Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Hisense is showing off a new lineup of AI-connected home appliances at IFA 2026, letting visitors ask a fridge what to cook and have an oven, wine cabinet and dishwasher carry out the rest of the process automatically.

The AI Companion Suite links appliances from meal planning to cleanup

The system, powered by Hisense's ConnectLife platform, starts with the AI Companion Refrigerator, which scans stored ingredients and suggests recipes based on personal preferences. Once a dish is chosen, the AI Companion Oven can begin automatic cooking while the AI Companion Wine Cabinet suggests a pairing and keeps it at proper storage temperature. Afterward, the AI Companion Dishwasher checks how dirty the dishes are and adjusts its cleaning cycle accordingly.

Mainz – September 11, 2026 -- Constant background noise from white noise machines, audiobooks and headphones may be overwhelming children's hearing, according to Eberhard Schmidt, a certified hearing acoustician and president of Germany's Bundesinnung der Hörakustiker (biha).

Schmidt, who also specializes in pediatric hearing care, says ears are always "on" and cannot simply switch off. The real risk comes from a combination of high volume, close proximity to sound sources, and nonstop exposure -- not from sound itself.

Hearing develops before birth, around the fifth month of pregnancy

Unborn babies can perceive sound starting around the fifth month of pregnancy, Schmidt explains. While amniotic fluid and tissue reduce volume, loud repeated noise -- such as at concerts or noisy workplaces -- can still reach the fetus and should be limited during pregnancy.

Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Diabetes can silently damage the eyes years before patients notice any change in their vision, yet new data show barely half of people with type 2 diabetes get the recommended eye exam. To close that gap, German health insurer mkk - meine krankenkasse now offers its members a free eye screening from Skleo Health at participating opticians and drugstores.

About seven million adults in Germany live with known or undiagnosed diabetes, according to the Robert Koch Institute. One serious complication is diabetic retinopathy, damage to the tiny blood vessels in the retina caused by diabetes duration, high blood sugar, and hypertension. Retinal changes can develop long before someone experiences blurred vision or other symptoms.

Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Home cooks can stop waiting until the end of cooking to salt dried legumes -- new guidance confirms salt can go into the water from the very start without affecting how soft beans become.

Soaking dried legumes takes eight to twelve hours, not constant attention

Whole dried fava beans, field peas, soybeans and sweet lupins need roughly eight to twelve hours of soaking before cooking. The practical approach is to set them in water overnight and continue preparation the next day. Soaking causes the seeds to swell, which shortens the later cooking time. Peeled fava beans and peeled field peas can skip this step entirely, since removing the seed coat allows them to be cooked directly -- packaging instructions specify the exact method for each product.

Munich – September 11, 2026 -- RTLZWEI airs a new double episode of its social documentary series "Hartz, Rot, Gold" on September 8, 2026, at 8:15 p.m., with the episode available seven days earlier on RTL+.

Jessica and Olaf face a health scare ahead of their second child's birth

The Hamburg couple already has a crib for their baby, thanks to a furniture donation, and 55-year-old Olaf plans to build a shelf himself. He is also considering a job at the Hamburg Dom fair. But a visit to the gynecologist brings alarming news: doctors detected a lump on the baby's heart. Jessica tries to stay calm while Olaf grows increasingly worried.

Nuremberg -- German lifestyle furniture brand LOBERON will open two pop-up stores on October 1, 2026, marking its first physical retail presence after years online. The locations sit in prime city-center spots: Viktualienmarkt 6 in Munich and Mönckebergstraße 19 in Hamburg.

Both stores run for four months, closing January 30, 2027. The Munich space covers 477 square meters and opens Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Hamburg location spans 255 square meters and is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Shoppers can buy small items on the spot, order furniture online

Small accessories can be purchased and taken home directly from the stores. Larger furniture pieces and other items from the collection are ordered through LOBERON's online shop with staff assistance, and the standard shipping fee is waived for orders placed this way.

Giengen an der Brenz – September 10, 2026 -- Steiff is opening its archive to celebrate World Teddy Bear Day on September 9, showcasing rare international collector's pieces that trace more than 120 years of the toy's global appeal.

Five archival bears highlight the toy's worldwide reach

Steiff selected five discontinued collector's pieces to illustrate how different cultures have shaped the design of the teddy bear. The lineup includes the 2005 Carmen bear, inspired by Georges Bizet's opera, and the 2018 Great Escapes New York bear, modeled after the Statue of Liberty.

Also featured are the 2019 Great Escapes Edinburgh bear, dressed in a kilt with traditional Scottish design elements, the 2000 Tomato bear tied to Dutch heritage, and the 2025 Tang Dynasty Prosperous bear, drawing on Chinese imperial history. None of these five pieces remain commercially available.

Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- Germany's nature conservation groups NABU and its Bavarian partner LBV have opened public voting to choose the country's Bird of the Year for 2027, with anyone able to cast a ballot online at vogeldesjahres.de through October 15 at 11 a.m., when the winner will be announced the same day.

Five candidates are competing to succeed the grey partridge, the current title-holder. NABU bird protection expert Martin Ruemmler said the candidates show the diversity of the country's bird life, noting that some migrate as far as Africa each winter while others stay put year-round, and that each finalist highlights a conservation issue deserving attention.

Five finalists each carry a distinct conservation message

The common raven, campaigning under the slogan "Black feathers, bright mind," is the world's largest songbird and mates for life, but faces threats from shootings and poisonings by people who dislike it.

New York City – September 10, 2026 -- A new guide from Consumer365 details how pet owners can now use same-day delivery apps like DoorDash to restock food, litter, and other bulky pet essentials without a store trip.

DoorDash delivers pet supplies from participating stores in as fast as 30 minutes

The service connects users with more than 100,000 grocery, convenience, and retail stores, and pet care is included alongside categories like beauty, electronics, and household goods. Availability depends on the customer's location and current store inventory, so delivery windows and fees vary by address.

Mutsamudu – September 10, 2026 -- Crypto exchange MEXC has launched a campaign called "Trade Wall Street, Without Walls," arguing that crypto-native platforms are removing long-standing barriers to stock market participation, including limited trading hours and high fees.

The push is backed by new research from MEXC and CoinGecko, which surveyed users with traditional finance experience. The study found that 74.2% of respondents had shifted some or all of their traditional asset trading activity to crypto exchanges. The top complaints about traditional brokerages were limited trading hours, cited by 58.8% of respondents, and high fees, cited by 54.7%.