Latest news with #rush
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Trick to clean your house even faster with '30cm rule' as top Dyson whiz reveals common vacuum fail we're all guilty of
A TOP Dyson designer has revealed exactly how fast to move your vacuum cleaner – and going slower can actually save you time. It turns out that racing around your house isn't necessarily the best way to get the cleaning out of the way quickly. 6 You may have been vacuuming wrong your entire life Credit: Dyson 6 You'll want to visualise one of these during your next vacuum cleaning session Credit: Getty 6 The Sun's tech editor Sean Keach took a trip to Dyson's Oxfordshire HQ Credit: Sean Keach Vacuuming an entire house can be a bit of a nightmare, especially if you've got loads of furniture, carpets, and a dog or cat. So going fast can be tempting now that vacuum cleaners are often wireless and lightweight – just look at SPEED TEST I took a trip to Dyson's Oxfordshire campus where I heard from Dyson designer Jonny Gray, who revealed the exact speed you'll want to be moving your vacuum cleaner. "To be exact, about 0.3 metres a second is probably where you want to be in terms of speed," Jonny explained. Read more on Dyson That's a 30cm ruler, so if you imagine moving across one of those every second, you're getting it right. "I'm sorry to say that the slower you go, the cleaner your floors will be," Jonny said. Of course, he warned that you can also end up going too slow. The Dyson design whiz said you'll get "diminishing returns the more you go over it". Most read in Phones & Gadgets So it's important to not go too slow or fast – and stick to the 30cm rule. "The IEC standards that we get are 0.5 metres a second," Jonny, Senior Design Manager at Dyson, told us. Watch Sir James Dyson unveil secret PencilVac, world's slimmest vacuum cleaner "But we have demonstrated that you get around 100% pick-up over the course of three passes with 0.3 metres a second speed." If you rush around, your vacuum cleaner will end up missing bits. And if you go too slow, you're simply wasting time – and it won't be worth the wait. FOOD FOR FLOORS Jonny, who works on vacuum cleaners at Dyson's gigantic Malmesbury campus, spends time trying to pick up all manner of difficult debris. 6 Dyson's senior design manager Jonathan Gray revealed the secret to vacuuming Credit: Sean Keach 6 The Sun was given a peek inside Dyson's debris cupboard, filled with commonly spilled items Credit: Sean Keach And he also told The Sun that Cheerios are one of the trickiest things for a vacuum cleaner to collect due to their size. But he warned that US-style Froot Loops are even trickier to collect. Dog biscuits are also difficult for vacuum cleaners to pick up, Jonny revealed. But the brainy Dyson designer explained that if you follow the 30cm rule, you should be able to get a "100% pick-up" rate – even during a nightmare Cheerio spillage. WHAT'S IN DYSON'S SECRET FOOD CUPBOARD? Here's what The Sun's tech editor Porridge oats Rice Pasta Long-grain rice Nylon pieces Japanese sushi rice Japanese tea leaves Sugar Bread crumbs Finishing plaster Cotton wool balls Cheerios Popping corn Cat food Hair Tapioca pearls Froot Loops Dog biscuits Bicarbonate of soda Cat litter Picture Credit: Sean Keach Dyson's Lab includes a cupboard filled with different materials for testing with its vacuum cleaners. That includes porridge oats, British and even American rice, sugar, cotton wool, and cat litter. And they even have Japanese sushi rice and tea leaves, to make sure that the vacuum cleaners they flog to Japan are up to snuff. Read iconic British inventor Sir James Dyson's exclusive comment piece for The Sun here. 6 How many of these items have you spilled at home? Credit: Sean Keach
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Trick to clean your house even faster with '30cm rule' as top Dyson whiz reveals common vacuum fail we're all guilty of
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOP Dyson designer has revealed exactly how fast to move your vacuum cleaner – and going slower can actually save you time. It turns out that racing around your house isn't necessarily the best way to get the cleaning out of the way quickly. