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Tuesday, June 30, 2020
TM Node In Penang Catches Fire; Celcom And Other Telcos May Be Affected
A TM node located in Seberang Jaya, Penang, had caught fire earlier this morning. The node, which provides internet connectivity, had sustained some damage due to the fire.
Specifically, the fire is said to have occurred around 12:07AM, with the local fire department having successfully put it out. On another note, the TM Node also acted as a backbone and provided backhaul connectivity to local telcos such as Celcom.
On that note, Celcom also confirmed that the TM node had indeed caught fire and that its mobile coverage within the Seberang Jaya area may have been affected. In an official Twitter statement, the telco said that its technical team was hard at work to get its services back up as soon as possible.
Customers in parts of Penang Island and Seberang Jaya may experience disruption of voice and data services due to a fire incident of our partner's network site. The technical team is working hard to restore the services as soon as possible.
— Celcom Axiata #StaySafe #StayConnected (@Celcom) July 1, 2020
So, if you’re one of the many Celcom customers staying in Seberang Jaya, and you’re wondering why your mobile internet connectivity seems more sluggish than usual, the fire-damaged TM Node is probably the reason. At the time of writing, it doesn’t appear that other telcos were affected.
OnePlus Nord To Be Priced At Under USD 500; Might Be Coming To Malaysia Soon
It has been previously reported that OnePlus is working on a new “affordable” phone range which is expected to launch within this month. The name of the new series has now been confirmed by the company as the OnePlus Nord.
This was confirmed through the Instagram account that OnePlus has set up for the new series:
OnePlus has also released the first episode of the documentary series that is covering the development of the new Nord series. The length of the episode is rather short at just under 10 minutes, but it still carries several interesting information.
For example, Nord is being developed from scratch to launch in just six months. More importantly: it will be priced at under USD 500 which translates to around RM 2,100 at the current exchange rate.
However, the company is still keeping the design of Nord under wraps alongside the exact pricing and release date for it although OnePlus will be opening pre-order for it at 4 PM Malaysian time today.
Meanwhile, it seems that Malaysia could be part of the release market for Nord as we have noticed what seems to be the local Instagram page for the new series. Just like the main Instagram page that was set up by OnePlus, the Malaysian Instagram account only contained several cryptic posts for the time being.
We have reached out to OnePlus’ representative to obtain further clarifications, so do stay tuned for further updates.
Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon Wear 4100 Series For Next-Generation Smartwatches
Qualcomm recently pulled the curtain back on its Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform series, designed for use in next-generation smartwatches. The series comprises two SoCs, the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and Snapdragon Wear 4100.
The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ is undoubtedly the hero product of the two, loaded with all the latest wearable features Qualcomm has to offer. Off the bat, the Wear 4100+ includes a new high-performance, 12nm SoC that encompasses the CPU, GPU, RAM, and Modem. Moreover, it also utilises a new Always On (AON) ultra-lower power co-processor that is designed to handle a wearable’s display, sensors, maps, and time.
Specs-wise, the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ houses a quad-core A53 CPU, Qualcomm’s Adreno 504 GPU, 750MHz LPDDR3 RAM, and dual ISPs with support for up to 16MP cameras. By comparison, Qualcomm says that it’s new wearable chipset is designed to deliver 85% more performance than its last-generation Wear 3100. That currently powers the Suunto 7. For connectivity, the SoC only supports up to 4G LTE and Cat 4/3/1 and up to dual antennas.
Qualcomm says that its new Snapdragon 4100 series SOCs are already available and is being shipped out to all the semiconductor maker’s partner. As always, the new Snapdragon Wear 4100 series supports both Android Open Source Platform (AOSP) and Google’s Wear OS platform.
Google Begins Testing Of Nearby Share; Airdrop-like Sharing Feature On Android
Google has begun testing its Airdrop-like file sharing feature called Nearby Share, according to Android Police. The feature is now available along with the latest version of the Play Services beta that was recently released.
Based on the report, Nearby Share works similarly to Apple’s Airdrop function but with some minor differences. Users can use it to quickly transfer files wirelessly between several Android phones with the feature activated. Android Police’s hands-on with the new feature revealed that it supports various formats such as photos and videos, as well as links and tweets.
But aside from making their devices visible (ala Bluetooth), the receivers must manually confirm the file transfer process before receiving any files. This is to avoid major risks such as transferring or receiving explicit content or malware items to others.
Additionally, the site also discovered that Nearby Share had started showing up in the Canary build of Google’s Chrome OS earlier in June. This indicates that the feature will work on Chromebooks as well, and cross-compatibility with Android devices seems very likely.
On a somewhat related note, another Airdrop inspired feature called Quick Share by Samsung is also available – as previously reportedback in January. Unlike Nearby Share, the Korean company’s version could share files between first party devices only.
Vivo X50 Officially Confirmed To Launch In Malaysia Soon
Vivo Malaysia has officially announced that the latest X series smartphone, the Vivo X50, will launch locally sometime soon. Based on its launch in China earlier in June, the series consists of three devices: the standard X50, the X50 Pro, and the X50 Pro Plus.
