Gadget Gurus - Neato XV-11 Smarter Vacuum Robot

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Neato XV-11 Smarter Vacuum Robot

Written by Rich McComas

The Neato XV-11 is a newer high-tech entry into a product category entirely dominated by Roomba for the past several years. Rather than randomly vacuuming an area, this "smarter" robotic vacuum actually maps out your room and furniture, and then chooses an efficient path for cleaning the area.

The Neato robotic vacuum can run an hour before automatically returning to the base station to charge, and can be programmed to vacuum different rooms at different times of day, the kids rooms while they are at school, the dining room after dinner, the living room after everyone goes to bed, etc.

By visually mapping the location of walls, furnutire, stairs, etc, and then scanning before it enters an area, the Neato product avoids getting stuck like the Roomba sometimes can, plus it can vacuum to within one-inch of any edge (without even touching the wallks, let alone bumping off of them like the Roomba does). The XV-11 also follows a pattern similar to the one you use when you mow your lawn when it vacuums, so you don't end up with the spiralized wheel marks you get with the Roomba.

In our demonstration, the Neato product had no problem navigating over cords, and could vacuum varying thickness of carpet as well as hardwood floors.

As good as the features are, as an also-ran, Neato's market success will have more to do staying ahead in product innovation and remaining price competitive. We are told that soon, Neato will have a complete line of home cleaning robots, and based upon this first offering, we are interested in seeing what they are going to do next.

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TECH2 LAKE HOUSE

UPDATE - The exterior of the Technology Lake House is complete and we are now working on interior finishing and electronics. Last year, San Francisco's Channel 7 ABC News ran a special video report on the construction progress of the Technology Lake House, and we expect them back for a follow-up soon. Click HERE for a DLINK Live Video Feed with pan and zoom features (userid=user, no password, daylight hours only).

Ron Rosberg's current project home, the Technology Lake House, is currently under construction on the shores of Clearlake in Northern California. Even though the house is a wireless demo house, we have installed more than seven miles of wires in the walls for dozens of flat panel TVs, speakers, control panels, and sophisticated lighting. So far, more than a dozen technology and fixture manufacturers have agreed to sponsor this project, which has been simmering in Ron's head since he attended the first CES show in New York in 1967. The 7,500 square foot project (plus three existing rustic cabin guest houses) is being built on a five-acre Honeymoon Cove resort with 500 feet of beach directly across from Konocti Harbor Resort. This summer retreat will host technology gatherings annually, inviting Western states home builders, contractors, and technology consultants for a live open house showcasing the latest in home technologies. There is room to park plenty of boats, so plan on coming up for some lake fun after the project is complete. For more info, send email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 707-995-2683. To see the latest photos, visit Ron's Flickr gallery.

We are currently looking for products to evaluate in these areas:

Home automation: lighting, security, and entertainment
A/V technology for the 500 SF home theater media demo room

Hot News on Cool New Features: The ENTIRE front of the home is made of 21 sliding NanaWall glass panels that fold into the walls, opening the entire home up to the lake during demo days.

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