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A pivotal meeting on vaccine guidance is underway—and former CDC leaders are alarmed

On Thursday, an advisory CDC panel that develops vaccine guidance met for a two-day discussion on multiple childhood vaccines. During the meeting, which was underway as The Checkup went to press, members of the panel were set to discuss those vaccines and propose recommendations on their use. Monarez worries that access to childhood vaccines is under threat—and that the public health consequences could be dire. “If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return,” she said.

RFK Jr. Claimed CDC Was ‘Killing Children’ According to Former Director

Former CDC Director Susan Monarez testified at a combative Senate hearing in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday about the ways that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is dismantling scientific expertise at CDC, confirming the worst fears of every American who still cares about science and public health. Monarez, who was fired by President Donald Trump less than a month after being confirmed, told senators that Kennedy told her in August that he was going to change the childhood vaccine schedule in

Firefox 143 for Android to introduce DoH

All web browsing starts with a DNS query to find the IP address for the desired service or website. For much of the internet’s history, this query is sent in the clear. DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) plugs this privacy leak by encrypting the DNS messages, so no one on the network, not your internet service provider or a free public WiFi provider, can eavesdrop on your browsing. In 2020, Firefox became the first browser to roll out DoH by default, starting in the United States and in 2023, we announced

Best Robot Vacuums We've Tested (September 2025)

Each robot vacuum we consider for recommendation gets put through its paces in our test lab in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to test floors where we run our controlled pickup tests, we monitor each robot vacuum in a special test room filled with mock furniture to gauge how well it navigates around common obstacles. Past that, we check each robot vacuum's ability to gobble up pet hair without getting clogged or leaving loose strands behind, we consider mopping capabilities, and we check to se

How Google's new AI model protects user privacy without sacrificing performance

picture alliance/Contributor/picture alliance via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways AI developers are trying to balance model utility with user privacy. New research from Google suggests a possible solution. The results are promising, but much work remains to be done. AI developers have long faced a dilemma: The more training data you feed a large language model (LLM), the more fluent and human-like its output will be. However, at th

Denmark close to wiping out cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out

Denmark has effectively eliminated infections with the two biggest cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) since the vaccine was introduced in 2008, data suggests. The research, published in Eurosurveillance, could have implications for how vaccinated populations are screened in the coming years – particularly as people increasingly receive vaccines that protect against multiple high-risk types of HPV virus. Before vaccination, the prevalence of HPV16/18 was between 15 and 17%, wh

ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Two VPN Titans Battle It Out in a Contest That Goes Down to the Wire

I’ve been using ExpressVPN and NordVPN for more than a decade, and have been consistently impressed with the exceptional quality of both services and how consistently each one has improved over the years. They're two of the best VPNs in the industry and are neck-and-neck in virtually every category in which they compete, which makes comparing the two both easy and challenging. Easy because they're both great choices and challenging because it’s difficult to declare a clear winner. Both provider

How an over-the-air update made Quilt’s heat pumps more powerful

Software might be eating the world, but it’s taking some industries longer than others to realize its full potential. From iPhones to Teslas, people have grown accustomed to software updates improving the stuff they already own. But outside consumer electronics and automobiles, over-the-air updates aren’t commonplace yet. Yet that’s beginning to change, starting with an unlikely product: heat pumps. Last week, heat pump startup Quilt said that it pushed an update last week to heat pumps alread

The 7 Best WIRED-Tested Handheld Vacuums (2025)

A Handheld vacuum may not be the most essential household appliance, but they sure are convenient. You don’t have to mess with heavy, cumbersome (and expensive) vacuums that require a plug-in and hazardous cords. Sure, there are cordless vacs to mitigate this problem, but those are also large and can be expensive. The handheld vacuum—compact, lightweight, and inexpensive—has come a long way in recent years. As vac technology keeps improving, handhelds are becoming more powerful and lightweight.

Moderna CEO Responds to RFK Jr.’s Crusade Against the Covid-19 Vaccine

At the WIRED Health summit on Tuesday, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said the recent changes to Covid-19 vaccine policy made by Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. are a “step backward.” Moderna is one of the manufacturers of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines, and last month the company received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for an updated version of the shot. But as part of that approval, the FDA imposed new restrictions on who can receive the vaccine. Previous

Dyson’s New Stick Vacuum Just Solved My Biggest Problem With Cordless Models

Dyson is one of the best-known cordless vacuum manufacturers, and its V-series vacuums are flagship models that usually earn top marks in our testing. With strong suction and innovations including dust detection, the best Dyson vacuums can usually be counted on to bring something new to the table. I got to go hands-on with the Dyson V16 Piston Animal (there’s also a Submarine variant), the company’s newest cordless vacuum that’s expected to launch in the US in 2026. It offers the top-of-class c

One of our favorite cordless vacuums is 23 percent off right now

You don't necessarily have to break the bank to pick up a cordless vacuum and avoid the scourge of cables while you're cleaning up debris from your floors. Our favorite budget cordless vacuum already delivered good value for money, and now it's on sale, making it an even more enticing proposition. The Levoit LVAC-300 has dropped down to $270. This cordless vacuum's list price is $350, meaning that you're getting a discount of $80 or 23 percent. It's not quite a record-low price (we've seen it d

Is Local AI the Unexpected Fix to the Obsolescence of Robot Vacuums?

