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We never fully own smart home tech, and that has upsides and downsides

Smart home tech | Exterior of modern home at dusk

As regular readers know, I’m a huge fan of smart home tech. But there’s a trend we’re increasingly seeing with this and other technology where we never fully own the product.

That’s true in a couple of ways, and there’s both an upside and downside to that – each illustrated by a different story I spotted this morning …

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Botvat Connected is the first robo-cleaner you can control with your Apple Watch

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Let’s face it, a robot vacuum cleaner is fairly hi-tech, but these days we want more. Like the ability to start and stop cleaning cycles with our Apple Watch, and have it alert us the same way when it’s done.

Neato is the first robo-cleaner company to offer this facility with the latest update to the Botvac Connected …


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‘Thinking Cleaner’ aims to combine iOS 8’s HomeKit with your Roomba

A new product on Kickstarter is aiming to integrate iOS 8’s new HomeKit features into the Roomba automated vacuum cleaner (which our own Ben Lovejoy listed as one of the best home automation gifts for 2014). That product is the Thinking Cleaner, which is basically a new faceplate for your Roomba. Inside the faceplate, however, are the necessary electronics to connect the device to Wi-Fi and control it from your smartphone.

The Thinking Cleaner’s actual feature list is pretty extensive. It allows you to schedule cleaning cycles not only from the web, but from a native iOS app as well. It can also use geofencing to detect when you leave the house and automatically start cleaning. User-customizable notifications can let you know when the Roomba starts cleaning, even when you’re not home.

You can use a “Find my Roomba”-style feature to play a sound from the vacuum, allowing you to quickly locate it, then remotely steer it back to you. Because it works with HomeKit, you can also expect to see some Siri integration as well. The Thinking Cleaner can pull software updates over-the-air, allowing it to gain new capabilities even after buying it.

You can find a lot more information, including several videos on the design of the faceplate, on the Thinking Cleaner’s Kickstarter page.

Holiday gift guide: Smart home products – get a jump on HomeKit for 2015

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I wondered earlier this year whether Apple’s HomeKit system would bring home automation to the masses. The good news is that you don’t need to wait for HomeKit to start bringing smart home technology to your family and friends – and we’ve put together a gift guide covering some of the main products that might bring a smile to their faces during the holidays.

With the right gadgets, they will be able to control lighting, heating, cooking, sound systems … even have their kettle switch on when they walk up to their front door, which will automatically unlock as they approach. Best of all, you can get them in on the smart home action from just $30 …


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Dyson announces iPhone-controlled robot vacuum cleaner with 360-degree vision system

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OadhuICDAjk]

There’s no shortage of robot vacuum cleaners these days, but it looks like the Dyson 360 Eye – due for launch next year – could be the best one yet.

The 360 Eye uses Dyson’s cyclone technology, where centrifugal force is used to throw dirt out of spiral airflows, making it more powerful than anything on the market. But the clever part is the 360-degree camera system, which allows the device to accurately position itself by 3D reference points rather than the simpler 2D systems used in existing robocleaners.

The Dyson Link iPhone app will allow you to start, stop and schedule cleaning sessions, as well as monitor its progress remotely. The device’s firmware can also be updated via the app.

Dyson is launching first in Japan in the spring, with an international launch later in the year. Don’t expect it to be cheap …

Via TNW

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9to5Toys Last Call: 6′ MFi Lightning cable $10, rare Roomba discounts, 1-day Seagate hard drive sale, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals: 

Last Call updates:

coboc-lightning-mfi-cableCoboc 6′ MFi Lightning cable $10 shipped (Reg. $20), Mota 10′ in various colors $20 shipped (Reg. $30)

roomba-deal-9to5toysiRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robots: Model 630 $280, Model 770 $400

seagate-expansion-hard-drive-1tb-dealAmazon Gold Box Seagate Hard Drives: 3TB Backup Plus desktop $95, 1TB Expansion portable $55

Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive:

New products:

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9to5Toys Last Call: Up to 50% off popular Mac games, Bose AE2 ‘phones $99, Philips Brilliance 27″-29″ monitors, more

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals: 

Last Call updates:

borderlands-2-sale-mac-03Game/App Deals: Up to 50% off Mac games: Borderlands GOTY, Call of Duty, Star Wars, many more, Carmageddon: FREE, iOS freebies

Bose-AE2-headphones-dealBose AE2 fold-flat headphones $99 shipped (Reg. $150)

29-inch-philips-brilliance-298x4qjab-ultrawide-hd-display-sale-01Philips Monitor Deals: 27″ Quad HD w/ mic & webcam: $600 (Reg. $900), 29″ UltraWide HD display: $450 (Reg. $700)more

irobot-roomba-dealTake up to $50 off select iRobot Roomba cleaning robots, deals start at $300 shipped

Other great deals from today:

More great deals still alive: