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The Qrevo S5V is half the price of Roborock’s best robot vacuums, but it’s still a top-tier cleaner

Roborock Qrevo S5V The Roborock Qrevo S5V is a well-priced robot vacuum and a highly-capable autonomous floor cleaning system. It cleans hard floors and carpets very well, and gets into the corners and underneath furniture with ease. Higher-end models boast greater capacities, but this bot can get the job done in the average home without breaking the bank. I’ve tested the very best robot vacs that Roborock has to offer — from the do-it-all Saros 10R to the all-that-plus-a-robot-arm Saros Z70 —

Cryptocurrency exchanges begin offering tokenized securities

As cryptocurrencies become more intertwined with the traditional financial system, industry heavyweights are racing for a long-sought goal of turning real-world assets into digital tokens. “Tokenization is going to open the door to a massive trading revolution,” said Vlad Tenev, the CEO of the trading platform Robinhood at a recent James Bond-themed tokenization launch event in the south of France. Advocates say tokenization is the next leap forward in crypto and can help break down walls that

Why Cartken pivoted its focus from last-mile delivery to industrial robots

Autonomous robotics startup Cartken, known for its four-wheeled robots that deliver food on college campuses and through Tokyo’s bustling streets, has found a new area of focus: industrials. Cartken co-founder and CEO Christian Bersch told TechCrunch that applying its delivery robots to industrial settings was always in the back of his mind as they built the startup. When companies started reaching out about using their robots in factories and labs, Cartken took a closer look. “What we found i

Mushroom learns to crawl after being given robot body (2024)

Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need

Mushroom learns to crawl after being given robot body

Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need

Robot Vacuum Tips to Help You Keep a Tidy Home (2025)

In the past few years, no other gadget—headphones, electric bicycle, literally anything at all—has improved as dramatically as the humble robot vacuum. The hardware and software have improved beyond all imagining. There are self-emptying bins, multilevel mapping abilities, and all sorts of bells and whistles, like an automated robot arm! Prices on the entry-level models have dropped significantly, to the point where robot vacuums are now an accessible household tool instead of a statement of bou

Whatever You Do, Don't Become Obsessed With This Conspiracy Thriller on Netflix

Sometimes, the best TV shows come from unexpected places. Obviously, there were the big ones like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. When Vince Gilligan's drug drama ended in 2013, with HBO's landmark fantasy hit in full swing, I wondered what series would be next to capture our collective attention. It took me a few years to find my next TV obsession, which aired on an unassuming basic cable channel. The show I'm referring to was about the internet, of all things. It was created by a guy with

Roborock Saros Z70 Review: OmniGrip Doesn’t Quite Work

I spent a few weeks lying in wait around my house, stalking it. My poor OmniGrip got into trouble all the time. I spent a morning wrestling the arm out of our freestanding toilet paper holder in the bathroom. It pulled all the kitchen towels off the rack. The emergency stop button (and the child lock) work, but you still have to pry the item out of its claw. Roborock has acknowledged in an email that there are many weird limitations to OmniGrip. For example, it does not recognize shoes that are

Uber Is Going All-in on Robotaxis

By the end of this decade, your next Uber ride might not have a driver at all. At least, that’s what Uber wants you (and its investors on Wall Street to believe.) Uber announced a new partnership today with luxury electric vehicle maker Lucid and the robotics company Nuro. Under the agreement, Uber plans to deploy a fleet of at least 20,000 Lucid Gravity SUVs equipped with Nuro’s self-driving technology over the next six years. The robotaxi service is expected to launch in a yet unnamed major U

Roblox Adds Age Verification for Teens Who Want to Chat: What You Need to Know

Roblox, the popular gaming platform, has revamped the way it will handle player communications, particularly for those under 18. As detailed in a blog post, the company says it's changing "Friends" to "Connections" across the platform and is launching new tools to estimate a player's age via a video selfie. That age verification, for those 13 to 17, will unlock a feature called "Trusted Connections" that allows for less filtered text or voice chat. Those who aren't able to verify their age with

Uber's latest robotaxi plan involves 20,000 Lucid EVs

Uber is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Nuro and Lucid, the latest step in the company’s plan to build an extensive robotaxi program that can roll out globally. Uber’s partnership with EV manufacturer Lucid will see it deploy at least 20,000 of the Newark-based company’s vehicles over a period of six years. These will be equipped with the AI-powered Nuro Driver autonomous technology. The vehicles will be owned and operated by Uber or one of its third-party partners, and the service

I put this buzzworthy 2-in-1 robot vacuum to work in my house - here's how it fared

