The robotic vacuum market is crowded with devices that promise automation but often fall short when it comes to true adaptability and long-term hygiene. Dreame’s Aqua10 Ultra Roller stands out by addressing both challenges head-on: smarter navigation powered by NVIDIA’s AI stack and a re-engineered mop system designed to keep itself as clean as the floors it scrubs. Looking at its features in depth, it’s clear this isn’t just an incremental update but one of the most ambitious robotic cleaners yet. Navigation: NVIDIA-powered AstroVision™ Most robots rely on simple LiDAR or front cameras for navigation. The Aqua10 Ultra Roller upgrades this with AstroVision™ obstacle intelligence, combining dual HD AI cameras with NVIDIA Isaac Sim training. The cameras capture depth to form 3D maps with 1mm precision, and reinforcement learning helps the robot recognize and adapt to dynamic environments. In practice, this translates into fewer collisions and smoother routing around furniture. Dreame highlights support for 240+ object categories, with features like Active Pet Avoidance and Chaos-Proof Routing—ideal in homes where toys, pet bowls, and clutter shift constantly. The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller MSRP is $1,599.99. From October 13 to October 31, U.S. and Canadian consumers can get an extra 5% off with code DMPWAQUANA on Amazon and the Dreame website. Dreame Carpet strategy: flexible and customizable Vacuum-mop hybrids typically struggle with carpets. Dreame addresses this with a multi-layered carpet strategy that feels more like a system than a patch: Carpet identification: Users can mark all carpeted zones—even irregular ones—in the app for accurate detection. Suction boost: The main brush, roller mop, and side brush all lift when crossing carpets, while suction power intensifies for a deeper clean. Carpet cleaning first: A scheduling option lets the robot vacuum carpets before moving to wet cleaning tasks. The combination works well for mixed-floor homes, especially those with both wall-to-wall carpets and small rugs. Dreame’s AutoSeal™ Roller Guard also prevents mop water from seeping into carpet fibers—a rare feature that directly solves a common frustration. Dreame Low-space cleaning: VersaLift™ LDS sensor One standout innovation is VersaLift™, a retractable LiDAR system that allows the robot to maintain spatial awareness in both open and low-clearance environments. Raised, it scans wide areas efficiently. Retracted, it relies on its dual AI cameras with LED lighting to continue mapping under beds and sofas. This approach makes the Aqua10 Ultra Roller one of the few robots that can reliably clean under low furniture without losing its bearings. Dreame claims 100% accuracy in positioning and obstacle avoidance in these scenarios, which, based on early testing, isn’t far-fetched. Dreame Mop technology: clean mop, clean floor Where Dreame really differentiates itself is mop hygiene. Many hybrid robots simply drag a damp cloth until it’s dirty, effectively spreading grime. The Aqua10 Ultra Roller introduces a real-time fresh water circulation system combined with industry-first mop technologies. Continuous fresh water: A 12-nozzle system sprays clean water onto the roller while a scraper removes dirty water, which is pumped into a separate tank. FluffRoll™ module: A counter-rotating roller running at 1000rpm keeps mop fibers loose and effective at lifting dried-on dirt. ThermoHub™ 212°F self-cleaning: At the dock, the mop undergoes high-temperature washing to dissolve grease and sanitize fibers, followed by 158°F hot-air drying to prevent mildew. This is safe for everyone as after cleaning the washboard’s PTC system temperature automatically drops to a safe level before the robot leaves the base station. AutoSeal™ Roller Guard: Automatically prevents dripping when moving onto carpets. In effect, the robot is always mopping with a clean surface. This not only improves stain removal but also reduces odors and contamination—a major upgrade for hygiene-focused users. Mixed-flooring and mobility: AgiLift™ and ProLeap™ Mobility is another area where Dreame has gone further than most competitors. The Triple-Wheel AgiLift™ chassis dynamically adjusts wheel height for smoother transitions between tiles, hardwood, and rugs. For more complex terrain like door sills, the ProLeap™ retractable leg system lifts the chassis, with sensors calculating the safest ascent and descent angles. These systems reduce the chances of the robot getting stuck mid-task, a frequent frustration with lower-end models. The integration of shock absorption also helps it run more quietly despite its 30,000Pa Vormax™ suction, which is near the top of the industry. Dreame Edge and corner cleaning Corners and edges remain tricky for many robotic vacuums, but Dreame takes a two-pronged approach: MopExtend™: Extends the roller mop by 40mm to cover wall edges. SideReach™ Brush: Extends and retracts over 10mm to sweep into corners while avoiding contamination of freshly mopped areas. Combined with StereoEdge™ obstacle recognition, the robot is noticeably better at navigating cables, books, or pens that often derail less capable bots. Lifestyle and ecosystem features On top of cleaning, Dreame has layered in features that reflect modern smart-home expectations. Matter protocol support ensures compatibility across ecosystems, while direct voice control simplifies operation. Pet owners also benefit from real-time monitoring, automatic pet activity hotspot cleaning, and even pet vlogs, which use the robot’s cameras to capture and compile clips. Intelligent home cleaning The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller isn’t just an iterative update—it rethinks the fundamentals of robotic vacuum-mop design. AstroVision™ AI navigation handles cluttered and dynamic environments with precision, while its multi-stage mop self-cleaning system sets a new standard for hygiene. Add in intelligent carpet care, under-furniture cleaning, and obstacle-crossing agility, and you get one of the most comprehensive solutions available. The Aqua10 Ultra Roller delivers genuine value where it matters: true adaptability and consistently clean results. For homes with mixed flooring, pets, or high traffic, it’s one of the most compelling robot cleaners on the market today. 5% Dreame discount with code DMPWAQUANA View Discount Read...

