Keep Your Floors Clean With $200 Off the Roborock Q5 Plus Robot Vacuum
Keep Your Floors Clean With $200 Off the Roborock Q5 Plus Robot Vacuum
Robot vacuums are a great way to keep your floors clean without lifting a finger. Just set them up and let them do their job while you focus on the important things.
Right now at Amazon you can save $200 off the cost of the Roborock Q5 Plus robot vacuum with self-empty base when you clip the on-page coupon, which will bring the price to $500.
The Roborock Q5 keeps your home clean and saves you time and effort for the long haul. This vacuum has a 2,700Pa suction, gets up to 180 minutes of cleaning time per charge and features a multi-plane floating brush to deliver deep cleaning and lift pet hair from floors. It also comes with a self-empty dock that automatically empties your vacuum's dust bin after every cleaning cycle, and the 2.5-liter dust bag holds up to seven weeks of dirt before you have to empty it.
This vacuum also comes equipped with lidar navigation which can create 3D maps of your home and offer settings recommendations to optimize the way your Roborock cleans. It also offers up to four floors of multi-level mapping and lets you set no-go zones and invisible walls to avoid the places you don't want your vacuum to go.
You can also pre-schedule cleanings, letting your device take care of getting up everyday dirt and debris while you're working, running errands or relaxing with family and friends. Plus, in addition to the app, you can also control your vacuum hands-free with voice control through Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Apple Siri.
Windows 11 looks a little different. Here's what's changing
Windows 11 looks a little different. Here's what's changing
Windows 11 is the next version of Microsoft's operating system, and it comes with a brand new design and some updated features. The company unveiled the new PC-powering software at a virtual event last week (here's everything Microsoft announced). The Windows 11 beta download will be here in July, but for right now, the new operating system is only available as an Insider Preview build -- here's how to download it.
Windows 11 features a streamlined new design, with pastel-like colors and rounded corners, and overall a more Mac-like look. The Windows Start menu has moved from the bottom left of the screen to the middle, with app icons arranged in the center next to it. You'll also find widgets that give you information on the weather, stocks, news and more.
For the first time, Android apps will run natively on Windows, through Amazon's app store (here's everything we know about that).
The new system also includes a feature called Snap Groups -- collections of the apps you're using at once that sit in the taskbar, and can come up or be minimized at the same time for easier task switching. You can also set up virtual desktops in a way that's more similar to Macs, toggling between multiple desktops at once for personal, work, school or gaming use. Microsoft Teams will also be built directly into Windows 11, becoming a more FaceTime-like chat app.
A new Windows 11 feature called Snap Groups will let you group apps together and bring them up at the same time.
Microsoft
Windows 11 marks the first major update to Microsoft's OS since Windows 10 launched back in 2015. Rumors about a major Windows redesign have been circulating for the past year. At the Microsoft Build developers conference on May 25, CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft was planning "one of the most significant updates of Windows of the past decade," confirming that a major change was on the horizon for the 1.3 billion users of the OS in 2021. And in mid-June, Microsoft quietly announced that it would end support for Windows 10 in 2025 as leaked images of Windows 11 spread (here's what that means for Windows 10 users).
Microsoft's decision to upgrade Windows now is no accident. PC sales have exploded over the past year as the pandemic upended billions of lives, forcing many people into lockdowns and sudden mass experiments in remote work. While those efforts largely worked out, and productivity across the US actually rose while people worked from home, it turned out many people needed new computers to do it. As a result, PC sales growth has roared back so much that many computer parts are hard to come by nowadays. If it weren't for supply shortages across the tech industry, analysts believe desktop and notebook computers would notch their highest-ever sales this year.
CNET Editor at Large Ian Sherr contributed to this report.
When things go sideways with Windows, there's Ctrl-Alt-Delete to get you to the Task Manager where you can investigate what's causing the problem and end any unresponsive apps. When something goes wrong on a Mac, there's Command-Option-Escape to call up the Force Quit Applications window. But when an app freezes or starts acting sluggish on a Chromebook, where do you turn? Is there a keyboard shortcut that can put an end to your troubles?
I have good news for Chromebook users. There is such a keyboard shortcut, and it's quite simple. When something is amiss on your Chromebook and you need to force quit an app, hit Shift-Escape. This keyboard shortcut calls up Chrome's Task Manager. Since Chrome apps are the only kinds of apps that a Chromebook runs, Chrome's Task Manager is the only task manager you need on a Chromebook. Just click on the app that's giving you problems and hit the End Process button.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
At the top of the Task Manager, you'll see Chrome listed. You can't select it and force quit it because Chrome OS isn't anything more than the Chrome browser with a bit of window dressing, which means that quitting Chrome would amount to shutting down your Chromebook. If you are experiencing an issue that force quitting an app can't solve, then shut down your Chromebook by clicking the system tray in the bottom-right corner of your display and then clicking the power button. Or if you're really stuck, hold down the power button for 3 seconds to power down your system.
