What We Are Reading Today: ‘Ends of the Earth' by Neil Shubin
Shubin shares lively adventure stories from the field to reveal just how far scientists will go to understand polar regions and to reveal the poles' impact on the rest of life on the planet.
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Daily Mirror
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Gtech 'flawless' vacuum bundle makes cleaning 'so much easier'
Gtech customers say the AirRAM 2 and handheld Multi vacuum bundle is a 'game changer' for keeping on top of dirt, dust and pet hair. Gtech is offering £200 off its whole-home cleaning bundle, which is said to make cleaning 'so much easier'. Shoppers can now pick up the System Cordless Vacuum and Car Kit Bundle for £249.98, a 44% discount from the usual £449.98 price tag. This includes two lightweight cordless vacuums for cleaning surfaces throughout the house, including the sofa, stairs, and car, as well as a Car Accessory Kit with a flexible crevice tool, small upholstery tool, and soft dusting brush. To get the deal, shoppers will need to add the System bundle to their basket and enter the coupon code DC76 by August 31. The Car Accessory Kit will then be automatically added to the order and the discount applied. The main device in the bundle is Gtech's AirRAM 2, the brand's cordless vacuum cleaner designed to tackle both carpets and hard floors on a single setting. Weighing 3.2kg, the vacuum is easy to manoeuvre and it boasts a low-profile handle allowing for cleaning beneath furniture, with a specifically designed brush bar that cleans awkward nooks and crannies and against skirting boards. What sets the AirRAM 2 apart from rival vacuums is its AirLOC Technology, which combines with a powered rotating brush bar to pick up larger debris when pushed forward and finer dust when pulled backwards. Other standout features include LED headlights in the brush head that illuminate hard-to-see dirt and an 'easy-empty bin' that operates with a quick slide of the ejector arm. Along with the AirRAM 2, the System bundle also includes the handheld Gtech Multi, with each device providing a combined hour of cleaning time. Once the main clean is done and dusted, users can turn to the Multi to tackle the stairs, sofa, corners and car or caravan. This smaller device has a 'powerful' brush to remove pet hair, as well as tools to reach into crevices, soft brush for delicate surfaces and much more. Both vacuums require emptying less frequently as they compress dirt and hair as it cleans, packing it down until emptied. Elsewhere Miele, is selling the Duoflex HX1 CarCare Casa vacuum cleaner for £339. This vacuum offers 'high' suction and can run for up to 55 minutes from a single charge. While, Samsung's Jet 95 Pro Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner, is £399 and comes with a Spray Spinning Sweeper for cleaning hard floors with dual wet pads. However the System Cordless Vacuum Bundle has won over thousands of Gtech customers, achieving an impressive 4.8-star rating from more than 15,000 reviews. One five-star review says: 'Super powerful, both vacuums are dead easy to use and vacuumed my flat a lot quicker than usual with better cleaning than previous vacuum cleaner. So far they're pretty much flawless.' Another adds: 'It's the best. With a teenager and two Labradors, this has been a game changer in keeping on top of the dirt, dust and fur. It's powerful and effective on hard floor and carpet and really easy to empty. The handheld also comes in very handy for the car and saved on car cleaning. Would thoroughly recommend, particularly for shedding dog owners.' Despite their four-star review hailing the System Bundle as 'excellent value', this buyer noted one potential downside, saying: 'Only drawback is having no crevice tool.' They added: 'The AirRAM is light and powerful with good battery life. Multi also powerful.' While another glowing review says: 'Made cleaning so much easier. Best vacuum ever purchased. I can vacuum my four-bed house at least four times before it needs recharging. I've just cleaned my car and the stairs and the cordless handheld is still on three bars. The vacuum is lightweight and so easy to use – I have rheumatoid arthritis in my hands and have no difficulty holding the vacuum.'
