Author Archives: Ida Torres

Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra goes to space and cleans 110,000 feet above ground

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If you’re a child of the 80s and the 90s, you probably remember this weird but cute little movie and book, The Brave Little Toaster. He eventually went to Mars for some reason on one of his adventures and some fun was had. Well now, we apparently have a Brave Little Vacuum as Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra became the first robot vacuum cleaner to go into space and perform some cleaning duties in extreme environments.

Designer: Roborock

The S8 MaxV Ultra is the brand’s most technologically advanced unit and it has proved itself by going into space and still perform as it should be, even within the harsh environment. It experienced temperatures below -60°C and both its battery and motor were still able to function well. It was even able to be integrated with the flight computer by modifying the control system, allowing it to connect with the ship’s computer and they were able to activate it during the flight.

As seen in the video they uploaded, the vacuum was still able to have all the parts, including the Flexi-Arm Design brushes moving even while in the aforementioned -60°C temperature and while suspended in the air, 110,000 feet above ground. But other than the control system, most of the overall mechanical systems were left unmodified, showing off the robo vacuum’s capabilities, including its ultra-reactive AI 2.0 obstacle recognition, built-in voice assistant, and Flexi-Arm Design.

But since not all of us will be going to space anyways, the S8 MaxV Ultra is still very useful for earth-bound people. It has features like the FlexiArm Design™ Side Brush and the Extra Edge Spinning Mop System that lets it have 100% corner coverage as it’s able to reach tight corners and crevices. It also has the VibraRise® 3.0 Mopping System that lets it do high-speed sonic mopping and the 20mm mop module lift that lets it automatically rise when cleaning carpets. So in the future, if you do go to space, you can take it along with you.

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Dolce & Gabbana adds some flair to limited-edition Stabilo Boss highlighters

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I am a stationery hoarder who has too many pens, notebooks, stickers, and other materials that I just buy and keep and yes, occasionally actually use. So when I see something that looks pretty and functional, my heart skips a beat and even though I have too many of whatever that is (trust me, I have a lot), I still have the urge to buy it. This latest unlikely collaboration between a fashion brand and a highlighter was created specifically for people like me.

Designer: Stabilo Boss and Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana has applied its colorful and fashionable aesthetics to the unlikeliest of items, the highlighters of Stabilo Boss. This limited edition collection will add more style to your school desk or office space and still be able to function as a stationery item to help you, well, highlight your books, notes, etc. If you’re familiar with the usual D&G designs, then the motifs used for the highlighters’ casing will look familiar.

The collection has four designs: the Blu Mediterraneo motif with its cloud blue colors; the Caretto Sicilliano pattern that has a powdery yellow hue; a bold leopard look in beige; and if you want something monochromatic, a black zebra print design. All four are packed in a premium box with a high-quality magnetic closure, which can also be used to spruce up your desk or to use as a case to hold other stuff later on.

For around $32, it’s pretty expensive if you think of it as just ordinary highlighters. But the fact that it’s Dolce & Gabbana branded and they do look very pretty, then serious stationery collectors wouldn’t mind.

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IKEA unveils Anchor and Unlock safety mechanism in two new collections

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Every once in a while, I’ll come across a horror story on my feed about accidents involving furniture toppling over and badly hurting someone. As a regularly clumsy person, it is not outside the realm of possibility that I may be a victim of this someday. The STURDY Act (Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth) is a welcome development for kids and grown-ups alike. IKEA has now become the first to apply this into their new furniture line.

Designer: IKEA

The Storklinta and Gullaberg collection from IKEA come with their patented Anchor and Unlock mechanism which took into consideration the aforementioned STURDY Act’s guidelines. This way, they have made sure that their furniture are safe especially for young kids but still have the design and style associated with the Swedish brand. When properly installed, this mechanism lets you use the items as they’re meant to be used without the risk of it tipping over, even when multiple drawers are opened.

The Gullaberg collection is classic IKEA with its framed sides, tapered legs, and white and gray finishes. There are several dressers, chests, wardrobes, nightstands, and combinations available in the collection. The Storklinta has a more sleek and contemporary design and also comes with chests, drawers, bedside tables, and wardrobe combinations with the PAX system. These furniture come with clean, integrated handles.

Both collections are already available in the IKEA US stores and online but there are still some items that have limited stocks. They will also be launching more safety-enhanced designs later this year. As always, these are items that are self-assembled so you still need to be able to follow instructions on these Anchor and Unlock mechanisms for the furniture to be truly safe.

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Coperni x Disney tie-up unveils water-printed Ariel Swipe Bag

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As someone who always carries a lot of stuff wherever I go, I am not that much a fan of small bags. But if ever there will come a day when I’ll be comfortable just bringing a phone, small wallet, and a lipstick with me, the Coperni Swipe bag is on my shortlist of bags I’d like to have. Their latest version was unveiled at the Spring/Summer 2025 show held at Disneyland Paris, and it is a watery creation.

