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New NASA Chief Blames Prior Leadership for Botched Starliner Mission

New NASA Chief Blames Prior Leadership for Botched Starliner Mission

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Following an investigation into the Starliner mishap that left NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore stuck on the International Space Station for nine months, the agency says its own leadership is largely to blame.

During a Thursday press briefing, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that while Williams and Wilmore were aboard the ISS and NASA was evaluating next steps, leadership continued to prioritize the overarching program goal of maintaining multiple crew transport systems, even when mission and crew safety should have come first.

Isaacman said it was widely understood that there was another spacecraft available to bring the astronauts home, but the agency instead spent nearly three months trying to diagnose and fix Starliner’s technical problems so that it could return to Earth with its crew. The spacecraft ultimately departed without Williams and Wilmore, who spent another six months on the ISS before they flew home aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

This not only resulted in a mishap but also created “trust issues” and a “breakdown in culture” that leadership failed to course correct, Isaacman said, adding that the issue extended across multiple levels of the agency and “right up to the administrator of NASA.” At the time, that was Bill Nelson.

“I can’t imagine in a situation like that why there would not have been some direct involvement to bring people back to the mission and the crew and figure out the correct pathway forward,” he said.

Oversight failures, technical shortcomings

Starliner was plagued by technical issues before, during, and after the June 2024 flight that brought Williams and Wilmore to the ISS, primarily helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. The spacecraft returned uncrewed in September 2024, and since then, NASA has been investigating the cause of these problems and working with Boeing to address them.

The agency released the findings from that internal investigation during Thursday’s briefing. The report identifies multiple factors—including combined hardware failures, qualification gaps, leadership missteps, and cultural breakdowns—that “created risk conditions inconsistent with NASA’s human spaceflight safety standards,” according to an agency statement.

Isaacman said that as Starliner’s development progressed, design compromises and inadequate hardware qualification “extended beyond NASA’s complete understanding.” While technical anomalies are common in spaceflight, Starliner had qualification deficiencies that made it less reliable for crew survival than other vehicles, he added.

“We managed the contract, we accepted the vehicle, we launched the crew to space, we made decisions from docking through post-mission actions,” Isaacman said. “A considerable portion of the responsibility and accountability rests here.” It’s unclear whether punitive action will be taken against NASA or Boeing employees involved in the incident.

NASA won’t turn its back on Starliner

While the investigation identified the organizational root causes, efforts to identify the proximate or direct causes for the service module and crew module thruster anomalies are ongoing, Isaacman said. NASA will continue working closely with Boeing to get Starliner ready to fly crew to and from low-Earth orbit, but if the ISS is retiring in 2030, what’s the point?

In response to that question, Isaacman said one of NASA’s top priorities is to “ignite the orbital economy,” which will necessitate numerous commercial space stations. Having multiple vehicles capable of transporting crew and cargo to LEO will therefore remain necessary long after NASA decommissions the ISS, he said.

“We certainly hope, and we intend, to fully work with Boeing in the months ahead to get to [the] technical cause of the thruster issues, to implement the recommendations from the independent investigation, and return to crewed flight,” Isaacman said. NASA currently has plans to launch a Starliner cargo mission no earlier than April, followed by up to three crew rotations.

Both the agency and Boeing have a lot of work to do before that will be possible, and it’s difficult to imagine that this infamous spacecraft will be ready to fly in two months. The fate of this program not only depends on how quickly engineers can fix Starliner’s technical shortcomings but also on NASA’s ability to rebuild trust between leadership, its workforce, and the astronauts who rely on sound decision-making.

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perhaps the most disturbing harassment campaign ever led by a giant tech company against its critics.

Back in 2020, six former eBay employees and one contractor were charged with participating in a horrifying campaign—featuring doxxing, threats, and deliveries of live pests—against David and Ina Steiner, the husband-and-wife founders of the Massachusetts-based news site EcommerceBytes. The Steiners wrote about eBay regularly, and often not in a flattering light. In 2021, the couple filed a civil suit; EBay later agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty to the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts.

Now the civil litigation case just reached a final settlement. The Steiners will receive more than $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from Wenig, $500,000 from former eBay executive Wendy Jones, and $50,000 from former eBay executive Steve Wymer.

EBay is also giving $6 million to charity, with an additional $1 million from Wenig going to a nonprofit that protects First Amendment rights. The company is required to issue a strongly worded statement condemning the actions of the former employees who were involved.

Notably, the settlement contains no confidentiality provision, which means the Steiners can continue to speak out about the case.

“From day one, that was a dealbreaker,” says Chris Murphy, an attorney for the Steiners at the personal injury firm Scalli Murphy Law in Everett, Massachusetts. “As journalists, and as victims, the Steiners were very clear that they wanted everyone to see and understand what eBay did to them. And from day one, they were ready to go to trial over it.”

