Neato’s latest Botvac vacuum can be controlled with your smartphone

By Mike Flacy Published September 1, 2015

Neato-BotVac-Connected — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Compatible with both Apple and Android smartphones, the Neato Botvac Connected robot vacuum is a Wi-Fi enabled, cleaning gadget that can be started or stopped with a couple taps on your mobile device. In addition to activating the vacuum, the smartphone app can also setup a cleaning schedule as well as provide mobile notifications as the vacuum is progressing throughout the cleaning process.

Speaking about the addition of smartphone control, Neato vice president of marketing Nancy Nunziati said “Picture this: you’re at work when you learn that unexpected company is on the way to your house. You grab your smartphone, access the Neato app and with a couple of taps your Neato robot immediately starts cleaning. Your floors – at least – are clean when your guests arrive.”

Recommended Videos

There’s also a feature included with the new Botvac that allows users to control the vacuum manually using the smartphone app. This feature can’t be accessed remotely though. The user has to be directly connected to the same Wi-Fi network that’s connected to the Botvac. This feature could be useful when attempting to clean a particularly dirty part of the floors in your home.

Similar to previous versions of the Botvac, the connected version still uses laser-guided technology to navigate around your home and clean the floors. New to this model, Botvac has switched from nickel metal halide batteries to lithium ion batteries, ideally extending the battery life between charges. Regarding power conservation, Neato has added an Eco Mode to preserve battery life and extend running time to two hours. However, there’s also a Turbo mode that increases suction significantly, but reduces running time to 90 minutes.

Neato is also changing the filter design in this model. The company claims the filter captures more small particles than competitors. It includes a mesh screen to reduce the amount of dirt that collects on the filter and the filter can be popped out easily when the waste collection bin needs to be emptied. Neato plans to release the new vacuum during the holiday shopping season for a MSRP of $700.

Topics

Contributing Editor

By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…

Smart Home

Kwikset’s new Matter-enabled smart lock is now available

The Kwikset Halo Select installed on a door.

The Kwikset Halo Select Smart Lock is now available, and it’s aiming to bring some cool new functionality (and enhanced security) to your front door. Along with premium features like the ability to remotely lock or unlock your door, the smart lock supports Matter and is compatible with a variety of different voice assistants. This is Kwikset’s first new smart lock in years, and it looks to be a big leap forward.

Like all the best smart locks, you'll find a long list of capabilities on the Halo Select, giving you complete control over its performance. Whether you want to set up unique access codes for friends and family, check your door's status remotely, have it automatically unlock as you approach with your smartphone, or get notifications when a wrong code is entered, there’s a lot of cool tech packed into the smart lock.

Smart Home

Home Depot’s “Build Your Own” Black Friday power tool deal is its best-kept secret

Home Depot consumer

Covering cordless power tools during Black Friday is surprisingly fascinating. Of the Black Friday deals I've covered so far this year, both Black Friday cordless drill deals and Black Friday power tool deals have been included included in my retinue, alongside a host of similar articles for our "brother" site The Manual.

There's one deal bundle among them all, however, that I've been utterly fascinated by this whole time. It's what I'm calling Home Depot's "build your own" power tool deal. This intriguing offering, which feels under advertised by Home Depot, seemingly inverts what we think of when we think of power tool deals. Instead of feeling stuck buying buying batteries separately — with a drill, with a big bundle, or with the lucky random battery — you're able (now) to build our deal and get everything you need, at a flat price. This means you can get the exact tool you want, and all the batteries you want with it, for as low as $99. Check it out yourself by tapping the button below, or keep reading to see what makes this deal so unique, how to shop it, and a few suggestions as to what you should buy.

Smart Home

These BLUETTI Black Friday deals include its latest Elite 200 V2 portable power station

BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 used outdoors

Something I love to do, every chance I get, is to share my experiences with select products, especially on deal posts and sales features. Why? Because that gives people a much better idea of what they can expect if they were to take advantage of those offers. For better or worse, you gain something, and that's precisely what I plan to do with BLUETTI's latest Elite 200 V2 portable power station. You see, I happen to have one in my possession which I acquired recently. And a good thing, too, with all of the hurricanes that have been hitting our area -- I live near Tampa, Florida.

Thanks to BLUETTI Black Friday deals and discounts, that have just dropped, there are several power stations on sale, including the Elite 200 V2. It's a 2,600-watt and 2,073.6-watt-hour power station, which is frankly a massive capacity for something this size, that can power up to nine devices simultaneously -- I've tested that too. Understandably, you probably care more about the prices and discounts so let's get into it.