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    The best robot mowers of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

    I’ve been testing the Mammotion Luba 2 3000 for about two months and have loved the freedom it’s given me. It’s not only the best GPS-powered mower I’ve tested, so accurate to its map that it mows precisely along my property line in my front, back, and side yards each time, but it’s also the one I’ve found to deliver the most features in the app.The Mammotion Luba 2 has proven so accurate and reliable that I can easily send it out to mow my uneven, 0.3-acre yard and return to see a beautifully checkered yard upon my return. The Mammotion app lets you adjust mowing height and pattern, map out perimeters, and set up separate coverage areas. The robot mower’s wide cutting width of 15.7 inches makes it more efficient than other models.Review: This robot mower looks like a racecar, but it mows a gorgeous lawnOther Luba 2 users agree, with one buyer remarking, “What sets this mower apart is not just its ease of setup, but also its outstanding performance and features. The intuitive interface made configuring zones a straightforward task, and I was impressed by its cutting precision and battery life. Additionally, the smart connectivity options add another layer of convenience to its functionality.”The coolest thing about the Luba 2 is that there’s a model for everyone. Ranging from a 0.25-acre capacity variant available for $2100 to a 2.5-acre model for $4100, you’re not stuck paying a high-end price to mow a small yard. Mammotion Luba 2 Features: Price: $2,100-$4,100, depending on acreage | Cutting width: 15.7 inches | Maximum cutting area: .25- to 2.5-acre models | Maximum slope: 38 degrees | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G | Anti-theft: Alarm, 4G, GPS theft tracking More

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    The best Roborock vacuums of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

    The Roborock S7 Max Ultra boasts a 5500Pa suction power, VibraRise Mopping System, and the Empty Wash Fill Dock, a self-washing, self-refilling, and self-emptying docking station. Once the S7 Max Ultra has a map created of your home, you fill the Clean Water tank, tap a few buttons, and all of your flooring surfaces are cleaned. The PreciSense LiDAR navigation ensures the robot isn’t mopping your carpet and rugs while avoiding common household objects like pet waste, wires, and shoes. I’ve tested several Roborocks and haven’t had one mop my rugs or get tangled up in a phone charger. Also: Don’t break your back while you deep clean. Use these gadgets insteadI know this isn’t the latest Roborock, though. When directly compared to the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, the S7 Max Ultra has 500Pa less suction, a single all-rubber brush instead of the DuoRoller brush, and doesn’t lift the brush when it’s traveling from area to area. The biggest difference, though? You’ll save $300 going with the older S7 Max Ultra. And you aren’t skimping out on a machine, either. This is still one of our favorite Roborocks. As one Amazon customer said, “I know this might be an expensive purchase, but I assure you, it’s worth every penny.” If you’re looking for a Roborock that can vacuum and mop your floors, has top-of-the-line technology, and will not let you down, the Roborock S7 Max Ultra is for you. Roborock S7 Max Ultra tech specs: Price: $1,300 | Suction power: 5500Pa | Dustbin volume: 2.5L | Water tank capacity: 200ml | Runtime: 180 minutes More

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    Become a Sam’s Club member for $25 – that’s 50% off

    Don’t miss this Sam’s Club membership to save big on everything from groceries to electronics. Sam’s Club/ZDNETA Sam’s Club membership will get you discounts on groceries, clothing, electronics, and just about everything else you might need. And right now, StackSocial is offering a deal that will get you a Sam’s Club membership for $25 for the year with auto-renew — down from the usual price of $50. This deal ends after this weekend.Your Sam’s Club membership will work at nearly 600 US Sam’s Club locations. This deal is only open to new Sam’s Club members in the US, or those whose membership lapsed more than six months ago. The membership will expire one year from the activation date, and will automatically renew at the full price of $50 per year after that unless you cancel it. To cancel, you can visit SamsClub.com or a club or call 1-888-746-7726. To take advantage of this deal, you’ll redeem your unique code through the link above, and then sign up for the membership. Once you purchase your code, you must redeem it within 30 days. The limit is one membership per person, but you can buy an additional membership as a gift.I signed up for a similar deal for a Costco membership through StackSocial, and can confirm the process was easy, and I’d vouch for the deal. Don’t miss out on 50% off a Sam’s Club membership right now. Also: The best TV deals right now More

