Tech

Best Robot Vacuums We’ve Tested (February 2026)

Published

3 weeks ago

21 February 2026

These robot vacuums are ones that tested well, scoring at least a 7 overall rating, or that might be the right fit for a specific situation.

Yeedi S16 Plus

Yeedi S16 Plus: The Yeedi S16 Plus distinguishes itself with the best pet hair pickup we’ve tested, completely clearing our hardwood test area. It also has one of the most user-friendly app interfaces available. However, it falls short of our main list due to significant failures in obstacle avoidance and inconsistent cleaning power on specific surfaces. In our navigation tests, it avoided only two of six objects, running over a sock and two types of simulated pet waste, which makes it a risky choice for homes where messes might occur.

While its overall sand pickup average is a decent 51.51%, its specific performance lags behind top-tier competitors. It achieved a mediocre 86.13% pickup rate on hardwood and struggled significantly on midpile carpet, with only a 17.39% success rate. Consequently, despite its sleek design and effective self-rinsing Ozmo mop, we recommend models like the Eufy E28 for people who need reliable obstacle avoidance.

Yeedi M14 Plus

Yeedi M14 Plus: The Yeedi M14 Plus is a standout choice for smart navigation, tying for the best obstacle avoidance score in our testing by successfully evading five out of six common hazards, including pet waste and socks. It pairs these smarts with excellent hardwood performance, removing 92.7% of sand in our lab tests, and has what our testers rated as the most intuitive and comprehensive app interface available. With a base station that offers self-emptying and hot water mop washing, it’s a highly capable automated cleaner for homes with hard floors.

However, the M14 Plus falls short of our main list due to its abysmal performance on soft surfaces; it managed a dismal 8.7% pickup rate on midpile carpet, making it unsuitable for homes with rugs. Its navigation coverage was also below average at 71.18%, leaving more missed spots than top-tier competitors like the Mova V50 or Dreame X50. While often available at a deep discount, its high retail price of $1,199 makes the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor a stronger value proposition for most buyers.

Roborock Qrevo Curv

The Qrevo Curv is an older and distinctive-looking robot vacuum.
Roborock/CNET

Robock Qrevo Curv: The Roborock Qrevo Curv is easily recognizable by its distinctive egg-shaped base station and has an AdaptiLift chassis that helps it cross high thresholds. In our lab tests, it proved to be a specialist for homes with plush rugs, achieving a 35.65% sand pickup rate on midpile carpet. This was the highest score recorded in its specific test batch and the second-highest midpile score we’ve seen to date, trailing only the Mova V50.

However, the Qrevo Curv misses our main list due to its underwhelming performance on hard floors and poor hazard detection. It removed only 75.91% of sand from hardwood, a mediocre result compared to top-tier competitors, which consistently score above 90%. Additionally, its navigation systems failed to identify common clutter. It avoided only one out of six obstacles in our avoidance test. Our lab experts also noted that its cleaning path was inefficient, with heat maps showing it focused heavily on the room’s edges while neglecting the center.

Eufy E25

Eufy E25: The Eufy E25 stands out as one of the better obstacle-avoidance systems for robot vacuums. It successfully evaded five out of six hazards, including simulated pet waste and cords — a feat matched only by its sibling, the E28, and the Yeedi M14 Plus. While setup was a breeze, thanks to an app that instantly recognized the device, its cleaning power didn’t quite match its brains. It managed a respectable 85.4% sand pickup on hardwood but struggled significantly on soft surfaces, recording the lowest low-pile carpet score in its batch at just 31.88%.

We ultimately excluded the E25 from our main list because it offers less utility than the Eufy E28 for a similar or higher price. “I would recommend the Eufy E28 over this unit because it offers the carpet-cleaning functionality with similar cleaning abilities,” noted lab technician Schylar Breitenstein. With a price tag hovering around $1,300 without sales and a midpile carpet pickup rate of only 12.17%, it is hard to justify the E25 when the E28 provides the same elite obstacle avoidance plus a unique portable carpet cleaner for better value.

iRobot Roomba 705 Max

The Roomba 705 Max pictured. — The Roomba 705 Max had the best cleaning coverage we’ve tested and it’s a capable cleaner on hardwood.
CNET

iRobot Roomba 705 Max: The iRobot Roomba 705 Max distinguishes itself with room coverage, with an impressive 86.36% score. It is a thorough cleaner on hard floors, picking up 92.7% of sand, and it has a compact, stylish base station that auto-empties the dustbin without dominating your floor plan. If you have a tidy home with predominantly hard floors and want a vacuum that won’t miss a spot, the 705 Max offers the thorough cleaning pattern iRobot is known for.

