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Filed Under: daily deal
Airbnb started as a place to find someone’s spare bedroom, but twelve years later, it’s trying to be the only travel app you need.
With the 2026 Summer Release update announced today, you can not just book a bedroom or a house, but also order groceries, schedule airport pickups, car rentals, boutique hotels, access the AI planning tools, and access the FIFA World Cup experiences, all within the Airbnb app.
Airbnb has already launched two new services today. The first one is airport pickups (through Welcome Pickups), which, as the name suggests, lets you book a ride from airports in 160+ cities worldwide, with 20% off on all bookings.
Then there’s luggage storage (via Bounce), which is also live now, offering you 15% off at 15,000+ locations across 175 cities for the time before check-in and after check-out.
One of the biggest updates, grocery delivery (via Instacart) is coming this summer, bringing food to your rented location before you even arrive or any time during the stay, with $0 delivery fee and $10 off on orders of $50 or more, in 25+ cities in the US.
In fact, hosts can even pre-stock the home before you check in, which might reflect in their review later.
Car rentals are also arriving later this summer. The app suggests a vehicle based on your group size, and first-timers get 20% credit toward a future Airbnb stay.
In a surprising move, the platform has also started accepting bookings for boutique and independent hotels in 20 cities, including New York, Paris, London, Rome, Singapore, and Madrid, among 14 others.
What’s good is that the company is hand-picking properties that complement the neighborhood. You also get a price match guarantee and up to 15% credit toward a future home booking. While Booking.com has mixed hotels and rentals for a decade, it’s good to see Airbnb catching up.
As for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Airbnb, being the official Tournament Supporter, is offering exclusive experiences across six host cities, including a watch party with Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy and pitch training with Javier Mascherano.
LG’s 2026 ART TV push is not just about making a television look prettier when nobody is watching Slow Horses. The bigger shift is bringing art focused display modes and gallery friendly design to higher performance models like the OLED evo AI W6 Wallpaper TV, OLED evo AI G6, and Mini LED Gallery TV AI with frame, without forcing buyers to settle for lifestyle first hardware.
Built on more than a decade of OLED development, these models are designed to blend into living spaces while presenting artwork with strong color accuracy and contrast. LG’s design approach has already earned recognition as well, with the Wallpaper TV receiving both the iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award.
LG is not just chasing the “TV as décor” trend. It is trying to do it without compromising what made people buy OLED in the first place.
LG’s ART TV lineup rethinks how a screen should live in a room. These select models are not treated as conventional black rectangles, but as displays designed to suit different spaces, whether that means reducing their visual footprint, sitting tight to the wall, or presenting the TV as a framed design element.
The goal is simple: give customers more control over how the TV looks in the home, how it fits into the room, and how artwork is displayed when nobody is actually watching television.
Pro Tip: LG’s designated ART TVs are still real TVs. They are built for movies, TV shows, gaming, and everyday streaming, with LG’s webOS smart TV platform included.
With its 9mm range ultra thin profile and certified True Wireless connectivity through LG’s Zero Connect Box, the OLED evo AI W6 Wallpaper TV is designed to reduce cable clutter and visual distractions. The point is not subtle: make the screen sit on the wall like wallpaper, then let the art do the talking.
That makes the W6 a natural fit for LG’s ART TV push, especially for buyers who want the display to disappear into the room when it is not being used for movies, shows, or gaming. The W6 is available in 83 and 77-inch screen sizes.
For more details, see our companion article: 2026 LG evo W6 Wallpaper TVs Arrive With $1,000 Premium.
The flush-fit Gallery design of G6 aligns precisely with the wall surface, creating a clean, minimal presence that fits naturally into the space.
The LG OLED evo G6 Series provides Hyper Radiant Color technology built around the new Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel, which LG says delivers up to 20% higher brightness than the 2025 G5 series. The G6 also incorporates enhanced color processing and a Reflection Free Premium screen coating designed to improve visibility in brighter rooms while maintaining the deep contrast OLED is known for. The G6 series is available in 97, 83, 77, 65, and 55-inch screen sizes.
For details on the LG G6 TV, refer to our companion article: LG Reveals Pricing and Availability for 2026 OLED evo G6, C6, and C6H TVs
With attachable frames and a gallery style presentation, the Gallery TV treats the screen as a decorative object that becomes part of the room rather than something you try to hide.
