Xiaomi amplia la propria gamma per il benessere domestico con Mijia Sterilizing Foot Bath 2, nuova versione del suo pediluvio elettrico che punta su igiene, massaggio e facilità d’uso.
La novità principale è il sistema di sterilizzazionedei condotti interni. Xiaomi ha integrato un modulo a ultravioletti direttamente nel circuito dell’acqua, così da trattare le tubazioni senza esporre direttamente la pelle alla radiazione UV. L’azienda dichiara un tasso di sterilizzazione del 99,9%. Il sistema di massaggio lavora invece su tre aree: rulli per la pianta del piede, pressione sulla zona dell’arco e piccoli colpi sul tallone. La base è rivestita in TPE morbido, sagomato per seguire meglio la forma del piede.
Altro elemento particolare è il sistema spray retrattile, che utilizza una pompa centrifuga per creare una sorta di cascata d’acqua. L’altezza del getto può essere regolata su tre livelli: sopra la superficie, a filo dell’acqua oppure sotto il livello dell’acqua. La vasca è inoltre più alta del modello precedente: Xiaomi indica un incremento del 6,7%, fino a 382 mm, sufficiente per immergere anche parte del polpaccio. Il riscaldatore ha una potenza di 950 watt e possiede un sistema di controllo della temperatura. L’acqua può essere impostata tra 35 e 48 °C, con regolazione a gradini di 1 °C, mentre il timer varia da 5 a 60 minuti. Il dispositivo memorizza anche le preferenze utilizzate più di frequente.
Scientists have developed solar panels that can work up to 10 meters underwater
The panels can capture up to 324 mWh of energy at that depth
Each device is expected to last up to five and a half years at a time
A lot of devices are deployed underwater for research and exploration purposes, but powering them all can prove to be difficult, especially if they’re under the waves for a considerable period of time. A new scientific paper, however, has shown that solar panels can be successfully used at depths of up to 10 meters, potentially presenting a new way to keep underwater tech powered up and ready for action.
The paper was published in the Joule periodical and accompanied by a press release explaining its advances. The research was conducted by a team of scientists from Yunnan University in China, who said that a series of solar cells placed 32 feet (10 meters) below the water’s surface in the South China Sea were able to collect enough energy to power up a set of lithium-ion batteries in two hours.
The cells were made from lead halide perovskite with a polymer called polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride added into the mix. This additive helped to enhance the effectiveness of the panels.
According to Wen-Hua Zhang of Yunnan University, “Very few studies have been reported on underwater solar cells, and all of them are focused on very shallow water depths of only two meters or less, a scenario far from catering for requirements of practical application.”
A photo of the prototype solar cells being tested in the South China Sea. (Image credit: Joule)
“This work presents the first functional validation of submerged solar cells practically operating at a water depth of up to about 10 meters, greatly broadening their application scope,” Zhang added. The researchers stated that each cell could be deployed for around five and a half years at a time.
The panels captured 1,416 milliwatt-hours (mWh) of electricity at a depth of two meters. This decreased to 752 mWh at six meters and 324 mWh at ten meters. During separate lab testing, the solar panels had a power conversion efficiency of just under 35%.
Paving the way
Solar panels could one day be used to power ‘self-sustained marine energy systems and autonomous underwater devices,’ researchers believe. (Image credit: datacenterdynamics)
The idea behind this research is that underwater solar panels could be used to power devices such as sensors, cameras, communications systems, and more.
Many of these objects are stationary for much of the time, so nearby solar cells could help keep them topped up and working without necessarily requiring extensive human intervention.
One question that remains unanswered is how exactly solar panels like this would interact with their environment. For example, it’s likely that they would accumulate biomatter that could hinder their operation, potentially requiring regular cleaning in order to remain fully functional. After all, the sunlight that will power these cells could also promote the growth of plants and animals — a process known as biofouling.
Still, the research seems to have potential. As the authors noted, “This work paves the way for the practical deployment of perovskite photovoltaics in underwater environments, offering a promising route toward self-sustained marine energy systems and autonomous underwater devices.”
Google is inviting third-party agents, including Claude and Open Claw, into Google Home. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Google is opening up its smart home to AI agents, letting tools like Claude and Open Claw access and control your connected devices and analyze your home's data using the standardized Model Context Protocol.
Google Home MCP is a new integration that lets third-party AI agents control and monitor your smart home and act on your behalf. It "allows any AI agents that support MCP, including Google Antigravity, Claude, Hermes or Open Claw, to securely work with all of the devices and event history in your Google Home ecosystem," Taylor Lehman, group product manager at Google Home & Nest, said in a blog post.
It's time for TechRadar's annual tech awards, and this year we're doing it differently. For the first time, we have a complete set of categories where the winners are chosen 100% by you, the TechRadar readers.
The TechRadar Readers' Choice Awards 2026 comprises nearly 100 categories, but we know that not everyone is interested in voting in every one, so on this page you can vote in just our Fitness & Home Tech categories.
These include smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart gym equipment, air fryers, smart lighting and home security. You can vote in the survey just below — or follow the links to see other specific categories, or to vote on the full list instead.
The shortlists were chosen by TechRadar's editors based on the best products we've tested or the most popular products of the year. You'll need to vote before 00:01am PST / 03:01am EST / 08:01am BST on Wednesday October 7th 2026 for it to be counted.
Once the deadline has passed at 00:01am PST / 03:01am EST / 08:01am BST on Wednesday October 7th 2026, we'll tally your votes to find the winners in each category.
We'll announce the winners in our big TechRadar Awards 2026 Week, starting Monday October 19th. We'll reveal the winners of the Reader's Choice Awards, as well as the winners of our TechRadar Product of the Year Awards, which are chosen solely by our expert judges.
How many products will do the double? We'll be curious to see — but right now, all you can do is vote for what you think should win, so vote away!
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