Starting with the standard Vivo X50, the phone is equipped with a 6.56-inch Full HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 765 chipset, 8GB RAM and up to 256GB internal storage. It is powered by a 4,200mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging.
Camera-wise, the device sports a quad-camera setup on its back consisting of a Sony IMX598 48MP sensor with four-axis OIS, 13MP portrait, 8MP periscope, and a 8MP wide angle. Housed in a punch-hole cutout in the front display is a 32MP selfie camera.
The Pro variant offers mostly similar specifications, save for some minor differences. These include a slightly larger 4,315mAh battery and instead of a four-axis OIS, its 48MP camera utilises a gimbal-like technology that offers better stabilisation.
Lastly, the Vivo X50 Pro Plus comes with a 6.56-inch Full HD+ OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the phone features a higher-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, up to 12GB RAM, and a storage capacity of up to 256GB. It is powered by a 4,350mAh battery that supports 44W fast charging.
The Pro Plus also comes with an advanced quad-camera setup on its back, which consists of a main Samsung GN1 50MP shooter, a 32MP portrait, 13MP periscope, and a 13MP wide angle. Like the Pro version, its main camera features the gimbal technology for image stabilisation. In front is a 32MP selfie camera housed in a punch-hole cutout in its display.
Keep in mind that the specs for all three phones in the X50 series listed above are based on its Chinese release. Vivo Malaysia has not revealed the full spec sheets, and we have yet to see if the phones will have different configurations when released locally.
The exact launch date and pricing for the new X50 series have not been announced as well. But for your reference, the Vivo X50 Pro Plus with 8GB + 128GB retails at CNY4,998 (~RM3,015) in China. While the the X50 Pro with 8GB + 128GB is priced at CNY4,298 (~RM2,592), and the base X50 comes in at CNY3,498 (~RM2,110) for the 8GB + 128GB model.
Xbox’s ‘Shocktober in Summer’ sale offers 85 percent off ‘spooky’ games
Microsoft is discounting a variety of Xbox One titles in it’s ‘Shocktober in Summer’ game sale.
Yes, you read that right — the usual October-themed sale is happening this summer. The sale offers discounts on several spooky Halloween games four months before trick or treating begins.
The games on sale include franchises like Dead Island, Dead Rising, Devil May Cry, The Walking Dead and more for up to 85 percent off.
Bitcoin Miner Hut 8 to Add 275 PH/s of Mining Capacity With $8.3M Capital Raise
Hut 8 Mining Corp. has raised $8.3 million from the sale of 6% of its shares to investors. The Canadian bitcoin miner originally intended to raise $7.5 million from the sale, but it was oversubscribed.
Totonto Stock Exchange-listed Hut 8 issued about 5.8 million “units” at a price of $1.45 each. Each unit is comprised of one common share. From this, investors have the option to buy another share for $1.80 between now and December 2021.
The Alberta-based miner said funds from the offering will be used to upgrade its range of mining hardware including Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) miners. The upgrade will add up to 275 petahash per second (PH/s) to Hut 8’s existing mining capacity of 952 PH/s.
Once installed, the new machines, which include “more efficient processing chips from Microbt” will also add 12.6 megawatts (MW) of power to the company’s current 107 MW maximum operating capacity.
“Hut 8 has been testing the Microbt equipment for the past three months in preparation of this upgrade… [we] expect to receive equipment between July and November 2020,” said the firm in a press statement.
In recent months, Hut 8 has seen the amount of bitcoin mined at its data centers in Canada decline. During the first quarter of 2020, the company extracted 1,116 BTC, down 54% from 2,405 BTC mined in the comparable year ago period.
The company blamed the decline on “the increasing network difficulty” which “impacted…production negatively with much fewer bitcoin mined.” For the March quarter, Hut 8 reported that its net loss widened to $8.4 million from $6.1 million a year earlier.
The Canadian miner is now hoping that its latest acquisition of more efficient mining equipment will help turnaround company fortunes, already facing a squeeze from the recent bitcoin supply cut event, which reduced the bonus paid to miners by 50% to 6.25 BTC per block.
Shares of Hut 8 are up 2% at CAD$1 (~$0.73) in Toronto trading on Tuesday. Over the last 52 weeks, the stock has reached a low of $0.37 and a high of $1.99.
What do you think about Hut 8’s bitcoin mining ambitions? Let us know in the comments section below.
Facebook’s light VR headset prototype looks more like a pair of sunglasses
Modern virtual reality (VR) headsets often feel quite cumbersome and heavy when you’re actually wearing them.
Facebook is looking to make that less of an issue with a new lightweight VR headset prototype, according to a research paper created by the company’s ‘Reality Labs.’
The lighter design looks more like a pair of sunglasses when compared to the goggle-like look of current headsets like the Rift S, which is manufactured by Facebook-owned company Oculus.
Facebook expects the design will appear in future high-performance AR/VR devices. The headset uses a slightly thicker display than what is found in a typical smartphone.