ZDNET's key takeaways The Yeedi S14 Plus is available for a retail price of $1,400, though an introductory offer puts it at $999 for a limited time. The Yeedi is a big upgrade from almost any robot vacuum on the market right now, with 18,000Pa of suction and a self-cleaning mop roller. The S14 Plus doesn't have a detergent dispenser, its obstacle avoidance could be better, and it has an odd plastic smell (though that could be my unit). $1,399.99 at Amazon I've been testing what is decidedly t

Topics: mop plus robot s14 yeedi

I tested the Ferrari of robot mowers for a month - here's my verdict

ZDNET's key takeaways The Mammotion Luba 2 3000H is available for $2,599. Built to handle uneven terrain, the Luba 2 is an all-wheel-drive (AWD) reliable robot mower with a GPS-powered perimeter that is surprisingly easy to set up. The Mammotion app is not very user-friendly and can get buggy after a firmware update. View now at Us.mammotion Mowing the lawn is one of my favorite chores. It lets me focus on an uninterrupted task that satisfies my OCD, with the bonus of completing my exercise r

Signs Your Gut Is Unhealthy and the 4 Ways to Restore It

Your gut health plays a significant role in your overall well-being. In fact, the trillions of microbes living in your gut, collectively known as the gut microbiome, serve as your body's internal environment. Many people have recently become obsessed with healing their gut to avoid embarrassing symptoms like bloating and/or flatulence. Consider your gut microbiome as "little pets living inside your intestinal tract," Cleveland Clinic microbiome expert Gail Cresci explains. These microbes help b

Uber inks six-year robotaxi deal with Lucid, invests $300 million in EV company

Uber on Thursday announced a partnership to deploy more than 20,000 robotaxis over the next six years as demand for driverless cars kicks into high gear. As part of the partnership, the ride-hailing company is teaming up with Lucid , the electric vehicle maker, and Nuro, an autonomous vehicle startup. Under the agreement, Uber will invest $300 million in Lucid. Nuro will develop the self-driving technology that Lucid will use to supply Uber with robotaxis over the course of the deal and receive

Roblox launches new age verification system to unlock unfiltered chats

Users over 13 years old will be prompted to use the facial-analysis software to estimate their age and determine whether they can access the new "trusted connections" feature that allows them to engage in private, unfiltered chats with other age-screened users, Ebanks said. Roblox's use of age-estimation tech will help the company "confirm the age of our users and give them more tailored and age-appropriate features," said Ryan Ebanks, a Roblox principal product manager for social products. So

Roblox is adding an 'age estimation' feature for teens

Roblox is joining the growing ranks of online platforms that are trying to better understand the ages of their teen users. The company is rolling out a new " age estimation " feature for teens 13 and older. With the update, teens will be prompted for an age check that requires a video selfie in order to access its new less restrictive chat feature called "trusted connections." Roblox is relying on third-party identity company Persona for the actual "estimation," and users who fail the check wil

Roblox introduces new safeguards for teens, including age estimation tech

Roblox announced Thursday that it’s launching new safeguards for people who are between the ages of 13 and 18. The company is introducing “Trusted Connections” to allows these users to connect more freely with people they know, alongside age estimation technology, more privacy tools, and insights for parents of teens. Roblox has come under fire in recent years for how it handles child safety. In April, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena to Roblox in response to reports th

Ex-Waymo engineers launch Bedrock Robotics to automate construction

Bedrock Robotics, an autonomous vehicle technology startup founded by veterans of Waymo and Segment, has been operating quietly for more than a year. Now, it’s breaking cover with an $80 million funding round from investors Eclipse and 8VC. Bedrock Robotics is focused on developing a self-driving kit that can be retrofitted to construction and other worksite vehicles, according to the company. The announcement confirms some of TechCrunch’s reporting in May. Bedrock is “upgrading existing fleets

This Robot Vacuum Blew Me Away With Its Ingenious Navigation Capability, and Now It's 20% Off

Deal alert: The Dreame X50 robot vacuum is available for $1,360. That's a 20% discount on a robot vacuum that usually lists for $1,700. If you're looking for top-tier performance, this robot vac is better at climbing obstacles than any robot vacuum we've tested. CNET's key takeaways No robot vacuum has truly solved the challenge of multi-level cleaning without requiring you to physically move it between floors. This robo-vac can do it, for the high-end price of $1,700 (on sale right now for $

Reddit is back online after outage

If you were having trouble viewing Reddit today, you weren't alone. Downdetector showed a spike in outages and problems at the site. Reddit acknowledged the problem on Wednesday. At 12:38PM ET, it said the situation had been resolved. Reddit told Engadget that an update was the culprit. "An update we made caused some instability," a company spokesperson said. "We reverted and are seeing Reddit ramp back up." If you tried to visit Reddit this morning, you likely saw a message reading, "Server e

