Vacuum

The Wall of Sound: the world's most powerful iPod dock unleashed

By Paul Ridden

02:51 November 5, 2009 PST

In a world where miniaturization rules the roost, it's refreshing to see some things getting bigger and bigger. Just last week we featured Regen's enormous ReVerb iPod dock which stands tall and slim at 35 inches (90cm). Now from Sweden comes the colossal 37.5 x 49 x 12 inch (95cm x 125cm x 30cm) "Wall of Sound", which can boom out 125 Watts of ground-shaking, tube-driven audio from its 28 speakers. Read More

Steuart’s Patent vacuum tank regulator – the timepiece to beat in the early 20th Century

By Darren Quick

03:02 October 27, 2009 PDT

The second in our series of interviews with Michael Bennet-Levy looks at the Steuart’s Patent vacuum tank regulator – a clock produced in 1923 that its makers, J & D Meek, claimed was accurate to “better than a second a year.” If true this would have made it the most accurate timekeeper in the world prior to the invention of Caesium clocks in the mid 1950s. The essence of the Steuart regulator is that the electric motor drives the clock and the pendulum governs and corrects the speed of the motor. Neither is connected. Ideal for telescopes (because it doesn't tick), the clock was used as a stand-in for Big Ben during WWII and in the opinion of the Scientific American it marked “the most important development in clock-making which has taken place in modern times.” Read More

Dyson DC31: looks cool and sucks at the same time

By Jeff Salton

02:48 September 14, 2009 PDT

Looking more like a power tool that just transported from the Starship Enterprise, the latest hand-held vacuum from Dyson has a 10-minute battery life and a digital V2 motor that delivers constant, strong suction - ideal for small cleaning tasks around the home or in a car, boat or caravan. The DC31 has a dual power mode that gives the operator a six-minute burst of power for higher suction at the flick of a switch. Dyson demonstrated its two models, the DC31 and the DC31 Animal to our team at IFA this month, and gave Gizmag's Kate Seamer an exclusive interview. Read More

LG’s Roboking robotic vacuum cleaner gets smarter

By Paul Lester

11:18 September 10, 2009 PDT

Ever since Electrolux introduced the couch-potato to the Tribolite, vacuum cleaner manufacturers have been coming up with progressively smarter, more efficient ways to automate this common chore. iRobot has been busy refining the Roomba and Dyson came up with something that looks more at home on the battlefield in the DC06, but this time it’s LG’s chance to get involved and the new Roboking promises intelligent cleaning using a range of advanced sensors. Read More

Ergorapido 2in1 – the pregnant battery-powered vacuum cleaner

By Gizmag Team

15:13 September 4, 2009 PDT

No, it's not really a pregnant vacuum cleaner, it's the latest AEG Ergorapido 2 in 1 – a battery-operated vacuum with a hand-held mini-vacuum in the handle that home appliance manufacturer AEG is showing at this year’s IFA in Berlin. The pick-of-the-litter is the EUR 210 (USD$300) Ergorapido plus which has an 18-volt lithium ion rechargeable battery and outperforms its sister models by 20%, enabling around 30 minutes of cleaning. Read More

Miele's hybrid unplugs vacuum cleaning

By Gizmag Team

06:01 September 2, 2009 PDT

The doors to the world's biggest consumer electronics show - IFA 2009 - opened to the press this morning and one of the first companies to showcase its latest wares was home appliance specialist Miele. Among the highlights was this very sensible hybrid compact vacuum cleaner that, like your laptop, provides the flexibility of both mains power supply and a rechargeable battery. This system provides a cord-free solution for quick clean ups and also means that when you inevitably reach the end of your tether and pull the plug out, the vacuum automatically switches to battery mode so you can finish the job uninterrupted. Read More

The new Space toilet is a high-tech diaper

By Darren Quick

20:40 March 10, 2009 PDT

While the thought of rocketing into space might make some people want to soil themselves, going to the toilet in zero gravity is a very real problem for space faring astronauts. Until now the solution has been to strap themselves onto a toilet that is similar to traditional western style but employs a vacuum cleaner-like machine to suck the wastes away – doesn’t sound too pleasant does it. Now it seems the Japanese are approaching the problem from a different tack with Pink Tentacle reporting that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has teamed up with engineers from the private sector to develop a next-generation space toilet that is designed to be worn like a diaper. Read More