“It’s a relief in some sense that we have some finality,” David Steiner said in an interview with WIRED. “But I think that it’s going to take a while to really see what this means in the bigger context of a settlement, versus having gone to trial. We were really adamant that this type of behavior by a Fortune 500 corporation didn’t go unchecked.”

Ina Steiner underscored that the couple ultimately pursued a civil suit because they wanted to better understand the kind of culture that precipitated this harassment campaign—and that in filing the civil suit, they gained access to 68,000 documents they would not have otherwise seen. “We were often in the dark during the federal investigation, and we were told very little as victims,” she said.

Spokespersons for eBay referred WIRED to a statement published online, in which the company extended its “deepest apologies” to the Steiners, condemned the employees who “perpetrated and pled guilty to criminal charges for the misconduct against Ina and David Steiner,” and acknowledged “the unprofessional tone in internal communications demonstrated, to different degrees and number, by Mr. Wenig, Mr. Wymer, and Ms. Jones.” The company emphasized that new leadership is now in charge, and that the incidents from 2019 are “not representative of eBay’s culture or thousands of employees around the world today.”

According to the initial criminal complaints, the harassment campaign led by eBay executives and contractors unfolded over a period of two months in the summer 2019. It began with anonymous, threatening Twitter DMs to the Steiners, then quickly escalated to deliveries to the couple’s home. These deliveries included a bloody pig mask, pornography, a package of fly larvae and live spiders, and another package containing live cockroaches. Other deliveries were themed around death, including a copy of a book on grieving a spouse and a funeral wreath from a local florist. All throughout, the anonymous Twitter account continued to send harassing messages. As text messages would later reveal in court documents, those DMs and deliveries were concocted and sent by the defendants.

#Ebay #Pay #Million #Settlement #Unhinged #Harassment #Campaignebay,harassment,crime,surveillance">Ebay Has to Pay .7 Million in Settlement for Its Unhinged Harassment CampaignA civil litigation case against eBay, filed by the founders of a Massachusetts-based news site that covers ecommerce, has just been settled. The gist of it: The company and former execs have to own up to—and pay up for—perhaps the most disturbing harassment campaign ever led by a giant tech company against its critics.Back in 2020, six former eBay employees and one contractor were charged with participating in a horrifying campaign—featuring doxxing, threats, and deliveries of live pests—against David and Ina Steiner, the husband-and-wife founders of the Massachusetts-based news site EcommerceBytes. The Steiners wrote about eBay regularly, and often not in a flattering light. In 2021, the couple filed a civil suit; EBay later agreed to pay a million criminal penalty to the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts.Now the civil litigation case just reached a final settlement. The Steiners will receive more than .15 million from eBay, million from Wenig, 0,000 from former eBay executive Wendy Jones, and ,000 from former eBay executive Steve Wymer.EBay is also giving million to charity, with an additional million from Wenig going to a nonprofit that protects First Amendment rights. The company is required to issue a strongly worded statement condemning the actions of the former employees who were involved.Notably, the settlement contains no confidentiality provision, which means the Steiners can continue to speak out about the case.“From day one, that was a dealbreaker,” says Chris Murphy, an attorney for the Steiners at the personal injury firm Scalli Murphy Law in Everett, Massachusetts. “As journalists, and as victims, the Steiners were very clear that they wanted everyone to see and understand what eBay did to them. And from day one, they were ready to go to trial over it.”“It’s a relief in some sense that we have some finality,” David Steiner said in an interview with WIRED. “But I think that it’s going to take a while to really see what this means in the bigger context of a settlement, versus having gone to trial. We were really adamant that this type of behavior by a Fortune 500 corporation didn’t go unchecked.”Ina Steiner underscored that the couple ultimately pursued a civil suit because they wanted to better understand the kind of culture that precipitated this harassment campaign—and that in filing the civil suit, they gained access to 68,000 documents they would not have otherwise seen. “We were often in the dark during the federal investigation, and we were told very little as victims,” she said.Spokespersons for eBay referred WIRED to a statement published online, in which the company extended its “deepest apologies” to the Steiners, condemned the employees who “perpetrated and pled guilty to criminal charges for the misconduct against Ina and David Steiner,” and acknowledged “the unprofessional tone in internal communications demonstrated, to different degrees and number, by Mr. Wenig, Mr. Wymer, and Ms. Jones.” The company emphasized that new leadership is now in charge, and that the incidents from 2019 are “not representative of eBay’s culture or thousands of employees around the world today.”According to the initial criminal complaints, the harassment campaign led by eBay executives and contractors unfolded over a period of two months in the summer 2019. It began with anonymous, threatening Twitter DMs to the Steiners, then quickly escalated to deliveries to the couple’s home. These deliveries included a bloody pig mask, pornography, a package of fly larvae and live spiders, and another package containing live cockroaches. Other deliveries were themed around death, including a copy of a book on grieving a spouse and a funeral wreath from a local florist. All throughout, the anonymous Twitter account continued to send harassing messages. As text messages would later reveal in court documents, those DMs and deliveries were concocted and sent by the defendants.#Ebay #Pay #Million #Settlement #Unhinged #Harassment #Campaignebay,harassment,crime,surveillance

ever led by a giant tech company against its critics.