For more tips, learn how to print from a Chromebook, run Windows programs on a Chromebook and the best way to use Dropbox on a Chromebook.
Ford Bronco Raptor Beats Early Estimates With 418 HP
Ford Bronco Raptor Beats Early Estimates With 418 HP
What's happening
Ford's CEO says the 2022 Bronco Raptor will have 418 horsepower -- more than expected.
Why it matters
Ford's ultrapopular Bronco will need all the power it can get when taking on Jeep's V8-powered Wrangler 392.
What's next
Ford is hinting it'll build an all-electric Bronco model on a new flexible EV architecture.
Tthe 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor's output will handily beat the Blue Oval's own early power estimates, as it turns out. According to a tweet Tuesday by Ford CEO Jim Farley, the steroidal SUV's 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 will generate 418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque -- previously, the automaker had only disclosed that its engineers were targeting 400 hp.
Those figures could give a bit more daylight in terms of performance versus ordinary Bronco models equipped with the up-level 2.7-liter turbocharged engine, which gives 330 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. It suggests that with the right gearing, the wider, heavier, four-door-only Bronco Raptor could yet be quicker than the much smaller, much lighter two-door Bronco models equipped with the aforementioned 2.7T engine. (Base Raptors weigh 5,733 pounds, while a base two-door Bronco with the V6 can weigh as little as 4,491 pounds.)
The Ford Bronco Raptor isn't solely concerned with acceleration, of course. Its primary draw is its high-speed off-road capability, afforded by a unique long-travel suspension (13 inches of the stuff up front and 14 inches out back) and nearly 10-inch wider stance. With its knobby 37-inch BF Goodrich K02 tires, this SUV ought to be capable when it comes to low-speed rock crawling, too, with 13.1 inches of ground clearance.
With great power and great bulk comes unimpressive fuel economy. Even with Ford's well-respected 10-speed automatic as standard equipment, it was revealed earlier this week that the Raptor will net just 15 mpg city, 16 highway and 15 combined on the EPA test cycle.
The new 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor flies into dealers later this year wearing a $69,995 price tag (including $1,495 for delivery), and an all-boxes-checked example will land somewhere around $82,000, in the neighborhood of the V8-powered Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392. That's a lot of cash, but then again, it'd be all but impossible to build a Bronco capable of so much performance for that amount of money in the aftermarket.
Oh, and if that's still not enough torque for you, Ford has repeatedly hinted that an all-electric Bronco is on the way. It's expected to ride atop a different, dedicated EV platform, however, so it could be quite a different beast altogether.
Pokemon Go Halloween 2021: Pumpkaboo, Misunderstood Mischief Research and more
Pokemon Go Halloween 2021: Pumpkaboo, Misunderstood Mischief Research and more
The second leg of Pokemon Go's Halloween 2021 event is coming to an end in a couple of days. Until Oct.31, certain ghost- and dark-type Pokemon are appearing in the game more frequently than usual, and you have your first chance to get four new ghost Pokemon from the Kalos region. On top of that, the next portion of the Misunderstood Mischief Special Research story is now live, and you'll earn extra candy for catching, transferring and hatching Pokemon. Here's everything you need to know about Pokemon Go's Halloween 2021 event.
New ghost Pokemon
As part of the Halloween event, four new ghost Pokemon have arrived in the game: Phantump, Trevenant, Pumpkaboo, and Gourgeist. All four were originally introduced in Pokemon X and Y for the Nintendo 3DS, making this your first chance to catch them in Pokemon Go.
Alongside Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist, a new size mechanic has been added to the game. Just as in mainline Pokemon titles, Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist can appear in various sizes, and the ones you encounter in Pokemon Go will visibly vary depending on how large or small they are. The game is also holding a new Collection Challenge tasking you with catching a Pumpkaboo of every size.
Featured Pokemon
In addition to the aforementioned new ghosts, the following Pokemon will appear in the wild and in raid battles throughout the Halloween event. The mythical Pokemon Darkrai has also returned to five-star raids, while Mega Absol has made its debut in Mega Raids.
Wild spawns
Halloween Mischief Pikachu
Halloween Mischief Piplup
Gastly
Haunter
Murkrow
Misdreavus
Shuppet
Purrloin
Yamask
Litwick
Phantump
Pumpkaboo
One-star raids
Murkrow
Yamask
Galarian Yamask
Phantump
Pumpkaboo
Three-star raids
Alolan Marowak
Banette
Halloween Mischief Drifblim
Lampent
Five-star raids
Mega Raids
7 km eggs
Spinarak
Misdreavus
Shuppet
Litwick
Golett
Phantump
Galarian Yamask
Misunderstood Mischief Special Research
Another leg of the season-long Misunderstood Mischief Special Research story is now live in Pokemon Go. You can see the full list of tasks and rewards below.
