Robots in the Home
Outsource your carpet cleaning schedule with 100 off the iRobot Roomba Max 715 robot vacuum
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iRobot unveils its most powerful vacuums yet -- everything to know about the Roomba Max 875 and Plus 678
Look Up Back to School Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Say More Trending Now Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Creator Playbook Switch Off Mashable Voices Safety Net Versus All Series Soumya is a deals writer who covers consumer tech, shopping deals, and the products people use every day. With experience writing about everything from AI tools and software to smartphones and home gadgets, she enjoys breaking down product research into clear, useful recommendations. When she's not tracking deals, she's usually comparing products, digging through reviews, and figuring out what actually makes a purchase worth it. All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
iRobot's new 1,199 Roomba Max 875 Combo is its most powerful robot yet
The 1,199 Roomba Max 875 Combo, which the company says delivers its best floor cleaning performance to date, and the 899 Roomba Plus 678 Combo both come with AutoWash Dock. They also serve as the launching ground for iRobot's new SealForce Vacuuming Technology, which works by lowering a skirt hidden inside the machines' chassis and forming a tight seal against the carpets fibers. That gives the robots a suction force of 35,000 Pascals, iRobot's highest yet, enough to pull embedded dirt and debris in carpets. The Max 875 Combo also features the company's ultrasonic ThermaMist Technology that sprays heated mist continuously while it's mopping in order to soften dried stains and dirt. Its PowerSpin Max Roller Mop uses the heated water to scrub the floor with a roller speed of 300RPM and 18 Newtons of downward pressure. This model can automatically detect carpet, raise its mop and then lower a protective shield to keep the rug dry.
Skip 1,000 flagship markups: iRobot's AI-powered Roomba Plus 575 gets a 100 price cut
Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Look Up Creator Playbook Mashable Voices Trending Now Say More Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off In My Bag All Series Skip $1,000 flagship markups: iRobot's AI-powered Roomba Plus 575 gets a $100 price cut Brittany is fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games. Until her dying breath she'll be wielding a BFG made entirely of killer drive and ambition. Check out her work at PfhorTheWin.com. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched! All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers.
Upgrade your robot vacuum while the Roomba Plus 405 Combo is less than 300
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Are Humanoid Robots Ready to Be Deployed?
Are Humanoid Robots Ready to Be Deployed? Neo and a dozen other robots with human forms are scheduled to hit the market. "The same robot that can land a backflip might not be able to walk up a flight of stairs," a researcher said. On a recent sunny day in Silicon Valley, I visited the industrial headquarters of 1X Technologies. Security was tight, so I had to put a sticker over my cellphone's camera and talk my way out of signing an N.D.A. before I was brought into an enormous space to meet Neo, the company's home robot. Neo stands five feet six and has no facial features except for two black cameras in place of eyes. The robot is a humanoid--its design is inspired by the human form--and its proportions are a blend of those of the median American male and those of the median American female. But Neo has no skin. Instead, it wears a beige nylon turtleneck bodysuit, gloves, and padded shoes over a see-through carapace. Under that is a skeleton made up of more than a hundred whizzing motors and cordlike artificial tendons that control Neo's limbs. Neo's cozy, minimalist aesthetic allows it to blend into the background. If it served me an espresso at a café, I'm not certain I would look up from my phone. The robot weighs just sixty-six pounds, and I was able to pick it up in a bridal carry. It communicates through a speaker in its chest, using several different voices; the default one is in a calm but authoritative masculine register, an A.I.-modulated mixture of several voice actors. Neo can talk, listen, and respond to commands.
A Roomba that vacuums, mops, and cleans itself is 400 right now
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This Roomba can vacuum, mop, empty itself, and wash its own mop pads, and it's down to $399.99 for Prime Day. One of the better deals I've come across this Prime Day is the iRobot Roomba 415X, which is currently down to $399.99. This specific model vacuums mops, which is great for crumbs and stickier messes. The dock can automatically empty the dustbin for up to 90 days, wash the mop pads, refill water, and even heat-dry the pads after a clean.
Humanoid home robots are on the market – but do we really want them?
Humanoid home robots are on the market - but do we really want them? Last year, Norwegian-US tech company 1X announced a strange new product: "the world's first consumer-ready humanoid robot designed to transform life at home". Standing 168 centimetres tall and weighing in at 30 kilograms, the US$20,000 Neo bot promises to automate common household chores such as folding laundry and loading the dishwasher. Neo has a built-in artificial intelligence (AI) system, but for tricky tasks it requires a 1X employee wearing a virtual reality helmet to remotely take over the robot. The operator can see whatever the bot does inside your house, and the process is recorded for future learning.
Update Apple's Home app this week--or risk losing control of your smart home
Apple is mandating users upgrade to its new Home architecture by February 10, 2026, or risk losing control of HomeKit-connected smart devices and automations. PCWorld reports the updated system no longer supports iPads as home hubs, requiring an Apple TV 4K ($129+) or HomePod ($99) instead. Despite initial rollout problems in 2022, the re-released architecture since iOS 16.4 promises improved reliability and efficiency for smart home management. Well, this is it: After a series of delays, Apple is finally nixing support for its old Home architecture, meaning those still relying on the previous version of Apple's Home framework have some decisions to make--quickly. The moment of truth arrives February 10, 2026, less than a week away.