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EU lawmakers overwhelmingly called on Thursday for rules to establish a common charger for all mobile device makers across Europe, a drive that iPhone maker Apple has criticised.

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Amazon.com on Thursday posted holiday quarter results well above expectations as the expansion of its one-day shipping program came under budget and membership in its Prime loyalty club notched a 50 percent rise in two years.

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International Business Machines (IBM) Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty will hand over the reins to the head of the company's cloud business, as the pioneer tech company continues its efforts to rejuvenate itself.

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Latest Tech News

You know what sucks? A good vacuum. And we're here to find the perfect one for your everyday needs. We know that finding the best vacuum cleaner can, well, suck – there are just so many models to choose from, and who really wants to spend their time finding an appliance that means more work around the house?

The thing is, vacuum cleaners have come a long way since the days where you had to haul out that massive corded behemoth from your hall closet and plug it into a new socket every few minutes. Compared to some of the slick vacuums on the market today, that's practically medieval. 

Today's vacuums are much slimmer, and while most are still controlled by hand there's a growing number that have robotic brains and can clean up all on their own. Many of today's vacuums also run on battery power, so you won't have to worry about dragging cords all around your house. 

While it's still a 'chore' in the traditional sense, vacuum cleaning can now be done in far less time and with far greater ease thanks to cordless vacuums. But if even that sounds too hard, you'll likely be chuffed to learn that most robot vacuums can be set on a schedule, so they'll even clean your house while you're out living it up (or working).

It's true that high-end vacuums can be quite costly, but they can also be the sort of investment where the benefits become almost immediately clear. As soon as you've experienced the added ease and efficiency first-hand, it's hard to go back to anything else. 

Whether you're after a lightweight cordless, a super-powerful upright or the kind of brainy robot cleaner that'd give Will Smith night-terrors, these are the best vacuum cleaners currently available in Australia. They all suck, but in the best possible way.

Adding another integer and two years of R&D to its V-series cordless range, Dyson’s V11 Absolute takes another giant leap forward for vacuum cleaner kind. It’s more potent than its best-in-class predecessor, cleans even better on all surfaces, is quieter, and has a impressive run-time of over 40 minutes on the seriously-capable Auto power mode.

The powered tools ooze design class and hard-earned experience in the field, with the mini motorised tool easily outperforming air-powered equivalents, and the adaptability of the vacuum when you pair the torque head with the Auto mode makes the V11 Absolute easy to use as well as powerful. It also has an LCD screen, a first for Dyson, which tells you the exact run-time remaining, where blockages are located and how to clear them. Pretty handy if you ask us!

Admittedly, the V11 Absolute doesn't come cheap, but we think it’s worth the money if you're after the best cordless vacuum cleaner available today.

Read our full Dyson V11 Absolute review

The main reason to get yourself a robot vacuum cleaner is so you can either put your feet up and get something else to do all the hard work for you, or so you get more time to do more important things – or perhaps both. The Deebot Ozmo 930 will do just that for you and goes further than most other robovacs.

There’s not much we can fault with this little droid: it vacuums, it mops and it does so quite well: Ecovacs Robotics has pretty much aced it with both hardware and software. 

It’s already a must-have in our books, and if there was a way to increase suction power in these robot vacuums, the Deebot Ozmo 930 would be the perfect helper, no matter what type of floor you have at home. Add to that the ability to control it remotely and the addition of voice control makes this robot worth every penny.

Read our full Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo 930 review

At the time of its release, Dyson was so confident in the sucking prowess of the Dyson Cyclone V10, that the company ceased production of new corded vacuums going forward. Now, it did eventually develop a successor in the Dyson V11 Absolute (because of course it did), but that should still give you an idea of how good the 

Dyson has redefined its cyclone technology to produce more suction power than previous generations; the V10 digital motor is 20% more powerful than the previous V8, and, we can assure, it sucks a lot (we mean that as a compliment).

You'll notice a number of crucial changes between the V10 and older V models. For example, the barrel is now front-facing, and all attachments connect here directly. This design allows for greater suction efficiency, according to Dyson. The V10 is smarter than ever before, too, and can even detect differences in altitude, air pressure and temperature, and auto-adjust itself for maximum performance. 

Prices and models vary across regions, but needless to say, you pay for the Cyclone V10's souped-up suction. And while the Cyclone V10 is super powerful and boasts a more energy-dense battery than previous models, putting it on the highest setting will drain the battery in about five minutes. At the lowest setting, however, you'll get up to 60 minutes of use, and that should be plenty for your everyday messes. 

Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 review

Dyson might be dominating the handheld vacuum arena at the moment, but when it comes to the robot vacuum space, many people rate iRobot and its Roomba 980 vacuum cleaner at a similar level of esteem. 

With its low-clearance design and smartphone app control functionality, this dirt-sucking disc is intelligent enough to go about its business in your home without much prompting on your part. The Roomba 980 will intelligently map your home for problem spots, kicking into a high-power mode whenever it rolls over carpets, and weaving around chair legs and other potential obstacles. 

