Freedom from pesky cords

Freedom from pesky cords

by | Dec 29, 2016 | Branded Content, Tech

Freedom From Pesky Cords

Hassle-free cordless vacuum cleaners is what you should really consider.

Freedom From

Pesky Cords

Hassle-free cordless vacuum cleaners is what you should really consider.

Vacuuming can be such a chore. If the thought of having to lug around a big heavy machine turns you off, you might want to consider a cordless vacuum cleaner.

The freedom that comes from cutting the cord is awesome– you can reach higher, lower and further without a pesky cable holding you back. Cordless vacuum cleaners tend to be smaller and lighter, making it easier to whip them out for a quick clean. The best ones are light and easy to manoeuvre, sucks up dust and dirt just as well as an ordinary vacuum, and still have enough juice for a full-home clean.

We surveyed the market to give you a quick review of what is available in Malaysia. Below, we compare the attributes of cordless vacuum cleaners from three popular brands: Dyson, LG and Electrolux.

Power to go the distance

With cordless, power is a concern. After all, you wouldn’t want the machine to run out of juice before you’ve finished cleaning. Most cordless vacuum cleaners today are powered by a lithium-ion battery, or two, in the case of LG’s VS8400SCW and VS8401SCW which come with two swappable power packs to last twice as long — 2x 30 minutes in regular mode or 2x 20 minutes in power mode.

The Electrolux ZB5021 has the longest working time of 50 minutes, according to its specs, but this is on the lowest setting. On normal power, it can run for 26 minutes before needing a recharge, and 14 minutes for max suction power of 16W.

LG's VS8400SCW, come with two swappable power packs.

Source: LG

minutes of "fade-free" powerful suction

Dyson boasts of “fade-free” powerful suction of up to 20 minutes for V6 and V6 Fluffy, and 40 minutes for V8 Fluffy and V8 Absolute, or about 25 minutes when using the power-guzzling motorised head and 7 minutes of higher suction for more difficult tasks. V8 Absolute’s operational time will feel substantially longer too as the vacuum cleaner only powers up when you pull its trigger, it’s using up the battery only when you specifically need it to. Very nifty!

Dyson’s machines have the most powerful suction in the market – up 100AW for the V6 variants and 115AW for V8. One airwatt (AW) equals to 0.9983 watts (W). By comparison, the most powerful Electrolux only clocks up 16W. We could not find information on LG’s suction power but playing around with one, we find the suction power stronger than the Electrolux machines but weaker than Dyson’s.

Dyson also has the fastest charging time of 3.5 hours* versus Electrolux’s 4 hours and LG’s 4.5 hours.

 

*Disclaimer: Charge time is based on model variant.

Brand Model Power Suction Power Working Time Charging Time

ZB5021

 21.6V 16W Booster(14min),

Normal (26min),

Low (50min)

 4 Hours

ZB3107

 14V 10W High (15mins),

Low (30mins)

ZB3114AK

 18.8V 14W High (16mins),

Low (45mins)

VS8400SCW

 18V n/a 60min in regular mode (2 x 30min)

40min in power mode (2 x 20min)

 4.5 Hours

VS8401SCW

V6 Entry

 21.6V Standard Mode: 28AW, Max Mode: 100AW 20min, 16min with motorised cleaner head, 6min in Boost mode. 3.5 Hours

V8

 21.6V Standard Mode: 28AW, Max Mode: 115AW 40min, 30min with motorised cleaner head, 7min in Boost mode. 5 Hours
Brand & Model Power / Suction Power Working Time / Charging Time

ZB5021

 21.6V

/

16W

 Booster (14min)
Normal (26min)
Low (50min)/4 Hours

ZB3107

 14V

/

10W

 High (15min)
Low (30min)/4 Hours

ZB3114AK

 18.8V

/

14W

 High (16mins)
Low (45mins)/4 Hours

VS8400SCW

 18V

/

n/a

 60min in regular mode (2 x 30min)
40min in power mode (2 x 20min)/4.5 Hours

VS8401SCW

 18V

/

n/a

 60min in regular mode (2 x 30min)
40min in power mode (2 x 20min)/4.5 Hours

V6 Entry

 21.6V

/

Standard Mode: 28AW
Max Mode: 100AW

 20min, 16min with motorised cleaner head, 6min in Boost Mode.