During a presentation at IFA 2025, Deebot parent company Ecovacs (full disclosure: travel and lodging were paid by Ecovacs, but Gizmodo did not guarantee any coverage as a condition of accepting the trip) said repeatedly that its new X11 OmniCyclone robot vacuum‘s AI smarts are all on-device. Or the bulk of them are, anyway. I returned to the booth later and spoke with a couple of the company’s representatives to try to figure out exactly how divorced from the cloud the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone tr

Who can get a COVID vaccine—and how? It’s complicated.

As fall approaches and COVID cases tick up, you might be thinking about getting this season's COVID-19 vaccine. The annually updated shots have previously been easily accessible to anyone over 6 months of age. Most people could get them at no cost by simply walking into their neighborhood pharmacy—and that's what most people did. However, the situation is much different this year with an ardent anti-vaccine activist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as the country's top health official. Since taking the

NordVPN Review 2025: Fast, Private and Superb for Streaming

8.8 / 10 SCORE NordVPN $4 at NordVPN Price $13 per month, $60 for the first year or $83 total for the first two years (one- and two-year plans renew at $140 per year) Latest tests No leaks detected, 3% average internet download speed loss in 2025 tests Network 7,400-plus servers in 118 countries Jurisdiction Panama Score Breakdown Usability 8 /10 Value 8 /10 Speed 10 /10 Privacy 9 /10 Features 9 /10 Pros Extremely fast Lots of helpful privacy features Excellent for streaming Intuitive apps

ExpressVPN Review 2025: The Best VPN Keeps Pushing the Industry Forward

9.0 / 10 SCORE ExpressVPN Buy at ExpressVPN Price $13 per month, $100 for the first 15 months (then $117 per year) or $140 for the first 28 months (then $150 per year) Latest Tests No DNS leaks detected, 18% speed loss in 2025 tests Network 3,000 plus servers in 105 countries Jurisdiction British Virgin Islands Score Breakdown Usability 10 /10 Value 7 /10 Speed 9 /10 Privacy 10 /10 Features 9 /10 Pros Cutting-edge privacy and security Excellent for streaming Easy to use across platforms Stro

RFK Jr. says COVID shots still available to all as cancer patients denied access

US health secretary and ardent anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday amid turmoil at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and widespread chaos over access to COVID-19 vaccines. In the combative three-hour hearing, Kennedy defended his dramatic firing of the CDC director last week, less than a month after her confirmation, which he effusively supported. Today, he repeatedly called her a liar and made the extraordinary claim tha

Roborock’s New Lineup at IFA 2025 Includes Its First Robot Lawnmowers, an Ultra-Thin Robot Vacuum and More

Roborock is one of the better-known companies if you’re looking to buy a robot vacuum. Options range from the capable Qrevo Curv to the innovative Saros Z70, which comes with a mechanical arm and a handsome price to match. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that Roborock is entering the robot lawn mower market, a category we test that’s dominated by companies like Husqvarna, Eufy, Sunseeker, and others. There’s also a new set of stick vacuums, an ultra-thin robot vacuum and a self-santizing

The Dreame X50 Didn’t Just Mop My Floors -- It Outsmarted My Furniture

CNET's key takeaways No robot vacuum has truly solved the challenge of multilevel cleaning without requiring you to physically move it between floors. This robo-vac can do it, for the high-end price of $1,700. You won't find another robot vacuum with its features for less than $1,000 right now. The whole point of owning a robot vacuum is so you don't have to do the cleaning yourself. But that was never the case at my house -- partly because of what I call my "Ikea chair challenge." I've seen

Eufy Just Launched an Autonomous Shell That Carries Robot Vacuums Up Stairs

Stairs are the enemy of robot vacuums. There isn’t currently a single robot vacuum on the market that can climb a flight of stairs without human assistance. Even the best robot vacuums we recommend for their ability to cross obstacles, like the Dreame X50 Ultra and Roborock Saros Z70, can only handle thresholds between two and three inches. Eufy’s Marswalker may be the first robot vacuum to truly be able to tackle this problem. It’s a robot vacuum that looks a bit like a wheeled Mars rover with

COVID vaccine locations vanish from Google Maps due to supposed “technical issue”