The glasses feature a resolution of 1,200 x 1,600 pixels and a field-of-view that’s either a 93-degree circle or a 92-by-69-degree rectangle.
Facebook is a leader in the VR market with its Oculus headsets, which it acquired back in 2014 for $2.3 billion USD (about $3.14 billion CAD).
The paper notes that the device would deliver a better lightweight VR headset experience than Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 and the Magic Leap. It remains to be seen if that’s true, but the paper does note that those two AR headests are limited by a 40-degree view.
Of course, keep in mind that this paper is created by Facebook, so obviously the company wants to paint its own prototype in a positive light.
Bitcoin’s 5% Drop in Value Puts Pressure on BTC Mining Operations and Older ASIC Rigs
During the last seven days, the price of bitcoin has dropped 4.8% from a high of $9,700 on June 24, to a low of $8,965 on June 27. Since then the price has increased and the price per bitcoin is back above the $9k zone but much lower than before. The lower price has affected the profits of miners hashing away to find blocks on the network. Ever since they lost 50% of the block reward on May 11, gathering profits have been tough on miners with bitcoin prices at these levels.
Mining bitcoin is an extremely competitive industry and after the BTC reward halving on May 11, 2020, it has been much harder to mine the rare digital currency. At the time of publication, the price of a single BTC has been hovering between $9,050 to $9,250 during the last few days.
This has given the crypto asset an overall market valuation of between $165 billion to $170 billion during the course of the week. The price is over 4.8% lower than it was on June 24, when BTC prices were hovering around $9,700 last Wednesday.
Of course, the price of BTC directly affects miners and the tens of thousands of ASIC mining rigs housed in warehouses all around the world. An example of this trend is how the Bitmain Antminer S19 Pro (110TH/s) is the only profitable machine if a mining operation is paying $0.12 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
With this electrical cost, the Antminer S19 Pro would only make $0.97 per day while a number of other miners would be mining at a loss. Now we all know that in places like China and other regions worldwide, those operations pay much less than $0.12 per kWh.
Top 15 SHA256 ASIC mining rigs at an electrical rate of $0.12 per kWh.
At today’s BTC exchange rates and at a much lower rate of $0.04 per kWh, a much larger number of SHA256 miners would be profitable. At $0.04 per kWh, a total of 49 SHA256 ASIC mining rigs are profitable at today’s spot market price.
The top five mining rigs making the most profit at the electrical rate of $0.04 per kWh, includes the Bitmain Antminer S19 Pro (110TH/s), Bitmain Antminer S19 (95TH/s), MicroBT Whatsminer M30S (86TH/s), Bitmain Antminer T19 (84TH/s), and the Bitmain Antminer S17+ (73TH/s).
The machines that are making the worst profits at $0.04 per kWh and BTC’s current exchange rate include miners like the GMO miner B2 (24TH/s), Innosilicon T2 Turbo (24TH/s), Bitmain Antminer S9 SE (16TH/s), Bitfily Snow Panther B1+ (25.5TH/s), and the Canaan AvalonMiner 921 (20TH/s).
Top 15 SHA256 ASIC mining rigs at an electrical rate of $0.04 per kWh.
Miners who are mining BTC at a loss at $0.04 per kWh include Bitfily Snow Panther B1 (16TH/s), Aladdin Miner (16TH/s), and the Ebang Ebit E10 (18TH/s). ASIC mining rigs that offer terahash below the 20TH/s level are likely not making profits unless they are paying less than $0.04 per kWh. Many of these older generation mining rigs would need to pay around $0.01 per kWh or get electricity for free.
Just like the blockchain analytics provider Tradeblock wrote in a report back in February, the company said that it estimated the cost to mine BTC should be over $12,500 after the halving.
“The [data] suggests that miners are likely expecting the price of bitcoin to rise to higher levels (above $12,000-15,000 per BTC) around the halving allowing them to continue to generate a profit,” Tradeblock wrote at the time. “Or they likely will look to reduce resources following the halving resulting in a hash rate decline as profitability falls,” the company added.
The price of BTC has yet to keep the $10k zone for very long and every time it does it’s been pushed back down below the psychological region. If the price of BTC does in fact jump back to above $12,000-15,000 per BTC like Tradeblock’s report suggested, miners of course, would do a whole lot better.
At $12,000-15,000 per bitcoin, older generation miners that process hashpower below the 20 terahash per second level would likely be turned right back on. It’s likely that many older generation miners with low terahash outputs are sitting and waiting to do just that.
What do you think about the profitability of ASIC mining rigs at today’s exchange rates? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Facebook Debuts Thin And Lightweight VR Headset Proof-of-Concept Using Holographic Tech
Facebook andOculusrecently published a blog post detailing the progress of their research in developing a thin and lightweight VR headset. The post revealed thatFacebook Reality Labsis close to achieving that goal and has created a proof-of-concept device to demonstrate the technology.
The device adopts a new class of near-eye displays packed in a sunglasses-like form factor. It utilises a combination of holographic optics and polarisation-based optical folding, which allows for thinner and smaller displays that are less than 0.35 inches thick.