Under the surface, it is still built like a proper TV. The Gallery TV uses Mini LED backlighting with Dynamic QNED Color and LG’s α7 AI Processor to deliver full 4K resolution with AI assisted picture processing. When it is time to stop admiring the artwork and actually watch something, it does not fall apart.
The design stays consistent with the concept. A slim flush mount form factor keeps the panel tight to the wall, while customizable magnetic frames let users match different interior styles without overthinking it.
For more details, see our companion article: LG Unveils Art Inspired Gallery TV as It Expands Lifestyle TV Lineup at CES 2026.
LG’s ART TV lineup pairs design with display technology that actually matters for showing art on a screen. The point is not just to make the TV look less like a TV. It is to preserve color, contrast, detail, and visibility as room lighting changes throughout the day.
Color and Depth: On LG’s OLED ART TV models, Perfect Black, Perfect Color, and advanced color processing help artwork appear richer and more accurate, with stronger contrast and subtle tonal detail intact. The Mini LED based Gallery TV cannot produce perfect black like OLED, but LG has optimized black levels and color performance around what that display technology can actually deliver.
Brightness and Real World Viewing: Artwork needs to remain believable in bright daylight, evening light, and everything in between. On the Wallpaper TV and G6 OLED models, Hyper Radiant Color Technology, powered by LG’s α11 AI Processor Gen3, is designed to improve brightness while maintaining accurate color reproduction. On the Mini LED based Gallery TV, LG’s α7 AI Processor handles color and brightness optimization.
Reflection Reduction: Glare is the enemy of both art and television, because nobody bought a premium display to admire a lamp reflection. Reflection Free Premium on select OLED models helps reduce glare and preserve the visual texture of artwork under changing lighting conditions. The Mini LED based Gallery TV approaches the same goal with a specialized screen developed with input from museum curators.
LG’s Gallery+ allows customers to turn their TV into a personalized art display, creating the experience of a premium gallery at home. The service offers more than 4,500 regularly refreshed visuals, spanning fine art, cinematic landscapes, animation, and ambient motion pieces.
Pro Tip: How to Use LG Gallery+
Users can also generate custom imagery using Generative AI, display personal photo libraries, and layer the visuals with background music — either from built-in selections or streamed via Bluetooth.
To celebrate the rollout of the 2026 Art TV lineup, LG OLED evo W6 Wallpaper TV, LG OLED evo G6, and LG Gallery TV include a complimentary three‑month LG Gallery+ subscription, giving customers in select markets access to over 5,000 curated artworks at no additional cost.
LG is not pretending Samsung’s The Frame does not exist. That ship left port in 2017, and Samsung has been steering the ART TV conversation ever since. But LG’s 2026 strategy is different because it is not limiting the idea to one lifestyle TV concept.
By pushing ART TV features across select OLED and Mini LED models, LG is giving buyers more choice: ultra thin Wallpaper TV design, premium OLED picture quality from the G6, or a framed Mini LED Gallery TV for rooms where OLED may not be the obvious fit. That is the real point of difference.
This makes sense for buyers who want the TV to look better in the room without giving up serious movie, sports, streaming, or gaming performance. Samsung still owns the category mindshare, and Hisense, TCL, and Skyworth are now crowding the space. LG has work to do. But bringing ART TV functionality to better display hardware is a smart move, and one that could make the lifestyle TV category a lot more interesting.
The LG OLED evo W6 Wallpaper TV is available for pre-order at the following prices:
The LG OLED evo G6 model series is available for purchase at the following prices:
The LG Gallery TV (LX7 Series) is available for pre-order at the following prices:
Kansas City Public Schools have procured more than 4,500 MacBook Neos as part of its transition to an “All-Apple District”
More than 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks are getting the boot as Kansas City prepares to transition its public school students exclusively to Apple devices.
On Wednesday, Kansas City Public Schools elaborated on its decision to become an “All-Apple District.” The district says the move reflects its commitment to providing the highest quality education to its students.
“Students are now proud of their schools because they have the best products,” KCPS Chief Technology Officer Scott Jones said in a statement. The district believes that Apple devices have an edge over the competition, calling them “secure, durable, and reliable.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the news, either. Apple’s own CFO, Kevan Parekh, made mention that the school would be making the switch during Apple’s 2026 Q2 earnings call.