/

3.5 Hours

V8

 21.6V

/

Standard Mode: 28AW, Max Mode: 115AW

 40min, 30min with motorised cleaner head, 7min in Boost Mode.

/

5 Hours

Sound

Given its power, Dyson should be the noisiest of the lot, right? On the contrary, Dyson seems to emit the least noise. Technically, Dyson and LG both boosts of relatively low noise emission of only 70dB. The decibel range for a normal human conversational voice is around 60dB. LG machines sound louder for some reason. This is perhaps due to Dyson’s acoustic engineers who are constantly looking at how to dampen or reduce the noise emission on their machines.

Meanwhile, the Electroluxes are loud — 81dB for ZB5021, and 79dB for ZB3107, ZB3113 and ZB3114AK.

Dyson V8 is able to muffle the sound to reduce its loudness.

Source: Dyson

Weight and ease of use

On the surface, the weights of the cordless vacuum cleaners from the three brands do not seem to differ very much. Electrolux machines weigh between 2.5kg (ZB3107) to 2.8kg (ZB5021). The LGs weigh 2.8kg each. Dyson’s V8 Fluffy and V8 Absolute each weigh 2.55kg and the Dyson V6 Fluffy weigh only 2.34kg. However, with extended usage, every extra gram matters. As does the design.

We find Dyson’s design most ergonomically. With the centre of gravity located towards the grip, handling is easier and causes the least strain with extended use, especially when you do a lot of reaching upwards to the ceiling. Balance, then, becomes of utmost importance. We also like the look of a Dyson best as it looks more futuristic.

Source: Dyson

Technology

In terms of technology, Dyson leads the pack.

Dyson has been continually refining vacuum cyclone technology since inventing it more than 20 years ago. Dyson’s patented Root Cyclone™ technology captures more dirt than any other and very importantly, without the loss of suction. 15 cyclones, arranged across two tiers, work in parallel to increase airflow and capture fine dust and allergens such as pollen and dust mite faeces, and expels cleaner air. The technology is approved by both the British Allergy Foundation and Service Allergie Suisse.

What it will cost you

Technology comes at a price. Dyson, being the most advanced, is also the most expensive. The flagship V8 Absolute is retailed at RM4,500, the V8 Fluffy slightly cheaper at RM3,999 and the V6 at RM3,229. Electrolux machines are the cheapest, ranging from less than RM350 for the Dynamica ZS-320 to RM1,119 for the ZB5021. LG’s VS8400SCW and VS8401SC are around RM1,899 a pop. The VK94070NCAG, which looks just like a conventional vacuum cleaner (rather than a stick) but cordless, comes at RM3,799.

Dyson's Trade in Campaign

If Dyson tickles your fancy, you may want to take advantage of its trade-in campaign running from 10 Dec 2016 to 29 Jan 2017. Enjoy 15% off all Dyson technology (vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans and purifier fans). When you trade-in any vacuum cleaner, desk/floor standing fans or air purifiers. Terms and conditions apply.

Trade-in now

A rite of passage for Muslim boys

A rite of passage for Muslim boys

by | Dec 17, 2016 | Culture

A rite of passage for Muslim boys

Thousands of Muslim Malaysian boys begin their journey into adulthood at mass circumcision ceremonies each year during school holiday seasons.

 

Md Nazir Sufari   |   17 Dec 2016

Fear means nothing to these boys aged from four to 12, who bravely face the ritual of berkhatan or bersunat (male circumcision) at Bandar Tun Hussein Onn in Balakong last Sunday.

