (for a select group of signed-out users). 

It appears that the search giant is testing a new, AI-first layout with three dedicated buttons, which are new for traditional Google Search users, but familiar for those who use the Gemini chatbot on a regular basis.  

What exactly did Google swap in?

Search Engine Watch first spotted the change and confirmed it independently across three different web browsers, including Chrome, Edge, and Comet (via Android Authority). The redesigned homepage drops the classic Google Search button.

It seems to feature three new AI-first buttons: Create images, Ask about files, and Brainstorm. These sit right under the horizontal search bar. The AI Mode button still remains inside the search box itself. The “I am feeling lucky” button seems to have survived the design. 

What’s even more interesting is that the Ask about files and Brainstorm reportedly work without logging in at all. The buttons apparently let users upload a document or a PDF and ask questions about it or think out loud with Gemini. 

Creating images is the one holdout, which is gated behind a sign-in wall, likely because Google wants a verified account attached before it burns through compute money on Nano Banana generations.

Is this actually rolling out, or just a test?

Here’s the catch. The report mentions this new layout only shows for logged-out visitors. Even then, not everyone’s seeing it. Factors like location, browser, and session all seem to matter. Google hasn’t confirmed the scope of change as well.

Here’s how I see this, though. This isn’t something that’s worth ignoring. Google has spent decades defending the simplicity and functionality of its homepage. However, quietly relegating “Search” behind AI-first buttons, or at least testing it, tells us about the company’s priorities. 

While I won’t ask you to expect the classic layout’s days to be numbered, I can’t deny Google’s recent push toward its AI ambitions. For now, the layout appears to be a part of an A/B test being shown to a small number of users.  

Apple’s fifth developer beta of iOS 27 has just arrived, and with it, redesigned icons for several key apps, and a lot more than normal than this late in the beta cycle. Here’s what’s new.

On Monday, three weeks after the release of iOS 27 beta 4, Apple made the fifth developer beta available for download. iOS 27 beta 1 introduced the long-overdue Siri AI, while the second beta included improvements to the Apple Home and Apple Wallet apps.

The third beta brought additional voice customization options for Siri AI, in the form of pace and expressivity sliders, albeit only for American English voices. Monday’s iOS 27 developer beta, however, expands these settings to British English voices.

Still, the new settings aren’t available across all devices running iOS 27. Advanced Siri AI features require at least 12GB of RAM on iOS 27, hence the restriction, meaning the new voice sliders can only be found on an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air.

As with most beta updates, visual tweaks are also present in iOS 27 beta 5. Icons for the Preview, Remote, Safari, Settings, and Siri applications have been updated, as has the Orders icon in the Apple Wallet app.

The Siri icon now features a more prominent Liquid Glass look, while the app icon for Safari now has a dot in the center. Apple has also included new update screens when the Apple Wallet, Apple Music, App Store, and Photos apps are launched for the first time.

iOS 27 beta 5 features a new ‘Before Searching’ option in the Settings app.

In the Settings app itself, under the Search Settings section, Apple has added a new option labeled Before Searching. This lets users choose how many apps appear as suggestions during searches, among other things.

Additionally, the Settings app now also shows when the most recent iOS update was installed. This detail could be useful for those who rely on automatic software updates.

Apple has also tweaked the Control Center with iOS 27 beta 5. Cellular network types are no longer displayed, so you won’t see “5G” or “LTE” when your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. However, the Control Center and Status bar do feature new cellular icon bars.

Meanwhile, when a screenshot is taken on Monday’s beta, the the annotations toolbar will now shrink and hover. It’s a neat visual modification, but nothing groundbreaking.

Overall, the fifth developer beta of iOS 27 is a relatively light release. Aside from the updated app icons, Siri voice settings, and Before Search settings, the beta doesn’t offer anything the average user would notice.