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 You may have been vacuuming wrong your entire life Credit: Dyson 6 You'll want to visualise one of these during your next vacuum cleaning session Credit: Getty 6 The Sun's tech editor Sean Keach took a trip to Dyson's Oxfordshire HQ Credit: Sean Keach Vacuuming an entire house can be a bit of a nightmare, especially if you've got loads of furniture, carpets, and a dog or cat. So going fast can be tempting now that vacuum cleaners are often wireless and lightweight – just look at Dyson's impossibly thin new PencilVac. SPEED TEST I took a trip to Dyson's Oxfordshire campus where I heard from Dyson designer Jonny Gray, who revealed the exact speed you'll want to be moving your vacuum cleaner. "To be exact, about 0.3 metres a second is probably where you want to be in terms of speed," Jonny explained. That's a 30cm ruler, so if you imagine moving across one of those every second, you're getting it right. "I'm sorry to say that the slower you go, the cleaner your floors will be," Jonny said. Of course, he warned that you can also end up going too slow. The Dyson design whiz said you'll get "diminishing returns the more you go over it". So it's important to not go too slow or fast – and stick to the 30cm rule. "The IEC standards that we get are 0.5 metres a second," Jonny, Senior Design Manager at Dyson, told us. Watch Sir James Dyson unveil secret PencilVac, world's slimmest vacuum cleaner "But we have demonstrated that you get around 100% pick-up over the course of three passes with 0.3 metres a second speed." If you rush around, your vacuum cleaner will end up missing bits. And if you go too slow, you're simply wasting time – and it won't be worth the wait. FOOD FOR FLOORS Jonny, who works on vacuum cleaners at Dyson's gigantic Malmesbury campus, spends time trying to pick up all manner of difficult debris. 6 Dyson's senior design manager Jonathan Gray revealed the secret to vacuuming Credit: Sean Keach 6 The Sun was given a peek inside Dyson's debris cupboard, filled with commonly spilled items Credit: Sean Keach And he also told The Sun that Cheerios are one of the trickiest things for a vacuum cleaner to collect due to their size. But he warned that US-style Froot Loops are even trickier to collect. Dog biscuits are also difficult for vacuum cleaners to pick up, Jonny revealed. But the brainy Dyson designer explained that if you follow the 30cm rule, you should be able to get a "100% pick-up" rate – even during a nightmare Cheerio spillage. WHAT'S IN DYSON'S SECRET FOOD CUPBOARD? Here's what The Sun's tech editor Sean Keach found inside the Dyson cupboard... Porridge oats Rice Pasta Long-grain rice Nylon pieces Japanese sushi rice Japanese tea leaves Sugar Bread crumbs Finishing plaster Cotton wool balls Cheerios Popping corn Cat food Hair Tapioca pearls Froot Loops Dog biscuits Bicarbonate of soda Cat litter Picture Credit: Sean Keach Dyson's Lab includes a cupboard filled with different materials for testing with its vacuum cleaners. That includes porridge oats, British and even American rice, sugar, cotton wool, and cat litter. And they even have Japanese sushi rice and tea leaves, to make sure that the vacuum cleaners they flog to Japan are up to snuff.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
HMRC and DWP benefits to help parents and children
It comes as research reveals that UK parents now spend an average of £2,275 a year just to send one child to a state secondary school, with primary school costs also topping £1,000 annually. That's a jump of £520 in just three years, with families facing bigger bills for uniforms, tech, lunchboxes and lesson materials. 'Parents are under huge pressure with school costs climbing year after year, but there's more support out there than many people realise," says Fiona Peake, Personal Finance Expert at Ocean Finance. "The problem is, it's not always clearly signposted, so families end up missing out on hundreds of pounds in potential savings. 'With a bit of forward planning, there are real opportunities to cut costs before September, whether it's through government schemes, council support, or simply rethinking how you shop for essentials. Don't wait until the August rush. Start looking now, and you'll not only spread the cost, but give yourself the best chance of finding proper support before it's snapped up.' Tax-Free Childcare The government is urging more working families to sign up - and give their summer plans a financial boost. The money helps families pay for their childcare, as part of the government's Plan for Change to put more money in people's pockets. Working families who sign up to Tax-Free Childcare can boost their annual budget by up to £2,000 per child up to the age of 11 or up to £4,000 up to the age of 16 for a disabled child. Parents! 👪 Could you be missing out on up to £2,000 a year to help with childcare costs? Find out what you're entitled to here. 👇 — HM Revenue & Customs (@HMRCgovuk) May 23, 2025 Parents can use the scheme to help towards the cost of approved childcare whether that's nursery for younger children, or for older children – wraparound or after school care clubs during term time or holiday clubs for the long summer holidays ahead. Martin Lewis discussed it on his podcast last month, where he said: "Tax free childcare is where you can put money into an account held at and for every 80p you put in the state adds 20p on top, up to a maximum free money of £500 pounds coming from the state per quarter - with double for disabilities. And this is tax free childcare for children under the age of 11." 