Latest news with #Eureka
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Archimedes knew the golden power of boredom – so why can't we stop bringing our phones into the bathroom?
Archimedes, the ancient Greek mathematician and inventor, was tasked with solving a tricky problem for King Hiero II of Syracuse. The story goes that the king suspected his new golden crown had been mixed with cheaper metals, but he didn't want it damaged. Archimedes had to figure out whether the crown was pure gold without melting it down. Tough brief. Then, one day, while sinking into a public bath, he noticed something: the water level rose as he slid in. The volume of water displaced was equal to the volume of his body. That was it! The key. He could weigh the crown and measure its volume by how much water it displaced. Archimedes was so thrilled he reportedly leapt out of the bath and ran naked through the streets screaming, 'Eureka!' – the sudden flash when your brain wanders off and comes back holding the answer like a prize. These moments don't usually happen when you're trying: they happen when you're not. When your brain is doing nothing, or at least pretending to. Walking. Driving. Showering. Zoning out in a university lecture. Or, say, a wife on the brink of divorce, nodding along while her husband's mouth foams at the sides as he monologues about cryptocurrency. 'I'm done,' she whispers. Eureka. There's a scientific name for this wandering mind magic: the Default Mode Network (DMN). It's your brain's background mode, active when you're not. It switches on when you're daydreaming, reminiscing or imagining fake conversations you'll never have. When you're 'doing nothing,' the DMN is doing everything. It's where creativity, reflection, and unexpected insight come from. And one of its greatest allies? Boredom. Boredom is not the enemy. It's the invitation. A quiet stage your brain builds to see what might show up. But these days, we don't let it. Boredom tries to knock, and we shove a screen in its face. The moment a little stillness arrives, in line, on the train, on the toilet, we reach for stimulation. Our brains never get to drop into the DMN. No daydreams. No deep thought. Just dopamine on loop. Even Reddit noticed the death of the idle mind. r/Showerthoughts, the subreddit born in 2013, was a shrine to those aimless, brilliant, dumb observations that bubble up when you're bored and wet. At its peak, it was full of lines like: 'Your stomach thinks all potatoes are mashed.' 'Clapping is just hitting yourself because you like something.' 'Is Sand called Sand because it's in between the sea and land?' It was silly, accidental genius. The internet's record of DMN activity. But over time, it changed. The posts got shinier. Less 'I just thought of this while shampooing' and more 'I've been drafting this for three days in photoshop.' People in the comments began calling it out: these weren't shower thoughts anymore. They were scheduled thoughts. Viral bait. Branded content in bullet point form. The shower thought had been domesticated. Trademarked. Monetised. But maybe it's simpler than that. Maybe it's not that the thoughts changed, maybe it's us. The shower and the toilet used to be our last bastions of solitude. Now we bring our phones. People listen to full albums while exfoliating their scalp. Take business calls while walking the dog. Check emails mid-poo. There's no more empty space for thought to wander through. We've filled every corner. And when there's no space, there's no spark. No boredom, no Eureka. No quiet, no insight. Just us, endlessly occupied. Expecting our next big idea to load, buffering behind five open tabs. So stop taking your phone to the toilet! Allow yourself that loo-time clarity! Miski Omar is a speech pathologist, writer and director from Sydney
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- General
- Tom's Guide
I just tested the Eureka RapidWash wet and dry vacuum— here's how it did on my floors
Despite having carpets upstairs, all of my downstairs is covered in hard flooring. Although I give it a once-over with one of the best vacuum cleaners, I still feel it needs a mop with soap and water to feel really clean and fresh. I've also recently replaced the original floorboards with new boards (yes, I have an old house and they were beyond rustic) . But while I want to keep them clean, I'm worried about sploshing too much water on the wood and causing damage. While my old boards were in such a state that you wouldn't spot any water damage, I knew any marks would stand out a mile on my new hard floor. So, when I got the opportunity to try out the Eureka RapidWash 730, I jumped at the chance. I've already tested Tineco's Floor One S6 Floor Washer, and I was interested to see how the two floor cleaners would compare. I'm still in the process of testing the Eureka Rapid