More than 4,500 MacBook Neos have been procured for students in 8th grade and up. Lower grades will have access to the district’s existing iPad and MacBook Air collection.
We may see more school districts make similar leaps in the future. Apple’s new MacBook Neo, which made its debut in March, has already become the darling of the MacBook lineup.
Its lower price point, $599, makes it a tempting purchase for casual users, students, and enterprise solutions. While many scoffed at the idea that the A18 Pro chip would be enough to lure in prospective buyers, Apple initially had difficulties keeping it on shelves.
Canva launched its Connected App for Google Gemini at Google I/O, completing its integration across all four major AI assistants. The tool lets users generate on-brand, editable designs from Gemini prompts, with Magic Layers converting AI images into layered files.
TL;DR
Canva has spent the past year quietly embedding itself into every major AI assistant. First came Claude, then ChatGPT, then Microsoft Copilot. Now Google Gemini gets the same treatment, and the strategy is complete.
The company launched its Connected App for Google Gemini at Google I/O, giving Gemini users the ability to generate, edit, and search Canva designs directly from a conversation. The integration started rolling out with limited availability on 19 May and will expand to full availability in the coming weeks.
The pitch is straightforward. Type a prompt in Gemini, and Canva generates a design that arrives not as a flat image but as a fully editable file. If the user has a Canva Brand Kit configured, the output automatically applies stored logos, fonts, and colour palettes from the first prompt.
The most technically interesting piece is the integration with Google’s Nano Banana image model. Users can generate an image through Gemini’s native capabilities and then convert it into a layered, editable design using Canva’s Magic Layers tool. That solves a persistent frustration with AI-generated visuals: they are typically flat files that require re-prompting for every small change. Magic Layers analyses the image structure and separates it into individual, movable elements.
“We’re making design accessible wherever people start their work,” said Anwar Haneef, Canva’s head of ecosystem. The implication is clear. Canva no longer sees itself as a destination. It sees itself as infrastructure.
The Gemini launch means Canva’s design engine is now embedded in all four dominant AI assistants: Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini. Each integration works through Canva’s API, allowing the assistant to call design generation, brand kit lookup, and template search without the user leaving the conversation.
The timing matters. Google unveiled Pics at I/O 2026, a competing AI design tool built directly into Workspace that generates graphics from text prompts. Adobe’s Firefly holds 41 per cent business adoption. And Figma just launched its own AI agent that designs on the canvas. Canva’s response is to make its tools available everywhere rather than fight for a single surface.
That approach is paying off commercially. Canva reported that nearly every marketer in its latest survey uses AI for some part of their workflow, though consumers still want the human touch. The company now claims 220 million users globally and has positioned its AI 2.0 platform, launched in March, as a full operating system for visual content creation.
Canva AI 2.0 already connects to Slack, Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, Notion, Zoom, and HubSpot through six intelligent workflows. It can generate meeting summaries from Zoom transcripts, turn customer emails into personalised sales materials, and build company newsletters. The Gemini integration adds another surface to that network.
The risk for Canva is commoditisation. If every AI assistant can generate decent visuals natively, the value of a dedicated design tool diminishes. Google’s Pics, OpenAI’s image generation, and Adobe’s Firefly are all improving rapidly. Canva’s bet is that brand consistency, editability, and template ecosystems still matter more than raw generation quality, and that being embedded everywhere makes it harder to replace.
There were two rumors last week regarding the supposed “settlement” of Donald Trump’s ridiculously problematic lawsuit against his own IRS, asking for $10 billion. The first was that he was going to get an agreement to drop all audits of his taxes (and the taxes of his family members and businesses). The second was that he was going to create a $1.776 billion fund to pay off January 6th insurrectionists. The first of those came true on Monday. The second came true on Tuesday.
US tax authorities will be barred from pursuing claims against Donald Trump, his eldest sons and the Trump Organization under an agreement to halt the president’s $10bn lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
Just like Monday’s news, the framing of this is absolute bullshit. There is no “agreement to halt the lawsuit.” The lawsuit was about to be drop kicked out of court by a judge who pointed out that there is no “cause or controversy” here because Donald Trump was suing himself and had full control over both parties in the lawsuit. You can’t “come to an agreement” with yourself to give yourself a tremendous benefit from the United States government.
