Robotics

The Roborock Flexi Lite is a great self-propelled wet/dry vacuum and mop. It looks like a standup vacuum, but you add clean water to its tank, and it can suction anything, wet or dry. It can vacuum pet hair, dust, crumbs, and wet messes like spilled juice, milk, or sauces. I use this vacuum mop for everything around my home, and it’ll completely change your cleaning routine if you’ve never used one. All you have to do is turn it on with a full clean water tank and direct it to where you need to clean. The device is self-propelled, so you don’t have to push it; it glides effortlessly across your floors.Also: Forget Dyson: Roborock’s wet-dry vacuum makes my floors sparkleIt vacuums and mops as it goes, so all you have to do is steer it around during cleaning. Once done, you can put the Flexi Lite on the dock to charge and run a self-cleaning cycle. The vacuum/mop will wash its mop roller with clean water from its tank. I only recommend you empty and rinse the dirty water tank after each use to avoid odors. More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETIn honor of Earth Day last week, Samsung is giving you the chance to help keep e-waste out of landfills and score a discount on a flagship Android phone.Starting today, the Galaxy S24 series, including the S24 Ultra, S24+, and the S24, are available as part of Samsung’s Certified Renewed program More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Strapsicle silicone straps upgrade the grip options on your Kindle and provide a secure hold to prevent drops. At $21, Strapsicle is an easy and affordable Kindle accessory to make your reading experience even more comfortable. If you prefer more ergonomic grips or don’t like the look of straps across […] More

Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images I’ve been using AI as one of my go-to tools for research for some time now. Although there are plenty of options that can be accessed via a web browser (such as Opera’s Aria, the first AI service I ever used), I prefer desktop tools because I can install and use […] More

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETMy wife and I like to travel to other countries, but we always face a familiar obstacle — how to learn the language well enough to converse with people. We’ve tried taking language lessons, yet we invariably run into situations where we can’t find the right words to express ourselves. Now, Google has launched a trio of translation tools that could help overcome this obstacle. Also: Want a quick daily podcast based on your interests? Try Google’s latest AI experimentLaunched on Tuesday as Google Labs experiments, the “Little Language Lessons” are designed to assist you in specific situations, especially when you’re traveling in a foreign country. The three tools are powered by Google’s Gemini AI to provide the right words and phrases just when you need them. Tiny Lesson More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Kindle Scribe starts at $399 for the version with 16GB of memory. It combines the familiar features of the Kindle e-reader with a bright display and a suite of premium note-taking features. The aforementioned features have a bit of a learning curve to fully take advantage of. more buying choices […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The OnePlus Watch 2R is available now for $230 in Green or Black. It has pretty much everything you look for in a smartwatch: multi-day battery life, fitness tracking features, and a vivid display. However, the device is missing important key fitness metrics, it isn’t as durable as I’d like, and […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Ozlo Sleepbuds, created by three Bose engineers, launched last fall, and they are the most useful sleep earbuds I’ve tested so far The sound is perfect for masking environmental annoyances that keep you awake, and the fit is comfortable and secure. The sleep tracking feature hasn’t hit the earbuds yet, […] More