Developer Flat Head Studio and publisher Fast Travel Games today launched the new Level Creator Update for We Are One (2023), the time-looping puzzle shooter that landed on VR headsets this summer.
The update is available as a free download for existing owners on Quest and SteamVR headsets, bringing with it a Level Creator which is said to bring all of the tools you’ll need to make new challenges.
Fast Travel reveals the update in video, showing off the ability to create your own challenges, share them, and even tailor your levels qith customizable settings, letting you decide the puzzles you want to create, the enemies you want to fight, and the duration of your level. Of course, there’s also a new Level Editor tutorial launching alongside it, which should help you get started.
Notably one of the most successful free demos available on Quest, We Are One tasks you with teaming up with yourself for some VR puzzle-shooter challenges where you have to plan ahead and clone versions of yourself to flawlessly execute previous moves in multiple time loops.
You can catch it on the Quest Store and Steam for PC VR headsets, priced at $20.
Over the past year, AI image generators have taken the world by storm. Heck, even our distinguished writers at TNW use them from time to time.
Truth is, tools like Stable Diffusion, Latent Diffusion, or DALL·E can be incredibly useful for producing unique images from simple prompts — like this picture of Elon Musk riding a unicorn.
But it’s not all fun and games. Users of these AI models can just as easily generate hateful, dehumanising, and pornographic images at the click of a button — with little to no repercussions.
“People use these AI tools to draw all kinds of images, which inherently presents a risk,” said researcher Yiting Qu from the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security in Germany. Things become especially problematic when disturbing or explicit images are shared on mainstream media platforms, she stressed.
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While these risks seem quite obvious, there has been little research undertaken so far to quantify the dangers and create safe guardrails for their use. “Currently, there isn’t even a universal definition in the research community of what is and is not an unsafe image,” said Qu.
To illuminate the issue, Qu and her team investigated the most popular AI image generators, the prevalence of unsafe images on these platforms, and three ways to prevent their creation and circulation online.
The researchers fed four prominent AI image generators with text prompts from sources known for unsafe content, such as the far-right platform 4chan. Shockingly, 14.56% of images generated were classified as “unsafe,” with Stable Diffusion producing the highest percentage at 18.92%. These included images with sexually explicit, violent, disturbing, hateful, or political content.
Creating safeguards
The fact that so many uncertain images were generated in Qu’s study shows that existing filters do not do their job adequately. The researcher developed her own filter, which scores a much higher hit rate in comparison, but suggests a number of other ways to curb the threat.
One way to prevent the spread of inhumane imagery is to program AI image generators to not generate this imagery in the first place, she said. Essentially, if AI models aren’t trained on unsafe images, they can’t replicate them.
Beyond that, Qu recommends blocking unsafe words from the search function, so that users can’t put together prompts that produce harmful images. For those images already circulating, “there must be a way of classifying these and deleting them online,” she said.
With all these measures, the challenge is to find the right balance. “There needs to be a trade-off between freedom and security of content,” said Qu. “But when it comes to preventing these images from experiencing wide circulation on mainstream platforms, I think strict regulation makes sense.”
While initiatives like the AI Safety Summit, which took place in the UK this month, aim to create guardrails for the technology,criticsclaim big tech companies hold too much sway over the negotiations. Whether that’s true or not, the reality is that, at present, proper, safe management of AI is patchy at best and downright alarming at its worst.
While the glittering lights of Europe’s cities hold the promise of new opportunities, ideas, and fun, they also hold smog and a growing air pollution problem. Not to mention the fact that it’s hard to live your dream city life as you’re trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic or spending your morning folding yourself into one metro after another. As the population of urban dwellers increases across cities from Stockholm to Milan, getting from point A to point B will only get that much more difficult.
“We believe it doesn’t make sense for people to spend one year of their lives commuting while sitting in queues and congestion,” says Fredrik Hanell, Director of Impact Ventures at EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative started by the European Union to address some of the biggest mobility challenges facing Europe’s cities.
Hanell’s focus is on identifying startups with viable solutions to these problems and providing them with support through matchmaking and funding opportunities. Since its inception in 2019, EIT Urban Mobility has invested in 86 startups.
With an eye on the latest innovations and tech trends in mobility, we asked Hanell: will our futures actually be filled with drones and hoverboards?
Cities are changing shape
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Perhaps one of the most apparent changes that are taking place across Europe’s cities is the reclaiming of busy central streets. From Brussels, where the once busy Place la Bourse has been repaved and designated pedestrian-only, to the more cautious “Open Streets” project in Bucharest, which shuts down central streets for vehicles over a weekend and hosts events to get people out and about.
“We don’t hate cars, but we see that the natural place for them needs to change. We need to look at initiatives that can contribute to change in the city. One of the consequences you see from this is that life expectancy increases, accidents decrease, and of course, pollution decreases,” says Hanell.
Rather than a new initiative, this can be seen more as a return to the historic plaza, piazza, or plateía that Europe’s cities have historically been built around, giving it an advantage in this new urban movement over sprawling car traffic-built cities like Los Angeles or Hong Kong.
In fact, EIT Urban Mobility is headquartered in Barcelona which was one of the first to introduce ‘superblocks,’ or small traffic-regulated groups of city blocks, in 2016. The most recent study of the project found there has been a 25% decrease in NO2 levels and a 17% decrease in PM10 particle levels. To put this into perspective, studies estimate that, if implemented more widely across the city, the initiative could prevent almost 700 premature deaths a year.
However, while this project has been lauded by city planners in fellow EU cities, some residents in the neighbourhoods where it’s been introduced have been less than enthusiastic. The pilot superblock project in the Poblenou neighbourhood faced political and civil society resistance. Several court cases have been brought against the project with a judge ruling in September 2023 that superblocks in the Eixample district would have to be restored to their former state.