Wash 730, but here are my first impressions. This Eureka cordless wet and dry vacuum cleaner and mop has a 40-minute run time and will clean up sticky messes and tackle pet fur on hard floors without getting into a tangle. It also features a self-cleaning function preventing the build-up of odors and bacteria within the appliance. The floor washer was incredibly well packed and super easy to set up. I'm sure it helped that I'd already tested the Tineco, but I didn't need to rely on the instructions to work out where all the parts went. That's a 10/10 from me! It was slightly uncanny. The Eureka Rapid Wash 730 seemed incredibly similar to the Tineco I've tested, from the overall design to the water container and collector to the brush roller section and charging base. It felt like if you've used one floor washer, you've used them all. Having said this, there were a few notable differences, which I'll get to later. Well, I didn't realize quite how heavy this unit was until I started to use it. Boy, did I get a workout. In fact, I considered cancelling my gym membership. I don't have the bulkiest of builds, but I'm not petite either. But, after just a short time of pushing and pulling this vacuum along, I noticed my arm tiring. It's not something I've ever experienced before with an upright cleaner. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. It weighs in at 11.46 pounds (5.2kg), not hugely heavier than the Tineco Floor S6 at 9.92 pounds (4.5kg), but it felt very different. I'll continue using the floor washer to see how much arm muscle I can build up, and will report back on whether it's a bit too mighty for me or not. With the added weight, I certainly felt it gripped the floor more than the Tineco, but now I'm thinking, the reason for its 'heaviness' could be its weight, coupled with a more powerful suction, which is 21.6Kpa. Eureka!I wasn't disappointed with the cleaning efforts, and I felt it dispersed sufficient water for a clean-up, without overloading my floorboards. The drying was good too. I also found using the controls easy, much more so than the Tineco, where I'd often press the wrong button and turn it off rather than switch the mode up from auto mode to turbo mode. However, both have the option to turn on or turn off the voice mode. I tend to keep it on as I enjoy driving my family mad, and it also helps to remind me that I need to empty the dirty water or set it to recharge. I'll continue with my testing and will give you a deep dive into all the ins and out of this wet and dry floor cleaner within my full review.
CNET
11-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
It's Your Last Chance to Get This Top-Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop for a Record Low Price During Amazon Prime Day
Amazon's Prime Day deals are ending soon, but there are still big savings available that you can take advantage of. While some of the items on sale are fun, others are downright useful. But there's a third category of products on sale this Prime Day, items that are both fun and useful. And I think this $280 Eureka E20 Plus robot fits squarely into that third category, because it can clean both your carpet and hard floors, so you don't have to. This handy robot vacuum and mop would normally retail for around $450, but this deal has slashed that price by $170 for a limited time. The device is also available in both black and white, so you can pick the one that best fits your home's aesthetic. With summer now here, you've got better things to do than clean your own home, so this deal comes at the perfect time. The Eureka E20 Plus features a bagless, self-emptying design that can go for up to 45 days before you need to intervene. It also sports anti-tangle technology, which is a real bonus for those of us with furry friends. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. If your floors are a mix of carpet and hard surfaces, the built-in mopping feature will be of particular interest. The robot automatically raises the mop when a carpet is detected, so you won't wind up with a soggy mess. And with advanced LiDAR sensors ensuring accurate maps of your home are created, this thing won't get stuck or bump into your furniture as it goes. Best Prime Day Robot Vacuum Deals Check out our collection of top Prime Day robot vacuum deals so you can save time and money in addition to keeping your floors clean. See Now Why this deal matters Nobody should be cleaning their own floors in 2025, and deals like this make it easier to employ a robot to do it without breaking the bank. This model automatically empties itself and can run for up to three hours before it has to return to the charging base for power. At this price, it's a no-brainer. Just make sure to order yours before this deal comes to a close. For more deals, here are 70 of the best sales listed for under $100.