That’s not a thing. That’s just theft.
And while it may not be the full $10 billion he sought, it’s still a massive theft from the United States treasury. As you’ll recall, Donald Trump has insisted for years that he couldn’t release his tax returns like every single President since Richard Nixon had done, because they were being audited. But that’s also bullshit. When Nixon released his tax returns, they were being audited. And, indeed, the IRS code requires it to audit both the President and Vice President’s taxes every year.
Reporting from a few years ago found that an audit of Trump’s taxes suggested he owed over $100 million to the US Treasury because of earlier tax fraud.
The issues around Mr. Trump’s case were novel enough that, during his presidency, the I.R.S. undertook a high-level legal review before pursuing it. The Times and ProPublica, in consultation with tax experts, calculated that the revision sought by the I.R.S. would create a new tax bill of more than $100 million, plus interest and potential penalties.
So agreeing to drop the audit entirely is, at minimum, a $100 million gift from the American taxpayer directly to Donald Trump. As a reward for tax fraud.
That seems… very bad. It’s extraordinarily, shockingly corrupt. And it’s probably not even the most corrupt thing he’s done this week.
The actual agreement from the DOJ is hilariously stupid. It’s just three paragraphs long and claims it’s part of the “settlement” of the lawsuit (which, again, cannot be “settled” because there’s only one party). The main part is this:
The United States RELEASES, WAIVES, ACQUITS, and FOREVER DISCHARGES each of the Plaintiffs from, and is hereby FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing, any and all claims, counterclaims, causes of action, appeals, or requests for any relief, including injunctive relief, monetary relief, damages, examinations or similar or related reviews, appeals, debt relief, costs, attorney’s fees, expenses, and/or interest, whether presently known or unknown, that as of the Effective Date of the Settlement Agreement-have been or could have been asserted by Defendants against any of the Plaintiffs or related or affiliated individuals (including, without limitation, family or others filing jointly), or parties including trusts, parent, sister, or related companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries, by reason of, with respect to, in connection with, or which arise out of (1) any matters that were raised or could have been raised in the Case or the Pending Agency Claims; (2) Lawfare and/or Weaponization; or (3) any matters currently pending or that could be pending (including tax returns filed before the Effective Date) before Defendants or other agencies or departments.
Basically: clean slate for what appears to be many, many years of tax fraud. So he defrauded the American government, then used his role as the President to just wipe out any ability to hold him accountable for it.
And it’s not like everyone inside the government just went along with it. Reporting says that IRS officials were horrified by the lawsuit and pushed the DOJ to fight back against it.
I.R.S. officials prepared a 25-page memorandum outlining what they saw as flaws in Mr. Trump’s suit and advising the Justice Department to move to dismiss it, according to two people familiar with the memo. That memo was provided to Treasury officials in April, and it is unclear if they passed it along to its intended recipients at the Justice Department, according to the people, who spoke anonymously to discuss internal government deliberations.
And then, on Monday, just as this brazenly corrupt deal was being finalized, the Treasury Department’s top lawyer (hired by Trump) resigned, apparently in protest.
The Treasury Department’s top lawyer resigned Monday as the government announced a controversial settlement with President Trump, according to people familiar with his departure.
Brian Morrissey joined the Trump administration last year as the president’s pick to be Treasury Department’s general counsel, after previously serving at the agency and at the Justice Department during Trump’s first term. A former clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas, Morrissey didn’t respond to a request for comment late Monday.
MAGA world has long since baked in the idea that Trump will rob the American taxpayer blind any way he can. Most people just assumed that came with the territory. Probably fewer assumed “the territory” included filing a $10 billion lawsuit against yourself, having the judge almost throw it out because you’re suing yourself, then “settling” with yourself — and somehow walking away with a clean slate on what appears to be over $100 million in fraud-based tax debt. If this were written up as a movie, no one would make it, as the corruption is simply too over the top and out in the open. And yet, it’s real.