Therein lies the quintessential challenge of urban mobility. Put simply, cities are full of people with different needs, jobs, attitudes, beliefs, political leanings, and behaviours. Any change being introduced by city planners has to come with a comprehensive plan to get residents on board. While superblocks might be a great concept for a parent who has more safe space to take their kids out, it might be a bigger burden for a business owner who needs to find a new way to transport goods.
Enhanced logistics planning will be key as traffic flows change. With this in view, one startup EIT Urban Mobility has invested in is Vonzu, a SaaS delivery and logistics management platform, aimed at giving businesses a full overview of all their urban deliveries from supply chain to couriers. As urban logistics become more complex with changing streets and caps on emissions, AI-powered recommendations and automation will be a necessity.
Image by Vonzu
Along with reducing pollution and congestion, city planners also hope these changes will encourage citizens to choose healthier and more sustainable transport options. Rather than taking a car or bus to work, pedestrian zones and bike lanes could encourage more walking and biking. But changing behavioural patterns is even more complex than changing cityscapes.
Another interesting startup EIT Urban Mobility has invested in is Nudged, a company that encourages sustainable choices through behavioural design. A pilot in Gotland was able to reduce car commuting by 14% simply by ‘nudging’ commuters to choose more climate-friendly options. Another in Gothenburg helped make users 76% more positive about switching to cycling.
Waterways make a comeback
Many of Europe’s historic cities flourished along rivers and canals as boats were the fastest and most efficient way to transport large cargo, before the invention of motorised vehicles. These waterways were key to the movement of both goods and people.
Now, with the evolution of sustainable, autonomous mobility, we’re seeing a revival in waterborne transportation routes. “There are a lot of cities in Europe where public transport across harbours, rivers, and lakes could contribute a lot to changing the mobility patterns and making it much more environmentally friendly,” Hanell says.
On June 8th, Stockholm launched the world’s first commercial autonomous, electric ferry providing a shortcut for passengers across the harbour between Kungsholmen and Södermalm. Solar panels on the roof allow it to charge during the day, and it can be charged via electric plug at night. The ferry, built by Zeabuz, features radar, lidar, cameras, ultrasonic sensors, AI, and GPS technology which allow it to scan and navigate the waters safely.
Image by Zeabuz
Meanwhile, the city of Paris is planning to introduce its own smart ferries, built by Norwegian startup Hyke, to provide extra transport routes across the Seine for visitors during the Summer Olympics in 2024.
Of course, cars aren’t going anywhere…
No matter how many pedestrian and cycling-friendly lanes we build in our cities, we’ll still need cars for longer haul journeys.
While the EU’s shift towards electric vehicles is a great step towards reducing both air and noise pollution, it’s also increasing its dependence on batteries. In fact, the EU predicts EV battery demand and production will increase at a rapid rate until 2030, but the bloc faces a looming shortage of raw materials to meet future demand. As Hanell explains, policymakers are already concerned about the effect this could have across the bloc:
One of the big challenges of Europe is that we’re currently very dependent on China and importing batteries. There are a lot of discussions going on about limiting the import of Chinese electric vehicles and also how we can make ourselves more independent of battery technologies.
Swedish startup Elonroad believes the solution could lay in electrifying Europe’s roads. Much like a power bank, the company has developed a conductive rail that can charge cars as they pass over them on the highway or trucks as they’re parked at a loading bay.
“If vehicles can charge while they’re driving or when they’re parked, then you don’t need as much battery capacity,” Hanell says.
The startup is already beginning a large project to electrify highways across France.
Image by Elonroad
Another interesting startup working to meet this challenge is Circu Li-ion which aims to maximise the potential of each battery through upcycling. Rather than focusing on producing new batteries, giving existing batteries a second life is a great way to save CO2 and get the most out of the valuable raw materials inside. And investors are seeing the potential here too. Circu Li-ion recently raised €8.5mn in seed funding.
The future of mobility in Europe won’t be the same
As Hanell emphasised, there is no one size fits all solution to Europe’s mobility challenges. Copenhagen, with its bicycle culture, won’t necessarily follow the same urban mobility path as Madrid. “There are local flavours of everything.”
While the future of urban mobility may not look like a sci-fi movie with flying cars dotting the horizon, Hanell posits that:
The best solutions are pretty much low tech but every once in a while we find these gems, these innovations that can help people change.
Want to learn more about the future of mobility in Europe? EIT Urban Mobility will be hosting a session at Slush 2023 on “Where to invest next in the mobility sector.” Fredrik Hanell and other experts will address topics like how investment in mobility differs from other sectors, the opportunities, traps and where the sector is heading in the coming years. Check it out on 1st of December, 11: 30 am GMT+2.
Norway-headquartered Otovo has secured €40mn to expand its rent-to-buy online marketplace for solar panels, as it seeks to cash in on booming demand from homeowners looking to slash their energy bills.
Otovo rents out solar panels and inverters at a fixed monthly cost, which includes all repairs and maintenance. It also offers the option to purchase the panels outright.
The platform, currently available 13 European countries, uses satellite data and mapping information to calculate how much sunlight a section of your roof receives and the corresponding energy produced, as well as the size, shape, and specification of suitable rooftop solar products.Then it finds the best price and solar installer for the job in your area.
Between 2010 and 2020, the price of solar electricity dropped 89% to become the cheapest energy source in history. As gas prices soar, homeowners are increasingly looking to solar panels to increase their energy security, cut costs, and boost the value of their properties. Rooftop solar added 25 GW of capacity in 2022, 8 GW more than in 2021, according to industry body SolarPower Europe.
