14 DAY TRIAL // We were there in Berlin, Germany, when IFA 2013 was going on back in early September, and we were present when Panasonic outlined its plans for the home, which involved high-tech appliances of all kinds. Now we have definite proof that those plans are being followed.
Said proof comes in the form of the MC-HS700G hybrid vacuum cleaner, whose name is a bit misleading given the lack of actual feature combo with those of another appliance.
The “hybrid” in the name refers to the power supply. An overall normal vacuum (though an admittedly stylish one, with a green color theme), it can also work cordlessly, thanks to integrated high-power lithium ion batteries.
Said batteries get charged via USB, of all things, making this the first ever USB-powered vacuum cleaner in history.
The charge can last for 20 minutes or so, giving you enough time to move about the garage or other areas of the home, or out on the porch, where there is no power socket available.
That's the time it takes for minimal suction to do the job though. When at full power, the battery life is reduced to six minutes only.
And since it takes five hours to actually recharge the batteries, that can get old really fast. Then again, if you have a PC with a good USB power port that works even when the system is off, you can just leave the vacuum plugged in overnight, effectively removing the tedium.
The Panasonic MC-HS700G vacuum cleaner also possesses a dust sensor (invisible particles as small as 20 microns are detected), cyclone-action suction, and headlights that cast light upon dirty, out-of-the-way areas.
You'll need to use AC power for these though, because the batteries won't last long enough to be of any real use.
Panasonic's hybrid MC-HS700G vacuum cleaner has a price of $700 / €700 and is only available in Japan for now.
