Troubled robot vacuum-cleaner maker iRobot, abandoned by Amazon after regulators effectively doomed the web giant’s takeover offer, has warned investors it may not survive the next 12 months.

  • skozzii@lemmy.ca
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    7 days ago

    Oof, as an American company the rest of the world is boycotting them too.

    Yup, they are toast. I dont think the Americans have realized how much permanent damage Trump has caused.

    • Global_Liberty@lemmy.ml
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      7 days ago

      Democrats have known from the moment he was elected. Republicans are starting to figure it out now that they are feeling the effects. Of course, they were the ones who caused it so…

      • Crashumbc@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        They’re really not though, maga fascists, actually believe this is a mere speed bump on the way to the promised land…

        • limelight79@lemm.ee
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          7 days ago

          “Many economists are saying that the market was due for a correction…”

          I’ve seen that comment a few times in the last few days. They’ll say ANYTHING to support Dear Leader.

        • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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          5 days ago

          Yeah but will they still believe that in 4 years? The problem for the republicans now is that they are getting called out by their own voters right now and it’s only March of the year 1.

          So now they have to tread the fine line of not being too supportive of his policies so that they stand re-election chances while at the same time not being so against the policies as to risk Trump’s revenge. It’s a very shitty bed they have to lie in, and I almost feel sorry for them, but they deliberately shit in it themselves, so sod them.

          • Wasp14@lemmy.world
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            6 days ago

            All the economists here (Canada) are saying this is an absolute disaster that will cause a recession. No reasonable person believes these tariffs are a net positive.

    • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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      7 days ago

      Not only boycotts, it’ll also be a prime target for retaliatory tariffs. So for even those that don’t care about the boycott, a Roomba will cost at least 25% more than the equivalent robot vacuum made in Korea.

    • NightCrawlerProMax@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      I highly doubt his voters will ever realize it. People who voted for him have single digit IQs. Other Americans warned them before hand.

  • Prehensile_cloaca @lemm.ee
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    7 days ago

    The free market is supposed to make this happen. The problem is that we have also built a system that just generates mountains of junk and e-waste. Because our government is feckless and refuses to actually regulate, ya know, anything with a shareholder attached.

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
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      6 days ago

      Also because section 1201 of the DMCA means that otherwise useful things become e-waste.

  • StinkySocialist@lemmy.ml
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    7 days ago

    So the Roomba I bought in 2021 is gonna stop working come 2026… Guess I need an open source vacuum now too 😩

  • skysurfer@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Will certainly be a bummer if they do go under, I really appreciated their serviceability. Have several in the immediate family that have been going for over 7 years at this point though all kinds of calamities. Each time can I just pop out all the components clean/replace as necessary and get it back in service, good as new.

    • ToiletFlushShowerScream@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Agree. While I think there’s been little effort to evolve their products at the same pace as their competitors, I have very much appreciated their servicability.

        • witx@lemmy.sdf.org
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          6 days ago

          Valetudo, though an absolutely amazing software, is no the replacement I was meaning. I meant we need a fully open source robot, from software to hardware, and that can be adapted. Of course there’s always blobs which are not open source, but that’s the case already for many things

          • Knoxvomica@lemmy.ca
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            6 days ago

            Absolutely, but that only happens once someone starts a project and gets contributors. Be the change you want to see.

    • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Chinese mop vacuum combos with dust and water bin are going for $500 these days. It is bonkers how cheap they go. Trying to compete in that market is a lost cause. Better install Valetudo on a Chinese vacuum. Maybe a European OEM could do something similar.

  • endofline@lemmy.ca
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    6 days ago

    I’m pretty sure somebody will buy the data iRobot robots collected during their cleaning time :-)

    • PieMePlenty@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      I wonder how valuable that data even is, or to who. I figure the data consists of accumulated cleaning time, location, surface area which could be used to extrapolate some socio economic stats and offer insight how to best market these devices. And also technical data about the devices. Both of which I’d wager are probably useful to companies in the same business.

      We’ll see who buys them in a year :D

      • And009@lemmynsfw.com
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        6 days ago

        Not just surface area, based on algorithms it can also determine type of appliances, furniture layout, routines, habits and a lot more when combined with other datasets.

  • Alpha71@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Well obviously, they need to get into the lucrative back alley robot vacuum cleaner fight rings. Strap on that knife iRobot vacuum, and lets go!

    • Toribor@corndog.social
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      7 days ago

      When I got my first robot vacuum I was too impatient to wait for the battery to fully charge before trying it out so when I started it up it was only able to clean a small area before it had to go back to charge. Very exciting though!