But even though solar panels are comparatively cheap, they still present a significant upfront cost. Currently, in the EU it costs roughly € 10,000 for a photovoltaic system capable of catering to the energy needs of a 3-bedroom house. Otovo’s rent-to-buy option looks to flatten this financial barrier.
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The Oslo-based company now plans to use the fresh funding to ensure its path to reach profitability and to take the number one position in the European residential solar market, it said.
“The equity raise allows Otovo to aggressively pursue the opportunities given by an energy market in which the cost of building new solar energy is at an all-time low, traditional energy prices are rising and consumers are looking for ways to cut their expenses,” said Otovo CEO, Andreas Thorsheim.
The round was led by existing shareholders Å Energy, Axel Johnson Group, and Nysnø, the Norwegian government’s Climate Investment Fund.
This latest raise brings Otovo’s total funding to €231mn, according to Crunchbasedata. The company went public in 2021 after listing on the Euronext Growth stock exchange.
From the top investors in this latest round, Nordic energy utility Å Energi was allocated shares worth 22.4mn, Axel Johnson Group for €8.7m, and the state climate fund Nysnø for €2.4mn.
Valve unveiled its Steam Deck OLED late last week, offering up a hardware refresh for the first time since the company launched the handheld gaming device last year. While the company has been full steam ahead on handhelds and developing Steam OS, Valve says it’s “still pushing forward” on VR.
Valve ostensibly has a standalone VR headset in the works, and although there wasn’t any big announcement (or acknowledgement) of what the company has in store just yet. Talking to Norman Chan of Tested though, it was revealed the company is still working on VR.
In an interview, Valve designer Lawrence Yang spoke about the overlap between Steam Deck’s design relative to its VR efforts:
“There’s a lot of things [informing hardware decisions]. Working with an APU, working with miniaturization of computers. We don’t have anything to announce today in terms of a VR other than we are still working on VR, and we’re still pushing forward on it. Just like Steam Deck is learning a bunch of stuff from controllers and VR, future products will continue to learn from everything we’ve done with Steam Deck.”
“Obviously there’s a lot of overlap, from technology pieces that we can use; wireless streaming is very applicable to VR. That benefitted Steam Deck as well in improving the wireless experience. But also from just establishing relationships with part suppliers, hardware partners, and that kind of stuff. The SteamVR team and the Steam Deck team work together. There’s a lot of inoculation of ideas, parts and technologies.”
At Steam Deck’s initial launch in February 2022, Valve chief Gabe Newell told Edge Magazine that Steam Deck represented a “steppingstone” to portable VR for the company thanks to its battery-capable, high-performance horsepower.
More recently, the company released its long-awaited SteamVR 2.0 which drastically upgraded the platform’s VR interface. Whether this is in preparation for an upcoming VR standalone headset remains to be seen; it’s certainly a knock-on effect of improvements made specifically for Steam Deck’s UI.
You can check out the full breakdown of Steam Deck OLED in the Tested video below:
Great mop performance but less than exceptional vacuuming
With excellent mopping, a long battery life, a mop cleaning base station with a handy touchscreen, and an intuitive app, the Narwal Freo has a lot on offer. However, given the mediocre vacuum performance and the lack of an auto-emptying dust bin, combined with a high price tag, this robot vacuum leaves something to be desired and is best for households with lighter cleaning needs.
Pros
+Handy LCD touchscreen control panel on the base station
+Excellent self-cleaning mops
+Long battery life
Cons
The Narwal Freo offers everything you’d expect from one of the best robot vacuums. Beyond vacuuming, it has mopping, an intuitive app, long battery life, and a base station with auto mop-cleaning and an LCD touchscreen for extra control. But the question is, do these features deliver? Almost all of them do, except probably the most important one: vacuuming.
When it came to vacuuming, the Narwal Freo sucked, and not in a way that vacuums are supposed to. It failed to pick up debris during everyday cleaning tasks on carpeted and hard floors, leaving a larger-than-expected amount of hair, crumbs, and other dirt behind as it traversed my space, with its performance worsening over time. Edge brushes and other “special” technology did little to expel dirt from edges and corners, meaning you’ll want to grab one of the best vacuum cleaners to finish the job this device failed to complete.
Mopping on the Narwal Freo was a different story. The two oscillating mop heads did an excellent job cleaning up lighter dirt, spots, and grime. The robot vacuum also as a whole did a decent job navigating my space and freeing itself when getting stuck. It’s not the best I’ve seen but on par with many robot vacuums I’ve tested. After mopping, my floors sparkled while the auto-mop cleaning on the base station made the entire process virtually hands-off.
Speaking of that base station, it’s bulky, but the unique LCD touchscreen on its lid is especially useful when you don’t want to use the app. However, the omission of an auto-emptying dustbin was shocking given the retail price. For more control over settings and cleanings, the app was great, and you can even save multiple maps, making it ideal for multi-level spaces.
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The Narwal Freo is best for homes with lighter cleaning needs given the poor vacuum pick-up. However, it’s almost entirely hands-free and will leave your floors looking better than before with little effort on your part, removing a few chores from the list.
NARWAL FREO: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
How much does it cost? $1,399.99 / AU$1,999 (about £1,100)
When is it available? Available now
Where is it available? Available in the US and Australia
The Narwal Freo costs $1,399.99 / AU$1,999 (about £1,100). You can get it directly from the Narwal website or various retailers, including Amazon and Walmart. In Australia, it’s available on their website.
Given the price, this robot vacuum sits at the higher end of the market. Luckily, it offers many features to help justify that cost, including self-cleaning oscillating mops and an LCD touchscreen. Still, the lack of an auto-emptying dust bin is shocking. If you can grab it on sale, it will make the device a much better value. One small but much-appreciated detail is the inclusion of a floor cleaning solution, but it costs a pretty penny when that needs replacing.