However, we excluded it from our main list because its obstacle-avoidance technology is virtually nonexistent compared to modern standards. In our lab tests, it failed to avoid a single object, running over everything from socks to simulated pet waste — an odd flaw for a robot touting its AI vision. Additionally, it lacks the mopping capabilities standard on most robots in this price class. Our lab team critiqued the app as “underdeveloped,” noting that the expensive warranty add-ons feel “like an unnecessary paywall.” For a smarter robot that can actually dodge trouble, we recommend the Eufy E28.

3i S10 Ultra

A black and gray robot vacuum and base station against a purple gradient CNET background. — The 3i S10 Ultra is a unique water-recycling robot vacuum.
3i/CNET

3i S10 Ultra: We haven’t reviewed many robot vacuums from 3i, but the company has some unique offerings, including the S10 Ultra, which it says is the first water recycling robot vacuum in the world. What that means is that it’s capable of purifying and distilling its own wastewater extracted from the robot, as well as using water vapor and condensation from the air to refill the robot’s water tank with clean water. It’s a fascinating implementation that can help cut down on water wasted on mopping.

In terms of performance, the S10 Ultra is a capable robot vacuum, removing 93.45% of sand from hardwood floor, which is the third highest score on our list. However, carpet performance wasn’t as good, at 37.68% low-pile and 17.68% midpile, resulting in a 49.6% average. That said, it has all the key features you’d expect from a higher-end robot vacuum, including advanced lidar navigation, dirt and liquid detection, a self-cleaning spinning roller mop and AI obstacle avoidance. Our lab technician, Schylar Breitenstein, noted that the app wasn’t very user-friendly and that she had issues with connectivity to Wi-Fi. Obstacle avoidance was also a disappointment, with a complete failure for all six obstacles. The bulky and heavy base station weighs 50 pounds and takes up significant space. All this keeps it off our best list.

Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni

Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni: The Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni distinguishes itself with reliable carpet detection that correctly ramps up suction when transitioning from hard floors to rugs, a feature our lab noted isn’t always consistent in this category. In terms of raw cleaning power, it performed decently, removing 88.32% of sand from hardwood floors and securing the third-highest midpile carpet pickup score in its test batch at 20.87%. Our testers also appreciated its navigation around furniture, noting that it “navigates well around chair legs” and easily cleared our 4-inch threshold tests.

However, the X9 Pro Omni misses our main list because its performance doesn’t justify its premium price tag. Despite claims of AI avoidance, it only successfully dodged two out of six obstacles in our hazard gauntlet. Furthermore, its room coverage was a middling 76.42%, with lab technicians observing that it “seems to clean in one direction” without the cross-hatch pattern that ensures a deeper clean. With a total average pickup score of 51.47%, it is a capable cleaner, but lacks the elite efficiency of top contenders such as the Mova V50.

Monsaga MS1 Max

Monsaga MS1 Max: The Monsaga MS1 Max caught our eye as a potentially affordable option that doesn’t skimp on features, offering lidar navigation and a self-emptying base station for a midrange price. In our lab testing, it actually punched above its weight class on hardwood floors, removing an impressive 92.7% of sand — a score that rivals some of our top picks, including the Yeedi M14 Plus. Our testers also appreciated the petite, lightweight base station, noting it was “easily transportable” compared to the bulky docks typical of this category.

However, the MS1 Max falls short of a recommendation due to what our lab team described as “atrocious” pet hair performance; hair became hopelessly tangled around the main brush and was scattered around the room rather than collected. It also struggled significantly on softer surfaces, managing only 44.06% pickup on low-pile carpet and a dismal 4.35% on midpile. Furthermore, its navigation smarts didn’t hold up in our hazard tests; the robot failed to avoid a single object in our six-item gauntlet, running over everything from cords to simulated pet waste.

Source link

Tech

ChatGPT, Other Chatbots Approved For Official Use In the Senate

Published

6 minutes ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: A top Senate administrator on Monday gave aides the green light to use three artificial intelligence chatbots for official work, a reflection of how widespread the use of the products has become in workplaces around the globe. The chief information officer for the Senate sergeant-at-arms, who oversees the chamber’s computers as well as security, said in a one-page memo reviewed by The New York Times that aides could use Google’s Gemini chat, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, which is already integrated into Senate platforms.