Designer: Coperni

The Ariel Swipe bag is inspired by The Little Mermaid and the “stunt” here is that it was created underwater. Through gravity-free 3D printing by Rapid Liquid Print, the bag is created from platinum-cured, recyclable silicone and is printed inside a water-based gel. The process differs from other traditional 3D printing methods as they “draw” the objects that are suspended in the gel so these soft, stretchable designs are not weighed down by gravity.

A video shows the printing process with a thin and sharp needle pushing through the gel and starting to create the shape of the bag that is of course, colored blue. When it reaches the top, the two loose ends are joined together to create the handle. A hand then reaches out to pull the bag from the gel and thus, the Ariel Swipe bag is born an supposedly ready to use. They say there’s no extensive post-processing needed so it saves materials and time.

There is no news yet when the bag will be available in its brand store and retail stores. But it’s sure to be another Coperni x Disney best-seller, just like the Mickey Mouse swipe bag that they previously released. It will probbly be around that price as well which is of course pretty expensive.

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Pangolin-inspired robot can dig and “poop” out seeds to plant trees

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Not all robots have to look, well, robotic. There is a growing number of robots that are inspired by real life creatures (sometimes, even humans, but that’s a whole other discussion) or so called bio-inspired bots. The latest winner of the Natural Robotics Contest is inspired by a pretty unlikely animal: the insect-eating mammal called the Pangolin.

Designer: Dorothy and Dr. Robert Siddall

A high school student from California named Dorothy designed a robot whose main goal is to dig and plant seeds. Since pangolins are naturally digging animals, why not use it to create a robot that can help populate areas with more trees? The winning concept was turned into an actual prototype called the Plantolin by the partner research institute. More than just looking like a pangolin, it uses features from the mammal and incorporate it into the functions of the robot.

The Plantolin roves around on two wheels and just like the pangolin, it balances on its long, movable tail. Each of the wheels has an electric quadcopter drone motor. The digging is done by these two front legs with the tail tilting down once it starts to provide leverage. Once there’s a hole already, the robot drives over it and poops out a yew tree seed bomb nugget (containing both seeds and soil).

It’s a pretty interesting way to re-populate a space with more trees. It will probably be faster and will need minimal human intervention when it’s programmed right, so no need to train actual pangolins to do the job.

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Roland’s V-Drums Quiet Design keeps minimal noise for people living with the drummer

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For parents, probably the last instrument that they would want their kids to take up are the drums since they know they’ll be in for months or even years of ear-splitting noise. But over the years and with the advent of electric drums, there have been quieter options for people who want to practice their craft and not disturb the people they live with.

Designer: Roland

The V-Drums Quiet Design from Roland claims it is “the lowest playing noise in the history of electronic drum kits.” Of course it is not completely silent but it is able to reduce the playing noise levels by 75% compared to their previous V-Drums. Users have the option to play the set with the existing TD-07 control module or to choose another V-Drums module. There are several features that makes this electronic drums kit less noisy.

For one, the system snare and tom pads have a honeycomb rubber insert that is noise-absorbing and on top of it, there is a mesh head and strategically placed vents under the playing surface. The rim of the snare is actually triggered independently from the head and has soft rubber so your rim shots are not jarring for the people around you or near you. The set also has three cymbal pads that have the same materials mentioned above, with the crash and ride ones having independent bow and edge triggering while the hi-hat has a foot pedal to give it ultra-quiet operation. The kick drum has a triple-later cushion with a double-ply mesh in a floating frame set so the vibration and noise transfer is less.

All the features basically confines the sound to the headphones that you’ll wear while playing. The entire kit even has a noise-dampening stand with isolating rubber feet which keeps the sound levels “similar to an average conversation”. This is a gift for both the drummer and the people living with them.

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Luxury superyacht has an underwater observation lounge

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I’ve seen enough true crime shows and thriller mystery movies that are set in a cruise ship or a luxury yacht for me to have any dream of going aboard one. But when I look at the designs of luxury ships and imagine spending time there (without a killer on the loose), I can definitely understand the appeal. This new gigayacht from Dutch studio Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design has one particular feature that might make me reconsider about going on board given the chance.

Designer: Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design

Inspire is a massive 454-foot gigayacht with bold, architectural lines, a reverse bow and a lot of glass on board. This gives you the feeling of luxury, a lot of natural light, and a great view of the sea outside. The glue-green hue finish of the hull makes it seemingly part of the sky and the sea. The yacht has six decks and can accomodate 22 guests and 52 crew members, with the top deck alone spanning 3,000 square feet of living space.