While the prototype is functional, Facebook notes that it could only output in monochrome for now. The company promises that the tech will be capable of providing a wider colour range, as well as better resolutions that would eliminate visible pixels.
Left: Visual output from Facebook’s proof-of-concept device. Right: Output from a larger full-colour benchtop prototype.
However, don’t hold your breath if you’re looking to wear one of these anytime soon. According to Facebook Reality Labs, the prototype is still unrefined and still has to address issues such as battery life, connectivity and compatibility with conventional eyeglasses. If successful, this could very well be the future of consumer and professional-based VR headsets.
The Maybank Shopee Credit Card Can Help You Get More Coins With Your Purchase
Maybank, Shopee and Visa have announced the new MayBank Shopee Credit card. Regular shoppers on the e-commerce platform will likely be interested in getting this card. This is because it essentially allows you to earn Shopee Coins whenever you use the card. This benefit applies to both online and offline purchases.
With the Maybank Shopee Credit Card, you’ll also be gaining more coins than you normally would when you use it to pay on certain days of the month. Specifically, on the 28th of every month, using the card gets its users five times more Shopee Coins when it is used for purchases on Shopee. When you use the card for dining, entertainment or contactless payment, you’ll still be able to get four times more Coins than usual. All other transactions will net you the usual amount of Coins.
In addition to these benefits, Shopee is also offering additional incentives for people who sign up. The e-commerce platform is giving cardholders 5000 Shopee Coins when they spend over RM300 within 60 days of signing up. More immediately, those who sign up before 7 July are also entitled to Shopee Vouchers worth RM500 for spending over RM300 in 45 days.
The Maybank Shopee Credit Card is available to Malaysians aged between 21 and 65, with an annual income of RM36000 or more. You can apply for the card starting tomorrow, 1 July 2020.
How to watch Hamilton online – when is Hamilton available to stream?
Are you looking to dive into the story of Alexander Hamilton and enjoy Lin-Manuel Miranda’s iconic musical? For everything you need to know, you’re in the right place.
Let’s face it, even before we knew that an official stream of Hamilton was making its way to the internet, that didn’t stop people from searching for any Hamilton clips online, even just a morsel to get an idea of what this critically acclaimed, multiple Tony Award-winning musical was all about.
But now that there is an official way of streaming Hamilton online just around the corner, everything’s above board and we’ve got all the key information you need like where to stream Hamilton, Hamilton’s release date online and even a little bit about what Hamilton is all about.
How to watch Hamilton online?
If you want to stream Hamilton online, you’re going to need to get a Disney Plus subscription as Hamilton will be available exclusively on Disney Plus.
Interestingly enough, the streamable version of Hamilton was initially intended for cinemas worldwide, but with the global Coronavirus pandemic throwing those plans out of the window, the House of Mouse managed to snag exclusive streaming rights for the recording.
Hamilton will also be available in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, meaning that any consumers that have compatible TVs, soundbars or speakers will be able to get an enriched experience while streaming the musical.
Hamilton release date – when is Hamilton available to stream?
Don’t worry Broadway fans, the wait is almost over as Hamilton will debut July 3rd on Disney Plus. There’s no end date in sight with regards to Hamilton’s tenure on Disney Plus, so here’s hoping that it’ll remain available on the streaming service for many years to come.
If you enjoy streaming content online, then it’s essential that you also keep your private data safe while surfing the web. It’s easier than ever for hackers to infiltrate your network and steal your personal information, but not with a VPN at hand. We’ve tested several VPNs here at Trusted Reviews and handpicked the best VPN deals that are available right now for your convenience.
What is Hamilton?
Here’s a question you’ve no doubt asked at some point in the last five years. Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is a musical about one of America’s overlooked founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton.
Despite its period setting, Hamilton features a multicultural cast and a soundtrack that fuses hip-hop, rap and the style of traditional theatre show tunes for an experience like no other.
Hamilton has become a cultural phenomenon, winning 11 Tony Awards and even a Pulitzer Prize. There are now multiple productions of Hamilton worldwide, in cities including London, Sydney, Hamburg and Los Angeles.
We may earn a commission if you click a deal and buy an item. That’s why we want to make sure you’re well-informed and happy with your purchase, so that you’ll continue to rely on us for your buying advice needs.
Redmi 9A: Specs, price and features for the new budget phone from Xiaomi
Xiaomi has just unveiled new details about offshoot Redmi’s latest budget device. We’ve been big fans of Redmi phones in the past, so let’s see how the Redmi 9A stands up.
Redmi has so far been a little bit coy about releasing all the information and specs for the 9A, however it has released a few specs
Redmi 9A Specs
Xiaomi’s Redmi brand has been churning out cheap, yet impressive, phones for a while now and they usually have some of the best specs in their class. The Redmi 9A continues this trend, with an HD+ display, octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 chipset along with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. Of course, these are fairly low-end internals, however this device will likely sit firmly in the very affordable end of the market.
You’ve got a huge 5000mAh battery too that Xiaomi says has a ‘high charge cycle count’ that should, when paired with the 720p display, lead to some fairly long endurance.