30 hours funded childcare for working parents From September 2025, English working families will see 15 hours of funded childcare expand to 30 hours, from the term after their child turns 9 months until they reach school age. If you currently receive 15 hours for working families, just reconfirm as usual and the code will work for the 30 hours offer in September, providing you remain eligible and your provider has confirmed your new attendance pattern for your increased hours. You can usually get funded childcare for working parents if you (and your partner, if you have one) are: in work or starting a new job on sick leave or annual leave on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave The amount of funded childcare you can get depends on: your child's age and circumstances your income (and your partner's income, if you have one) your immigration status If you are not eligible for the working parent offer you will still receive the 15 hour entitlement for all 3 and 4 year olds from the term after your child turns 3 until they start school, irrespective of your income level, benefit status, or family circumstances. There's more details on here. Universal Credit help with childcare costs You may be able to reclaim up to 85% of childcare costs if you receive Universal Credit. Yu can't combine it with tax-free childcare though - so do a calculation on to work out which is best for you. Fiona Peake, Personal Finance Expert at Ocean Finance, says: 'Working parents on Universal Credit can claim back up to 85% of childcare costs, even during school holidays. That's up to £1,000 for one child or £1,800 for two, paid through your Universal Credit account. This often works out better than Tax-Free Childcare, especially for larger families.' Child Benefit Following the increases to the Child Benefit threshold from £50,000 to £60,000, many more families can now claim. The upper earnings limit has also increased from £60,000 to £80,000. You get Child Benefit if you're responsible for bringing up a child who is: under 16 or under 20, if they stay in approved education or training If either you or your partner's income (after deductions) is over the £80,000 threshold, you may have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge. This income is before any personal allowances and Gift Aid, but includes interest from savings and dividends. Work out if your adjusted net income is over the threshold using the Child Benefit tax calculator. If it is, the calculator will also tell you how much charge you'll have to pay. HMRC is also running a campaign to get parents to register their 16-19 years olds for continuing Child Benefit if they are staying on in full-time education after GCSEs. It's #GCSE season! 📚 If your teen is continuing education or training after their exams, you'll need to let us know. Use our online service to update your Child Benefit claim to keep receiving payments. 💻 — HM Revenue & Customs (@HMRCgovuk) June 12, 2025 Free school meals Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following: Income Support income-based Jobseeker's Allowance income-related Employment and Support Allowance support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 the guaranteed element of Pension Credit Child Tax Credit (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190) Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get) Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals. Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both: younger than the compulsory age for starting school in full-time education If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having 'no recourse to public funds'), your child may still be eligible for free school meals. Ask their school or local authority whether they're eligible. Check if your child can get free school meals in England and find out how to apply on your local authority's website - here's how. There's a different process to apply for free school meals in Northern Ireland, free school meals in Scotland, or free school meals in Wales. If your child is eligible for free school meals, they'll also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme. Food vouchers may also be available through the Household Support Fund. Find out more by contacting your local council. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children may help with the extra costs of looking after a child who: is under 16 has difficulties walking or needs much more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability They will need to meet all the eligibility requirements. The DLA rate is between £29.20 and £187.45 a week and depends on the level of help the child needs. Morning, we're here until 4pm to answer any general queries. No personal details please. ❎ Parents! 👪 If your child has recently turned 18, they may have a #ChildTrustFund, worth an average of £2,200. Find out more about how they can cash this in. 