All six decks are filled with different beautiful spaces. You have a primary suite, a glass-enclosed lounge with a winter garden, an outdoor terrace, eight guest cabins, two VIP suites with fold-out balconies, a circular restaurant, an exterior desk for alfresco dining, an indoor-outdoor lounge with a fireplace. At the lower levels you get a beach deck with a wellness center, a swim platform, and a blue-hole swimming pool with a glass bottom.

But one of the major attractions of this superyacht is the Nemo lounge which is around 16 feet below the water’s edge. You will be able to see all the surrounding wonders of marine life without having to actually dive below. As someone who doesn’t dive but wants to see all the fishes and corals, this is definitely something I’d want to try out given the chance.

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Bibliochaise lets you have your books at arm’s length

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At one point or another, a bookworm has probably experienced this: you’ve just finished reading a very engrossing book and you want to start on another one but you’re too comfortable (or lazy) to get up from your chair. You wished another book was just within your arm’s reach. While you could always just have several books placed near where you are, you still wish you had a bookshelf near your favorite reading chair.

Designer: Alisée Matta and Giovanni Gennari

The Bibliochaise is one such piece of furniture that is a bookworm’s haven. It is a chair and a bookshelf in one as there are spaces around it that is designed specifically to hold your books. This way, you can spend hours just reading book after book without having to move an inch. It can also add to the visual styling of your living room and bedroom, further proof that you cannot live without your books.

The chair is able to hold around five linear meters of books if you fill in all the spaces in the arms and underneath your seat cushion. It comes in three different finishes to fit your aesthetic: glossy lacquered for the Glossy model, oak veneer and stained for the Plus variant, and open pore lacquered for the Home option. There’s also a Special Edition in open-pore oak essence that contains 24 or 18 carat gold leaf.

For the structure itself, you can choose from different colors. You can also match or contrast the color of your cushion which is available in superior quality full-grain leather. As a certified bookworm, it’s my dream to have a chair like this in my room, although that probably means less social life for me.

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Smart shower system stores hot water to stop wastage

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Taking showers with heaters is always a hit and miss for me, sometimes learning my lesson the hard way. There have been several times that a cold blast hit me so I’ve learned to not go under yet and wait for the water to turn hot. However, that also means that we’re wasting a lot of water if that happens every day. Apparently, an average person wastes 4000 liters and 110 kilowatt-hours of energy every year, according to startup Heau.

Designer: Heau

The patented Heau system says they’re the world’s first shower with instant hot water. This way it helps you save on the water that’s wasted as you wait for it to heat up while still enjoying the comfort of hot water instantly as soon as you turn on the shower. Most people wait for around 1 minute after they turn on the shower since that’s when the water becomes comfortably hot. What they came up with is a two-compartment system that is able to store the heat from your previous shower so it’s already hot when you turn on your current shower.

The hot water from the end of a shower is stored in a vacuum chamber and keeps it hot up to three days because of a special insulation. When you take your next shower, the system detects the cold water and sends it to the left compartment which then applies pressure through a flexible membrane. It is sent to the mixing valve so you get your instant hot water. When the water in the pipes is already hot, the system is able to shut off the hot water inlet and can recharge it since it sends the water to the right hand compartment.

The installation of the system is similar to the water storage for hanging toilets and it can work with any type of shower. Heau is still currently in the startup stage but they’re targeting the shower system to be available by 2025.

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LEGO® releases The Crafting Table building set to celebrate Minecraft®’s 15th anniversary

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Minecraft® is still one of the most popular games right now, both for adults and kids (sometimes they even play together!). And it’s been pretty popular for a while now as we’re already celebrating the video game’s 15th anniversary. If you’re a fan of the sandbox game and you also collect LEGO® sets, then you’ll be happy with this latest building set that celebrates the best of both worlds.

Designer: LEGO®

LEGO® Minecraft® The Crafting Table is a building set that’s specifically built for adult fans of the game that brings several elements into the “real world” so you can literally build your favorite Minecraft-ian things. It recreates the iconic crafting table that players know very well. You get biomes, mobs, and even hidden Easter eggs in the building set as well as video components through the app.

The building set comes with 5 mini build modules which features 12 biomes (the Deep Dark, Lush Cave, Swamp, Plains, Forest, Cherry Grove, Desert, Taiga, Snowy Taiga, Dripstone Cave, Ice Spikes and River) and has 8 microfigures (Steve, Alex, a skeleton, witch, Creeper™, villager, cow and a pig) that you can detach and attach to whatever you’re building.

The buildable video-game LEGO® set also has some things like underground scenes, stickers with in-game phrases, and hidden Easter eggs that will excite even the most veteran of Minecraft players. There is also digital building instructions on the LEGO® Builder app if you need a little bit of virtual help. It costs around $90 which isn’t bad for a LEGO® set.

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