Stage 11/16
Earn 3 candies walking with your buddy - 10 Yamask Candy
Catch 30 ghost-type Pokemon - 10 Phantump Candy
Catch 30 dark-type Pokemon - 10 Pumpkaboo Candy
Reward for completing all three tasks: Pikachu encounter, 15 Ultra Balls, 40 Gengar Mega Energy
Other event bonuses
Just as during the first part of the Halloween event, a new Special Research story called What Lies Beneath the Mask? is now live in the game. The following bonuses are also still active;
2x transfer candy
2x hatch candy
2x catch candy
Guaranteed candy XL when walking with your buddy
Pokemon Go's Halloween 2021 event runs until 8 p.m. local time on Oct. 31. You can read up on everything else happening in the game this month in our Pokemon Go October events roundup.
Stay cool with a DIY refrigerator that traps Han Solo in carbonite
Stay cool with a DIY refrigerator that traps Han Solo in carbonite
Star Wars fans everywhere know what happens when you cross paths with Darth Vader on Bespin. When poor Han Solo was dipped in carbonite for safe transport to Jabba the Hutt in "The Empire Strikes Back," we all waited with bated breath for "Return of the Jedi" hoping our favorite space smuggler survived. (He did!)
While you can always buy a Han Solo in Carbonite mini-fridge from ThinkGeek for $150 (within the US and Canada), it's arguably much more fun to craft your own.
This walk-through of the build process shows the work of master movie prop maker Frank Ippolito, who found accurate parts from the Star Wars replica prop community. He also added extra features like glowing lights and blinking side panels, just like in "The Empire Strikes Back."
In the video, posted to Adam Savage's YouTube Tested channel Wednesday, Ippolito shows host Norman Chan the step-by-step process he used to transform a boring refrigerator into a geektastic movie prop by using a silicone mold of Han Solo, LED lights, gray paint and panels.
Europe's Space Agency Prepares to Solve 5 Mysteries of Jupiter
Europe's Space Agency Prepares to Solve 5 Mysteries of Jupiter
Home to a tangerine storm larger than Earth, owner of peachy winds so frigid you'd probably freeze on impact, and collector of 79 separate moons, Jupiter is something of a spectacle. Even its enormity is barely comprehensible. Take every planet in our solar system, slap their masses together, multiply that by two and you get a chunk about the size of it.
Who knows what could be going on over there. I mean, really.
Which is why, in April 2023, the European Space Agency plans on sending a space probe to join NASA's Juno orbiter in studying the Jovian lifestyle. It's called Juice, or the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer. "Juice will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons -- Ganymede, Callisto and Europa -- with a suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments," ESA said in the mission's overview.
And on Monday, the agency also laid out five specific mysteries it wants to tackle once Juice gets to its destination at this mammoth of a planet in, hopefully, 2031.
ESA's first major question is the obvious one you might've guessed from Juice's full name: What's going on with Ganymede, Callisto and Europa?
In short, these three moons are at the forefront of the agency's endeavor because they're all suspected to have some sort of water on, or under, their surfaces. Europa, in particular, is projected by astrobiologists to have a hefty amount of H2O and, well, water equals the potential for alien life, which leads us to another of Juice's queries.
Has there ever been life on any of Jupiter's moons -- or, I guess, on Jupiter? In truth, probably not on the latter, because there's neither land nor water on this planet. There's only gas and atmospheric water vapor. Basically, if you tried to stand on Jupiter, you'd just fall in until you were crushed by the planet's immense gravity concentrated toward the center. That's if you could make it that far.
But returning to Europa, an icy world very much with solid ground, scientists currently have this region at the top of their lists of places we might find evidence of extraterrestrial life. In fact, NASA is building a spacecraft dedicated to scanning Europa for such remnants. It's called the Clipper, and it's quite impressive.
Jupiter, center, and its moon Europa, left, are seen through the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam instrument 2.12 micron filter.
NASA, ESA, CSA, and B. Holler and J. Stansberry (STScI)
Next, turning to Ganymede, another of ESA's wonders is: Why is Ganymede the only moon in our solar system with its own magnetic field? This one's pretty odd. Ganymede's magnetic field is so strong, in fact, that it even gives rise to auroras in its atmosphere, similar to the way Earth's magnetic field produces the northern lights when electrons get caught within.
Ganymede in the shadow of Jupiter, with its aurorae glowing.
NASA, ESA
But for some unknown reason, the rest of its moon community can't relate to its magnetic ventures. It's an outsider that way. "Juice's tour of Jupiter will include multiple flybys of these ocean-bearing moons, before culminating in orbit insertion around Ganymede -- the first time a spacecraft will have orbited a moon in the outer Solar System," ESA said.
Further, getting a little more general, ESA also wants to know if, and how, Jupiter's complex space environment shaped the trajectory or conditions of its moons. With 79 individual satellites orbiting it, this Jovian world basically holds its own solar system -- if Jupiter were the sun, that is.
And finally, the fifth and final box ESA hopes to tick while dissecting Jupiter is how such colossal balls of gas come into existence in the first place. Though colored with hues on the cooler end of the spectrum, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn are also wispy cradles of zippy molecules floating around our solar system. What would give rise to these extreme mini-universes?
If all goes well, by the 2030s, we may have some answers.