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic is now five years in the rearview mirror, but its effects continue to reverberate. While those leading the US healthcare system have embraced conspiracy theories and junk science to justify a reduced focus on vaccines (particularly the COVID jab) many people are still seeking out immunization. Google Maps isn't a good way to find it, though. In recent days, almost all search results for COVID vaccines have vanished from Google Maps. In both the mobile app and

COVID vaccine locations vanish from Google Maps due to alleged “technical issue”

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic is now five years in the rearview mirror, but its effects continue to reverberate. While those leading the US healthcare system have embraced conspiracy theories and junk science to justify a reduced focus on vaccines (particularly the COVID jab) many people are still seeking out immunization. Google Maps isn't a good way to find it, though. In recent days, almost all search results for COVID vaccines have vanished from Google Maps. In both the mobile app and

This New Ecovacs Robot Vac Uses AI for Something Useful, but It Doesn’t Come Cheap

AI is in seemingly every new technology product at IFA 2025. Just look at the Ecovacs Deebot X11 OmniCyclone, a new Matter-compatible robot vacuum that uses AI to automatically adjust its cleaning schedule to suit you. The cleaning bot also has more robotics packed into it, with a sticky-outy bit for better edge cleaning, and it can climb low transitions. And it’s available in the U.S. today for a collar-tugging $1,499.99 ($1,299.99 if you buy it in the next 10 days as of this writing). Ecovacs

RFK Jr. Says He Doesn’t Know How Many Americans Died From Covid During Heated Senate Hearing

Fresh off the internal collapse of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s senior leadership, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. testified before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. There, Kennedy deflected and denied any harmful impacts from the CDC’s implosion, while repeatedly spouting misinformation about vaccines and other health issues. The hearing comes after much of the CDC’s leadership resigned or were fired in last week. Former CDC director Susan Monarez was f

I Tried It: Dyson's Newest Stick Vac Empties So Neatly, I Could Do It in Bed

Dyson is one of the best-known cordless vacuum manufacturers, and its V-series vacuums are flagship models that usually earn top marks in our testing. With strong suction and innovations including dust detection, the best Dyson vacuums can usually be counted on to bring something new to the table. I got to go hands-on with the Dyson V16 Piston Animal (there’s also a Submarine variant), the company’s newest cordless vacuum that’s expected to launch in the US in 2026. It offers the top-of-class c

Meet Dyson’s Brand-New Lineup: V8 Cyclone, V16 Piston Animal, HushJet Purifier Compact

Dyson has big changes coming. The company just announced its biggest batch of new products yet during IFA Berlin, with new appliances coming to both its floor cleaner and air treatment lines. From the already-announced PencilVac to an AI-powered robot vacuum and reimagined V8 Cyclone stick vacuum, the Dyson family of household appliances is about to get a lot bigger. There's also a brand-new air purifier to come, plus updates to Dyson's existing fan and space heater models. While all of these i

DuckDuckGo Subscription: A User-Friendly Privacy Boost, but Not for Power Users

DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine. Unlike rivals Google and Bing, DuckDuckGo eschews ad trackers, making it tougher for websites to gather browsing data. In addition to its search engine, the company has a web browser and mobile apps. DuckDuckGo also offers a subscription consisting of a VPN, information removal tool, identity theft restoration and now AI chat model support. I decided to take it for a spin. During my testing, I was impressed by DuckDuckGo’s VPN offering. It has bee

GaN fast charging is now coming to your…robot vacuum cleaner?

TL;DR ECOVACS has launched the DEEBOT X11 at IFA 2025, featuring GaN fast charging technology for reduced downtime. It has an improved mopping system, a new climbing system, and an on-device AI assistant. This new robot vacuum cleaner is available for $1,499.99 from Amazon and other retailers. A high-quality, top-tier robot vacuum cleaner is one of the best upgrades you can make to your house. It dramatically simplifies cleaning routines while saving you a lot of time and effort. But not ever

Robot vacuums are conquering their final frontier with the eufy MarsWalker: Stairs

eufy TL;DR eufy’s Omni S2 brings full-sized power to robot vacuums with 30k Pa suction and 15 N water jets. The optional MarsWalker platform enables the S2 to navigate up and down flights of stairs. US sales of both units are on track to get started in 2026. Robot vacuum cleaners have spent the past twenty years transforming the way millions of us keep our living spaces neat and clean, and they’ve been getting more useful and versatile this entire time. From automatic room mapping, to moppin

How Often Should You Vacuum to Get Rid of Microplastics and Other Particulates? (2025)

Global Earth Day published studies that found pets and babies are especially at risk for microplastic exposure from household dust. Both household members stay low to the ground—closer to dust, microplastics, and particulates that are invisible to the naked eye on carpets and floors—and put everything in their mouths, making it easier for them to ingest microplastic dust that could be on those objects. While that household dust could be anywhere in your home, carpet turns out to have its own is