Filed Under: audits, donald trump, irs, tax fraud
Companies: trump organization
While streaming may be the future of television, the medium itself—much like its big-screen counterpart—often leans on familiar properties, prequels, and reboots to keep things moving along. (Which explains why Yellowstone has morphed into a full-on franchise, with four current spinoffs and more on the way.)
Why does this matter to you? Because May’s best shows to stream are full of familiar titles, from Battlestar Galactica to the Duffer Brothers’ newest project … which sounds a bit like their most famous project.
Here are our picks for the 10 best shows to watch this month.
More than a year before Russell T. Davies rebooted Doctor Who for a whole new generation, Ronald D. Moore breathed new life into Battlestar Galactica—Glen A. Larson’s highly anticipated but ultimately short-lived sci-fi show from 1978. The revived series, in which what remains of humanity attempts to stave off extinction at the hands of a race of sentient AI beings known as Cylons, has since become one of the most critically acclaimed and influential sci-fi franchises of all time.
Now, after a year of being MIA, Paramount+ is bringing the entire franchise—which was profoundly ahead of its time with its exploration of AI, politics, identity, and what it means to be human—to its streaming platform. In addition to the three-hour miniseries that served as the de facto pilot, all four official seasons of the series, starring Oscar nominees Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, plus Katee Sackhoff in her breakout role, are now streaming. As are the Olmos-directed feature film, The Plan, and the 2010 prequel series, Caprica. It’s all here for the bingeing.
Think your former partner was the worst person that ever lived? Give Netflix’s true crime docuseries a watch, then maybe reassess. Using a mix of standard talking head interviews with authorities and survivors, plus animated re-creations of the violent actions and crimes being described, the show—which dropped its second season on May 6—explores the many ways romantic relationships can turn toxic, sometimes with fatal results.
When I was in high school, part of the mandatory social studies curriculum included watching the miniseries Roots in class over the course of several days. I remember it fondly, though I did get myself into a bit of trouble in the process. Apparently shouting things like “Hey, where is Geordi La Forge’s visor?” and “Oh, look, it’s the owner of McDowell’s!” is not appropriate fodder when watching what is indeed an important cultural touchstone for American history.
The miniseries was based on a book by Alex Haley, which follows generations of African slaves descending from slave Kunta Kinte, and highlights parts of what slave life was like in that shameful part of American history. The book won a Pulitzer in 1977, while the miniseries collected 9 Emmys and a Peabody award. And one county in the state of Tennessee just banned the book in public schools.
“Roots,” the renowned 1976 novel by Alex Haley that spurred a broad awakening in African American genealogy and history, has been banned by Knox County Schools.
“Prior to its release, the impact of slavery was easy to diminish or deny by those that benefited the most from that system,” said Annastasia Williams, bookshop director at The Bottom bookstore and cultural organization.
“‘Roots’ created an opening to reengage with how the history of slavery is taught in American schools and to the American public. Haley’s work showcased the violence, brutality, and aftermath of slavery, but it also showcased the resilience and resistance of Black people and families that spans generations. Both the book and subsequent TV miniseries were cultural phenomenons that started conversations, shifted perspectives, and contributed to a collective empathy that the U.S. had not seen or heard before.”
Knox County is apparently up to 119 total book titles banned from school libraries at this point. Nearly all of them are works that in some way engage in conversation about sexual experiences, race relations, or LGBTQ+ content. All of it is ridiculous, of course, as well as an attempt at infantilizing Tennessee children. Children, I’d be willing to wager, who are far more mature about such subjects than the dewy-eyed cretins cosplaying as functioning adults who are banning these books.
And this has to be a jump the shark moment when it comes to banning books. Roots is incredibly important as a major cultural moment in race relations and the historical understanding of slavery in America. Banning it isn’t about protecting children from inappropriate content. It isn’t about saving children from misinformation about American history. I would love to hear from anyone who wants to argue that the content portrayed in Roots is historically inaccurate. Go for it. I always enjoy someone who wants to demonstrate just how wrong they can be about something public.
This is about trying to bury the very real history of our country. Why? Because it makes some people feel bad? It makes it a bit harder to stand for the National Anthem at the University of Tennessee football game? Or maybe because a certain segment of the population would very much like to rewind the clock back to the 1800s?