Euractiv
3 minutes ago
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Protecting Europe's workforce with advance technologies, new strategies
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Yahoo
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"Everybody say he is the greatest of all time. I always say what criteria are you using" - George Gervin on why he questions Michael Jordan's status as the GOAT
"Everybody say he is the greatest of all time. I always say what criteria are you using" - George Gervin on why he questions Michael Jordan's status as the GOAT originally appeared on Basketball Network. For decades, the "greatest of all time" debate in basketball has revolved around one name: Michael Jordan. His six championships, five MVP awards and cultural footprint from Nike deals to "The Last Dance" docu-series have cemented him in the eyes of millions as the sport's ultimate icon. Advertisement But that conclusion isn't universally accepted among the legends who helped shape the game long before it turned into a billion-dollar media empire. One of those voices, George Gervin, hasn't hesitated to raise a fundamental question that shakes the foundation of the GOAT debate. Debate criteria Long before Jordan's signature fadeaway and tongue-out drives, there was Gervin, gliding across the hardwood with an elegance that defied the physical nature of the NBA in the '70s and early '80s. A four-time scoring champion, Gervin brought artistry to the game with his finger roll, a shot so smooth it looked like it belonged in a jazz performance. Advertisement "He's definitely one of the best to ever do it; everybody say he is the greatest of all time," Gervin said of Jordan. "I always say, what criteria are you using to say that. Because you can't forget about … Magic Johnson or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell." Gervin dropped 33.1 points per game in the 1979–80 season and once scored 63 in a single game, without the benefit of a three-point line. Yet when modern conversations around greatness are held, he notices how easily names from earlier eras fade into the background. This is a perspective earned through decades of watching the league evolve. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for instance, retired as the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points — a record that stood until 2023 when LeBron James finally surpassed it. Magic Johnson revolutionized the game with his 6-foot-9 frame running the point, claiming five championships and three MVP awards in the process. Advertisement Wilt Chamberlain once averaged 50 points per game for an entire season. And Bill Russell's 11 titles in 13 seasons remain untouched, unmatched and, in Gervin's eyes, underappreciated when G.O.A.T. status is casually handed to Jordan. That's where Gervin's caution stems from. The tendency to compress greatness into highlight reels and championship rings misses the complex layers that make basketball's history so rich. And to reduce the discussion to a single era — Jordan's era — is to ignore the shifting definitions of dominance across time. Related: Goran Dragic firmly believes the Heat would've won the Bubble Finals if he hadn't gotten hurt: "I'm always gonna say yes" The weight of eras To Gervin, the issue isn't Jordan's legacy. It's the misapplication of absolutes. "Greatest of all time" implies a single standard, a measuring stick that spans eras with different rules, styles and expectations. We hear many legends using a similar argument. That, Gervin argues, is fundamentally flawed. Advertisement "When you say all-time, come on man, what is all time?" he said. "That's the thing you can use for separation, everybody played in their own era. Is Mike the greatest of his era? Hell yeah. But he ain't the greatest of all time simply because I don't know what criteria you are using to say that." And there's weight to that logic. Jordan entered a league that had already been built on the backs of players who endured segregation, league mergers and far less media coverage. Russell played in an era with eight to 14 teams and faced rampant racism on and off the court, yet still managed to turn the Boston Celtics into a dynasty. Chamberlain dominated with raw, unmatched athleticism before modern training regimens or advanced analytics existed. Abdul-Jabbar straddled multiple generations, from Oscar Robertson and Julius Erving to Johnson and Larry Bird and maintained excellence through them all. Statistically, each era offers a different challenge. Jordan's career 30.1 points per game leads all players in history. Gervin isn't challenging Jordan's excellence. No one does. He's challenging the idea that one name alone can define greatness for a sport as layered and evolving as basketball. Advertisement The NBA has always been a league of torch-passing moments. Each era stands as a monument to a different version of greatness. Respecting the foundation is part of appreciating the structure. And in that structure, MJ may be the most iconic. But as the greatest? That, many before Jordan's time believe, is still open to debate. Related: "Michael Jordan absolutely couldn't have played through those cramps" - When Isiah Thomas defended LeBron for sitting out in the 2014 NBA Finals This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
