Roomba update helps robovacs clean up at Christmas

By Trevor Mogg November 30, 2021

iRobot has just dropped a Christmas-friendly update for its new Roomba j7 and j7+ robot vacuums.

It should mean less stress for folks with a real festive tree in their home as the machines will now zone in on all of those problematic pine needles that end up on the floor and stuck in your socks.

To make it happen, you just need to recommend a new cleaning area around the Christmas tree via the iRobot Home App. Using its onboard smarts, your trusty robovac will then automatically determine a “clean zone” around the outer perimeter of the tree and a “keep out zone” that should stop it ramming the decorative installation and potentially felling it.

The update also means the Roomba j7 and j7+ robot vacuums will now avoid discarded socks and shoes, preventing the machine from shoving them across the room only for the owner to later wonder if some ghostly presence has been fiddling with their footwear.

iRobot said the ability to steer clear of socks and shoes adds to the current list of other items that the Roomba j7 and j7+ can detect and avoid, including cords and solid pet waste, adding that its newest robot vacuums will continue to get smarter over time and identify even more objects via future updates.

Finally, this week’s update means that if you buy a new Roomba to replace an existing one, iRobot machines with Smart Mapping can now transfer an existing Smart Map to the new device, eliminating the robot’s need to create a new floor map from scratch.

Keith Hartsfield, chief product officer at iRobot, said in a release that with each Roomba update, “your robot gets smarter and does even more at no cost.”

Yet to get yourself a robot vacuum but interested in taking the plunge? Digital Trends has compiled a comprehensive list of the top robot vacuums currently available.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Smart Home

Amazon to buy Roomba maker iRobot for $1.7 billion

Cliff sensors on iRobot Roomba E5 prevents falling off stairs.

Hot on the heels of its acquisition of a health care company, Amazon has announced its intention to purchase iRobot in an all-cash deal worth $1.7 billion. Amazon will pay $61 per share for the maker of the popular Roomba robot vacuums.

“We know that saving time matters, and chores take precious time that can be better spent doing something that customers love,” Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices, said in a press release. “Over many years, the iRobot team has proven its ability to reinvent how people clean with products that are incredibly practical and inventive -- from cleaning when and where customers want while avoiding common obstacles in the home, to automatically emptying the collection bin. Customers love iRobot products -- and I’m excited to work with the iRobot team to invent in ways that make customers’ lives easier and more enjoyable.”

Smart Home

Eufy vs. Roomba: Which robot vacuum is right for your home?

Eufy bot cleaning.

Eufy has become known for its affordable home technology, while iRobot’s Roomba is now a household name for cleaning robots. If you are looking for a robot vacuum, which option should you pick? Are you more interested in power or useful smart features? Which brand is best for those on a budget? Let’s take a look at the major differences between these brands and what works best for you.
Available models

Visit Eufy’s site, and you’ll find options for X, L, G, and Bounce RoboVac lines, with around 12 models available, plus a couple of discount bundles.

Computing

Google’s latest anti-spam change helps clean up your calendar

google calendar tips and tricks feature

Spam is one of the many enemies of the internet, and Google has come up with a new way to tackle it -- at least on your calendar. The search engine giant recently tweaked how events show on Google Calendar so that you'll only be able to display events from senders you know.

With the change, you'll still get email event invitations from unknown senders, but they will only appear in your calendar after you accept. This means that only meetings from people in your same company domain, people in your contacts list, or people you've interacted with before will be added to your calendar automatically. Typically, these are usually trusted people who won't be sending you spam meetings that can mess with your calendar.