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    The best robot vacuum mops of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

    The Dreame X40 Ultra is hands-down the best two-in-one robot vacuum mop I’ve tested. One of its few downsides is that it’s priced steeply at $1,900, so you’ll need a good chunk of change to get it (or you can wait for a sale).  However, for the price, the Dreame X40 features an industry-leading 12,000Pa of suction and dusts the competition. This robot vacuum and mop is so versatile that you can set it up to drop its mop pads at the base station, go off to vacuum rugs and carpets first, and then return to pick up its mop pads and vacuum and mop the remaining hard floors — all with no intervention on your part.Review: I tested a $1,900 robot vacuum and mop for a month. Here’s why it’s worth itIt features a self-emptying dustbin, self-washing mop pads with customizable water temperature, a side-reaching sweeper brush, and an extendable mop pad to reach tight corners. The app has many settings and customizations, from thorough carpet vacuuming to AI-guided cleaning. The Dreame X40 Ultra is so smart that it can detect wet messes and automatically lift its sweeper brush to keep it from getting wet or spreading germs.Other customers love the Dreame X40 Ultra too; one remarks, “As an everyday person, my carpets are looking like that fresh vacuum look as they definitely look very clean. Had glitter everywhere, now gone. Kitchen floor… I didn’t think to take before and after, but before was a hot mess, now WOW.”We’ve also tested this robot’s predecessor, the Dreame X30 Ultra, and it’s almost as impressive as the X40, with slightly lower suction power at 8300Pa, a 180-minute run time, and Mop Extend technology.Dreame X40 Ultra specs: Price: $1,900 | Battery life: 180 mins | Base station dimensions: 13.4 x 17.9 x 23.2 inches | Suction power: 12,000Pa | Dustbin volume: 300 ml | Water tank capacity: 80 ml More

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    OpenAI shares safety updates after whistleblower complaints, lawmaker demands

    Getty Images/Andriy Onufriyenko Safety is one of the biggest worries surrounding the rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence models. A seven-page complaint filed by whistleblowers and obtained by The Washington Post regarding OpenAI’s safety practices has only heightened these concerns. As a result, OpenAI is now sharing an update on its safety initiatives with the public. […] More

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    Fight for global AI lead may boil down to governance

    Weiquan Lin/Getty Images Global market players vying for a larger share of the artificial intelligence (AI) space will have to offer customers differentiated business values in key areas such as trustworthiness.  Companies will want to stand out as organizations are projected to increase their spending on AI, specifically as interest in generative AI (Gen AI) […] More

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    How ‘bubbling’ Android messages can simplify your text life

    Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETI have certain contacts whose messages I need to ensure I never miss. There are many ways of doing this but my go-to is to use Android’s text “bubble” feature, which creates a small, movable bubble for the conversation on my phone’s home screen. By doing this, I always know when an important contact has sent me a message and I can simply tap the bubble to open the conversation (without having to first open Messages). I only do this for very important contacts; otherwise, my display would be awash with bubbles. That’s not very efficient.Also: The best Android phones right now: Tested and reviewedThe bubbles feature has been around for some time, so your Android device should have it included with the Google Messages app. One thing to keep in mind is that bubbles is separate from Rich Communication Services (RCS), so just because you’ve enabled that feature doesn’t automatically add bubbling for conversations.With that said, let’s bubble.How to bubble a Google Messages conversationWhat you’ll need: The only things you’ll need are an Android device and a Messages conversation to bubble. That’s it. Let’s make it happen. More