Leading AI Models Are Completely Flunking the Three Laws of Robotics

In his genre-defining 1950 collection of science fiction short stories "I, Robot," author Isaac Asimov laid out the Three Laws of Robotics: 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Ever since, the elegant

Ex-Waymo engineers launch Bedrock Robotics with $80M to automate construction

Bedrock Robotics, an autonomous vehicle technology startup founded by veterans of Waymo and Segment, has been operating quietly for more than a year. Now, it’s breaking cover with an $80 million funding round from investors Eclipse and 8VC. Bedrock Robotics is focused on developing a self-driving kit that can be retrofitted to construction and other worksite vehicles, according to the company. The announcement confirms some of TechCrunch’s reporting in May. Bedrock is “upgrading existing fleets

This robot vacuum broke the industry mold. Here's my verdict after months of testing

ZDNET's key takeaways The Matic is available for purchase at $1,095. This robot vacuum has a unique form factor and roller brush, and a debris bag that eliminates the need for a huge dock. The Matic has its drawbacks, mainly that it's too tall to clean under furniture and that it's currently only available for iOS, with an Android beta app planned for July. View now at Maticrobots Pioneer devices have the unique challenge of reinventing the wheel. They reimagine something that has become prev

Last Chance Deal: This Robot Vacuum Blew Me Away With Its Ingenious Navigation Ability, and It's at an All-Time Low Price

Deal alert: The Dreame X50 robot vacuum previously is down to just $1,360 That's a 20% discount on a robot vacuum that usually lists for $1,700. If you're looking for top-tier performance, this robovac is more capable of climbing obstacles than any robot vacuum we've tested. CNET's key takeaways No robot vacuum has truly solved the challenge of multi-level cleaning without requiring you to physically move it between floors. This robo-vac can do it, for the high-end price of $1,700 (on sale ri

AI coding tools are shifting to a surprising place: The terminal

For years, code-editing tools like Cursor, Windsurf, and GitHub’s Copilot have been the standard for AI-powered software development. But as agentic AI grows more powerful and vibe coding takes off, a subtle shift has changed how AI systems are interacting with software. Instead of working on code, they’re increasingly interacting directly with the shell of whatever system they’re installed in. It’s a significant change in how AI-powered software development happens — and despite the low profil

The latest robot vacuum innovation I've tested keeps my floors sparkling (and it comes with a spot cleaner)

ZDNET's key takeaways The Eufy E28 robot vacuum, mop, and spot cleaner combination is available for $999. The mop performs better than more expensive flagships, and the water tank system doubles as a portable spot cleaner with a self-cleaning hose. Unplugging the spot cleaner also unplugs the charging station, and the spot cleaner requires you to brush it to scrub. $999.99 at Amazon $999.99 at Walmart more buying choices Amazon is selling the Eufy Omni E28 for $800 (save $200). Robot vacuum

I tested the viral Roborock vacuum with a mechanical arm for a month - here's my verdict

ZDNET's key takeaways The Roborock Saros Z70 is now available for purchase for $2,599. The Saros Z70 is the first robot vacuum with a mechanical arm to lift lightweight objects and clean those missed areas This robot vacuum performs impressively well, but you can expect some bugs with the OmniGrip mechanical arm function. View now at Roborock View now at Amazon more buying choices I've spent the past few years of my life turning my home into the closest version of the Jetsons' house that I ca

Bank Warns That Robotaxi Companies May Have Overlooked Severe Obstacles to Actually Making Money

Bank Warns That Robotaxi Companies May Have Overlooked Severe Obstacles to Actually Making Money They're not convinced. Cost Benefit As Elon Musk's Tesla triples down on an autonomous ridehailing service, analysts are ringing the alarm bells, warning that even if the technology were swiftly perfected, it could take many years for robotaxis to become profitable. As Business Insider reports, analysts at HSBC warn that the market for driverless taxis — if there even is one — is being "widely ov

Does a window-cleaning robot actually work? I tested one to find out (and I'm pleasantly surprised)

ZDNET's key takeaways The Winbot W2 Omni is typically available for $700. The robot works indoors or outdoors and cleans seamlessly, picking up dirt without smearing it around or smudging your glass It also navigates the span of the glass, cleaning the full window without missing spots. I wish the device worked while plugged in and cleaned the edges of windows more effectively. View now at Amazon View now at Best Buy View now at Ecovacs more buying choices I've just finished testing a device