Something like the Eufy Clean X9 Pro offers similar functionality to the Narwal Freo, including self-cleaning and oscillating mops, and it retails for $500 less, making it a better deal. But if you’re looking for almost everything a robot vacuum can offer in one convenient package, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra might suit you better. With it comes self-cleaning mops and the auto-emptying dust bin that the Narwal Freo lacks – although this impressive vacuum will set you back $1,599 / AU$2,699 (about £1,265).
Value: 3.5 / 5
NARWAL FREO: SPECIFICATIONS
Watt:
45W(vacuum) / 72W (base)
Suction power:
3,000pa
Speeds:
Quiet, Normal, Strong, Super Powerful
Bin volume:
480ml
Battery life:
180 minutes (Freo Mode)
Filtration:
Yes
Noise volume:
65Db (vacuum) / 50Db (base)
Mop water volume:
Not specified
Water levels:
Slightly dry, normal, wet mopping
Mapping:
Yes
Obstacle avoidance:
Yes
Base:
14.6 x 16.3 x 17.1 in (370 x 415 x 435 mm)
Smart support:
Siri
Tools:
None
Weight:
9.59 lbs (4.35 kg)
NARWAL FREO: DESIGN AND FEATURES
LCD touchscreen control panel on base station
Auto mop cleaning base, no auto emptying
Two oscillating mop heads
The Narwal Freo came in a massive, heavy box that was difficult to maneuver on my own. Upon opening, I was greeted with a large instruction sheet and began setting up the vacuum. The process took about 10 minutes, including downloading the Narwal app and connecting to Wi-Fi via a 2.4GHz band. It was fairly simple and similar to most robot vacuums.
One glaring omission from the base station’s design is an auto-emptying dustbin, something I’ve seen on almost every robot vacuum in its price range. Instead, you get that floor solution that tucks neatly inside along with clean and dirty water tanks for the self-cleaning mops. That means you’ll need to empty the 480ml dust box on the robot vacuum itself, which can be annoying. However, the tray where the mops are cleaned is removable, so you can rinse it down if it looks or smells a bit grimy.
The robot vacuum is similar to others, with a large main roller brush featuring actual bristles, edge brushes, and various sensors throughout. It’s the same white as the base, so scuff marks began to show immediately after the initial use. There’s only one button on the device, giving you limited control unless you’re using the LCD touch screen or the app. The dust box is easy to remove, though I found that some contents would fall out in the process, which is annoying given the fact that there’s no auto-emptying dust bin.
My favorite part of the actual robot vacuum is the oscillating mops. You get two large, plush mop heads that rotate and adjust pressure based on the floor type. I’ve found that this type of mopping does a better job of cleaning floors than the vibrating mopping pads seen on most. After mopping, the base station cleans the mops and even dries them to prevent smelly bacteria growth.
I’ve mentioned controlling the vacuum via the app or the LCD touchscreen on the base, but you can also send the vacuum out to clean using smart home integration. It currently supports Siri voice control, and the Narwal app makes it insanely simple to set up – something I can’t say for other vacuums I’ve tested.
NARWAL FREO: PERFORMANCE
Easy-to-use app
Excellent mopping
Mediocre vacuuming
For its first task, I sent the Narwal Freo out using Narwal’s unique Freo Mode that detects the dirt in an area and cleans accordingly using “DirtSense Technology.” The vacuum and mops are both used in this mode. The device navigated my downstairs with relative ease, though it would occasionally get tripped up on rugs, eventually freeing itself without my help. After finishing cleaning a room, or sometimes more often, the vacuum would go back to the base and clean the mops. This process takes about two minutes. Then, it would go right back out, picking up where it left off cleaning.
Freo Mode left the floors cleaner than before, but the performance wasn’t perfect. Most of the spots from food spills and muddy boots got mopped up, though the mops that are supposed to lift on rugs and carpet wouldn’t always do so, soaking the edges of rugs. There was still debris left in the corners and edges of rooms, especially near the kitchen cabinets. Given this vacuum advertises a “Smart Swing” technology to combat this issue, I was disappointed the feature wasn’t better. The rugs also had some debris and dog hair left on them. It’s important to note that I have a fluffy dog constantly traipsing leaves and muck throughout the house, so this vacuum had its work cut out for it.
I did more intensive testing of the Narwal Freo’s vacuuming to see how it fared when cleaning up different sizes of debris. Using a large concentration of oats, sugar, and sprinkles, I tested its pick up on a hard laminate floor at the vacuum’s various speeds: quiet, normal, strong, and super powerful. I noticed that each suction level performed similarly.
Some of the oats and sprinkles got flung around in the first pass-through, but sending the vacuum out a second time saw most of the mess suctioned up. Some sprinkles got crushed in the process, and they were left behind. The sugar appeared to get vacuumed. However, upon closer inspection, there was some grittiness on the floor, and it took several passes to remove it.
I sent the vacuum back to the base after these tests—the robot vacuum successfully found the base and docked every time it finished a cleaning task. But on its way, it had to pass over several transitions, losing some of the contents of the dust box, and leaving a mess of sprinkles, and oats behind. Luckily, the robot vacuum increases suction when docking at the base, helping to prevent the dust box contents from falling out.
I performed these same tests on medium-pile carpeting, and unfortunately, the Narwal Freo’s performance was pretty pathetic. No matter the suction level and even with a second pass-through, most of the oats, sprinkles, and flour were left behind. I had to grab a cordless vacuum I was testing to pick up the mess the Freo left behind. So, if your home consists mostly of carpeting, I’d seek another robot vacuum option.
