Are robot vacuums worth it now?, best STEM toys, $9,000 iPhone case, Raspberry Pi nose, and more

November 15, 2021

Let’s talk about Robot Vacuums. Can you believe they’ve been around for 25 years? That’s right, robot vacuums are old enough to drive, vote, and drink alcohol. If they weren’t robot vacuums anyway. That’s crazy to think about.

But if you jumped in on a robot vacuum in the early days, I’ll bet you were disappointed. For the longest time, they’ve been expensive and worse yet terrible at vacuuming. Why would you spend so much money on something that doesn’t even work well? But that was then. You may be wondering about now. Have robot vacuums improved enough to justify the price? We looked into it and have the answer—in the top story.

Other Highlights: 

• I can’t believe I’m writing this, but… go check out this $9,000 iPhone 13 case. It’s made of dinosaurs.
• A mechanical keyboard for Surface Tablets? Yes, please.
• This stationary bike tilts to emulate real-world cycling better. Neat!
• …and as always, more down below!

-Josh

When they first came out, robot vacuums were an easy piece of tech to say “no” to. They were pricy and weren’t that much more convenient than doing the job yourself. But has the technology improved enough to make them worth buying today? We dug in to find out. Read More »

Whether it’s the normal Switch, Switch Lite, or the new Switch OLED Model, accessories can improve your gaming experience. Plus, they make excellent gifts for any player you know. From new controllers to protective equipment, these are the best add-ons to get a Switch gamer in your life. Read More »

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? We don’t know. But let’s assume for a moment that it is, and skip that tired debate. If Die Hard counts as a Christmas movie just because it’s set around Christmastime, then so does any movie more or less situated at the business end of the calendar. Read More »

If you want to learn how to touch type instead of hunt and peck, or if you simply want to improve your typing speed and accuracy, these websites can help you learn to type with lessons, practices, and games. Read More »

With the holidays fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about what to get your kid, especially before everything starts selling out. A STEM or coding toy is a great way to enrich your child’s brain under the guise of a super fun toy. Read More »

It’s all fine and well to plug your phone in to charge it, but it’s MUCH easier to set and forget it on a wireless charger. If your smartphone supports wireless charging, upgrade your setup with this two-pack of Qi-certified 10W wireless chargers. You can place one on your nightstand and one in your home office or anywhere else in your home. It supports both portrait and landscape charging and is compatible with phones from Apple, Samsung, Pixel, Sony, Motorola, and more. Dual coils offer you a wider charging area so you won’t have to fuss with finding the sweet spot, and it comes with two three-foot USB-C charging cables.

Get it at Amazon →

Stationary bikes make it easy to work out at home or endurance for real-world cycling. But for whatever reason, sitting on a fake bike and staring at a TV just doesn’t feel “real.” That’s why Muoverti is developing the TiltBike, a stationary bike that you tilt and steer when cycling through 3D worlds. Read More »

Google’s latest Android 12 update has a lot to offer, but arguably one of the best features is what they’re calling Material You. And even though only a few Pixel phones have Android 12 so far, now you can dress up your old phone as a new Pixel with the Lawnchair 12 launcher. Read More »

Tired of using the weird and wobbly Surface type cover? A user on the r/3Dprinting subreddit is showing off a custom mounting system that attaches a wireless mechanical keyboard (the Keychron K6, to be specific) to the Surface Pro 7. Don’t take this thing to a library, please. Read More »

People use Raspberry Pis to make a ton of creative and unique gadgets, but this one might take the cake. Or rather, smell it. Creator Luis Rodriguez Mendoza was inspired by trained sniffing dogs at the airport then wondered whether low-cost gas sensors could do the same thing. Read More »

iPhone 13 cases come in different colors, styles, and price points, but these new iPhone 13 Pro cases from Caviar kick things up a notch. The company recently debuted a new line of cases with ridiculous price tags, including the ‘Tyrannophone’ made of real dinosaur teeth for over $9,000. Read More »

It’s finally possible to run Android apps on Windows PCs. But why bother? If you’re skeptical about Android apps in Windows 11, we’ll explain why you should give it a try. Read More »

When Sony’s PlayStation 2 threatened to the Windows PC obsolete, Microsoft countered by releasing the Xbox on November 15, 2001. Of course, the Xbox didn’t run Windows or use standard PC hardware either. Here’s how that happened. Read More »