Haley lived in Tennessee. There is a fucking statue of him in Morningside Park in Knoxville, within Knox County. So Knox County banned a book in schools that was written by an author who is celebrated with a statue in that same county. A statue for what?
It seems that in the future, students in the county won’t be able to tell you the answer to that question.
Filed Under: alex haley, book bans, free speech, knox county, knox county schools, roots, tennessee
Vacuum cleaners are a necessity for any household, but with so many options on the market it can be difficult to know which one is best for you.
Dyson and Shark are easily two of the most recognisable brands, with both offering numerous cordless, corded and robot vacuums to suit all households.
But what are the key differences between Dyson and Shark’s respective offerings? Is one brand an easier recommendation than the other? Or are both similar enough performers?
As we’ve reviewed many Dyson and Shark vacuums, we’re in a great position to provide insight into how the two brands measure up. With this in mind, we’ve compared our experiences with Dyson and Shark to help you decide between the two.
Read on to see how Dyson compares to Shark, and decide which brand is right for you. Otherwise, our list of the best vacuum cleaners, best cordless vacuums and even best vacuums for pet hair has plenty of options across all budgets.
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We put every vacuum that comes into our office through the same rigorous testing process. Where applicable, we test each vacuum on both carpet and hard flooring and determine how strong pick-up and general performance is (using appropriate floor heads too). We also measure the AirWatts (AW), noise level in dB and battery life for cordless models too.
We also ensure each product is tested for usability, and measure factors such as ease of assembly, manoeuvrability, dust capacity and an overview of the included accessories too. For corded models, we’ll naturally measure the cord length while cordless cleaners are reviewed based on their portability.
For a more in-depth look at our review process, visit our vacuum cleaner test guide here.
Overall, Dyson undoubtedly has the pricier selection of vacuums compared to Shark. While Shark’s cheapest vacuum in the UK is the Shark VacMop VM200UK with an RRP of £79.99 (though in the US it’s the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ which starts at $69.99), the cheapest Dyson is the handheld Car+Boat which will set you back a hefty £249.99/$299.99.
We’ve found that both Dyson and Shark provide impressively powerful suction and overall cleaning performance. However, in terms of AirWatts (AW), Dyson vacuums typically tend to do better than Shark’s own. Even the cordless Dyson Piston Animal saw a staggering 401AW result which is among the best we’ve seen from a cordless, and puts it on par with many plug-in models too. In fact, the corded Dyson Ball Animal surprisingly falls slightly short with a measurement of 203AW.
In comparison, the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro achieved a 322AW result which falls slightly short of both the Dyson Piston Animal and the Dyson Gen5Detect. Having said that, considering the Shark model has an RRP of around £499.99 while Dyson’s Piston Animal will set you back an eyewatering £749.99, that slight difference in power suction is arguably negligible.
While it is important to factor in suction power, AirWatts shouldn’t be the sole reason you opt for a vacuum, and you should also consider the specific cleaning performance. Even so, the Dyson Piston Animal does benefit from both an incredibly high AW and some of the best cleaning we’ve reviewed. In fact, we found that 99.8% of dust was collected in our controlled tests while 99% of dust was collected during our edge tests.
Otherwise, although the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro achieved slightly lower results, generally it still performed pretty admirably. We found that the vacuum collected 99.1% of dust in our controlled tests and 95.9% in our edge test. Sure those results are lower than the Dyson Piston Animal, but remember that price discrepancy.
Both saw 100% mess collection on hard floors.
This isn’t to say that a Dyson model is guaranteed to pick up more mess. In fact, during our time with the Dyson V8 Cyclone, we concluded the vacuum collected 94.85% in our real-world test and a much lower 85.9% when cleaning against the skirting boards. However, with an RRP of £349.99, it’s a cheaper option than the Shark PowerDetect Pet Pro and still offers a solid performance.
Both Dyson and Shark include cordless, corded and robot vacuums in their respective ranges. While cordless models are usually lighter and easier to use, corded models tend to offer stronger power whereas robots are brilliant for hands-free cleaning. Deciding between the model type will depend on your preferences, with each having their own pros and cons.
For example, although cordless models are the more convenient choice for easy whole-house cleaning without being restricted by a cord, battery life can be an issue. In comparison, corded models may require you to keep plugging and unplugging the cord for you to achieve a whole-house clean.