Back in 2020, six former eBay employees and one contractor were charged with participating in a horrifying campaign—featuring doxxing, threats, and deliveries of live pests—against David and Ina Steiner, the husband-and-wife founders of the Massachusetts-based news site EcommerceBytes. The Steiners wrote about eBay regularly, and often not in a flattering light. In 2021, the couple filed a civil suit; EBay later agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty to the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts.

Now the civil litigation case just reached a final settlement. The Steiners will receive more than $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from Wenig, $500,000 from former eBay executive Wendy Jones, and $50,000 from former eBay executive Steve Wymer.

EBay is also giving $6 million to charity, with an additional $1 million from Wenig going to a nonprofit that protects First Amendment rights. The company is required to issue a strongly worded statement condemning the actions of the former employees who were involved.

Notably, the settlement contains no confidentiality provision, which means the Steiners can continue to speak out about the case.

“From day one, that was a dealbreaker,” says Chris Murphy, an attorney for the Steiners at the personal injury firm Scalli Murphy Law in Everett, Massachusetts. “As journalists, and as victims, the Steiners were very clear that they wanted everyone to see and understand what eBay did to them. And from day one, they were ready to go to trial over it.”

“It’s a relief in some sense that we have some finality,” David Steiner said in an interview with WIRED. “But I think that it’s going to take a while to really see what this means in the bigger context of a settlement, versus having gone to trial. We were really adamant that this type of behavior by a Fortune 500 corporation didn’t go unchecked.”

Ina Steiner underscored that the couple ultimately pursued a civil suit because they wanted to better understand the kind of culture that precipitated this harassment campaign—and that in filing the civil suit, they gained access to 68,000 documents they would not have otherwise seen. “We were often in the dark during the federal investigation, and we were told very little as victims,” she said.

Spokespersons for eBay referred WIRED to a statement published online, in which the company extended its “deepest apologies” to the Steiners, condemned the employees who “perpetrated and pled guilty to criminal charges for the misconduct against Ina and David Steiner,” and acknowledged “the unprofessional tone in internal communications demonstrated, to different degrees and number, by Mr. Wenig, Mr. Wymer, and Ms. Jones.” The company emphasized that new leadership is now in charge, and that the incidents from 2019 are “not representative of eBay’s culture or thousands of employees around the world today.”

According to the initial criminal complaints, the harassment campaign led by eBay executives and contractors unfolded over a period of two months in the summer 2019. It began with anonymous, threatening Twitter DMs to the Steiners, then quickly escalated to deliveries to the couple’s home. These deliveries included a bloody pig mask, pornography, a package of fly larvae and live spiders, and another package containing live cockroaches. Other deliveries were themed around death, including a copy of a book on grieving a spouse and a funeral wreath from a local florist. All throughout, the anonymous Twitter account continued to send harassing messages. As text messages would later reveal in court documents, those DMs and deliveries were concocted and sent by the defendants.

#Ebay #Pay #Million #Settlement #Unhinged #Harassment #Campaignebay,harassment,crime,surveillance">Ebay Has to Pay $55.7 Million in Settlement for Its Unhinged Harassment Campaign

A civil litigation case against eBay, filed by the founders of a Massachusetts-based news site that covers ecommerce, has just been settled. The gist of it: The company and former execs have to own up to—and pay up for—perhaps the most disturbing harassment campaign ever led by a giant tech company against its critics.

Back in 2020, six former eBay employees and one contractor were charged with participating in a horrifying campaign—featuring doxxing, threats, and deliveries of live pests—against David and Ina Steiner, the husband-and-wife founders of the Massachusetts-based news site EcommerceBytes. The Steiners wrote about eBay regularly, and often not in a flattering light. In 2021, the couple filed a civil suit; EBay later agreed to pay a $3 million criminal penalty to the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts.

Now the civil litigation case just reached a final settlement. The Steiners will receive more than $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from Wenig, $500,000 from former eBay executive Wendy Jones, and $50,000 from former eBay executive Steve Wymer.

EBay is also giving $6 million to charity, with an additional $1 million from Wenig going to a nonprofit that protects First Amendment rights. The company is required to issue a strongly worded statement condemning the actions of the former employees who were involved.

Notably, the settlement contains no confidentiality provision, which means the Steiners can continue to speak out about the case.

“From day one, that was a dealbreaker,” says Chris Murphy, an attorney for the Steiners at the personal injury firm Scalli Murphy Law in Everett, Massachusetts. “As journalists, and as victims, the Steiners were very clear that they wanted everyone to see and understand what eBay did to them. And from day one, they were ready to go to trial over it.”

“It’s a relief in some sense that we have some finality,” David Steiner said in an interview with WIRED. “But I think that it’s going to take a while to really see what this means in the bigger context of a settlement, versus having gone to trial. We were really adamant that this type of behavior by a Fortune 500 corporation didn’t go unchecked.”