On the back there is also 13MP camera with ‘AI’ and a 5MP camera around the front for selfie.
Redmi 9A Design
The Xiaomi Redmi 9A is a fairly standard looking phone. The front is covered by a 6.53-inch HD+ display with a small droplet notch protruding into the screen and a fairly slim bezel running around the sides. A few years ago this would have looked like a flagship device, but now it’s par for the course in the mid-range and even low-end.
On the back, the phone looks to be fairly minimal. The images in the Facebook announcement show a shiny blue rear, with a capsule cutout for the camera and pretty much nothing else. There’s a USB-C port on the bottom alongside a speaker and you’ll find a flash in the camera module too.
One mystery seems to be where, or even if, there’s a fingerprint scanner on this phone.
No UK or European pricing or even a release date for those regions was announced alongside the reveal. However, in Malaysia it’ll set you back RM359 which is just less than £70. We’ll update this page when we know more about the specific specs and wider release window.
Choosing the best vacuum cleaner isn’t easy. There’s a huge number, many with bewildering claims about technology and effectiveness that are hard to qualify. On top of that, you may also have specific requirements of your own, around pets, portability, batteries and so on. That’s where we come in – our expert technology testers have thoroughly reviewed every single vacuum cleaner in the following list, enabling us to independently verify each manufacturer’s claim and rank the results.
The vacuum cleaner has to be the most essential bit of kit that any homeowner buys. As the fastest and most simple way of keeping your house clean, it’s important to buy the right type of vacuum cleaner, picking the model that fits into your home: you need the right combination of power, accessories and manoeuvrability. Here, we’ll help you make the right decisions.
Below, we’ve focused on corded cleaners (those that you plug in) as we’re going after a wide range of uses here, although we have added a few cordless cleaners as battery technology is catching up rapidly. The short version is, here’s the list of vacuum cleaners that are capable of cleaning everything, being your primary cleaner.
Best overall vacuum cleaner: Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Vacuum Cleaner with Powered Lift-Away and TruePet NZ801UKT
Best cordless vacuum: Dyson V11 Absolute
Best cylinder vacuum cleaner: Numatic Henry HVR200-A2
Best premium vacuum cleaner: Vorwerk Kobold VK200
Best vacuum cleaner for allergy sufferers: Dyson Small Ball Allergy
Best for flexibility: Karcher WD 4
Best for vacuum and steam: Bissell Vac & Steam 1977E
How we review vacuum cleaners
Every vacuum cleaner in our round-up has been individually reviewed – each summary includes a link to our full, in-depth review of the product where you can read about the pros and cons, and see how well it cleans in our before-and-after photos. Here’s our full guide to how we review vacuums.
When we review vacuum cleaners we look at the following things:
Manoeuvrability – here we look at how easy it is to steer, pull and lift the machine. We test on carpets and hard floors and look for problems such as overbalancing on upright machines, flexibility and common issues like “sticking” heads on hard floors due to poorly designed cleaner heads.
Carpet cleaning – we test using white powder on dark carpets and test after three sweeps, where one sweep is up and down across the area.
Edge cleaning – this test looks at how well the machine cleans up to the edge of skirting boards before you have to resort to specialist crevice tools.
Hard floor cleaning – we conduct similar tests on hard floors and look at how well the vacuum cleaner sucks dust up from crevices and gaps in flooring.
Pet hair cleaning – how long and how many sweeps it takes to clean a 40cm-diameter circle of combed-in pet hair.
Cleaning on stairs – we see how easy it is to clean on stairs using the tools provided. We pay particular attention to how long the detachable hose is and how easy it is to carry the vacuum cleaner if you need to.
Noise – we measure how noisy the machine is in decibels recorded at head level.
We also check to see what accessories are included, how well they work and how versatile the machine is. For example, some vacuum cleaners are good at specific jobs, while others have lots of tools that make them open to more variety.
Other details we check include the cord length on corded vacuum cleaners, the battery life on cordless models and how easy it is to empty bagless models.
1. Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Vacuum Cleaner with Powered Lift-Away and TruePet NZ801UKT
Best all-round vacuum cleaner reviewed
Do you need a plug-in vacuum cleaner that can happily cope with any job going? The Shark Anti Hair Wrap Upright Vacuum Cleaner with Powered Lift-Away and TruePet NZ801UKT could well be the model for you. This vacuum cleaner has Shark’s DuoClean floor head, which has two rollers to cope with hard floors and carpets. It works brilliantly and means that you don’t have to change heads through cleaning.
In our tests, the NZ801UKT managed to clean up perfectly in our pet hair, hard floor and carpet tests. What’s more, the Anti Hair Wrap technology meant that the rollers staid free of hair, even in a house with three people with long hair.
As with other Lift Away vacuums, the central bin and vacuum unit lift out to create a more portable vacuum cleaner that you use with the wand, hose and accessories for detail cleaning. Suction remains just as powerful, but you get a more nimble and easy-to-use vacuum cleaner.
