Living & Home

Berlin – – September 10, 2026 -- Midea has unveiled VitaBreeze, a new home air conditioning system that lets users direct airflow to specific spots in a room via smartphone, with a global preview set for IFA 2026 and a European retail launch planned for early 2027.

The system maps rooms to control airflow direction

VitaBreeze uses what Midea calls AirGrid Intelligence, which creates a digital layout of a room so users can visually steer air currents from their phone -- toward a yoga mat, for instance, or away from a couch.

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Midea has launched a built-in oven from its SpaceMaster series that reaches 350°C, a temperature rarely found in household appliances and typically reserved for professional pizzerias.

Most home ovens cap out at 250°C, too low for authentic pizza crust

Standard ovens max out around 250°C, sufficient for a casserole but not for the bubbled, leopard-spotted crust that defines great pizza. Achieving that texture has traditionally required a backyard brick oven or a delivery order.

The oven pairs 350°C heat with a built-in pizza stone

The SpaceMaster oven combines its high heat with an integrated pizza stone designed to absorb and transfer warmth directly to the dough, mimicking the baking surface of a traditional brick oven. Midea states the result is a pizza that goes from raw dough to pizzeria-quality in under three minutes, without becoming soggy or drying out.

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Hisense showcased its new AI Companion Suite at IFA 2026 in Berlin, a set of connected smart-home features designed to automate cooking, laundry, and energy use through its ConnectLife platform.

An AI fridge suggests meals based on stored ingredients

Asking "What should I cook?" triggers the system: an AI-equipped refrigerator scans stored ingredients and proposes recipes based on personal preferences. Selected recipes can sync automatically with the AI Companion Oven, while the AI Companion Wine cellar recommends food pairings and maintains optimal storage conditions. After the meal, an AI dishwasher detects dish soiling levels and adjusts its wash cycle accordingly.

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Hisense unveiled its AI Companion smart home suite at IFA 2026, showing how connected appliances can plan meals, adjust laundry cycles, and manage home energy use automatically.

The AI Companion Refrigerator suggests meals based on stored ingredients

Asking the fridge "What could I make?" identifies stored ingredients and proposes meal ideas based on personal preferences. Once a recipe is chosen, it can sync with the AI Companion Oven for automatic cooking, while the AI Companion Wine Cabinet recommends food pairings and maintains storage conditions. After the meal, the AI Companion Dishwasher checks dish condition and adjusts its wash program accordingly.

Laundry appliances read fabric type to set wash and dry cycles

In the laundry space, the AI Companion Laundry suite identifies clothing characteristics and automatically selects matching wash and dry cycles, letting users simply load the machine.

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Home improvement brand VEVOR is letting IFA Berlin 2026 visitors handle 20 products in person at Hall 11.1, Stand 111, before the show closes on September 8.

Visitors watch heat presses and ultrasonic cleaners work in real time

At the heat press station, guests watch product-inspired graphics transfer onto tote bags. Nearby, an Ultrasonic Cleaner demonstration cleans a pair of glasses in three minutes.

A new Chamber Vacuum Sealer debuts globally ahead of its December launch

The unit offers Seal-Only, Jar Vacuum and Marinate modes for food preservation, marking its first public preview anywhere before a European rollout in December.

Stuttgart – September 09, 2026 -- Stationery maker LEITZ ACCO Brands has rolled out a new range of notebooks and pads designed to catch fleeting ideas before they disappear, arguing that good thinking rarely happens at a desk.

Ideas often strike away from the office, the company says

According to LEITZ, flashes of inspiration tend to arrive in the shower, on the commute, or over coffee -- moments when a laptop typically isn't within reach. The company positions its new hardcover notebooks and spiral-bound pads as tools meant to travel: into meetings, onto trains, or into cafés.

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Midea showcased its new SpaceMaster built-in oven at IFA 2026 in Berlin, featuring a graphene-based heating system and cooking temperatures reaching 350°C.

Graphene tubes cut heating reaction time to 0.2 seconds

The oven's core feature, called Graphene Turbo Hot Air technology, uses graphene heating tubes designed to deliver heat rapidly. Midea states the heating system achieves a thermal reaction time of up to 0.2 seconds, though this figure refers to the heating element's own response speed rather than the time needed for the oven cavity to reach 350°C.

Berlin – September 09, 2026 -- Midea has unveiled VitaBreeze, a new air conditioning system that lets users direct airflow to specific spots in a room via smartphone, with a European launch set for early 2027. The product made its global debut at IFA 2026 in Berlin.

Smartphone control maps out airflow room by room

The system's AirGrid Intelligence feature scans a room's layout and gives users visual control over where cool or warm air goes, whether that's toward a yoga mat or away from a sofa spot prone to drafts. An extra-wide distribution angle aims to cover every corner of a room, and built-in person detection lets the unit follow occupants or steer clear of them, depending on preference.

Berlin – September 4, 2026 -- Midea introduced SMART MASTER, an AI-powered home ecosystem, at IFA 2026 in Berlin, alongside a live demo of its Midea Robot performing kitchen and household tasks.

The AI Agent responds in under half a second across 140 languages

SMART MASTER's core feature, the AI Agent, offers an 8-metre voice-recognition range and a 0.4-second response time. Voice access is built into Midea appliances, with additional entry points through in-car systems and other connected devices.

Four specialized agents manage daily routines at home

Comfort Agent adjusts air conditioning, humidity and laundry settings when someone arrives home. Health Agent suggests meals based on refrigerator contents and coordinates kitchen appliances at dinnertime. Efficiency Agent tracks household energy use, while Service Agent diagnoses appliance issues and offers real-time video support for maintenance.

Charleston – September 09, 2026 -- Homeowners planning a backyard shed in Charleston, South Carolina, may need approval from two separate authorities before a single board goes up, according to a new HelloNation article featuring insights from Keith Kirwin, a Shed Expert with Cool Sheds.

The article explains that meeting a homeowners association's guidelines does not guarantee a local building department will approve the same shed, and vice versa.

HOA committees review size, color, and placement before purchase

According to the article, homeowners associations often route shed requests through an architectural committee that evaluates size, color, and lot placement. A formal application is frequently required before a shed is even bought.