Its mops were also put through more intensive testing, as I spread yogurt, honey, and some of my morning coffee on the floor. I used all the mop water levels: slightly dry, normal, and wet mopping. Slightly dry tended to spread the mess around, but normal and wet mopping performed better. After the first pass, the coffee was gone, though the yogurt was smeared around while only some of the honey was removed. A second pass-through cleaned up the majority of the mess.
I love how great the mops perform. They’re perfect for cleaning up lighter spills and messes. When emptying the dirty water tank, I could see just how great they were working, as that water was nasty. Plus, even after several weeks of use, the mops look almost as good as new. They are white, so there are a few darker spots on them, but there’s no odor, which is a testament to the handy auto-cleaning and drying feature on the base station.
Beyond the more intensive testing, I observed how the Narwal Freo performed everyday tasks, whether it was in Freo Mode, Vacuum, Mop, or both.
Its navigation was on par with other vacuums I’ve tested. For the most part, it covered the entire area I had requested the robot vacuum to clean. The device would avoid objects like dog bowls and toys. But when it came to furniture and larger obstacles, it would skirt nicely around some or just fully ram others with no rhyme or reason. Sometimes, the Freo would get tripped up by an obstacle for several minutes, continuously running into it or spinning around it. I’ve found this to be a common issue with many robot vacuums. Wires would also get caught in the main brush from time to time–not a big surprise.
Speaking of the main brush, it has bristles, something many robot vacuums have done away with. That means it’s a hair magnet, and I had to clean it on multiple occasions. I also found the brush difficult to get back in place correctly after cleaning, a minor annoyance.
When it came to detecting debris, it was a hit or miss. Sometimes, the Narwal Freo would spot larger messes and pick them up immediately. Other times, it seemingly avoided the mess, never going back to clean up, proving the vacuum to be unreliable.
As the Narwal Freo vacuumed, it attempted to kick out debris from hard-to-reach places, corners, and baseboards using the edge brushes. Oftentimes, it didn’t successfully move the debris, and if it did move the debris, that debris never actually got suctioned up. This was a major disappointment, especially given the price.
In fact, I was truly shocked at just how mediocre the vacuuming performance of the Narwal Freo was. I’ll admit that my floors were full of crumbs, pet hair, leaves, and other debris, making them messier than the average household. But I was lucky if the Freo picked up a third of what was on the floor. Sure, larger crumbs and dirt were left, and that’s acceptable and often expected from these devices. However, small leaves, tiny needles from an artificial Christmas tree, and minuscule crumbs were left behind even after I sent the vacuum out multiple times.
I also believe the vacuum’s performance declined from when I first began using it. I tried to remedy the problem, doing everything from emptying the dust box after each use to cleaning the brushes and filter. Still, it failed to have a better pick-up. That poor vacuuming performance could be due to the 3,000Pa max suction level, which is pretty low considering the cost. Therefore, if your household has pets, kids, or just tends to get a bit grimier, I’d steer clear of the Narwal Freo.
Performance: 2.5 / 5
NARWAL FREO: APP
Easy to use app
Mapping uncomplicated
It was simple to start using the Narwal Freo. Before its first run, the robot vacuum leaves the base and creates a map of your space. The process was quick, and I had a relatively accurate map of the downstairs of my home, which is about 700 square feet with multiple rooms, in about 15 minutes. You can then edit the map, block off certain areas, and name rooms using the Narwal app. The map isn’t as intelligent as some I’ve used, but it should suffice for most.
A great feature of the Narwal App is its ability to save up to four maps. So, beyond the main downstairs map, I created two others. One map of my sunken family room and another of the upstairs. Mapping was uncomplicated, as you just needed to move the robot vacuum to the space and let it do its thing. However, you can’t select specific rooms to clean on the additional maps, as the app only allows you to highlight areas to be cleaned, which can be tedious.
However, the app as a whole is easy to use and took me only a couple of minutes to master. It lets you adjust vacuum settings, check when components need replacing, schedule cleanings, and more. When you don’t go through the app, you can always use the LCD touchscreen on the base, though you’ll have less control over the specifics of your cleaning.
App: 4.5 / 5
NARWAL FREO: BATTERY LIFE
Battery lasts over three hours
Takes less than 4 hours to recharge
The Narwal Freo is equipped with a 5,200mAh battery that lasts an impressive amount of time. Using Freo Mode, which includes vacuuming and mopping, the battery lasted over three hours. That was enough juice to clean almost 700 square feet of space three times. It’s the best battery performance I’ve seen in my robot vacuum testing.
When only using the vacuuming function, I found that the battery did deplete quicker. Still, it lasted long enough for multiple whole home cleanings. Of course, increasing the suction level did cause the levels to drop even faster.
After the battery dropped below 20%, it returned to the base for charging. There’s an option to send it back out to complete a task after it has reached a certain level of charge. And the battery gets back to 100% percent surprisingly fast, taking less than 4 hours.
Battery: 5 / 5
SHOULD I BUY THE NARWAL FREO?
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
Expensive but feature-rich vacuum, similar option retails for less
3.5 / 5
Design
Easy to set up, base station washes and dries mops but no auto-emptying, useful LCD touch screen on the base, oscillating mops on robot vacuum
4 / 5
Performance
The two oscillating mop pads work great, but the vacuum pick up and edge clean up are mediocre
2.5 / 5
App
The app is simple to use and offers multi level home mapping
4.5 / 5
Battery life
Battery lasts over three hours depending on the mode and recharges quickly in under 4 hours
5 / 5
Buy it if…
You want top-tier mopping.
The Narwal Freo features two oscillating mops that put the vibrating mopping pads seen on most robot vacuums to shame. The base station cleans and dries the mops, leaving them in great condition even after several weeks of use.
You have a multilevel home.