Well-priced and with plenty of accessories, the Shark NZ801UKT strikes the perfect balance between a powerful upright cordless vacuum cleaner and a more nimble cleaner that can tackle any other job. If you want the best mains-powered vacuum cleaner, then this is it.
Vacuum cleaner type: Upright with Lift-Away mode, Size: 1170 x 260 x 300mm, 6.5kg, Provided heads: DuoClean floor head, turbo tool, dusting brush and crevice tool, under appliance brush, upholstery brush and car detailing kit, Bin capacity: 0.83-litres, Bagless: Yes, Run time: Mains powered
How do you make the best cordless vacuum cleaner even better? Simple, with the Dyson V11, the company has added a screen onto the back, boosted power and made the vacuum more intelligent. Now, the V11 is the only vacuum you need for any job around your house.
First, about that screen. Having a display on the back of your cleaner may sound like madness but it’s actually a really smart move. On the screen, you can see the exact runtime remaining, so you know when it’s time to return to the charger. And, if your vacuum develops a problem, the display shows you what’s going on and how to fix the issue. That’s really smart.
On top of that, the V11 Absolute is now more intelligent thanks to the High Torque floor head, which senses the surface it’s on and adjusts power automatically. There’s no more messing around with power modes. To top it off, the vacuum is now 20% more powerful and has a larger battery, which will deliver up to an hour’s runtime on the Eco mode, with a motorised brush head.
If you’re looking for more of a bargain, last year’s Dyson V10 is an excellent buy still, but for the best, go with the V11.
Vacuum cleaner type: Cordless vacuum cleaner, Size: 1286 x 250 x 261, 3kg, Provided heads: Motorised floor head, soft roller, mini roller, crevice tool, dusting brush, combination tool, Bin capacity: 0.76-litres, Bagless: Yes, Run time: 60 minutes Eco, 12 minutes Max
Best cylinder vacuum cleaner for price and reliability
The Numatic Henry HVR200-A2 is one of the best-known vacuum cleaner brands around. It’s a favourite among professional cleaners everywhere and with good reason: it’s made to withstand serious punishment. This makes it a great workhorse for small offices and shops, but it’s a good home vacuum cleaner as well and inexpensive to boot.
One of our favourite features is the huge, 9-litre capacity bag, which means you don’t have to empty it often. You have to work quite hard to agitate dirt in carpet, but it’s a good cleaner on all surfaces. It struggles a little in edge cleaning compared to the very best, but then it costs a fraction of the price and the provided crevice tool gets the job done.
Our only serious warning is that at 8.5kg it’s rather heavy, making it a poor choice for anyone with a bad back.
Vacuum cleaner type: Cylinder, Size: 320 x 340 x 345mm, 6.6kg, Provided heads: Floor head, crevice tool, soft brush, upholstery brush, Bin capacity: 6-litres, Bagless: No
The Vorwerk Kobold VK200 is slightly different, as it’s a product that you can only buy direct after having a demonstration. The reason for this is because the VK200 has a huge range of optional accessories that can push the price way over £1,000 – the aim is to only sell you the kit you actually need.
What the range of accessories tells you is that this is a bagged vacuum cleaner that means business. It has optional extras for mopping floors, dry-cleaning carpets, freshening mattresses, and even for sucking up dust as you drill holes.
Performance from the vacuum cleaner is exceptional, with the VK200 sliding through all of our tests without issue. And, the flexible range of attachments meant that we could clean all parts of our home, including behind radiators and on top of wardrobes.
Yes, the VK200 is expensive, but with the build quality and tools it comes with, it is the ultimate vacuum cleaner.
Vacuum cleaner type: Upright, Size: 850 x 150 x 210mm, 3kg, Provided heads: EB400 electric floor brush, Bin capacity: 6-litres, Bagless: No
Dyson had originally said that it wasn’t planning to release any new corded vacuum cleaners, so the Dyson Light Ball Allergy is nice to see. This model uses Dyson’s ball technology, which makes the upright cleaner super-easy to push around and get between furniture. We’d go as far as to say that this is the most manoeuvrable cleaner that we’ve used.
It comes with Dyson’s standard floor head, which did a great job picking up mess from carpet and hard floors alike. When you need a bit of detail cleaning, the wand can be removed and there’s a combination crevice tool and brush, and a soft brush for finer jobs. As this is the model designed for Allergy sufferers, it also comes with a mattress tool to keep your bed nice and clean. There’s only room on the cleaner for two of three tools, though. You also get Dyson’s premium filtration, including dual washable filters, to keep allergens trapped inside the bin.
We found the bin a bit stiff to open at first, but it should loosen over time, giving you one-finger emptying directly into your main bin, without spilling dust everywhere.
For allergy sufferers, the Dyson Small Ball Allergy is certified asthma and allergy friendly, making it a great choice. There are some slightly more flexible cleaners on this list if allergies aren’t your main priority.