Making things even easier, you can manage the Roomba 980's daily schedule from the device's accompanying iOS and Android apps, allowing you to set the time and duration of its cleaning routine however you see fit. You will have to empty it out after each use, though.

With an impressive two hour battery life, it'll also manage a longer cleaning cycle than any cordless or robot vacuum from Dyson, and when it's running low it'll automatically head back to its dock to charge itself.

Other smart features of the Roomba 980 include its battery-powered Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers which you can place around your crib so that your 'bot will know which areas to avoid, such as rooms you don't want it to enter or floor-level pet food bowls you don't want it to crash into.

However, the Roomba 980 does still have some room for improvement, with its app being a little sluggish at times. The robot also has a tendency to get trapped in cables and stuck under furniture. 

Sure, it's pretty pricey for what is admittedly a cleaning luxury, but it really is like having a robot maid that will keep your place clean. If you hate vacuuming and can afford it, the Roomba 980 offers exceptional cleaning convenience. 

Read our full iRobot Roomba 980 review

There's no question that Dyson's manoeuvrable and endlessly convenient stick vacuums are incredible, sporting powerful suction and a modular design that allows for a number of area-specific attachments – all without having to worry about pesky cables getting in the way. However, cordless vacuums do have their caveats.

Getting a limited amount of vacuum time from a battery that takes hours to charge can be extremely frustrating, and there are times when you may require a more powerful and heavy-duty vacuum solution. Cordless models are often pretty darn expensive, too.

If you share these concerns, Dyson's Cinetic Big Ball vacuum may be a terrific alternative, offering the same quality cleaning experience that the company's vacuums are known for, while avoiding all the usual annoyances that make inspire people to choose a cord-free option.

Most vacuums will tip over as they're dragged along the floor — not the Cinetic Big Ball, with its ball-shaped design that has been perfectly weighted to roll back into place whenever it falls down — it's a neat example of Dyson's knack for finding solutions to problems that have plagued these kinds of products for decades. 

Another advantage over cordless vacuums: its suction power leaves them in the dust — literally. At 250 air watts, the Cinetic Big Ball is even more powerful than the new Dyson Cyclone V10, which offers around 150 air watts of suction.

Taking into consideration that you can now pick up a Dyson Cinetic Big Ball for under $500, and what you have is a highly-recommended alternative to Dyson's pricier cord-free options.

Read our full Dyson Cinetic Big Ball review

Like most Miele vacuums, the cat and dog version of the CX1 is a little more expensive than the non-pet versions, but that extra cost is offset by the additional attachments you get that will help you round up and deal with shed hair and the general mess that comes from having four-legged members of your family. 

Plus, when you consider how affordable it is compared to the average Dyson product, the price of the CX1's 'deluxe' model will seem quite reasonable.

We also love that it's got an AirClean lifetime HEPA filter to remove allergens from your household, as well as an extremely high airflow that works hard to remove as much dust and debris from your floors and carpets as possible. It's also the first bagless Miele device, and it does a pretty darn good job of that, too. 

Boasting a 1,200W “Vortex” motor, the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat Dog Bagless delivers an air speed of more than 100km/h and still manages to separate dust into two types: coarse stuff goes into the clear dust container, while the finer stuff is caught and trapped in its own filtered container.

Impressively, the Blizzard CX1 also sports a new CleanStream filter, which has a sensor-controlled self-cleaning system. You'll still need to clean the filters yourself on occasion, though.

That’s not the only big change Miele has in store for us: the design is also quite modern-looking, putting the device in a league above its predecessors. For a vacuum that goes for less than $500 at some stores, Miele has certainly stepped up its game with the CX1 Cat Dog Bagless. 

Once the leading name in vacuums, Vax is still going strong today and its Blade 2 Max 40V vacuum more than proves it. Easy to use, and delivering excellent results on different floor types, the cordless Vax Blade 2 Max 40V offers powerful suction and long run-time for a great price.

It has bright lights on the floor head, so you won’t miss any dirt, and a good-sized bin for a cordless machine too, meaning fewer bin-emptying interruptions when cleaning. The Blade 2 Max is easy to use, but it's let down by how heavy it feels in the hand – your arm may not be able to hold out for as long as the battery.

The Blade 2 Max delivers great cleaning results on different floor types, and it's no slouch when it comes to tackling pet hair; however, it's far from the lightest-feeling or quietest cordless cleaner out there.

There was a niche that needed filling and Ecovacs decided to take a stab at it. Unless you’re willing to pay top money for the iRobot Roomba 980 – the only robot vacuum we’ve tested that comes with a carpet agitator – there aren’t very many autonomous vacuums that can deal with carpets.

While the Deebot 900 does a good job on a low- to medium-pile carpet, it struggles on high-pile rugs. The fibres impede movement and dirt is often so deep-seated that there’s not enough suction, even on the Max setting, for a good clean. Moreover, with a limited battery life of 45 minutes on Max, a large home will always require a double run. On hard floors, however, there’s absolutely nothing you can fault the Deebot 900 for – it’s works like a charm.