Ina Steiner underscored that the couple ultimately pursued a civil suit because they wanted to better understand the kind of culture that precipitated this harassment campaign—and that in filing the civil suit, they gained access to 68,000 documents they would not have otherwise seen. “We were often in the dark during the federal investigation, and we were told very little as victims,” she said.

Spokespersons for eBay referred WIRED to a statement published online, in which the company extended its “deepest apologies” to the Steiners, condemned the employees who “perpetrated and pled guilty to criminal charges for the misconduct against Ina and David Steiner,” and acknowledged “the unprofessional tone in internal communications demonstrated, to different degrees and number, by Mr. Wenig, Mr. Wymer, and Ms. Jones.” The company emphasized that new leadership is now in charge, and that the incidents from 2019 are “not representative of eBay’s culture or thousands of employees around the world today.”

According to the initial criminal complaints, the harassment campaign led by eBay executives and contractors unfolded over a period of two months in the summer 2019. It began with anonymous, threatening Twitter DMs to the Steiners, then quickly escalated to deliveries to the couple’s home. These deliveries included a bloody pig mask, pornography, a package of fly larvae and live spiders, and another package containing live cockroaches. Other deliveries were themed around death, including a copy of a book on grieving a spouse and a funeral wreath from a local florist. All throughout, the anonymous Twitter account continued to send harassing messages. As text messages would later reveal in court documents, those DMs and deliveries were concocted and sent by the defendants.

#Ebay #Pay #Million #Settlement #Unhinged #Harassment #Campaignebay,harassment,crime,surveillance

FREE LEGO SET: Through July 31, spending $65 at Lego.com gets you a free Lego Straw Topper Set. It includes four cute silicone straw toppers, four reusable straws, and a straw cleaner.

The free Lego offers at Lego.com have refreshed again. One option for the end of July would make a great back-to-school gift (or a cute stocking stuffer idea for kids, if you’re thinking that far ahead): Get a free pack of four fun Lego straw toppers plus the straws themselves and a straw cleaning brush with any order of $65 or more.

The Lego Straw Topper Set includes four precious silicone buddies: a robot, a dinosaur, a cat, and an ice cream cone. The pastel straws included are much cuter and less wasteful than getting a new plastic straw at school or the drive-thru all the time.

SEE ALSO: New Lego Pokémon sets are about to be released into the wild: Pre-order Arcanine, Munchlax, and more

Back to the gift ideas thing: Now would be a smart time to grab the Lego set you’ve been wanting to give someone. Your $65 purchase could be one big Lego purchase or a combination of a few less expensive sets. Remember, preorders do count as a purchase that unlocks free Legos. Our favorite new Lego sets to preorder right now include the Spongebob Squarepants: Bikini Bottom set and Donkey Kong Pinball set.

Two other free Lego deals are live through the end of July: Get a free version of The Darksaber from Lego Star Wars when you purchase the Mandalorian’s N1 Starfighter or get a free Spider-Man vs. Anti-Venom Heist set when you spend $40.

#Backtoschool #gift #idea #free #Lego #set #cute #straw #toppers #straws">Back-to-school gift idea: How to get a free Lego set of cute straw toppers and straws FREE LEGO SET: Through July 31, spending at Lego.com gets you a free Lego Straw Topper Set. It includes four cute silicone straw toppers, four reusable straws, and a straw cleaner. The free Lego offers at Lego.com have refreshed again. One option for the end of July would make a great back-to-school gift (or a cute stocking stuffer idea for kids, if you’re thinking that far ahead): Get a free pack of four fun Lego straw toppers plus the straws themselves and a straw cleaning brush with any order of or more.The Lego Straw Topper Set includes four precious silicone buddies: a robot, a dinosaur, a cat, and an ice cream cone. The pastel straws included are much cuter and less wasteful than getting a new plastic straw at school or the drive-thru all the time. Mashable Trend Report SEE ALSO: New Lego Pokémon sets are about to be released into the wild: Pre-order Arcanine, Munchlax, and more Back to the gift ideas thing: Now would be a smart time to grab the Lego set you’ve been wanting to give someone. Your purchase could be one big Lego purchase or a combination of a few less expensive sets. Remember, preorders do count as a purchase that unlocks free Legos. Our favorite new Lego sets to preorder right now include the Spongebob Squarepants: Bikini Bottom set and Donkey Kong Pinball set. Two other free Lego deals are live through the end of July: Get a free version of The Darksaber from Lego Star Wars when you purchase the Mandalorian’s N1 Starfighter or get a free Spider-Man vs. Anti-Venom Heist set when you spend . #Backtoschool #gift #idea #free #Lego #set #cute #straw #toppers #straws

Lego.com gets you a free Lego Straw Topper Set. It includes four cute silicone straw toppers, four reusable straws, and a straw cleaner.