CNET
11-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
It's Your Last Chance to Get This Top-Rated Robot Vacuum and Mop at a Record Low Price During Amazon Prime Day
Amazon's Prime Day deals are ending soon, but there are still big savings on all kinds of things that you can take advantage of. While some of the items are fun, others are downright useful. But there's a third category: products that are both. And I think this $280 Eureka E20 Plus robot fits squarely into that category, because it can clean both your carpet and hard floors, so you don't have to. This handy robot vacuum and mop would normally retail for around $450, but this deal has slashed that price by $170 for a limited time. The device is also available in both black and white, so you can pick the one that best fits your home's aesthetic. With summer now here, you've got better things to do than clean your own home, so this deal comes at the perfect time. The Eureka E20 Plus features a bagless, self-emptying design that can go for up to 45 days before you need to intervene. It also sports anti-tangle technology, which is a real bonus for those of us with furry friends. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. If your floors are a mix of carpet and hard surfaces, the built-in mopping feature will be of particular interest. The robot automatically raises the mop when a carpet is detected, so you won't wind up with a soggy mess. And with advanced LiDAR sensors ensuring accurate maps of your home are created, this thing won't get stuck or bump into your furniture as it goes. Best Prime Day Robot Vacuum Deals Check out our collection of top Prime Day robot vacuum deals so you can save time and money in addition to keeping your floors clean. See Now Why this deal matters Nobody should be cleaning their own floors in 2025, and deals like this make it easier to employ a robot to do it without breaking the bank. This model automatically empties itself and can run for up to three hours before it has to return to the charging base for power. At this price, it's a no-brainer. Just make sure to order yours before this deal comes to a close. For more deals, here are 70 of the best sales listed for under $100.
Gizmodo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
Eureka E20 Plus Hits an All-Time Low, Amazon Wants to Save You From Tedious Sunday Cleaning
It's the final day of Prime Day, and Amazon is selling the Eureka E20 Plus at its record-low price. This is your final chance to pick up this deal, perhaps until Black Friday (but no promise it'll return). Sick of wasting your free time on cleaning, this robot vacuum and mop set is going to revolutionize your routine. The Eureka E20 Plus retails for just $279 now, down from its regular $449, which is an 38% discount that makes it an excellent option if you wish to reclaim your weekends from chores. See at Amazon Under the hood, the E20 Plus is loaded with some serious weight: Boasting 8,000Pa of suction power, it comfortably outpaces the older E10s model which had a paltry 4,000Pa. That boost guarantees even stubborn dirt and pet hair don't stand a chance, regardless of whether you're covering hardwood, tile or thick carpeting. The newly designed V-shaped rubber roller brush was programmed to reduce hair tangles to an absolute minimum and that's a huge bonus if you have pets. But of the highlights (and unique features) of the Eureka E20 Plus is its bagless self-emptying dock: In contrast to most robot vacuum cleaners requiring you to buy and swap out dust bags, this model uses a two-liter dustbin and a 45-day capacity dock that self-empties bag-free. That means no repeated costs or mess of swapping bags and you can get weeks in without even thinking about maintenance. But what you have to know is that the E20 Plus is not only a vacuum but it also mops: With its auto-lifting mop system, the mop pad automatically rises by 10 millimeters when a carpet is detected so your carpets are never wet and your hard floors get the attention they need. The robot can run for up to 180 minutes on a single charge which is enough to handle even larger homes in one go. It comes equipped with DuoDetect AI 3D Obstacle Avoidance, the very same advanced technology that sits in Eureka's premium models. Combined with a LiDAR sensor, the robot navigates your house with caution, avoiding obstacles and even delicate pieces of furniture. You can mark areas as no-go zones using the app, so it won't go into rooms or areas you want to leave off-limits. This is one sale you cannot pass up, we do really recommend it. See at Amazon