Circumcision, usually performed on boys aged between six and 12 years, requires the foreskin of the penis to be removed.

It is believed that this will make it easier for the boys to clean themselves, especially after urinating. Islam demands that Muslims cleanse themselves before they pray.

Muslims make up 60 percent of Malaysia’s 30 million people.

Young Muslim boys are doused with water prior to a mass circumcision ceremony at Bandar Tun Hussein Onn in Balakong near Kuala Lumpur.

A boy covers his face with his sarong while being circumcised. It is traditional for boys to don the sarong during and while recuperating from circumcision.

A father consoles his son while medical officers circumcise the Muslim boy during the mass circumcision ceremony in Bandar Tun Hussein Onn.

Medical officers are silhouetted as they circumcise a Muslim boy during the event at Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, near Kuala Lumpur.

A Muslim boy is shown a video on a mobile phone to distract him during the circumcision procedure.

Some of the equipment used by medical officers during the circumcision procedure.

Four-year-old Amirul Daniel cries while being circumcised.

Twins, Muhammad Amjad Najdi Mohd Faisal (left) and Muhammad Ammar Najdi Mohd Faisal, recuperate after their circumcision.

Photographs by Md Nazir Sufari

The Huawei Mate 9 or iPhone 7 plus?

The Huawei Mate 9 or iPhone 7 plus?

by | Dec 16, 2016 | Branded Content, Tech

The Huawei Mate 9 or iPhone 7 plus?

Malaysians flocked to stores on November 22nd upon the release of the Huawei Mate 9, coming hot on the heels of Apples iPhone 7 Plus, presenting potential buyers with the dilemma of choosing between the two.

Mate 9

Fingerprint Sensor

Mate 9

Leica Dual Lens

Mate 9

Matte Sandblast Mocha

Mate 9 Pro

Polished Hairline Gold

The Mate 9 is Huawei’s attempt at capturing the consumers currently in a limbo from Samsung’s Note 7 fiasco. The high end smartphone is set to be sold at RM 2,699, a rather competitive price considering its technical specifications being debatably better than the iPhone 7plus which retails at RM 3,799.

The Mate9 will be a delightful breath of fresh air for smartphone users who prefer a large screen over some of the smaller models such as the iPhone 7.

It features a 5.9 inch display, larger than the iPhone 7 plus’s 5.5 screen. Thankfully, despite it being a “phablet”, Huawei’s partnership with Porsche in the design of the device has manages to make the Mate 9’s classic design still look sleek and elegant.

The new Kirin 960 chips bested Apples A10 in Multi Core Tests

The newest Kirin 960 chipsets in the Huawei Mate 9 scored a whopping 6,000 on Geekbench’s multi core test while the iPhone plus’s A10 chip scored only 5,700 which comes close, but loses out in the end by a 300 point margin. Huawei has also crafted the EMUI 5.0 user interface to compliment the power of the Kirin 960 chips, ensuring that the device runs at top efficiency.

Huawei’s EMUI 5.0 tops user friendly charts

Most android makers such as Sony and Samsung often add their own iteration of “launchers” on top of the default android software, changing the wallpapers, icons and layout of the menus. Sometimes this can make a device feel clunky and difficult to handle when switching from app to app. However, with its clean interface, Huawei’s EMUI 5.0 or Emotion UI 5.0 bests even the most recent iterations of Android such as the S7 edge when it comes to ease of use.

The Mate 9’s Kirin 960 security features.

Huawei’s premium device has a protected firewall formed by the Kirin 960’s secure OS, so that every time a user reads or writes data, automatic encryption and decryption are logged into the chip. This means that even if the Mate 9 is stolen, hackers would not be able to extract data from the device.

