Freedom from pesky cords

Freedom from pesky cords

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.

Which is the biggest mobile tech news of 2016?

Which is the biggest mobile tech news of 2016?

Vote for the biggest mobile tech news of 2016

2016 has been an explosive year for mobile enthusiasts, and here, we list the most prominent pieces of news from the world of mobile technology.

(Note that these are numbered in no particular order)

From exploding phones to disappearing airpods, 2016 has been an interesting year for those who pay attention to the mobile industry.

They didn’t let me on the plane

Arguably the piece of smartphone news this year that has been the most prominent was the recall of 2.5million Galaxy Note 7’s, Samsung’s flagship device, a mere two weeks after its launch due to exploding batteries. Samsung initially offered replacements, but decided to refund and discontinue the phones altogether after the replacements themselves began to go up in flames.

Picture from Daily Star UK

Hey Apple, Where are my earphones?

Apple set social media abuzz with memes and giggles when the newly announced Iphone 7 was revealed to have no aux cable. Worse yet, the internet was flooded with jokes about losing the new cordless air pods within seconds of buying them, becoming a running quip among apple and android fans alike.

Picture from MashableAsia

The Bezel-less Mi Mix

Xiao Mi’s announcement of the Bezel-less phone, the Mi Mix, got netizens excited for the next step in smartphone design. People are evidently bored of prevailing smartphone models, but there are only a limited number of ways one can design a rectangular slab of metal and glass.

At the same event, Xiaomi also unveiled the Mi Note 2, which looks similar to Samsung’s Note 7, but without the caveat of setting the house on fire.

Picture from The Verge

The Google Pixel

The Google Pixel is Googles newest attempt at breaking into the high-end mobile phone market. The Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL sport a 5.0- and 5.5-inch build respectively, both run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, the Adreno 530 and 4GB of RAM. Both of them pack 32 GB to 128 GB internal memory. The Google Pixel runs on 2,770 mAH, while the Google Pixel XL runs on 3,450 mAH. Pegged at $699 for the lowest-end configuration.

Picture from Made by Google

Google's Pixel Phone Hacked In Under a Minute

Speaking of the pixel, a group of white hat hackers from Qihoo, a Chinese security firm, exploited the phones security flaw in under a minute, bagging a $120,000 bounty from google. The hack left the Pixel vulnerable to outside control, giving hackers’ access to eavesdrop, pick pocket, and utilize the device in botnet attacks.

Oops.

Huawei’s Leica-P9 Combo

Huawei and Leica’s joint announcement on their collaboration on the new 2016 huawei P9 was a big deal this year. The P9 was the smartphone industry’s first serious investment in a dual camera system, one that has since been adopted by apple. The P9 has a traditional 12-megapixel camera, but right next to it is another, monochrome 12-megapixel one. Working together they improve contrast and triple the amount of light information received by the device.

LG-G5 Modular Flop

LG’s announcement that it will be releasing a modular phone in the form of the LG-G5 got nerds and geeks excited for its release. Unfortunately, at the commencement of sale, LG only had two modules available, largely relying on third parties to create more. Later, the LG-G5 was apparently a flop with LG admitting its disappointment with “somewhat slow” sales.

Picture from Androidcentral

Timeline

  • Googles Pixel Hacked

  • Google Pixel launch

  • Mi Mix Launch

  • Samsung Note 7 explodes

  • iPhone 7 launch

  • Huawei’s Leica-P9 Combo

  • LG-G5 Modular Flop

Things we know about technology (that our parents don’t)

Things we know about technology (that our parents don’t)

Millennials vs. Gen X

Things we know about technology (that our parents don’t)

Zameen Datta, Intern, Malaysiakini

14 November 2016

1. There is no life without the internet!

For many of us, life without the internet is almost unthinkable. Whatever would we do without access to all our games and gadgets? 

The horror… the horror…

2. Distance is no barrier

It doesn’t matter how far away you are – as long as you have access to the internet, you can meet with your friends and loved ones from anywhere in the world.

Advances in technology have made the world smaller, allowing real time text, audio and even video communication across countries.