Unlike many robot vacuum apps, the Narwal app allows you to create up to four maps. So, if you have different levels in your home, you won’t need to worry about deleting your current map to clean another part of your space.
You don’t always want to use an app.
The Narwal Freo has a unique LCD touchscreen on the base station, allowing you to select different modes and send the robot vacuum out to clean. Beyond that, it gives details about when components need replacing, shows your network settings, and more.
Don’t buy it if…
You have pets or kids in your home.
The Narwal Freo fails to pick up a good portion of debris when performing average cleaning tasks. So, if you’re house is prone to more crumbs, hair, and dirt, this vacuum won’t be able to keep up. You’ll want to grab an option with more suction power.
You have a mostly carpeted home.
Given the mediocre vacuuming performance, especially on carpeting, and the high price tag, you’d want to grab this vacuum for the excellent mops. If you don’t have hard floors, then you can find better-performing vacuum-only options for cheaper.
You want an auto-emptying dustbin.
Unfortunately, the base station of this robot vacuum doesn’t include an auto-emptying dust bin. That means you’ll need to remove the dust box and empty it. It’s a surprising omission, considering the price of the vacuum.
NARWAL FREO: ALSO CONSIDER
Not sold on the prowess of the Narwal Freo? Below are a couple of alternatives that you can consider.
–Expensive
–No auto-emptying dustbin
–Mediocre vacuum performance
Header Cell – Column 0
Narwal Freo
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra
Eufy Clean X9 Pro
Price:
$1,399.99 / AU$1,999 (about £1,100)
$1,599.99 US / AU$2,699 (about £2,370)
$899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.95
Watt:
45W(vacuum) / 72W (base)
Row 1 – Cell 2
Row 1 – Cell 3
Suction power:
3,000pa
6000Pa
5,500Pa
Speeds:
Quiet, Normal, Strong, Super Powerful
Row 3 – Cell 2
Row 3 – Cell 3
Bin volume:
480 ml
0.66 gallons (2.5L)
13.9 oz (410 ml)
Battery life:
180 minutes (Freo Mode)
180 min (quiet mode)
150 min (standard vacuum/mop setting)
Filtration:
Yes
Row 6 – Cell 2
Row 6 – Cell 3
Noise volume:
65Db (vacuum), 50Db (base)
69dB (vacuum), 77dB (base)
65dB (vacuum), 50dB (base)
Mop water volume:
Not specified
0.92 gallons (3.5L)
1.1 gallons (4.1L)
Water levels:
Slightly dry, normal, wet mopping
Row 9 – Cell 2
Row 9 – Cell 3
Mapping:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Obstacle avoidance:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Base:
14.6 x 16.3 x 17.1 in (370 x 415 x 435 mm)
16.7 x 20.2 x 17.7 in (42.4 x 51.3 x 45 cm)
17.4 x 16.6.2 x 16.4 in (44.3 x 42.2 x 41.6 cm)
Smart support:
Siri
Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Tools:
None
Row 14 – Cell 2
Row 14 – Cell 3
Weight:
9.59 lbs (4.35 kg)
10lbs (vacuum)
31.7 lbs (14.4 kg)
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra An impressive but pricey robot vacuum, offering both vacuuming and mopping abilities, and has a self-cleaning, auto-emptying docking station to give you a mostly hands-off cleaning experience. An intuitive app delivers intelligent mapping as well as easy adjustment of settings.
Read our full Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review
Eufy Clean X9 Pro A solid robot vacuum that vacuums and mops. The rotating mops are great at removing spills and spots on your floor, while the base station’s auto-cleaning feature washes the mops for you. Unfortunately, there’s no auto-emptying for the dust box. There’s also an intuitive app that creates an intelligent map and makes it simple to adjust various settings.
Read our full Eufy Clean X9 Pro review
HOW I TESTED THE NARWAL FREO
Tested over the course of several weeks
Used almost every mop and vacuum setting
Tested on various floor types, including carpet and laminate
I tested the Narwal Freo in my two-story home with floor types that include hardwood, medium pile carpet, tile, and laminate. There are also low-pile rugs throughout. I’d send the vacuum out multiple times per week using the different modes: Freo Mode, Vacuuming and Mopping, Vacuuming, and Mopping. The robot vacuum would do its thing, and I would only intervene if needed, observing how it handled obstacles, edges, and more.
Beyond the basics, I did more intensive testing of the device on both hard floor and carpeting to see how it handled larger messes of varying debris sizes. Using oats, flour, and sprinkles, I tested all the suction levels of the vacuum to see how well each setting vacuumed. I also spread yogurt, honey, and coffee on the floor to observe the mops’ performance at varying water levels.
Although this is the first time I’ve tested a Narwal robot vacuum, I have reviewed plenty of others from top brands like Shark, Roborock, Ecovacs, Eufy, and more, so I feel confident in my experience using these devices.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained – regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
Rebellion, the studio behind the Sniper Elite franchise, announced a new VR game coming to Quest this month: Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior.
The studio threw out a reveal trailer in addition to announcing a pretty close release date; it’s coming to Quest 2/3/Pro on November 30th.
While we can’t tell how deep the game will be just by looking at the trailer, Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior is only priced at $15, which suggests we’ll be getting a shorter game that the original Sniper Elite VR (2021), which launched with a six-hour campaign for $30. It’s also only been announced for Quest, whereas Sniper Elite VR came to all major VR headsets at the time.
Image courtesy Rebellion, Just Add Water
Developed in partnership with Just Add Water, Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior puts you in the boots of “the Partisan,” a former Italian resistance soldier reliving his memories of banishing Nazi forces from his homeland. The studio says it will feature a “full story-driven campaign in which you uncover Nazi “wonder-weapons” that must be destroyed along with those behind the plans.”