Stellar Battery Life

The Mate 9 has one of the largest batteries of the phablet class. Packing 4000mAh with a supercharge feature that Huawei claims fully charges the device 4x faster than the iPhone 7Plus at 20minutes. The apple device, in comparison only packs a 2900 mAh battery with no supercharge feature.

Photo taken by the Huawei Mate 9 (Source: recombu)

Photo taken by the iPhone 7 (Source: recombu)

Leica Dual Lens Photography.

The Huawei Mate9 has been made with expert photographers in mind, it takes skill and practice to perfectly use the devices camera, whose dual lens feature allows post-editing bokeh and background blurring effects. The drawback however, is that basic camera users may find the extra interface and features complicated. So if you are a simplistic point –and-shoot kind of user, the iPhone is for you, however, if you appreciate something that requires some skill and finesse, the Mate 9 would be your choice.

The Mate 9’s second generation dual lens Leica-engineered camera features a 12 megapixel color sensor (RGB), paired with a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor. This results in capturing spectacular contrast that excels in photography under poor lighting conditions and the capture of black and white photos. In comparison, the iPhone 7 plus carries two 12-megapixel cameras.

Photo taken by the iPhone 7 (Source: recombu)

Photo taken by the iPhone 7 (Source: recombu)

Device Storage space.

The Huawei Mate9 has been made with expert photographers in mind, it takes skill and practice to perfectly use the devices camera, whose dual lens feature allows post-editing bokeh and background blurring effects. The drawback however, is that basic camera users may find the extra interface and features complicated. So if you are a simplistic point –and-shoot kind of user, the iPhone is for you, however, if you appreciate something that requires some skill and finesse, the Mate 9 would be your choice.

The Mate 9’s second generation dual lens Leica-engineered camera features a 12 megapixel color sensor (RGB), paired with a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor. This results in capturing spectacular contrast that excels in photography under poor lighting conditions and the capture of black and white photos. In comparison, the iPhone 7 plus carries two 12-megapixel cameras.

A full review of the P9 can be found here

Review Now

Or Check Out on Huawei Facebook

5 things that made world better in 2016

5 things that made world better in 2016

by | Dec 14, 2016 | News

5 things that made world better in 2016

As 2016 draws to a close, people all across the world think back over the events and actions of this past year, many of which have changed the world – for better or for worse.

Here, we look back over the year and try to remember some of the good things that happened in 2016.

1. Giant Pandas are no longer endangered

There are now just over 2,000 giant pandas living in the wild.

This has led to them officially being classed as “vulnerable” rather than “endangered”. While it’ll take many more years to raise the population, this is a welcome bit of news amid the general doom and gloom of this year.

2. A possible cure for HIV is being developed

Scientists in the UK have announced that the first patient undergoing their new treatment is showing “remarkable” results.

Instead of trying to suppress HIV, this new treatment (dubbed “kick and kill” or “shock and kill”) causes the virus to go into a dormant state, where it can be destroyed by the body’s own immune system. If a cure is developed, it will benefit over 36.9 million people across the globe who are suffering from HIV.

3. Remember the ice bucket challenge?

The funds raised has helped ALS scientists made a scientific breakthrough

The challenge funded a research study which managed to identify a new gene (rather unimaginatively named “NEK1”). NEK1 is believed to be the main cause of several diseases such as motor neuron disease (MND), meaning that new treatments and therapies can now be developed.

4. Almost 50 million trees planted in 24 hours

India broke world records by planting 49.3 million tree saplings in a day.

As part of the commitment made by their government at the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015,
this record breaking achievement occurred on July 11th this year and involved about 800,000 volunteers from the state of Uttar Pradesh who planted trees alongside roads, railways and public land.

5. Pokemon GO got people moving

Gamers walked 4.6 billion kilometers after just 2 months of release. That's about the distance between the sun and Neptune!

While it hasn’t been marketed as a health app, medical professionals are happy about the fact that it’s getting more people to go out and exercise regularly.

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Zameen Datta, Intern, Malaysiakini

14 December 2016