The free Lego offers at Lego.com have refreshed again. One option for the end of July would make a great back-to-school gift (or a cute stocking stuffer idea for kids, if you’re thinking that far ahead): Get a free pack of four fun Lego straw toppers plus the straws themselves and a straw cleaning brush with any order of $65 or more.

The Lego Straw Topper Set includes four precious silicone buddies: a robot, a dinosaur, a cat, and an ice cream cone. The pastel straws included are much cuter and less wasteful than getting a new plastic straw at school or the drive-thru all the time.

SEE ALSO: New Lego Pokémon sets are about to be released into the wild: Pre-order Arcanine, Munchlax, and more

Back to the gift ideas thing: Now would be a smart time to grab the Lego set you’ve been wanting to give someone. Your $65 purchase could be one big Lego purchase or a combination of a few less expensive sets. Remember, preorders do count as a purchase that unlocks free Legos. Our favorite new Lego sets to preorder right now include the Spongebob Squarepants: Bikini Bottom set and Donkey Kong Pinball set.

Two other free Lego deals are live through the end of July: Get a free version of The Darksaber from Lego Star Wars when you purchase the Mandalorian’s N1 Starfighter or get a free Spider-Man vs. Anti-Venom Heist set when you spend $40.

#Backtoschool #gift #idea #free #Lego #set #cute #straw #toppers #straws">Back-to-school gift idea: How to get a free Lego set of cute straw toppers and straws

FREE LEGO SET: Through July 31, spending $65 at Lego.com gets you a free Lego Straw Topper Set. It includes four cute silicone straw toppers, four reusable straws, and a straw cleaner.

The free Lego offers at Lego.com have refreshed again. One option for the end of July would make a great back-to-school gift (or a cute stocking stuffer idea for kids, if you’re thinking that far ahead): Get a free pack of four fun Lego straw toppers plus the straws themselves and a straw cleaning brush with any order of $65 or more.

The Lego Straw Topper Set includes four precious silicone buddies: a robot, a dinosaur, a cat, and an ice cream cone. The pastel straws included are much cuter and less wasteful than getting a new plastic straw at school or the drive-thru all the time.

SEE ALSO: New Lego Pokémon sets are about to be released into the wild: Pre-order Arcanine, Munchlax, and more

Back to the gift ideas thing: Now would be a smart time to grab the Lego set you’ve been wanting to give someone. Your $65 purchase could be one big Lego purchase or a combination of a few less expensive sets. Remember, preorders do count as a purchase that unlocks free Legos. Our favorite new Lego sets to preorder right now include the Spongebob Squarepants: Bikini Bottom set and Donkey Kong Pinball set.

Two other free Lego deals are live through the end of July: Get a free version of The Darksaber from Lego Star Wars when you purchase the Mandalorian’s N1 Starfighter or get a free Spider-Man vs. Anti-Venom Heist set when you spend $40.

#Backtoschool #gift #idea #free #Lego #set #cute #straw #toppers #straws

Despite what influencers may say, you don’t need to spend $99.99 on Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool or $149.99 for the Shark ChillPill to survive the summer whenever you leave the comfort of air-conditioning. My family has found all the comfort it needs to survive humid baseball games, sweltering concerts, and sweaty hikes with a couple of affordable handheld fans from a Chinese company called JisuLife that has spent the past decade honing its hardware.

At the start of the summer, I impulse-purchased a pair of JisuLife Life10 S fans from Costco, which at CDN $25 each (or $32.99 through Amazon), are among the most basic offerings from the company. JisuLife’s extensive lineup includes some fan models costing close to $100 with features like reverse-charging to power your phone and 100 different speed settings. I want all those features, but my goal was to not spend several hundred dollars on personal cooling devices that could easily go missing or get damaged during the chaos of summer activities.

A look at the back of the JisuLife Life10 S hand fan.

On the back of the fan is a USB-C charging port and a sliding power switch that prevents the fan from accidentally turning on while it’s being jostled around inside a bag.

The Life10 S’ functionality is comparatively basic, but also easy to use. A sliding power switch on the back prevents it from accidentally turning on while banging around inside a backpack, and a single button on the front cycles through five different fan speeds. There’s also a basic LCD display showing the battery’s remaining charge when the fan is first powered on and the current speed setting. It’s simple, but the Life10 S does its one job quietly and for a surprisingly long time.

A close-up of JisuLife Life10 S fan’s power button on the front.

A single button cycles through the fan’s five different speed settings.

When Dyson announced its first handheld fan in April, I assumed the company that had developed an expertise in moving air had created a personal cooling device that would outperform everything else on the market. My spouse loves their Dyson hair dryer, and I was sure the HushJet Mini Cool would be my secret weapon for surviving hot and humid summers, even if at $99 it was a splurge. But having used both Dyson’s personal fan and JisuLife’s $25 alternative, I only reach for the latter when braving the world without AC.

A close-up of the basic LCD display on the front of the JisuLife Life10 S fan.

The basic LCD display on the front of the fan is sometimes hard to see because it’s hidden behind a reflective black cover, but the fan is easy to use without being able to see it.

Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool wraps impressive engineering in an eye-catching design, and at its highest setting, it easily out blasts JisuLife’s even with the Life10 S set to full power. But even at its lowest setting, the HushJet is loud with a high-pitched whine reminiscent of Dyson’s vacuums. I don’t mind that sound when it’s limited to short bursts of cleaning at ground level, but not when coming from a tiny fan designed to be used close to your face and ears. The JisuLife fan produces sound at a much lower frequency, making it easier to tolerate for hours, even if it’s far from whisper quiet at full power.

What impresses me more about the JisuLife fan is how long its 5,000mAh battery keeps it running. At half power, which we find is strong enough to cool us down on even the hottest days, the fan ran for just over 16 hours before needing a charge. That’s far longer than my son lasted at the water park. For comparison, Dyson estimates the HushJet Mini Cool will run for up to six hours at its lowest setting, and at full power, I had it die after just over an hour.

I haven’t tested the even pricier Shark ChillPill that combines a fan with a metal cooling plate the company claims can lower skin temperature by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds. You can cool down by pressing it all over your body, but it only cools for as long as the fan has power. SharkNinja estimates the ChillPill will run for up to 11 hours at its lowest setting, or just an hour-and-a-half at max power. That approach could be very effective, but I’m not spending $150 to find out.

I’ve also tested the wearable neck fans that seem to be very popular among the cashiers at my local Costco, but I didn’t find them to be as effective as I’d hoped. The breeze is spread out across the length of the fan and doesn’t feel as intense as a handheld fan, and wearing it positions the motor right below your ear at all times, so it’s a constant drone. I see why they’re useful, but it’s not an experience anyone in my family enjoyed.

After a successful summer with these fans, I’m already keeping an eye out for sales on other JisuLife models, including a hands-free version you wear hanging from your neck. But I’m also expecting these cheaper alternatives will continue to be the first thing we pack when heading out on adventures for the rest of the summer and probably for years to come.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

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#dont #splurge #expensive #handheld #fan #beat #heatDeals,Gadgets,Hands-on,Reviews,Tech,Verge Shopping">You don’t need to splurge on an expensive handheld fan to beat the heatDespite what influencers may say, you don’t need to spend .99 on Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool or 9.99 for the Shark ChillPill to survive the summer whenever you leave the comfort of air-conditioning. My family has found all the comfort it needs to survive humid baseball games, sweltering concerts, and sweaty hikes with a couple of affordable handheld fans from a Chinese company called JisuLife that has spent the past decade honing its hardware.At the start of the summer, I impulse-purchased a pair of JisuLife Life10 S fans from Costco, which at CDN each (or .99 through Amazon), are among the most basic offerings from the company. JisuLife’s extensive lineup includes some fan models costing close to 0 with features like reverse-charging to power your phone and 100 different speed settings. I want all those features, but my goal was to not spend several hundred dollars on personal cooling devices that could easily go missing or get damaged during the chaos of summer activities.On the back of the fan is a USB-C charging port and a sliding power switch that prevents the fan from accidentally turning on while it’s being jostled around inside a bag.The Life10 S’ functionality is comparatively basic, but also easy to use. A sliding power switch on the back prevents it from accidentally turning on while banging around inside a backpack, and a single button on the front cycles through five different fan speeds. There’s also a basic LCD display showing the battery’s remaining charge when the fan is first powered on and the current speed setting. It’s simple, but the Life10 S does its one job quietly and for a surprisingly long time.A single button cycles through the fan’s five different speed settings.When Dyson announced its first handheld fan in April, I assumed the company that had developed an expertise in moving air had created a personal cooling device that would outperform everything else on the market. My spouse loves their Dyson hair dryer, and I was sure the HushJet Mini Cool would be my secret weapon for surviving hot and humid summers, even if at it was a splurge. But having used both Dyson’s personal fan and JisuLife’s alternative, I only reach for the latter when braving the world without AC.The basic LCD display on the front of the fan is sometimes hard to see because it’s hidden behind a reflective black cover, but the fan is easy to use without being able to see it.Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool wraps impressive engineering in an eye-catching design, and at its highest setting, it easily out blasts JisuLife’s even with the Life10 S set to full power. But even at its lowest setting, the HushJet is loud with a high-pitched whine reminiscent of Dyson’s vacuums. I don’t mind that sound when it’s limited to short bursts of cleaning at ground level, but not when coming from a tiny fan designed to be used close to your face and ears. The JisuLife fan produces sound at a much lower frequency, making it easier to tolerate for hours, even if it’s far from whisper quiet at full power.What impresses me more about the JisuLife fan is how long its 5,000mAh battery keeps it running. At half power, which we find is strong enough to cool us down on even the hottest days, the fan ran for just over 16 hours before needing a charge. That’s far longer than my son lasted at the water park. For comparison, Dyson estimates the HushJet Mini Cool will run for up to six hours at its lowest setting, and at full power, I had it die after just over an hour.I haven’t tested the even pricier Shark ChillPill that combines a fan with a metal cooling plate the company claims can lower skin temperature by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds. You can cool down by pressing it all over your body, but it only cools for as long as the fan has power. SharkNinja estimates the ChillPill will run for up to 11 hours at its lowest setting, or just an hour-and-a-half at max power. That approach could be very effective, but I’m not spending 0 to find out.I’ve also tested the wearable neck fans that seem to be very popular among the cashiers at my local Costco, but I didn’t find them to be as effective as I’d hoped. The breeze is spread out across the length of the fan and doesn’t feel as intense as a handheld fan, and wearing it positions the motor right below your ear at all times, so it’s a constant drone. I see why they’re useful, but it’s not an experience anyone in my family enjoyed.After a successful summer with these fans, I’m already keeping an eye out for sales on other JisuLife models, including a hands-free version you wear hanging from your neck. But I’m also expecting these cheaper alternatives will continue to be the first thing we pack when heading out on adventures for the rest of the summer and probably for years to come.Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The VergeFollow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Andrew LiszewskiCloseAndrew LiszewskiPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew LiszewskiDealsCloseDealsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All DealsGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsHands-onCloseHands-onPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Hands-onReviewsCloseReviewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReviewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechVerge ShoppingCloseVerge ShoppingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Verge Shopping#dont #splurge #expensive #handheld #fan #beat #heatDeals,Gadgets,Hands-on,Reviews,Tech,Verge Shopping

Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool or $149.99 for the Shark ChillPill to survive the summer whenever you leave the comfort of air-conditioning. My family has found all the comfort it needs to survive humid baseball games, sweltering concerts, and sweaty hikes with a couple of affordable handheld fans from a Chinese company called JisuLife that has spent the past decade honing its hardware.

At the start of the summer, I impulse-purchased a pair of JisuLife Life10 S fans from Costco, which at CDN $25 each (or $32.99 through Amazon), are among the most basic offerings from the company. JisuLife’s extensive lineup includes some fan models costing close to $100 with features like reverse-charging to power your phone and 100 different speed settings. I want all those features, but my goal was to not spend several hundred dollars on personal cooling devices that could easily go missing or get damaged during the chaos of summer activities.

A look at the back of the JisuLife Life10 S hand fan.

On the back of the fan is a USB-C charging port and a sliding power switch that prevents the fan from accidentally turning on while it’s being jostled around inside a bag.

The Life10 S’ functionality is comparatively basic, but also easy to use. A sliding power switch on the back prevents it from accidentally turning on while banging around inside a backpack, and a single button on the front cycles through five different fan speeds. There’s also a basic LCD display showing the battery’s remaining charge when the fan is first powered on and the current speed setting. It’s simple, but the Life10 S does its one job quietly and for a surprisingly long time.

A close-up of JisuLife Life10 S fan’s power button on the front.

A single button cycles through the fan’s five different speed settings.

When Dyson announced its first handheld fan in April, I assumed the company that had developed an expertise in moving air had created a personal cooling device that would outperform everything else on the market. My spouse loves their Dyson hair dryer, and I was sure the HushJet Mini Cool would be my secret weapon for surviving hot and humid summers, even if at $99 it was a splurge. But having used both Dyson’s personal fan and JisuLife’s $25 alternative, I only reach for the latter when braving the world without AC.

A close-up of the basic LCD display on the front of the JisuLife Life10 S fan.

The basic LCD display on the front of the fan is sometimes hard to see because it’s hidden behind a reflective black cover, but the fan is easy to use without being able to see it.

Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool wraps impressive engineering in an eye-catching design, and at its highest setting, it easily out blasts JisuLife’s even with the Life10 S set to full power. But even at its lowest setting, the HushJet is loud with a high-pitched whine reminiscent of Dyson’s vacuums. I don’t mind that sound when it’s limited to short bursts of cleaning at ground level, but not when coming from a tiny fan designed to be used close to your face and ears. The JisuLife fan produces sound at a much lower frequency, making it easier to tolerate for hours, even if it’s far from whisper quiet at full power.

What impresses me more about the JisuLife fan is how long its 5,000mAh battery keeps it running. At half power, which we find is strong enough to cool us down on even the hottest days, the fan ran for just over 16 hours before needing a charge. That’s far longer than my son lasted at the water park. For comparison, Dyson estimates the HushJet Mini Cool will run for up to six hours at its lowest setting, and at full power, I had it die after just over an hour.

I haven’t tested the even pricier Shark ChillPill that combines a fan with a metal cooling plate the company claims can lower skin temperature by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds. You can cool down by pressing it all over your body, but it only cools for as long as the fan has power. SharkNinja estimates the ChillPill will run for up to 11 hours at its lowest setting, or just an hour-and-a-half at max power. That approach could be very effective, but I’m not spending $150 to find out.