Germ-killing vacuum uses UV light

By Noel McKeegan

21:18 February 5, 2009 PST

Ultra violet light sterilization is a proven technology that has been with us for some time. Back in 1903 Niels Finsen was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work in using UV to fight tuberculosis and these days it's a common sight in hospitals, food production facilities and science labs, as well as being used for water purification and disinfecting swimming pools. The technology is also increasingly making its way into domestic households with examples like ENPUTECH's UV sterilization wand and this innovation from Oreck - the world’s only UV equipped upright vacuum cleaner. Read More

Intellibot IV800 Robotic Vacuum for industrial cleaning

By Mike Hanlon

February 22, 2007 Robots have begun their inevitable march into our environment and a noteworthy incursion of recent times is the IV800 developed by floor care innovator Intellibot Robotics. Introduced last March, Intellibot’s IV800 is designed for large carpeted or hard surface hallways in convention centers, hotels, hospitals, office buildings and other facilities that get heavy traffic and must frequently be cleaned to a high standard. Using onboard computers and ultrasonic sonar sensors, the robotic vacuum requires only about 25 minutes of operator attention per eight-hour shift, reducing labor costs by up to 85 percent while increasing cleaning quality and consistency. This frees the operator to do other, higher value cleaning tasks. Read More

The handheld vacuum cleaner that never clogs and never loses suction

By Mike Hanlon

October 19, 2006 Gone forever are the days of frustrating, ineffective handheld cleaners. Loss of suction, poor pick-up and useless clogged filters may have once been standard fare, but will no longer interfere with your cleaning if you buy a Dyson Root 6 Cyclone, or at least that’s what Dyson is claiming. The Root 6 uses a lithium ion battery and comes with a specially designed combination brush/stair tool for versatile cleaning. Given that the company’s other products always do the business as claimed, we figure that makes the Root Cyclone a likely winner when it goes on sale next week at US$150. Read More

The floating vacuum cleaner

By Mike Hanlon

August 7, 2005 Somewhere between a miniature hovercraft and a traditional vacuum cleaner, the AIRIDER has been nine years in development. While we’re not sure why it took so long, it is nonetheless a very good idea because one of the most difficult aspects of cleaning is dragging the vacuum around behind you and with a cushion of air making the machine frictionless, there’s no effort required to drag it around. Apart from floating an eighth of an inch off the floor, the bag-less design also reduces clogging and increases performance, with a claimed suction speed of 200 miles per hour. Read More

Dyson 'telescope' vacuum designed for compact living

By Gizmag Team

November 29, 2004 The Dyson DC08 'telescope' vacuum cleaner is a new addition to the ranks of innovative household appliances that cater for compact living in urban environments. Traditionally, barrel vacuum cleaners have come with bulky wands and unwieldy hoses which are cumbersome to carry and store. The DC08 features a fully telescopic wand that reduces to a quarter of its size and clips onto the machine, while the hose wraps neatly around the body for easy storage. Read More

Ryobi AIRgrip Vacuum Holds Laser Level to Wall

By Mike Hanlon

October 17, 2004 The Ryobi AIRgrip laser level is a first-of-its-kind product that uses patented AIRgrip vacuum technology to affix itself to walls without marring surfaces.

The AIRgrip laser level went on sale this month in the US for US$39.97.

The AIRgrip laser level uses a small battery-powered motor to create a vacuum on the bottom of a rubber base so that it can stick to painted walls, glass, untreated drywall, most wallpaper and many other non-porous surfaces. Read More

Electrolux Trilobite Robotic Vacuum Cleaner v2.0

By Mike Hanlon

Electrolux, the first company to bring a robotic vacuum cleaner to market in the Trilobite, has released the first second generation vacuum, the Trilobite 2.0. The new Trilobite 2.0 can be programmed to clean at a particular time, has an active infra-red stair sensor and improved navigation algorithm. Read More

Dyson's Robot Vacuum Cleaner - the DC06

By Mike Hanlon

June 3, 2004 - The long awaited days when robots do the household chores are considerably closer with the arrival of the Dyson DC06; an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner that will clean all floor surfaces at the push of a button. Capable of 'learning' the layout of a room without and navigating safely around unforseen obstacles, the DC06 is 5% vacuum cleaner and 95% robotic intelligence. Read More

Cyking Vacuum Cleaner - no dirtbags

By Mike Hanlon

The LG CYKING is an innovative new vacuum cleaner that does not require a dust bag. With five air filters, including an 'optical catalytic filter' that removes germs from the air circulating within the machine, the Cyking traps all airborne pneumonia bacilli, staphylo-coccus aureus, colon bacilli and dust mites that are commonly found throughout living areas. This is particularly of benefit to asthma and allergy sufferers. The Cyking comes in two models, a silver model with 'fuzzy logic' controls (RRP$799) and a blue standard model (RRP$699). Read More