👇 — HMRC Customer Support (@HMRCcustomers) June 7, 2025 Healthy Start vouchers If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, the Healthy Start scheme can help you: buy healthy foods like milk or fruit get free vitamins You need to be claiming certain benefits to qualify. If you're pregnant and under 18 you can claim even if you do not receive any benefits. For more information or to apply, visit the NHS Healthy Start website. Sure Start Maternity Grant or Pregnancy and Baby Payment You could get a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child. This is known as a Sure Start Maternity Grant, in Scotland it's called a Pregnancy and Baby Payment. You usually qualify for the grant if both of the following apply: you're expecting your first child, or you're expecting a multiple birth (such as twins) and have children already you or your partner already get certain benefits You must claim the grant within 11 weeks of the baby's due date or within 6 months after the baby's birth. You do not have to pay the grant back and it will not affect your other benefits or tax credits. Child maintenance For separated parents, child maintenance covers how your child's living costs will be paid when one of the parents does not live with the child. Child maintenance is made when you've separated from the other parent or if you've never been in a relationship. You must have a child maintenance arrangement if your child is under 16 (or under 20 if they are in approved education or training). Home Responsibilities Protection This is more one to help parents with older kids, or even adults, but it's well worth knowing about. Home Responsibilities Protection is a scheme which could be worth an extra £100,000 or more to state pensioners when they retire. In a post on X, it said: "If you became a parent before May 2000, you may have Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) missing from your National Insurance record. This could mean you're missing out on State Pension payments." For someone with 13 missing years, who lives for another 20 years, it can be worth as much as £100,000 or more in State Pension payments. If you became a parent before May 2000, you may have Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) missing from your National Insurance record. This could mean you're missing out on State Pension payments. Check if you can apply for HRP below. ⬇️ — HM Revenue & Customs (@HMRCgovuk) May 19, 2025 Most people got HRP automatically if they were: getting Child Benefit in their name for a child under the age of 16 and they had given the Child Benefit Office their National Insurance number getting Income Support and they did not need to register for work because they were caring for someone who was sick or disabled If your partner claimed Child Benefit instead of you, you may be able to transfer HRP from a partner you lived with if they claimed Child Benefit while you both cared for a child under 16 and they do not need the HRP. If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2008, you cannot transfer HRP. The Ads claimed young people had "nothing to lose" by using its services, despite the firm charging possibly £100s for its services when Child Trust Funds can be reclaimed for free via HMRChttps:// — MoneySavingExpert (@MoneySavingExp) May 29, 2025 Child Trust Funds Again, this is one for older kids and young adults. Recent figures suggest £1.4bn belonging to 728,000 people is sitting in Child Trust Funds, ready to be claimed. But many do not know the accounts exist, or that they are eligible to withdraw it. In a tweet from its official account, HMRC said: "If your child is between the ages of 18 and 22, they can cash in their #ChildTrustFund. The average amount claimed is £2,200." The Share Foundation, a charity which helps people track down lost and unclaimed funds, is also calling for automatic payouts for some of these funds if they've not been claimed by the time the account holders turn 21. Martin Lewis, and others, have warned that young people don't need to use the services of agencies to get at their trust funds - it's easy to go direct and avoid fees. Recommended reading And one not to hold out for - reversal of VAT on school fees A group of private schools, pupils and their parents lost their High Court challenges over the imposition of VAT on school fees. Several schools, children who attend them and their parents, previously brought legal action against the Treasury, claiming the policy of applying VAT to fees is discriminatory and incompatible with human rights law. A Government spokesperson said: 'We welcome the court's decision, which confirms that the legislation is compatible with the Government's human rights obligations. 'Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year, helping to support public services including the 94% of pupils who attend state schools.'