Two additional game modes were also announced: ‘Sniper Hunt’ and ‘Last Stand’. The studio says Sniper Hunt is an “intense game of cat and mouse that pits you against expert Nazi snipers,” whereas Last Stand pits you against waves of enemies where you’ll need to gather weapons and ammunition and set traps before fighting to survive against the oncoming forces.
Schell Games, the studio behind the I Expect You to Die VR puzzle series, showed off more of its upcoming VR game which is all about slaying vampires—and of course the ever-looming threat of a jumpscare if you fail.
Coming in 2024 to Quest, the new trailer finally shows off some gameplay of Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire, which the studio initially announced back in June during Meta’s Quest Gaming Showcase.
Releasing on Quest 2/3/Pro, in Silent Slayer players become vampire slayers and are tasked with quietly eliminating an ancient vampire clan before they wake. Players must carefully dismantle their coffins’ defenses using various tools, creating the perfect opportunity to plunge a stake through the heart of undead foes.
The studio says both silence and precision are key, as one wrong move and the fanged monsters will rise, immediately draining the player’s life force.
The UK government is investing £225mn to build one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, as it looks to “lead the world” in AI systems.
The supercomputer — named Isambard-AI, after the famous 19th-century British engineer Isambard Brunel — will be ten times faster than the country’s quickest machine once it switches on in about six months’ time. It will be hosted at Bristol University in a “self-cooled, self-contained data centre,” developed by Hewlett-Packard Enterprises.
Equipped with over 5,000 NVIDIA superchips, the supercomputer will run more than 200 quadrillion calculations per second. For comparison, a human would have to make a decision every second for 6.3 billion years to match what this machine can calculate in one second.
The government’s new Frontier AI Taskforce will have priority access to the new computer to support its work to mitigate the risks posed by the most advanced forms of AI, the government said. Isambard-AI will also offer computing capacity for researchers and industry in fields such as robotics, big data, climate research, and drug discovery. According to Simon McIntosh-Smith of the University of Bristol, the supercomputer “will be one of the most powerful AI systems for open science anywhere in the world” once operational.
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The funding injection, announced by innovation secretary Michelle Donelan at the AI safety summit yesterday, is part of a £300mn package to create a new national Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (AIRR). “We are making it clear that Britain is grasping the opportunity to lead the world in adopting this technology safely so we can put it to work and lead healthier, easier and longer lives,” said Donelan at the summit.
The investment will also connect Isambard-AI to a newly announced Cambridge supercomputer called Dawn. This computer — delivered through a partnership with Dell and StackHPC — will be powered by over 1000 Intel chips that use water cooling to reduce power consumption. It is set to be running in the next two months and targets breakthroughs in fusion energy, healthcare and climate modelling.
As it looks to assert its dominance in technology, the UK is planning an even more powerful computer for 2025, to be housed at the University of Edinburgh. This ‘exascale’ machine (of which there is only one other currently in operation — Frontier in Tennessee, USA) will build on the technology and experience from the planned Bristol supercomputer.
The artificial intelligence hype train has reached another milestone. In an eagerly-anticipated announcement, Collins Dictionary today named AI as its word of the year.
Generously, Collins also provided a definition for the nebulous term: “the modelling of human mental functions by computer programs.”
Additionally, the dictionary offered an explanation for the award. According to the book’s British publisher, usage of “AI” has quadrupled over the previous 12 months.
That shouldn’t come as a big surprise. AI has become a common topic everywhere from pitch decks to pubs. But that doesn’t mean the field is guaranteed to enjoy a good life.
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Tech terms that previously won or were shortlisted for the Collins word of the year have experienced mixed fortunes. Here’s how they fared.
Phablet (Shortlisted, 2013)
Our first entry is truly hideous. A portmanteau of phone and tablet, phablet refers to mobile devices that are caught between sizes. Mercifully, the word is now only found in the most shameful of lexicons.
Bitcoin (Shortlisted, 2013)
Bitcoin has taken investors on rollercoasters since being nominated by Collins. It reached an all-time high price of around €65,000 in November 2021, before dropping down to about €32,500 today.
After the 2022 collapse of FTX, the value of Bitcoin nosedived.
A significant loss, indeed. But anyone who invested when Bitcoin was shortlisted for word of the year could have bought one for just €705.
Cybernats (Shortlisted, 2013)
Cybernat is an informal name for a supporter of the Scottish National Party supporter who campaigns online for Scottish independence. Amid growing calls for a second referendum, the word is regaining momentum.
Tinder (Shortlisted, 2014)
Tinder remains the undisputed leader in the online dating field. In July, the app had over 6 million monthly downloads. Compared to 2013, however, Tinder now has numerous rivals for lonely hearts and horny loins.
Swipe (Shortlisted, 2015)
Tinder’s key feature has also made a shortlist. With the gesture still ubiquitous on mobile devices, the swipe isn’t going anywhere soon.
Contactless (Shortlisted, 2015)
It’s hard for us to imagine a world before contactless payments. A recent European road trip, however, showed that the tech still has plenty of growth potential.
Uberization (Shortlisted, 2016)
Uberization has become omnipresent since 2016. A term for adopting a market-changing method of supplying products and services, the concept has entered new markets as mobile use has grown globally.
Insta (Shortlisted, 2017)
While Instagram continues to attract new users, “IG” is now a more popular term than “Insta,”‘ according to Google Trends. But a bigger concern for the app is the inexorable rise of TikTok.
Unicorn (Shortlisted, 2017)
A unicorn originally referred to an imaginary horned creature, but it earned a shortlist spot for its second meaning: a privately-held startup that’s valued at over $1 billion.
Valuations of European unicorns plunged during the economic downturn.
