Safety alert: This robotic vacuum can short circuit
Most of us have at least one or two smart devices in our homes. Those lights aren’t going to turn themselves off without a smart plug, after all.
Smart devices have revolutionized how we live and tackle everyday tasks, making them a popular choice for homeowners who want some help around the house. You can set smart lights to come on at certain times of the day, use a smart speaker to keep track of your schedule, or even use a smart mug to keep your coffee hot — all without lifting a finger. You can even make your home safer with a few smart devices.
But while smart devices will help us take care of tasks around the house, they are known to cause a few problems, too. We recently warned you about the potential for hackers to cause fires via your smart plugs, and now another popular smart device could cause serious safety issues, too. Let’s take a look.
Robot vacuum brings more than you bargained for
Are you using a Roomba vacuum to help clean dirt and pet hair off of the floors in your home? If so, you may want to pay attention to the safety warning issued this week by iRobot, the manufacturer behind Roomba products.
On Monday, the warning was sent out to some Roomba i7+ owners over concerns that this model can short circuit. The issue stems from the docking station, known as the Clean Base, which could malfunction if exposed to any liquids.
Roomba i7+ is built to pick up dry debris, dust and dirt. But if the floor is wet, the robot vacuum could inadvertently suck up liquids on the floor and deposit them onto the charging base. This may happen if Roomba sucks up liquid leftover from a spill or mopping or even a pet accident.
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What are the dangers involved?
If Roomba deposits liquid onto the charging base along with dirt and debris it picked up, that’s where the problems would come in. Liquid could not only short circuit and destroy the charging base, but it could also be a safety hazard for your home and family.
Short circuits are known to cause several issues, including circuit damage, overheating, fire or even an explosion — which makes this particular Roomba issue a serious one.
According to iRobot, the malfunction occurs sporadically and only when the Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal unit is exposed to liquids. iRobot believes that the issue could potentially impact about 222,000 units — and the majority of units were sold in North America.
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Amazon’s Echo line is the reigning champ of the smart speaker world. Compared to virtual assistants like Google and Siri, Alexa works with far more gadgets and responds to significantly more commands than the competition.
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Millions of homes have at least one smart speaker, and it’s not hard to see why. Not only are they great for listening to music and getting weather and news updates, but you can also control all the smart devices in your home with your voice. Super convenient!
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We already know that voice assistants like Alexa are listening to us. After all, it’s how they pick up our voices and hold conversations. If they weren’t listening, wake-words wouldn’t be necessary, and the entire point of an always-on virtual companion would be eliminated.
7 clever tech tricks you’ll use time and time again
Today’s tech is loaded with features most of us never use. Why? Simply stated, there’s no real user manual.
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Smart speakers like the Google Nest, Google Home and Google Mini are fun devices that can act as amazing hubs for other smart tech you keep around your home. But they have many cool functions beyond that.
Google Assistant speakers can do things you might not be aware of but you’d love to use if you only knew how. And the devices are getting new abilities all the time. Tap or click here to learn about functions coming to Google Assistant that you’ll love.
Best Google Home tricks and Easter eggs to try
When it comes to virtual assistants, many people fall into two camps: either Amazon Alexa or Google Home. With Alexa getting much of the hype, Google Home owners might not know that there are some incredible tips and tricks you can do with your virtual assistant. From playing games to changing voices, it can do some incredible things.
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Every once in a while, we will see a new tech trick that astounds us. These can be time savers, efficiency boosters and downright impressive. We guarantee at least one of these will make you say, I. Did. Not. Know. That.