Copilot “can help with routine Senate work, including drafting and editing documents, summarizing information, preparing talking points and briefing material, and conducting research and analysis,” the memo said. The document later added that “data shared with Copilot Chat stays within the secure Microsoft 365 Government environment and is protected by the same controls that safeguard other Senate data.” It’s unclear how widely AI is used in the Senate or how widespread it might become, as individual offices and committees set their own rules. The chamber has also not publicly released comprehensive guidance on chatbots, the report notes.

In contrast, the House has clearer policies allowing the general use of AI for limited internal tasks but restricting it from sensitive data or for being used for deepfakes and certain decision-making activities.

Source link

Tech

A change could be set to make even older Android phones much faster

Published

20 minutes ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Google is working on a behind-the-scenes change to Android that could make phones feel noticeably quicker – without requiring new hardware.

The company is introducing a new optimisation technique for the Android kernel. This could improve app launches, system performance and even battery efficiency.

The update centres on the Android kernel, the core part of the operating system. The kernel is responsible for managing communication between apps, the processor and the phone’s hardware. According to Google, the kernel accounts for roughly 40% of total CPU activity on Android devices. This means even small improvements here can have a meaningful impact on day-to-day performance.

The new approach uses something called Automatic Feedback-Directed Optimisation (AutoFDO). In simple terms, it allows the software compiler, the tool that converts code into instructions your phone’s processor understands, to learn from how people actually use their devices. This is instead of relying purely on general assumptions.

To gather this data, Google ran controlled tests using Pixel phones that simulated real-world behaviour. The process involved launching and interacting with the top 100 most popular Android apps. Profiling tools tracked which parts of the kernel were used most frequently. The system then identifies these “hot” sections of code and prioritises them when rebuilding the kernel.

By reorganising the code around the parts that matter most, the compiler can make smarter optimisation decisions. The result, Google says, is faster app launches, smoother multitasking and potentially better battery life.

The company has already begun rolling the optimisation out to its android16-6.12 and android15-6.6 kernel branches, which underpin recent Android versions. It also plans to expand the technique to future releases.

Longer term, Google also intends to apply similar optimisations to other parts of the system. This includes additional kernel components and hardware drivers used by phone makers for features like cameras and modems.

It’s the kind of change most users will never see — but if it works as intended, it could make everyday Android performance feel just a little bit snappier.

Source link

Tech

ICYMI: the week’s 7 biggest tech news stories from Sonos’ big return to our review of the ‘impressively premium’ MacBook Neo

Published

35 minutes ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

When is a quiet week in tech not a quiet week in tech? How about right now. Because while this week lacked the huge launches of the previous one, it was still packed with big stories and impressive new tech.

For starters, we delivered our expert verdicts on the Apple devices that were revealed last week, and the MacBook Neo in particular blew us away. We also sat down for a long chat with Sonos‘ CEO as the audio giant launched two new speakers, and delivered our Google Pixel 10a review.

Source link

Tech

Meta is killing end-to-end encryption in Instagram DMs

Published

48 minutes ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Meta is killing end-to-end encryption in Instagram DMs. The feature will “no longer be supported after May 8, 2026,” the company wrote in an update on its support page. Unlike WhatsApp, Meta never made encryption available to all Instagram users and it was never a default setting. Instead, users in “some areas” had the ability to opt-in to encryption on a per-chat basis.

In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said the feature was being retired due to low adoption. “Very few people were opting in to end-to-end encrypted messaging in DMs, so we’re removing this option from Instagram in the coming months,” the spokesperson said. “Anyone who wants to keep messaging with end-to-end encryption can easily do that on WhatsApp.”

Interestingly, Meta’s statement doesn’t mention the status of encryption on Messenger. The company began turning on end-to-end encryption as a default setting in 2023 after years of work on the feature. A support page for Messenger currently states that the company “is in the process of securing personal messages with end-to-end encryption by default.”

Meta’s approach to encrypted messaging has changed several times over the years. It started encrypting WhatsApp chats in 2016. In 2019, Mark Zuckerberg outlined a “privacy-focused” revamp of the company’s apps, saying at the time that “implementing end-to-end encryption for all private communications is the right thing to do.” In 2021, the company’s head of safety said that Meta was delaying its encryption work until 2023 in order to create stronger safety features.

Meta’s use of encryption has been repeatedly criticized by law enforcement and some child safety organizations that say the feature makes it harder to catch predators who target children on social media. Recently, the topic has been raised numerous times during a trial in New Mexico over child safety. Internal documents that have surfaced as part of the trial show Meta executives and researchers debating the trade-offs between safety and privacy as it relates to encryption.

In testimony that was broadcast during the trial, Zuckerberg said that safety issues were “a large part of the reason why it took so long” to bring encryption to Messenger. “There’s been debate about this, but I think the majority of folks, from people who use our products to people who are involved in security overall, believe that strong encryption is positive,” he said.