Another factor to consider is usability, specifically regarding how easy a vacuum is to push around. The Dyson PencilVac, for example, is genuinely one of the lightest and easiest vacuums to push around – however remember it is just for hard floors.
More premium Shark’s floor heads, like the one of the IA3241UKT, are also designed to collect as much dust on the back pass as the forward pass, which makes it easier to quickly clean areas.
Otherwise, both Shark and Dyson vacuums tend to come with plenty of accessories – although there are some key exceptions to keep in mind. Models like the Dyson PencilVac, which is designed purely for hard floors, only comes with a main floor head and a two-in-one crevice and dusting tool, while the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is equipped with two floor heads and plenty of handheld attachments too.
The Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro instead comes with a more conservative number of attachments, including a two-in-one crevice and dusting tool and a motorised pet tool alongside the main floor head. Realistically, that’s all the tools one actually needs for a whole house clean.
While you may think the more accessories the better, you should consider how you plan on storing the attachments. Vacuums like the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty IP3251UKT have an optional self-empty station that is fitted with clips to keep all its attachments neatly stored. In comparison, the Dyson V8 Cyclone has quite a frustrating docking station that can only take two accessories. Not only that, but if you store the mini motorised tool then the second port is blocked. On the other hand, the PencilVac allows you to store the tool you aren’t using on the dock, with no issue.
Battery life is undoubtedly a key factor to keep in mind when choosing a cordless model, as ideally you’d want a vacuum that can handle a whole home clean on a single battery. Otherwise you’ll have to stop to charge during a clean, which isn’t practical.
Fortunately, we’ve always been impressed with the battery life across both Dyson and Shark’s cordless vacuums. While the Dyson V16 Piston boasts one of the highest capacities and can last a whopping one hour seven minutes on Eco Mood, and a solid 16 minutes and 26 seconds on Boost, both the V8 Cyclone and Gen5Detect still see a brilliant average battery of 26 minutes. That should be enough to see you through a whole house clean.
Shark models also offer a solid battery life, although generally it tends to be slightly lower than Dyson’s own. For example, the PowerDetect IA3241UKT sees an average of just over 32 minutes with Boost mode resulting in 12 minutes and 17 seconds. In comparison, the Freestyle Pro (SV2000UK) powers for just under 20 minutes while the PowerPro Pet (IZ380UKT) has a pretty low battery of just over 17 and a half minutes.
While those figures may sound small in comparison, keep in mind your home. If you live in a smaller house or flat then a battery of under 20 minutes should be enough to clean your home.
Keeping your vacuum well maintained is seriously important, as doing so can significantly improve its lifespan and ensure it works as well as possible. If you’ve noticed your vacuum’s suction isn’t as strong as it once was, visit our guide on how to unclog a vacuum.
Otherwise, it’s worth checking your device’s manual to see whether you can manually remove and clean its filters. Vacuums like the Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty IP3251UKT and Dyson V16 Piston Animal (alongside many others from the brand) are equipped with washable HEPA filters that can be easily accessed.
Many cordless vacuums are supported by a self-empty station which, although they are usually sold separately, we would always recommend the extra investment. Take the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro IA3241UKT as an example, as its self-empty station sucks all the collected dust into the bag-free bin. Then, when the docking station is full, you simply need to remove and empty it directly into the bin.
This is much easier than emptying the vacuum cleaner’s 0.47-litre bin which can be a bit fiddly and cause dust to go everywhere. However, the Dyson V16 Piston Animal does sport a clever eject mechanism which is much more streamlined.
However, that doesn’t mean all Dyson vacuums are as easy to empty. For example, while the Dyson PencilVac cleverly compresses collected dust into the handle, emptying it does take some getting used to. Having said that, as long as you point the handle directly into the bin then there shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
If you have pets, then you’ll know how quickly hair tends to accumulate on surfaces and floors. Not only that, but you’ll likely have experienced the pretty gross need to manually cut tangled hair from your floor head. Fortunately, many Dyson and Shark models are equipped with anti-hair wrap technology that promises to ensure long and pet hair doesn’t get tangled in floor heads.
Generally speaking, we’ve been impressed with both brand’s anti-hair wrap technology and rarely note an issue. Both cordless and corded models do an admirable job or both picking up hair and ensuring it doesn’t get tangled either.