Vacuum cleaner type: Upright, Size: 1057 x 384 x 281mm, 6.9kg, Provided heads: Motorised floor head, combination tool, stair tool, mattress tool, soft dusting brush, Bin capacity: 1.2-litres, Bagless: Yes, Run time: Mains powered
Karcher WD4
Best wet and dry vacuum cleaner
If you need the most flexibility, the Karcher WD 4 wet and dry vacuum cleaner is the model for you. This model uses the same filter for both wet and dry cleaning, making it easy to change mode. To use with wet spills you have to remove the bag, but you can also use the vacuum bagless in dry mode, making it great for picking up DIY mess: you just tip the mess into a bin when you’re done, emptying the huge 20-litre bin. Bags are expensive at £14 for a pack of four, although the size means that you have to empty the rarely.
The Karcher WD 4 comes with a series of well-designed tools, so you can easily tackle most jobs. In our tests, the Karcher WD 4 coped with our usual test spills with ease, but also sucked up liquid and followed our builder, picking up the mess left behind from rubble to plasterboard. Basically, as long as the mess fits down the hose, the Karcher WD 4 can pick up the mess with ease.
Vacuum cleaners with rotating brush bars tend to deal with normal dust on carpets better, but there are few devices that have the flexibility of the Karcher WD 4. If you’re looking for a well-priced vacuum to deal with all manner of really messy stuff, then this is the one that you should buy.
Not just a steam cleaner, but a vacuum cleaner, the Bissell Vac & Steam 1977E is a quality all-rounder. Individually, its comparatively weak vacuum and light steam cleaner won’t win any awards; yet, it’s the combination of the two that prove to be such a winner with the cleaner abling sucking up dirt and cleaning hard floors.
With no detail tools, the Bissell Vac & Steam 1977E is focussed entirely on mopping. After a short wait, the mopping pad is moist enough to clean. Testing on a hard floor, this cleaner turns two tasks into one, doing a very passable clean in one pass. Subtract the time it would take to get out, set up and clean with two individual machines and this is a real time saver.
The weak vacuum means that this isn’t a tool for using around the house for general jobs. That might make it sound quite niche, but the Bissell Vac & Steam 1977E could well find itself useful in many homes. If you’ve got hard floors that you struggle to keep clean in a timely fashion, this is a great all-rounder that does two jobs in one.
Many companies are moving to make cordless vacuum cleaners only. In many ways, this makes a lot of sense, as cordless cleaners are more convenient, ready when you need them, and they’re now offering performance similar to a plug-in cleaner. They’re not the only answer, though, and a traditional plug-in vacuum has some advantages over its battery-powered rivals.
First, there’s the price. Cordless vacuum cleaners are typically a lot more expensive than plug-in ones, particularly the models designed for whole-home cleaning. This is largely because of the expense of the battery technology uses, and the additional engineering required to make these models more efficient. For around half-the-price of a top-end cordless model, you can buy a corded model with more features.
Power is also worth thinking about. Corded models are more powerful, so they suck up more dirt and can deal with bigger jobs, such as sucking up some DIY mess. If you’ve got bigger jobs to deal with, you’ll find a corded model is better.
Of course, there’s also runtime, with corded models able to run as long as you need them too. If you’ve got a larger house, then a corded model will probably make a lot more sense, as you’ll be able to clean in one go without having to wait for batteries to charge.
Finally, corded models tend not to have automatic cutouts, so they keep on sucking regardless. If you want to use a vacuum for vacuum bags or with use with DIY tools, such as drill attachments that suck up the dust as you drill, you’re more likely to get these features with a corded model.
None of this is to say that cordless models don’t have a place, but the right vacuum cleaner is more about getting the model that suits your life, your lifestyle and the types of jobs that you have to do.
What’s the best type of vacuum cleaner?
There are two key choices to make here. First, you need to choose between bagged and bagless vacuum cleaners; secondly, are you better off with an upright or a cylinder vacuum cleaner? We’ll get to those in a moment.
But there’s one further option – cordless vacuums. The wire-free convenience they offer is a growing trend in the market, and well worth considering. Most aren’t as powerful as corded vacuum cleaners, but they make up for that with versatility and simplicity. Ridding yourself of the cable makes spot cleans much easier, so they’re a great alternative if you already have a decent corded vacuum cleaner for tougher jobs.
With the latest technology, cordless vacuum cleaners are now exceeding the capabilities of corded models. In fact, Dyson has announced that it will no longer be developing new corded models, focussing its attention on cordless. Existing Dyson corded models will still be sold, but cordless is clearly the future.
Can a vacuum cleaner help with allergies?
If you suffer from allergies, a vacuum cleaner can be a helpful tool to suck up anything that may irritate you. A vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter for preventing small particles from escaping your clean and being blown around. This will ensure that everything that may irritate you will be deposited into the bin or bag.
Is vacuum cleaner power important?
Vacuum cleaners will be rated by the amount of energy that they use, but don’t be fooled into thinking that a cleaner that uses more power is more powerful. Rather, it’s efficiency that counts, and the amount of air that a cleaner can pull through it. Look for the Airwatt rating instead, which is a truer description of how powerful a cleaner is.