Source link

Tech

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for March 14

Published

1 hour ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s the extra-long Saturday version, and a few of the clues are tricky. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

completed-nyt-mini-crossword-puzzle-for-march-15-2026.png — The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for March 15, 2026.
Advertisement

NYT/Screenshot by CNET

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Book parts: Abbr.
Answer: PGS

4A clue: Silicon Valley company that operates a fleet of robotaxis
Answer: WAYMO

6A clue: To a much greater degree
Answer: WAYMORE

8A clue: Contents of a scuba diver’s tank
Answer: AIR

9A clue: South Korean automaker
Answer: KIA

10A clue: Stop on a train route
Answer: STATION

12A clue: Actress Merman of “Anything Goes”
Answer: ETHEL

13A clue: Find another purpose for
Answer: REUSE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Employee’s hourly calculation
Answer: PAYRATE

2D clue: Workout spot
Answer: GYM

3D clue: “Great” mountains of Tennessee, familiarly
Answer: SMOKIES

4D clue: One giving you the dish?
Answer: WAITER

5D clue: Baltimore M.L.B. player
Answer: ORIOLE

6D clue: Used to be
Answer: WAS

7D clue: Suffix with Caesar or Euclid
Answer: EAN

11D clue: Night that NBC once aired “30 Rock” and “The Office”: Abbr.
Answer: THU

Source link

Tech

MacOS isn’t too much of a safe haven than Windows as infostealers come for Apple computers

Published

1 hour ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

I used to be of the opinion that MacBooks are relatively safer than other laptops, but I have been proven wrong. Embarrassingly and demonstrably wrong. A new report from Sophos X-Ops has spared no effort in rubbing my nose in it.

Researchers at the firm tracked three separate attack campaigns between November 2025 and February 2026, all of which targeted macOS users with something called the MacSync infostealer. For those catching up — it’s a type of malware that quietly rifles through your passwords and saved credentials, acting like a digital pickpocket.

So, how does it actually work?

The malware used a delivery method called ClickFix, which requires minimal technical effort. It just needs the victims to copy and paste a command into their Mac’s Terminal (designed to run and execute text-based commands) and press enter on the keyboard.

First, bad actors used fake OpenAI download pages, which were circulated via sponsored ads on Google (sitting right above the legitimate link). Then, they got even more creative: attackers started sharing rear ChatGPT shared conversations disguised as “helpful Mac guides.”

These guides routed users into fake GitHub pages, which contained carefully created software installation instructions, but in reality, they asked users to copy a terminal command, allowing the ManSync infostealer to work in the background. That’s it; that’s the whole attack.

How bad did it get?

Sophos has found out that by December 2025 alone, bad actors had routed more than 50,000 clicks on such malicious domains. A “click” means that someone copied the malicious terminal command, but not necessarily that the malware successfully installed; the actual infection count could be lower.

The developers put another spin on their attacking method in February 2026, allowing it to run silently in the background, bypassing the competent macOS security tools such as Gatekeeper and XProtect. It can, in a very real way, patch your ledger crypto wallet’s 24-word master key.

The firm reports that infection clusters were active in key markets, including parts of North and South America and India, as recently as weeks before they published the article (by the end of the beginning of March, possibly).

Moreover, the notion that “Macs are safe,” is at least, for the time being, not true. As AI platforms grow in popularity, and, more importantly, gain the trust of millions of users, bad actors are coming up with new ways to use the LLMs-driven tools to their advantage. For now, I’d advise you to not paste any text-based command into your Mac’s Terminal.

Source link

Tech

Samsung says its Micro RGB TVs likely won’t up your sleep cycle

Published

1 hour ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

We’ve all heard the saying: “screens before bed are bad,.” Yet somehow, I’ve been watching screens to go to sleep after a day of working with the screens for around eight to 10 hours. Well, I might consider switching to Samsung’s micro RGB TVs for both my work and leisure requirements, as they’ve recently got an eye- and sleep-friendly certification.

In a press release, the Korean tech giant has announced that its Micro RGB TV (the R95H model) has received two certifications from VDE (which is a German testing body).

What certifications has the Samsung TV received?

The Samsung TV has received the Safety for Eyes certification and the Circadian Rhythm Display (CRD) certification. Without making things too technical for you, the R95H model has been officially tested to not wreck your eyes or sleep, especially during the hours after sunset, when too much blue light consumption can disturb your sleep cycle.