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
US retail sales fall sharply in May
WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales dropped more than expected in May, weighed down by a decline in motor vehicle purchases as a rush to beat potential tariffs-related price hikes ebbed, but consumer spending remained supported by solid wage growth. Retail sales fell 0.9% last month after a downwardly revised 0.1% dip in April, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Tuesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales, which are mostly goods and are not adjusted for inflation, decreasing 0.7% after a previously reported 0.1% gain in April. Estimates ranged from a 1.7% drop to a 0.3% increase. Sales last month were also held down by lower receipts at service stations because of a decline in gasoline prices. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs have raised fears over global growth, restraining oil prices. But hostilities between Israel and Iran have boosted oil prices. Unseasonably cooler weather likely also hurt sales. Federal Reserve officials prepared to start a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday. The U.S. central bank was expected to keep its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25%-4.50% range while policymakers monitor the economic impact of tariffs and tensions in the Middle East. A 25% duty on imported motor vehicles and trucks came into effect in April. Retail sales excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services increased 0.4% in May after an upwardly revised 0.1% fall in April. These so-called core retail sales, which correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product, were previously reported to have dropped 0.2% in April. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the, economy slowed sharply in the first quarter, and could remain moderate in the April-June quarter. The Atlanta Fed is currently forecasting GDP rebounding at a 3.8% annualized rate in the second quarter. The anticipated surge will largely reflect a reversal in imports, which have fallen sharply as the frontloading of goods fizzled. The economy contracted at a 0.2% pace in the January-March quarter. Downside risks to consumer spending are rising. The labor market is slowing, student loan repayments have resumed for millions of Americans and household wealth has been eroded amid tariff-induced stock market volatility. The uncertain economic environment could lead to precautionary saving. "Past experience suggests the biggest price rises will come in July, though the full impact of the tariffs likely will emerge across the whole of the remainder of the year," said Samuel Tombs, chief U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. "That will weigh on growth in real incomes at the same time as a softening labor market will make people cautious with discretionary spending. Meanwhile, households no longer have 'excess savings' or strong growth in stock prices to spur them to spend."
Mint
13-06-2025
- General
- Mint
'Felt like earthquake, sky turned black': Ahmedabad resident recalls moment when Air India plane crashed
twoAhmedabad plane crash not only left a void in the families of the deceased but also imprinted a dreadful memory of suffering and agony among the eyewitnesses. The Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight that crashed shortly after take-off with 242 passengers on board marks one of the biggest aircraft disasters in history. A driver who lives 200 metres away from the crash site described the tragic happening as 'a loud thud.' Elaborating further the eyewitness said, "I thought it was an earthquake but when I ran outside, I saw parts of a plane and lots of smoke,' HT reported. Flight AI171 en-route London Gatwick from Ahmedabad met the fatal accident at around 1:40 pm. He added, 'For the next hour, I couldn't see anything because huge plumes of smoke had covered the area after the crash. The sky was black. My neighbours and I were among the first to rush to the college building." The wreckage of the Air India flight lied scattered across BJ Medical College hostel complex in Meghani Nagar as police, firemen and paramedics launched search and rescue operation. Only Vishwaskumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, survived the deadly mishap. According to another eyewitnesses, a 'massive sound' was heard following which thick and black smoke engulfed the area. Even vehicles in the parking lot vehicles caught fire. The hostel buildings where several undergraduate and postgraduate medical students were having lunch was also set ablaze after the plane crash severely damaged its structure. Owner of Risa Air Express Office, Ashutosh Pandey, narrated the disturbing ordeal as witnessed from his nearby office and said, 'Initially, I thought there was a terror attack, similar to the 2008 incident at Asarwa Civil Hospital. The parking lot vehicles caught fire due to the plane crash, and the residential hostel for doctors was also engulfed in flames. The entire area was filled with smoke and fire.' Among the 230 passengers onboard, 169 were Indians, 53 were British nationals, seven were Portuguese while one was Canadian. The crash occurred near Gujarat's largest medical facility, Asarwa Civil Hospital, which houses over 2,800 beds.
