In our lab, CR’s engineers put vacuum cleaners through a set of tough tests to evaluate how well a model picks up dirt, how much debris it retains, how easy it is to maneuver, and how noisy it is. We embed sand and pet hair into carpets to see how effective the appliance is at…
A handheld steam cleaner can’t perform magic, but it should be able to loosen deeply embedded dirt, sanitize surfaces, and get in between grout and around metal grates. Many models come with accessories to remove wrinkles from clothing. I was thrilled to discover that a steam cleaner can even help clean vinyl, plastic, or metal…
As the pet tech writer here at WIRED, I know just how far we’ve come as a pet-obsessed society. From automatic litter boxes with built-in cameras to interactive pet cameras on wheels that shoot out treats, if a human has dreamed it, our pets have probably been subjected to it. For a while, pet influencers…
A Flower-like satellite has “bloomed” in outer space, unfolding to reveal the largest radar antenna reflector ever put into orbit. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), a joint project between the US space agency and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), launched on July 30 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in southeastern India, before…
These lightweight tools (most weigh under 10 pounds) are much more powerful than they used to be. But their cleaning prowess still can’t match an upright or canister (especially on carpet), so they’re better for targeted tasks. They’re good enough that if you live in a small space with mostly hard-surface floors, a top model…
We evaluate fuel economy under standardized conditions, using a specific procedure on our test track to calculate stop-and-go city-driving numbers and a 5-mile stretch of a nearby high-speed road for highway mileage. (Learn more about how Consumer Reports tests cars.) Below, you’ll find the recommended vehicles that get the best fuel economy overall: Each gets…
“We’re doing some outdoor products, and now we use Wi-Fi,” he explained. “But in an ideal world, these should be Thread products, because it has much better range, and also it’s low power.” Chu hasn’t given up on Thread, though, and said testing version 1.4 is going well. The latest version has made it simpler…
“GPS is good in places, but we go to places like Monaco, Baku, Singapore, where all that infrastructure and buildings really make GPS drift,” says Dean Locke, director of broadcast media and digital for Formula 1. F1 cars are also much lighter than their Nascar counterparts, necessitating lower-weight sensors. Its broadcast teams struggled to put…
One notable change over the previous Cherokee is in its increased interior space. Jeep claims the new Cherokee has 30 percent more cargo capacity than the last model. Every Cherokee features a pair of full-color displays on the dashboard: a 10.25-inch driver’s information display behind the wheel and a centrally located 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. Climate…
But there are many excellent vehicles that sell for far less than that. To assist bargain hunters, we’ve assembled a list of the best new cars and SUVs under $30,000 based on their Overall Score, factoring in road-test performance, owner satisfaction, predicted reliability, and safety. Unless otherwise noted, all come with standard automatic emergency braking…