Here’s how it works. The first certification, Safety for Eyes, takes care of the blue light emissions — the wavelength which is associated the most with eye strain and disturbed sleep — confirming that the television meets the safe thresholds for prolonged viewing sessions.

The second one, Circadian Rhythm Display (CRD) verification goes a step further by confirming that the TV actually mimics the pattern of natural light. The television leans toward producing cooler tones during the day, warmer tones in the evening, and, most importantly, dials down blue light at night.

How do the compatible TVs pull this off?

Basically, it doesn’t force your brain into thinking that it’s noon by producing cool light, when it’s midnight, so that viewing the television doesn’t disrupt your sleep cycle. But how does the TV manage all this?

Well, it’s Samsung’s micro RGB LED architecture that allows the display to make the fine-grained adjustments in the overall brightness and color profile of the screen, with an enhanced level of precision that isn’t present on other models.

While the Safety for Eyes certification is available across the company’s 2026 TV lineup, Circadian Rhythm Display (CRD) is currently available on the premium models.

Source link

Tech

Harbor Freight Has A Versatile 12-Tray Solution To Workshop Clutter

Published

2 hours ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Ascentxmedia/Getty Images

Keeping a workshop organized can feel like a never-ending task, and so any item that helps make organization easier can make a big difference. Fans of Harbor Freight will already be well aware that the retailer is a great place to look for cheap garage and workshop essentials, and one product in particular might come in useful for anyone trying to keep their workshop clutter within manageable levels. The Bauer storage system modular organizer features 12 individual bins that can be arranged in a custom configuration, making it a great place to store those small items that can get lost around the workshop.

All of the bins are removable, so there’s no need to haul around the entire organizer for smaller jobs. However, anyone who prefers to take everything with them on the go should still find the organizer useful, since it’s IP65 rated against dust and water ingress and can be connected to other Bauer storage system products. The brand offers a range of crates, tool boxes, and cases, alongside the modular storage organizer, in a similar manner to Milwaukee’s popular Packout storage system.

The Bauer organizer retails for $39.99 at Harbor Freight, and at the time of writing, it’s only available as an in-store exclusive and not online. However, if its reviews are anything to go by, it might be worth the trip to your local retailer.

The Bauer organizer gets consistently good reviews

Bauer makes plenty of top-rated power tools, and its modular storage organizer gets similarly glowing reviews from buyers. It has amassed just under 400 reviews from Harbor Freight buyers to date, with a near-perfect average score of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Several reviewers note how easy the organizer makes it to store a wide range of items, from screws and drill bits to pens and snacks. Others say that the organizer’s clear lid is a particularly useful feature, since it allows them to see exactly what’s in each bin at a glance.

Complaints about the organizer are few and far between. One reviewer who left a two-star review claimed that the material quality of the organizer wasn’t up to the task, while a few reviewers who left three-star reviews said rival systems were tougher overall. Aside from that, buyers remain consistently impressed with the organizer’s construction and its capabilities.

While plenty of reviewers like the Bauer organizer, it’s far from the only Harbor Freight product that might come in useful if you’re looking to cut down on clutter. The retailer also offers individual $3 stacking tilt bins that can help organize garages and workshops, and they get similarly good reviews from buyers.

Source link

Tech

Google's Genie 3 AI can generate playable worlds, but they still fall apart after a minute

Published

2 hours ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

When Google introduced Project Genie a few months ago, many described the AI tool as a potential game-changer for game development and other world-building tasks. According to a recent Google presentation, however, the Genie 3 AI model – the generative engine behind Project Genie – is still far from disrupting,…
Read Entire Article
Source link

Tech

Two Long-Lost Episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ Found

Published

2 hours ago

14 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Longtime Slashdot reader tsuliga writes: Two new episodes of Doctor Who that were previously lost have been found. The original Doctor Who episodes were wiped or deleted by the BBC because they were not aware of the future use of re-runs of these shows. Ninety-five of the 253 episodes from the program’s first six years are currently missing. How many more episodes are out there waiting to be rediscovered? “The main broadcasters in the UK in the 1960s, 70s, up to the 80s really, junked quite a lot of content,” said Justin Smith, a cinema professor at England’s De Montfort University and film archivist. “In some ways finding missing ‘Doctor Whos’ is the holy grail” of classic TV discoveries, Smith said.

The two episodes were “The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet,” both of which aired during the show’s third series in 1965. It features William Hartnell as the Doctor in a story involving archvillains the Daleks — pepperpot-shaped metal aggressors whose favorite word is “Exterminate!” Smith said that for fans of the show, “it’s got it all, it really has. It is intergalactic, it’s got some great performances. It stands up really, really well.”

Source link