June 11th, 2012
So much for the emerging Chinese military threat. One of the home's most humble appliances has been discovered to be the cause of a blaze aboard a nuclear submarine in the US, causing damages of over $400 million and injuring seven people. The fire was caused by an unplugged vacuum cleaner that sucked up a "heat source" and caused other dirt and refuse within the vacuum's catchment to ... Read more
May 31st, 2012
This blog is written from a dark place. There's a lot of rage in it. A lot of pain. Call it a primal scream ... from the kitchen. It's the hub of the home so naturally the kitchen is a place where First World Problems arise ... (oh, for the uninitiated "First World Problems" are apparently petty but actually deeply traumatic things suffered in the developed world ... Read more
May 28th, 2012
As the Laura Star disappears, awake she sheds a silent tear A blood red dawn begins to rise, and reflects the fear in Rinnai's eyes, For through old promises to Omega She has sealed her Bromic's demise. (Have you read part one?) The brave little kettle shouts out his warning As Bromic dives for his Sharp sword, The piercing whistle Brevilles out through the morning 'Til St George slays Morphy and the blood starts to pour. Rinnai looks Delonghingly as ... Read more
May 28th, 2012
Manufacturer of air purifiers and vacuum cleaners, Oreck, has recently paid out nearly US$700,000 in refunds after allegedly making unsubstantiated claims in its advertising. Known for its television advertising, Oreck allegedly marketed its Halo vacuum cleaner and ProShield Plus portable air purifier as being able to prevent illness in the home by eliminating 99% of household germs through the use of ultraviolet light in the Halo, and ... Read more
May 28th, 2012
Samsung's latest robotic vacuum iteration is smaller, smarter and will sneak under furniture for a thorough, hands-free clean. Boasting a bit of the best of both worlds, the NaviBot S incorporates technology with practicality. To begin with, the bot uses 'cognitive' mapping of the area, controlled by two CPU chips. This means that the device will create a map of the house by using an in-built camera which ... Read more
May 25th, 2012
"Hello, long time no see," says Cocorobo, a robotic vacuum cleaner with a little "heart engine". Cocorobo, named after the Japanese word for ‘heart’ which is ‘kokoro’, is Sharp's foray into the floor cleaning market. Button shaped and sensitive to boot the Samsung NaviBot look-a-like can communicate with its owner in three languages: Japanese, Chinese and English, as well as the Kansai dialect of Osaka where Sharp is based. The ... Read more
May 15th, 2012
Lux has been accused of 'unconscionably' pressuring elderly consumers to buy vacuum cleaners by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Lux, who distributes vacuum cleaners predominantly through in-house demonstrations, is being prosecuted in the Federal Court. The watchdog has filed proceedings in the Court against Lux, alleging that between the two years from 2009 to 2011, the vacuum cleaner distributor contravened the Trade Practices act when it engaged in ... Read more
May 3rd, 2012
For a change, today we look at a different sort of vacuum. Not a Hoover, nor a Dyson, but the vacuum that is space. The giant leap from an appliance to empty matter comes as a 1 in 10,000 year occurrence involving a vacuum has been witnessed. There has been a flurry of activity this week among astronomers after a team of professional star gasers in Hawaii found a ... Read more
April 26th, 2012
A genius marketer has been discovered touting the “magical and mysterious” properties of their clothes dryer. Available right now for sale on something called “Ebay”, this apparently innocuous Fisher & Paykel whitegood has a fairly amazing pedigree. Not only does it have the aforesaid magical powers, it has also doubled for Edward James Olmos on Battlestar Galactica and dated a prominent (albeit pint-sized) Australian game-show host. Fairly awesome qualities ... Read more
April 25th, 2012
At Appliances Online there's nothing we like more than quirky vacuuming news. But this one has made us wonder: are smart appliances colluding to keep us trim? There's the LG fridge which politely suggests we reach for a healthy option, and the Samsung oven that can tell us how many calories the meal cooking contains. Now, a new vacuum cleaner will work out how many of those calories we've ... Read more
April 17th, 2012
Chore-dodging teenagers and household pets flee even before the vacuum's cord has been pulled out, but this little baby can't get enough. As the vacuum's hose teases his tummy the infectious peals of laughter cause Mum to giggle with delight and the chore...forgotten. If you haven't got one of these vacuum-friendly babies handy at least you can trust that at Appliances Online we do our best to lighten ... Read more
April 13th, 2012
If the world was only full of engineers things would be functional, if a bit boring; if it was full of artists things would be colourful but nothing would get done! At Dyson, a happy mix of creation and invention plus a little time on their hands has led a team of engineers to let their hair down and dabble in drag racing. Using the motor from a ... Read more
April 5th, 2012
Congratulations to Miele - they've cleaned up the 2012 CHOICE Award for Best Vacuum Cleaner Brand. Miele have consistently delivered excellence in the world of floorcare - and these guys deserve the accolade. CHOICE is an independent consumer watchdog, in fact the number one advocate of consumer rights in Australia - and their awards are a chance to recognise the people, products, services and brands that improve ... Read more
April 2nd, 2012
Most Australians would rather to anything to avoid the vacuum. We would rather run 10kms or skip a meal or even clean up dog poo, so says a survey. Which is hardly a surprise. It freaks the cat out, takes forever, is loud, requires effort, can be a bit smelly if the vacuum is old or the bag is full and frankly there are a million other ... Read more
March 27th, 2012
Godfreys is recalling the Turbo Dust Interceptor after a customer raised safety concerns. Certain Turbo Dust Interceptors - a vacuum cleaner attachment - have been found to contain unstable internal pins. If the pins become exposed, they pose a potential risk of electric shock, burns or in some circumstances electrocution. A recall notice advising customers has been issued on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. In September 2010 the NSW ... Read more