Even then, Airwatts doesn’t tell the entire story. After all, what’s the point in a vacuum cleaner that suctions itself to the floor, so that you can’t push the head along?
A vacuum like that won’t be sucking up much dirt. The most important thing is how well a cleaner picks up dirt, which is what we focus our in-depth tests on.
What is a wet vacuum cleaner?
We’ve reviewed a few wet and dry models of vacuum cleaner, but what’s the difference? Well, a wet and dry vacuum cleaner can handle dry spills (normal dust), as well as liquids. So, what’s the point of being able to suck up liquids? The main reason is that you can clean up practically any spill or handle a wider variety of jobs.
If you’ve just dropped a bottle of wine, for example, your wet cleaner will suck up the spill quickly, saving on paper towel. Have you got a blocked washing machine waste pipe? Just suck up the mess with your wet vacuum cleaner, and you’ll clear the blockage with no problems faster than you thought.
These models are also best for handling any damp materials. For example, if you do a lot of DIY, sawdust, brickdust and plaster can all be damp and clog the filters of a normal vacuum cleaner; a wet model will make light work of this kind of mess, letting you tidy up pretty much everything.
Typically vacuum cleaners need to be converted from one mode to the other, removing a bag (if installed) to go from dry to wet mode. Still, if you’ve got a lot of jobs involving spills, you should go for one of these models rather than a traditional vacuum cleaner.
Bagged vs Bagless – which is best?
Dyson popularised bagless vacuum cleaners, but there are clear advantages and disadvantages to both types. The main benefit of a bagless vacuum cleaner is no loss of suction, or at least a smaller reduction, as your cleaner fills up. Performance varies from brand to brand, depending on the quality of their systems, but that’s the key selling point.
The problem with bagless vacuum cleaners is that they can send dust back into your room when emptied unless you’re very careful, which isn’t much good for cleanliness or allergies. That’s where bagged vacuum cleaners are best, particularly the self-sealing kind used by the likes of Miele. A bagged vacuum cleaner is a better option if you’re an allergy sufferer.
Another advantage of bagless vacuum cleaners is that you don’t have to buy bags, saving some money in the long run. However, most bagless cleaners need to have their filters cleaned once a month or so, which means leaving them to dry for at least 24 hours. The only exception are some new Dysons, which are among the first to have no filter whatsoever.
Upright vs Cylinder Vacuum Cleaners
Whether you choose an upright or a cylinder vacuum cleaner largely comes down to the style of cleaner you prefer. Cylinder cleaners are normally easier to store, but pulling them around can become annoying. They’re not the best for people with bad backs, either, due to you having to bend down to pick them up.
A good upright will breeze around your floors with ease, and they normally have wider cleaning heads that cover a larger area in one sweep. It can be tricky to get under furniture with an upright, but some are designed to avoid this problem.
If you’re unsure, see if you can try some out first.
Audeze joins forces with Richer Sounds to bring its headphones to UK stores
High-end headphone specialist Audeze has teamed up with retailer Richer Sounds, bringing its headphone range to online and UK stores.
California-based headphone specialist Audeze is best known for its high-end cans, and has been looking to increase its visibility in the UK market over the past few years. Its latest move is its biggest yet, joining up with home cinema/hi-fi specialist Richer Sounds to bring its range of headphones to the retailer’s online and physical stores.
Customers can now try on and sample Audeze’s award-winning headphone range in-store, though demos are currently done by appointment only. Audeze’s full range of headphones will be available to order from any store in Richer Sounds’ 53-strong nationwide retail network, from its website or via the company’s dedicated telesales centre on 0333 900 0093.
We’ve long liked what Audeze has produced, whether it’s for music fans or gaming enthusiasts, with the LCD-1 scoring five stars in our review earlier in 2020. Go back several years and we’ve given the LCD-4, EL-8, LCD-X and Mobius headphones positive notices.
Commenting on the partnership, Mark Cohen, Audeze’s CSO said: “For way too long, Audeze has always aspired to have Richer Sounds represent our products in the UK, so we’re extremely pleased our two brands have finally come together. With a number of new products coming soon, we predict this will be an exciting time for all of us.”
Richer Sounds’ purchasing category manager, Toby Willis added: “It’s no secret that here at Richer Sounds we take pride in selecting the very best products for our customers’ needs. That’s why we are so excited to be able to announce Audeze’s LCD range of headphones are now available at richersounds.com, all at the lowest prices guaranteed. These meticulously engineered cans continue Audeze’s reputation as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of planar magnetic headphones. And with a choice of premium and closed-back designs, we’re sure you’ll agree they’re the real deal!“
Despite the easing of the coronavirus lockdown, Richer Sounds has only opened a select number of stores, seven-days-a-week (appointment only). Check Richer Sounds store-finder to see if your local is still open. If not, other stores are still available for sales and advice over the phone via the store’s call-line or the company’s nationwide 0333 900 0093 telesales number.
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While the prototype is functional, Facebook notes that it could only output in monochrome for now. The company promises that the tech will be capable of providing a wider colour range, as well as better resolutions that would eliminate visible pixels.