Having said that, if one of your main household concerns is dealing with an endless shedding of pet hair, then we’d recommend opting for vacuums that are specifically designed to deal with this. Vacuums such as the Shark Pet Pro not only sport anti-hair wrap technology in its main floor head, but also come with a mini motorised pet hair tool to remove hair embedded from furniture too. Similarly, the Dyson V16 Piston Animal also comes with relevant tools to help remove hair.
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As shown in our tests, Dyson vacuums generally tend to boast stronger suction power and a longer battery life than Shark’s own – however Dyson cleaners usually come with a considerably higher price tag. In comparison, Shark vacuums have a more modest price tag and are only just shy of meeting Dyson’s specs.
Essentially, this means that deciding between a Dyson and a Shark will boil down to your budget and needs. If you genuinely need the most powerful and battery-efficient vacuum, and have the cash to spare, then a Dyson is an easy recommendation. On the other hand, those with a more modest budget will undoubtedly find that Shark serves them well.
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If you saw the jacket worn in the picture above and thought it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, you’re not wrong. It was designed by a special effects team that’s worked on movies such as The Martian, Dune and Marvel projects. But it’s no costume.
This is a new technological monstrosity from clothing brand Vollebak, which we previously saw release a graphene rain jacket, and quite a few other novel pieces of science-inspired clothing. This is the Sonic Jacket, and it’s a big puffy coat bearing 180 speakers.
That’s right, 180 speakers, each one 32mm across, spread across your torso and arms and head. They apparently output a frequency range from 4Hz to 20,000Hz, so they go a lot lower than your average earbuds, with Vollebak claiming “You don’t listen to this jacket. You feel it.”
Actually, that’s the tame part of what it claims. The more notable quote is “Maybe you’ll orgasm. Maybe you’ll shit yourself. Maybe you’ll find God… so maybe you’ll want to be careful where you wear it.”
As a tech reviewer, I should probably note: this thing looks about as waterproof as candy floss. With all those wires on its outside, I’d be terrified to wear this in public; it’d catch on just about anything you pass, and I’m scared to think about what a rain shower would do.
You’d expect a novel jacket like this to cost an eye-watering amount — Vollebak’s scientific-themed twists on clothing fetch a premium compared to their ‘normal’ equivalents — but a price hasn’t been revealed yet. Instead, you can join a waiting list, with the full price only to be announced when it’s on sale.
So, this is basically just a wearable loudspeaker right? Designed to make music feel incredibly immersive, and annoy everyone else on the bus? Wrong: it doesn’t sound like this jacket can even play music — and at the very least, it shouldn’t.
The Sonic Jacket has a built-in MP3 player and microSD card reader, with Vollebak also working on an app that’ll let you control the jacket via Bluetooth. But the brand doesn’t talk about these as for music: instead, they’re for playing frequencies.
It sounds like the entire point of this jacket to output consistent sound at a set frequency, in order to let you control your mood or awaken certain brain states.
Vollebak refers to “brain hacking” and “entrainment” in the listing page for its jacket, and frequently cites “science” taken from the Pyramids in Giza, prehistoric European ritual sites, Plato and Aristotle, Mesopotamia and Indigenous Australian ceremonies.
Call me a skeptic, but lots of their explanations seem to have one foot in science, and the other in conspiracy theories.
Some neat engineering has been used to make it, though. Apparently, having 180 speakers playing at low frequencies bore a huge fire risk. So the jacket “will exploit one of the strange ways we experience frequency” by outputting two similar frequencies, so your body hears the frequency that exists in the difference.
As you can tell, I’m a little dubious about all the proposed scientific promises of the jacket; anyone who cites the music of the spheres deserves a raised eyebrow or two. But there’s something to be said for the benefits of set frequencies — I recently tested Samsung’s Hearapy app which uses 100Hz waves to quell motion sickness — and so I’m ready to be proven wrong when this thing does release.
And if anything, I’m glad Vollebak didn’t actually release a jacket for playing music on the go. Society already has too many people who watch TikTok out loud on their phone in public, I don’t need it coming from a 180-speaker jacket.
(Via Yanko Design)
The best Bluetooth speakers for all budgets
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