Such businesses reached a peak in 2021, when the number of new unicorns spiked to 787. In 2022, however, there was a 90% drop in fresh members of the flock.
Echo chamber (Shortlisted, 2017)
Although it’s not strictly a tech term, the echo chamber can thank social media for its place on the shortlist.
Their prominence persists, but recent research suggests they’re not as polarising as previously feared.
Deepfake (Shortlisted, 2019)
Deepfakes are yet to create the disinformation maelstrom that many experts expected to emerge in 2017.
The digital replicas are certainly becoming more realistic, but they’re still only really popular in one vertical: porn. In 2013, researchers found that 98% of all deepfake videos online are pornography.
Influencer (Shortlisted, 2019)
Instagram’s defining legacy is the infuriating “job” title of “Influencer.” As the infernal role lives on attention, we’ll give it as little as possible.
TikToker (Shortlisted, 2020)
Another child of social media, the TikToker became an obsession of marketers in 2020.
Allowing TikTok in Europe and the US is “insane,” according to NYU professor Scott Galloway.
To the horror of boomers in the West, the app has rapidly grown in popularity since then. TikTok reached 1.5 billion users in 2023 — a 16% increase on the previous year.
Metaverse (Shortlisted, 2021)
The metaverse boom began with Facebook’s big rebrand, but then quickly faded. A combination ofjaw-dropping financial losses, risible technologies, and the generative AI explosion has brought the concept back to Earth.
Crypto (Shortlisted, 2021)
Cryptocurrency prices rose to dizzying heights in 2019, but have now entered a crypto winter. There are signs, however, that the bear market could be approaching a close.
Pingdemic (Shortlisted, 2021)
Pingdemic became a common term when COVID-19 apps were frequently advising users to self-isolate. Thankfully, the pandemic eventually subsided, rendering the word a mere memory — for now.
NFT (Winner, 2021)
Congratulations,NFT! You’re the only other tech term that Collins has named word of the year.
At TNW, we initially mocked non-fungible tokens as a money-grabbing scam. But who’s laughing now? We are, actually — trading of NFTs plummeted by 81% between January 2022 and July 2023.
AI looks unlikely to suffer a serious fate. The tech is developing rapidly and entering a growing range of applications. We expect the progress to continue — although the hype may soon give way to more realistic expectations.
We’ll revisit the term when Collins returns with the next word of the year. Do you predict another entry from the world of tech? Let us know via the usual channels.
Nokia has taken legal action against Amazon and HP over their alleged “unauthorised use” of the company’s video streaming-related technologies.
In a blogpost, Nokia’s Chief Licencing Officer Arvin Patel alleged that Amazon Prime Video and Amazon’s streaming devices infringe a number of the company’s multimedia patents, including video compression, content recommendation and delivery, and aspects related to hardware.
For this reason, Nokia has filed lawsuits in the US, Germany, India, the UK, and the European Patent Office. A separate lawsuit was filed against HP in the US.
“We’ve been in discussions with each of Amazon and HP for a number of years, but sometimes litigation is the only way to respond to companies who choose not to play by the rules followed and respected by others,” said Patel.
He emphasised that, despite the lack of patent licence agreements, Amazon and HP are “significantly benefiting” from Nokia’s inventions. According to his statement, the Finnish company has invested over €140bn in R&D for advanced technologies since 2000, and is now holding one of the world’s most adept patent portfolios of connectivity and multimedia tech.
Patel underlined that litigation isn’t the company’s first choice. Instead, Nokia prefers reaching amicable agreements with the businesses relying on its technology, being open to “constructive, good-faith negotiations” about the compensation and royalties for use of key inventions.
Amazon and HP declined to comment on an ongoing litigation.
Meanwhile in October, Nokia announced a wider restructuring that will cut up to 14,000 employees. The move is expected to reduced its personnel expenses by 10%-15%, saving it at least €400mn in 2024.
AI could be nearly twice as accurate as biopsies at assessing the aggressiveness of some rare types of cancer, a new study suggests. According to researchers this could save the lives of thousands of patients.
A research team from the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) focused on retroperitoneal sarcoma — a form of soft tissue sarcoma that develops in the back of the abdomen.
“There is an urgent need to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma, who currently have poor outcomes,” said Dr Amani Arthur, first author of the study.
“The disease is very rare — clinicians may only see one or two cases in their career — which means diagnosis can be slow. This type of sarcoma is also difficult to treat as it can grow to large sizes and, due to the tumour’s location in the abdomen, involve complex surgery.”
To develop and train an AI algorithm, the researchers used CT scans of 170 patients suffering from the two most common types of retroperitoneal sarcoma: leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma. Then, they tested the algorithm on a set of 89 patients across Europe and the US.
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The technology accurately assessed the aggressiveness of the tumours 82% of the time, while biopsies were correct in only 44% of the cases. The AI model was also able to predict the type of 84% of the sarcomas tested, compared to radiologists who could diagnose 65% of the cases.
Study lead Professor Christina Messiou,Consultant Radiologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Professor in Imaging for Personalised Oncology at the Institute of Cancer Research. Credit: ICR
The researchers believe that their method could not only improve and speed up diagnosis, but also help clinicians manage the disease and its outcomes. For example, the algorithm could identify high-risks patients, who need amplified treatment, and low-risk patients, who can reduce treatment, follow-up scans, and hospital visits.
Notably, the team suggests that the AI model could prove to be useful for other cancer types as well.
“In the future, this approach may help characterise other types of cancer, not just retroperitoneal sarcoma,” said study lead Professor Christina Messiou. “Our novel approach used features specific to this disease, but by refining the algorithm, this technology could one day improve the outcomes of thousands of patients each year.”