      Anyway I went to bed not realizing that once it was fully charged it would resume cleaning. So approximately 1am the vacuum wakes back up and starts cleaning. In my sleep-addled delirious state I had absolutely no idea what the fuck was going on. Suddenly it sounded like there was a jet engine in my room and I couldn’t even tell where it was coming from until I jumped out of bed and there were red lights coming at me.

      Saw my life flash before my eyes. Little fucker might as well have been a terminator.

  • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
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    8 days ago

    Hmm so this entire trick of setting up companies just to be bought by mega corps appears to be not a viable strategy if anti trust law is enforced?

    Edit: apparently this company was set up before sell to mega corp craze got kicked off. I don’t think changes the thesis but this case study doesn’t support it with the strength I suggested

    Hmm as if last 30 years of corpo behavior has been essentially to maintain mega corp dominance via captured regulators and legislators

    We got the capitalism alright but where is the free market at, daddy?

    • Glitchvid@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      Don’t worry, the new strategy is to string a company along with talks of a buyout, then when their cash runs out and they declare bankruptcy, to buy all the assets on fire sale.

    • scarabic@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      setting up companies just to be bought by mega corps

      iRobot was originally founded all the way back in 1990 and have sold quite a lot of Roomba vacuums, advancing innovation in home automation along the way. I don’t think anyone can ever say that they set up this company for a quick flip corpo pump and dump.

      • ayyy@sh.itjust.works
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        7 days ago

        It was originally at up to leech government funding for “weapons research”. I guess I’m old because nobody here seems to remember that.

      • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
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        7 days ago

        Well damn… How did they run the company into the ground?

        Let me guess cheap Chinese robots sold on amazon?

        Thank you providing additional context.

        • scarabic@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          Honestly I think they suffer a little from early-mover disadvantage.

          “Cheap Chinese” and all the associations that come with that is a little reductive in this case. Roborock vacuums are not actually cheap - they are extraordinarily well-made, featureful, and a good value compared to iRobot.

          Decades ago, iRobot probably spent millions in R&D just to arrive at navigation algorithms that were worse than what you can get with open-source libraries today. They also spent the marketing dollars to convince people these robots were safe and effective. They weren’t always, so there were some ups and downs in that.

          Nowadays the supporting technologies are all much more advanced (and cheaper) and the market for these robots has been created already and is very robust. Companies like Roborock just have to come in and build a good product and they’ll see much faster returns than iRobot did for all those years. They can go straight to lidar, which was probably prohibitive for iRobot for many years, leading iRobot to invest heavily in other technologies which are now a generation behind.

          So in addition to their decades of tech legacy. iRobot is burdened with the expectations of longtime investors who want a big cashout, just as they are getting eaten alive by all this new competition. They pinned their hopes on a big exit and are now holding the bag. It’s not surprising that this all left them in trouble.

    • upandup@sh.itjust.works
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      8 days ago

      The market is “free” to fuck you and everyone you know on the ass.

      Didn’t you know that’s what “free market“ means?

    • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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      8 days ago

      oh its free alright. for oligarchs to do whatever the fuck they want.

    • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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      8 days ago

      You just gotta be big enough that you can buy enough people. FAANG is there (though this is Wild West politics nowadays so who the fuck knows what’s gonna happen). But when you own the people writing the laws to control you… they’re not controlling you.

  • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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    8 days ago

    (I know I didn’t contribute shit & just complain but) … isn’t it a bit weird how after all this time there arent any good open sauce diy robot kits?

    Like, materials, sensors, brushes, filters, batteries, etc are all cheaply available, a basic board could literally be just cut plywood with the rest is the things mounted on top (who even needs a cover?). And ofc one could mount various weapons mod on it.

      • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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        8 days ago

        Oh fuck, I’m gonna I might test this.
        I’ve never heard of it before, but the more I read the more I like it.

        Thx!

        • MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          8 days ago

          I have it on a Roborock S5 and it works great, so much more stable than the original firmware that requires an internet connection.

          Certain models can be harder to root though, so read through the description and guide thoroughly first.

      • onoki@reddthat.com
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        7 days ago

        “for a lot of models” is a bit of an exaggeration. Especially as Xiaomi/Dreame try to actively restrict Valetudo use.

        But yes, Valetudo is a great project. I’d just wish there was a manufacturer who would openly endorse it.

        • plenipotentprotogod@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          I’ve wondered before how large an order would be required to entice a white label manufacturer of robot vacuums into doing a production run of units with Valetudo preinstalled.

          I would absolutely buy one if someone could work out a fair business arrangement with the developer and throw the project up on kickstarter.

          • anarchiddy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            7 days ago

            There are not enough smart-vacuum owners in the world that would make it more profitable to just make the hardware without hoovering up the data that comes with its use.

    • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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      8 days ago

      Popular Science had an “open source” robot lawnmower plans in the…80s? I have it somewhere. Old enough that it used deep cycle lead-acid batteries and spinning round dremel blades. No laser to cut the grass, although it did use LEDs for sensors for grass height.

    • Bobby Turkalino@lemmy.yachts
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      7 days ago

      I love DIY tech projects and yet I would never go through the effort to make a robot vacuum because vacuuming is already the easiest chore in the house. You kinda just stand there and go swoop swoop swoop a few times. Takes like 3 minutes to do an entire room. As opposed to listening to the robot vacuum rumble around for an hour and do a half ass job, if it even finishes without getting spooked by a shadow thinking it’s a 100ft cliff

      • Halosheep@lemm.ee
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        7 days ago

        Sounds like you don’t have a thick furred dog that sheds multiple coats throughout the year.

        We got a roomba as a gift and it has saved so much effort of sweeping/vacuuming the excess of fur on the floors.

        Love my husky but damn…

        • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          Yeah, people complain about roombas not giving a super deep clean… But they’re really not intended to do so. They’re meant to be a daily maintenance clean. They may not be great for when you dump an entire can of coffee grounds in your carpet… But they’re wonderful when you have a big dog with lots of fur that needs to be vacuumed every single day.

      • anarchiddy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        7 days ago

        Better to put my efforts toward automating the flipping of light switches and the raising/lowering of window shades

      • sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        7 days ago

        I really don’t like vacuuming, so to me it doesn’t matter how long it takes; I can set it up and then leave the house

      • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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        7 days ago

        Yes, we all need to manage our lives & our shortcomings.
        I like vacuum cleaning chore too, but can have periods when my brainhole just won’t register the todo.

      • thermal_shock@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        Got a good deal on a Roomba, I have a shark with HEPA filter and all, very good vacuum. I can vacuum, then let the Roomba run, and it still finds shit. I like it, especially for pet hair. Only thing I don’t like is it’s random pattern, mine doesn’t map the room, refuse to get one with a camera.

    • cyd@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      I mean, I don’t demand an open source washing machine or dryer either.

      • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
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        7 days ago

        Ok, but that would be amazing.

        Imagine the ability to actually define your own cycles.

        Tho how most are built, that shouldn’t be that hard with a little arduino.

        • littlewonder@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          It was an awesome rover robot for tinkering and introducing kids to technology! Wish there were more versions of hardware like that.

          • lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            7 days ago

            True, I guess my comment did sound a bit “not interesting” 😅

            I think it’s a great development kit. I wish my Eufy robot vacuum had that level of tinker-ability. It’s already got googly eyes…

  • Kane@femboys.biz
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    8 days ago

    Their products require their app, would this effectively turn their devices useless when the servers die?

    I know it supports a single button to start cleaning, but I wonder if that will work properly without being able to call home.

    Might be time for people to look for alternatives.

    • TheGreatSnacku@lemm.ee
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      8 days ago

      It technically still works without the app but it loses features that increase the efficiency of the map, tells it where not to clean, scheduled cleaning, etc.

    • FackCurs@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      I assume this will brick all Roombas past the 800 series. All the scheduling, advanced mapping features etc are hosted on AWS. You’ll be able to press clean to start but that’s pretty much it… That’s unless they open up their software which they probably won’t

      • peoplebeproblems@midwest.social
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        8 days ago

        If it bricks my i7 room a I’ll just take it apart and make it work somehow. It will take a long time but worst case scenario it goes from a brick to a brick

        • FackCurs@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          Something happened when they moved to the vslam (i.e camera mapping) robots which made the software much harder to hack… you used to be able to use a serial cable to program them.

          • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
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            They used to encourage people to use a serial cable to program them. I remember when I got my Roomba nearly ten years ago, it came with a little pamphlet advertising their educational platform robot, which was basically a Roomba without the vacuum cleaning stuff. I think they intended it to be sort of the next step up from LEGO Mindstorm or something. But at the bottom of that pamphlet, there was a paragraph that basically said “hey you can get this educational robot, buuuut, the one you just bought has the exact same connections, firmware, and hardware 👀👀👀”

    • Evotech@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      You can root a lot of the earlier ones.

      The alternatives are Chinese, or vacuum your own floors… Nobody wants to do that

    • lemmydividebyzero@reddthat.com
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      7 days ago

      Requires an app? As soon as Amazon bought it, mine has never again connected to an app or the internet.

      It usually has a big start button on it’

        • reddig33@lemmy.world
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          It’s still usable, it just reverts to the old school Roombas. Press clean to vacuum. Press dock to return to charger.