Ecovacs has aced both the hardware and the software. Our only complaint would be the droid’s inability to clamber over obstacles and thresholds more than 18mm high, but that’s us nitpicking, really.

The droid moves exactly as you’d expect with practically perfect mapping, and the evidence of its cleaning performance will be there for you to see every time you empty the bin. And it’s all done quietly and at a relatively affordable price. Need we say more?

Read our full Ecovacs Deebot 900 review

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Optus has been handed the second-largest fine ever dealt by the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) for contacting customers that had explicitly unsubscribed from communications.

The ACMA fined the telco giant AU$504,000 following an investigation into breaches of Australia’s anti-spam laws, a sum second only to a AU$510,000 fine Telstra copped in 2014 for delays in connecting landline customers. 

Specifically, Optus was found to have sent marketing emails and SMS messages in 2018 to around 750,000 customers that had already opted out of these communications. Other emails were also sent that lacked any kind of unsubscribe facility.

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ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said it was the largest infringement paid for spamming and that it “reflects the seriousness of breaches made by Optus and its failure to honour its customers’ wishes to unsubscribe, in some cases on multiple occasions”.

In order to ensure Optus doesn’t break the law again in the future, the telco will appoint an independent consultant to act as a watchdog, reviewing its procedures, systems, and policies for compliance with these laws.

On top of this, “the ACMA will be actively monitoring Optus’ compliance with its commitments,” O’Loughlin said. “If they are not met, the ACMA will consider court action”.

O’Loughlin told the Sydney Morning Herald that Optus blamed the spam messaging on an “IT systems failure” and that the telco had checked its marketing lists for compliance, although the ACMA believes otherwise.

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Tigers want your perfume to help them get frisky - CNET

Calvin Klein is a big-cat favorite.

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We finally know how Rey got Luke's lightsaber in Star Wars: The Force Awakens - CNET

Maz Kanata never told us the full story, so a Star Wars comic has stepped in to fill the gap. As for how Palpatine survived, don't ask.

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Nintendo's new Animal Crossing Switch is super chill - CNET

New Horizons were never this beautiful.

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The WireGuard VPN protocol will be included into the next Linux kernel as Linus Torvalds has merged it into his source tree for version 5.6.

There is no set date for Linux kernel releases and being as version 5.5 was released this month, the next version will likely be released in a few months time.

The addition of WireGurd in the next Linux kernel does also not come as a surprise as the code had already been merged into Dave Miller's repository back in December. However, the code was just recently pulled into Torvalds' source tree.

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WireGuard VPN protocol

While there are many popular VPN protocols such as OpenVPN, WireGuard has made a name for itself by being easy to configure and deploy as SSH. On its website, WireGuard's team explains what sets its protocol apart from others, saying:

“WireGuard has been designed with ease-of-implementation and simplicity in mind. It is meant to be easily implemented in very few lines of code, and easily auditable for security vulnerabilities. Compared to behemoths like *Swan/IPsec or OpenVPN/OpenSSL, in which auditing the gigantic codebases is an overwhelming task even for large teams of security experts, WireGuard is meant to be comprehensively reviewable by single individuals.”

The WireGuard protocol is a project from security researcher and kernel developer Jason Donenfeld who created it as an alternative to both IPsec and OpenVPN. Since the protocol consists of around just 4,000 lines of code as opposed to the 100,000 lines of code that make up OpenVPN, it is much easier for security experts to review and audit for vulnerabilities. 

While WireGuard was initially released for the Linux kernel, the protocol is now cross-platform and can be deployed on Windows, macOS, BSD, iOS and Android.

• We've also highlighted the best Linux VPN

Via BleepingComputer

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As new Boeing CEO takes over, it's unclear when the 737 Max will fly again - CNET

Two crashes killed 346 people and authorities are blaming Boeing's design, a faulty sensor and airline staff. Plus: Everything you need to know about the plane's other issues.

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Ricky Brabec and Honda win the 2020 Dakar rally - Roadshow

It was a 9,000-kilometer race over the span of nearly two weeks and Ricky is the first American to ever take the top spot.

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Honda's 2020 Dakar effort brought home the first US victory ever - Roadshow

Ricky Brabec rode to victory on a Honda CRF450 Rally and had help from a crew of dedicated mechanics.

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How Ricky Brabec and Honda won the 2020 Dakar Rally for America - Roadshow

The Dakar Rally is a brutal and dangerous test of man and machine that no American had previously won, until now.

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Kobe Bryant will be honored at the Super Bowl on Sunday - CNET

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira say they'll pay tribute to the late basketball star in the halftime show.

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United Nations reportedly suffered a hack, which it tried to keep secret - CNET

The UN was targeted in an apparent spy operation last year, but top officials kept quiet, according to the AP.

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