To use Area mode, you first have to define the boundaries of the area. This is done in the app via a process similar to what I’ve encountered on some competing hardware devices. You fire up the mapping mode, and the sprinkler engages. Then, using a simple remote-control system, you dial the water pressure to the appropriate level, aiming at the edge of your yard but not the fence; once the water is where you want it, you drop a pin to mark the boundary of the watering area. You then rotate the nozzle on top of the sprinkler a few degrees and repeat, setting the strength of the flow to cover the desired area. Repeat again and again until you’ve gone through 360 degrees and have dropped pins to visually represent the entirety of your yard. The company says the maximum supported area is a vast 4,800 square feet, with spray reaching up to 39 feet.

In the app, you can watch this area map being created in real time. The process is quite intuitive except for the final couple of points, where Aiper’s system makes it difficult to complete the 360-degree circuit. If you look at the completed map in the screenshot below, you’ll see a tiny sliver of yard that no amount of finagling could get Aiper to close up.

Watering runs can be initiated on demand or on a schedule, and you intriguingly define not an amount of time to run but a “water consumption limit,” measured in inches of water you want applied to the soil. While it’s nearly impossible to measure how accurate this is, qualitatively, those estimates felt about right in my testing.

In Area mode, the IrriSense 2 delivers water by spraying a jet in a single direction, rotating clockwise through its 360 degrees until it’s gone all the way around the map you’ve set before turning back and doing it again in a counter-clockwise direction, repeating this cycle until the desired irrigation depth has been reached.

While the IrriSense 2’s spray system is officially described as a gentle “mist,” it’s really more of a jet, particularly when it has to reach the far-away parts of the yard near the terminus of its range. That results in a lot more water being delivered to the edges of the yard than to the central portion of the mapped area, but that’s a common issue I’ve seen with rotary sprinklers like this. To account for this, the IrriSense 2 doesn’t just blast at full speed for the entirety of its run. Instead, repeated rotations reduce the pressure delivered bit by bit, until the final rotations are little more than a trickle of water hitting just a few inches away from the unit. (Note that canceling a run early means that only the outermost portions of the area will receive water.)

Photograph: Chris Null

Liftoff. At 6:35 pm ET on April 2, a Space Launch System rocket lifted an Orion capsule from Earth. On board were Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. As of Thursday, they became the first humans to go beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

The crew will test technological systems that will be useful on subsequent missions, such as those involving radiation shielding or communication between the capsule and Earth at lunar distances. One of the most fascinating aspects is also the trajectory that Artemis II will follow during its mission.

Space Is the Place

Contrary to what intuition may suggest, the journey to the moon is not a direct, linear path connecting the Earth’s surface with the lunar surface.

After launch, the first stage of the SLS separated from the rest of the spacecraft—the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) upper stage and the Orion capsule. The ICPS carried the capsule into high Earth orbit, but the crew remained orbiting Earth for approximately 23 hours. After all the checks and verification that everything was in order, the ICPS separated from the Orion. That’s when the journey to the moon truly began.

The Lunar Flyover

The halfway point will occur on the evening of April 6. The Artemis II astronauts will travel approximately 10,300 kilometers beyond the moon, shattering all previous records for distance from Earth. The current record holder is the Apollo 13 mission, which reached approximately 400 kilometers beyond the moon.

The closest approach by Artemis II to the lunar surface will be 7,400 kilometers, which will be reached during the flyby of the far side. The spacecraft will not enter orbit around the moon but will fly past it and use a gravitational slingshot to return to Earth. The result is a figure-eight trajectory between the two celestial bodies. The orbit is optimized to ensure reentry to Earth, even in the event of engine failure.

The Reentry to Earth

Reentry will take place via a passive trajectory: After flying over the moon, Orion will essentially be in free fall toward Earth, without needing to use its engines. If there are problems with the propulsion or other systems, the capsule will return safely to Earth.

Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Reentry will take place by ditching in the Pacific Ocean on April 11, 9 days and 13 hours after the mission launch. There the astronauts will be recovered by the US Navy, thus concluding their journey home.

This story originally appeared in WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.

The Maytag Man is one of the most enduring characters in American advertising, lonely because no one needs his help repairing a Maytag appliance. The Maytag brand, too, has endured—going back to the days when Frederick Maytag’s washers involved wooden tubs and cranks. Maytag was the first company to put an agitator at the bottom of a washing machine, a design still in use today, and it was the first to stack a washer and dryer, and one of the earliest adopters on smart appliances. But mostly, the brand has eschewed novelty and staked its claim on durability and reliability for its heavy-duty dishwashers, washers, dryers, refrigerators, and ovens. This is true even as Maytag folded into ownership by former competitor Whirlpool.

Maytag remains one of the few appliance companies to offer 10-year limited warranties on essential parts. But Maytag promo codes are a bit more ephemeral, offering short-term deals on appliances that will hopefully last a decade. Here’s how to get a Maytag coupon code and Maytag promo codes, and find closeout deals on last season’s Maytag appliances to save even more.

Save Big With Maytag Appliance Closeout Deals

One of the easiest ways to find a deal on Maytag appliances is to look at the overstock and closeout deals, which offer significant markdowns on last season’s items as Maytag looks to clear out space for the new models. These deals do not require a Maytag coupon code, but they do require knowing where to look.

Go to the Maytag outlet site for appliance closeout deals. As of April 2026, this includes a $729 range with a built-in air fryer that used to sell for $1,300, and a $600 deal on a well-reviewed top-load dryer that previously sold for a thousand dollars. These deals generally last only until supplies run out.

Claim Free Delivery on Major Appliances Over $399

From now through April 8, Maytag customers can get free delivery on appliances priced $399 and above. Even better, Maytag will also haul away your old appliance for free. This deal does not require a Maytag discount code and includes standard home delivery for refrigerators, ranges, and laundry units. The discount will be applied automatically in your online shopping cart when you check out. Also, be sure to check the Maytag deals page often for current offers and rotating Maytag discounts and sales.

Select Customers Can Get a Special Maytag Promo Code

Like many big companies, Maytag offers professional discounts for military, first responders, healthcare workers, students, and teachers. To receive up to a 15% discount for active military, veterans, and spouses, you’ll need to create a Maytag account and then verify your military status using the SheerID program. Maytag first responder discounts and healthcare worker discounts also require SheerID verification. There’s also a discount program for both students and teachers, including a teacher savings program and up to 15% off sitewide. Verified students are able to access pricing unique to students, when moving into their first off-campus apartment.

Work Smarter, Not Harder With Maytag Smart Appliances

Maytag is also offering deals on select smart appliances. As of early April, this includes a somewhat unique combination toaster-microwave that’s about $100 off MSRP, and a slide-in electric range with smart connectivity that’s on a steep discount to $1,260—hundreds of dollars less than even other recent sale prices. You can check out the special Maytag deals on connected and smart appliances by scrolling down to the bottom of Maytag’s smart appliance page.