3. You can’t stay bored for long!

On the bus or train? Pull out your mobile and catch some pokemon. At home alone? Download your favourite shows via Netflix. On your lunch break? Catch up with your friends and loved ones with Whatsapp.

“Ooh, there’s a Pikachu nearby!”

4. Don’t know something? Google it.

The internet gives us a way to access the collective knowledge and experience of billions of humans across the world. It’s hard to justify memorizing all those textbooks when you can just use Google and get the correct answer in seconds.

The solution to so many problems (Screencap from BeatTheBush YouTube video.)

5. You don’t need a “proper” job to make rent

Nowadays, there’s plenty of money making opportunities for anyone creative enough to find them. Apps like Uber and Grabcar let you make money just by driving people around, pro gamers can earn thousands by competing in e-sports tournaments and Youtube celebrities like Pewdiepie can make millions just by uploading videos on Youtube.

Pewdiepie (real name: Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg) is known for his wildly popular Youtube videos, which mainly consists of recording himself playing video games. Despite this, he has been very successful, earning around $12 million in 2015 alone.

This saturation of technology has had a massive impact on how millennials live and work. Some among the older generations have expressed concern over their apparent addiction to the internet, while others are wary of the constant, ever rising prevalence of social media.

However, for millennials, such things are an indispensable and essential part of their everyday lives. The rise of social media, image boards and online forums has created a culture that seems fluid and ever changing. With the help of technology, new ideas and trends can spread with remarkable speed, leading to things such as memes and ‘viral’ news.

To some of the Gen X’es, millennials can seem lazy or narcissistic, more interested in taking selfies and watching cat videos then working.

In truth, millennials actually prefer working smarter rather than harder. It’s all about finding new ways to do their jobs better, and thanks to their familiarity with technology, millennials are used to finding the answers to their questions with just a few clicks. 

They also tend to multitask more than older workers, switching rapidly from one thing to the other in a way that may seem strange to someone who is used to sticking to one task and concentrating on it until it’s done.

In addition, their early exposure to a wide variety of people and cultures in turn has caused millennials to become more socially liberal. A lot of millennials have a “I do what I want, you do what you want” philosophy when it comes to other people’s lifestyles or beliefs.

Millennials are more likely to support issues such as LGBT rights and freedom of information.

Generally, millennials tend to be more open minded and aware of the importance of political correctness. While some do enjoy trolling and causing trouble, for the most part millennials at least try to be open-minded and polite to everyone. 

New found opportunities

Millennials also tend to be more urban and educated compared to their parents. In the US alone, about 40% of millennials are still studying while 19% have already gotten their degrees. (Source: The Millennial Legacy) Unfortunately, even with such high qualifications, many millennials find it difficult to get jobs. The Great Recession caused a lot of damage to the world’s economy in the late 2000’s, a fact which has impacted millennials in many ways.

The Great Recession destroyed jobs and careers around the world, causing companies to downsize even as economies began to tank. This has made it harder for millennials to find work in more traditional fields such as medicine or law. However, as the years go by, more and more millennials are turning to technology, finding ever more creative ways of making money.

Since it’s more difficult to find a job, many millennials simply create their own. The millennial generation’s creativity and tech savvy has allowed them to make use of technology in ways that most Gen X people would never have considered.

For example, Kickstarter and Patreon are crowd-funding platforms allowing artists, musicians, writers and game designers to receive funding from their fans so that they can concentrate on their art instead of being forced to work part time in order to pay their bills. New jobs such as ‘app designer’ and ‘mobile game developer’ have popped up in response to the growing popularity of smartphones, while online bloggers can draw in thousands or even millions of subscribers interested in what they’re writing – the number one blog, Huffington Post, has around 110, 000, 000 subscribers as of November 2016.   

To sum up, millennials have grown up in a world very different from the one their parents experienced in their own childhoods.

They live in a time filled with both unrelenting despair and undying hope, where culture and society seem to shift and change at an unprecedented pace, and though the shadow of the Great Recession still lingers, the millennials are set to overcome it and take their first steps as the latest generation to enter the workforce.

LOVE & ROMANCE

Love and Romance in the new millennium

LEISURE

What do young people do with our free time?

FUTURE

So… what now?