I’ve also tested the wearable neck fans that seem to be very popular among the cashiers at my local Costco, but I didn’t find them to be as effective as I’d hoped. The breeze is spread out across the length of the fan and doesn’t feel as intense as a handheld fan, and wearing it positions the motor right below your ear at all times, so it’s a constant drone. I see why they’re useful, but it’s not an experience anyone in my family enjoyed.

After a successful summer with these fans, I’m already keeping an eye out for sales on other JisuLife models, including a hands-free version you wear hanging from your neck. But I’m also expecting these cheaper alternatives will continue to be the first thing we pack when heading out on adventures for the rest of the summer and probably for years to come.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

#dont #splurge #expensive #handheld #fan #beat #heatDeals,Gadgets,Hands-on,Reviews,Tech,Verge Shopping">You don’t need to splurge on an expensive handheld fan to beat the heat

Despite what influencers may say, you don’t need to spend $99.99 on Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool or $149.99 for the Shark ChillPill to survive the summer whenever you leave the comfort of air-conditioning. My family has found all the comfort it needs to survive humid baseball games, sweltering concerts, and sweaty hikes with a couple of affordable handheld fans from a Chinese company called JisuLife that has spent the past decade honing its hardware.

At the start of the summer, I impulse-purchased a pair of JisuLife Life10 S fans from Costco, which at CDN $25 each (or $32.99 through Amazon), are among the most basic offerings from the company. JisuLife’s extensive lineup includes some fan models costing close to $100 with features like reverse-charging to power your phone and 100 different speed settings. I want all those features, but my goal was to not spend several hundred dollars on personal cooling devices that could easily go missing or get damaged during the chaos of summer activities.

A look at the back of the JisuLife Life10 S hand fan.

On the back of the fan is a USB-C charging port and a sliding power switch that prevents the fan from accidentally turning on while it’s being jostled around inside a bag.

The Life10 S’ functionality is comparatively basic, but also easy to use. A sliding power switch on the back prevents it from accidentally turning on while banging around inside a backpack, and a single button on the front cycles through five different fan speeds. There’s also a basic LCD display showing the battery’s remaining charge when the fan is first powered on and the current speed setting. It’s simple, but the Life10 S does its one job quietly and for a surprisingly long time.

A close-up of JisuLife Life10 S fan’s power button on the front.

A single button cycles through the fan’s five different speed settings.

When Dyson announced its first handheld fan in April, I assumed the company that had developed an expertise in moving air had created a personal cooling device that would outperform everything else on the market. My spouse loves their Dyson hair dryer, and I was sure the HushJet Mini Cool would be my secret weapon for surviving hot and humid summers, even if at $99 it was a splurge. But having used both Dyson’s personal fan and JisuLife’s $25 alternative, I only reach for the latter when braving the world without AC.

A close-up of the basic LCD display on the front of the JisuLife Life10 S fan.

The basic LCD display on the front of the fan is sometimes hard to see because it’s hidden behind a reflective black cover, but the fan is easy to use without being able to see it.

Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool wraps impressive engineering in an eye-catching design, and at its highest setting, it easily out blasts JisuLife’s even with the Life10 S set to full power. But even at its lowest setting, the HushJet is loud with a high-pitched whine reminiscent of Dyson’s vacuums. I don’t mind that sound when it’s limited to short bursts of cleaning at ground level, but not when coming from a tiny fan designed to be used close to your face and ears. The JisuLife fan produces sound at a much lower frequency, making it easier to tolerate for hours, even if it’s far from whisper quiet at full power.

What impresses me more about the JisuLife fan is how long its 5,000mAh battery keeps it running. At half power, which we find is strong enough to cool us down on even the hottest days, the fan ran for just over 16 hours before needing a charge. That’s far longer than my son lasted at the water park. For comparison, Dyson estimates the HushJet Mini Cool will run for up to six hours at its lowest setting, and at full power, I had it die after just over an hour.

I haven’t tested the even pricier Shark ChillPill that combines a fan with a metal cooling plate the company claims can lower skin temperature by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds. You can cool down by pressing it all over your body, but it only cools for as long as the fan has power. SharkNinja estimates the ChillPill will run for up to 11 hours at its lowest setting, or just an hour-and-a-half at max power. That approach could be very effective, but I’m not spending $150 to find out.

I’ve also tested the wearable neck fans that seem to be very popular among the cashiers at my local Costco, but I didn’t find them to be as effective as I’d hoped. The breeze is spread out across the length of the fan and doesn’t feel as intense as a handheld fan, and wearing it positions the motor right below your ear at all times, so it’s a constant drone. I see why they’re useful, but it’s not an experience anyone in my family enjoyed.

After a successful summer with these fans, I’m already keeping an eye out for sales on other JisuLife models, including a hands-free version you wear hanging from your neck. But I’m also expecting these cheaper alternatives will continue to be the first thing we pack when heading out on adventures for the rest of the summer and probably for years to come.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
#dont #splurge #expensive #handheld #fan #beat #heatDeals,Gadgets,Hands-on,Reviews,Tech,Verge Shopping

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