If you’re into MMOs, then you need a proper mouse to fire all your skills and spell combos with ease. The Razer Naga V2 HyperSpeed is the mouse for that, and right now it’s available for 38% off. That means you can grab it for just $62.49, considerably less than its original $99.99 and close to its cheapest sale price of all time. The Razer Naga V2 HyperSpeed isn’t just uber-fast with a 30K optical sensor, but it also comes with an insanely high number of programmable buttons. I’m talking a total of 19 buttons that you can set up to do whatever you need, with 12 of them being on the side of the mouse. Just imagine playing World of Warcraft and cycling through your action rotation without touching your keyboard. Fantastic! The Naga V2 HyperSpeed also features Razer’s HyperScroll technology, which allows you to quickly scroll through all the content you need at blazing speed, even entering free-spin mode. It’s totally wireless—with both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth options—also has excellent battery life, with a single AA battery providing almost 400 hours of usage, which is pretty great because you won’t be spending a fortune on batteries. If you’re into MMOs, you’ll love the convenience of a button-loaded wireless mouse like this. Get the Razer Naga V2 HyperSpeed for $62.49 while you still can and level up your MMO experience! The Razer Naga V2 HyperSpeed is a dream for all MMO gamersGet the Naga V2 mouse for 38% off Read...

Are you getting used to Windows 11 but wish it was a bit faster? Do you feel like your computer has become slower or starts up unusually slowly? Follow along and I’ll go through various tricks that can speed up your system. Uninstall unnecessary programs Foundry If you’ve bought a new computer with Windows pre-installed, chances are that the manufacturer has included a bunch of programs, often completely unnecessary or pure junk. But even if you installed the system yourself, Windows 11 comes with a lot of programs you may never use. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, where you’ll find a complete list of installed programs (Microsoft, like Apple, has started calling common computer programs “apps”). Click the more button to the right of a program you want to remove and select Uninstall. Nowadays, the vast majority of programs shown here can be uninstalled, including the Edge browser. Foundry Microsoft also insists on adding shortcuts to various games and programs in the Start menu, which aren’t even installed but are installed via the Microsoft Store the first time you click on them. You can remove these too, and don’t need to go through Settings. Right-click on an icon directly in Start and select Uninstall. While you’re cleaning up Windows’ bundled programs, you can also take the opportunity to uninstall programs you’ve installed but never use. Some installed programs are running in the background all the time, and even if they don’t take up a lot of resources, it’s unnecessary work. You also reduce the risk that a program you haven’t updated for a long time will turn out to have a security flaw that can be exploited by hackers. Clean up other junk Foundry If you’ve updated to Windows 11 from Windows 10 and have had that system for a few years, it’s likely to have accumulated some junk. Take the opportunity to do some spring cleaning while you’re at it! There are plenty of third-party programs that claim to help with this, but I recommend sticking to Windows’ built-in tools and manual cleaning. Start by running the Disk Cleanup application. Here you can tick the options you want to empty, and you’ll see on the right how much space each category represents. Click on an option to see a description below. For example, Lifetime Optimization Files are files that Windows Update has downloaded and not used yet, but sometimes there may be unused files here even though you have installed all available updates. The next step is to open Explorer and go to the Downloadeds folder. If you’re like me and leave most of the files you’ve downloaded here without ever deleting older files, you can free up tens of gigabytes. Sort in order of size and delete everything you don’t need anymore. Windows also offers a way to remove old components via the command prompt. Type command prompt in Windows search, select Run as administrator, and enter the following command: dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /AnalyzeComponentStore After a while, the results will come up and you can see if the program recommends running the cleanup function, which removes duplicates and copies of some system components that can accumulate after updates. To run the cleanup function, type: dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup Once it’s done, you can run the first command again to see how much space it managed to free up. For me, it was almost five gigabytes, despite the fact that I installed a fresh copy of Windows 11 version 22H2 less than two years ago. Foundry An exception to the above rule about third-party software is a program that scans the disk and displays all files and folders in order of size, making it easy to find large files that you may not need at all. My recommendation is Wiztree. Foundry When you start the program and let it scan the disk, the contents are displayed both as lists sorted by size and as a color-coded chart. You can then go through the results from top to bottom and delete what you don’t need. But avoid folders like Windows and Program Files, and anything you don’t know what it is (if you’re not sure, do a web search). Choose what to start automatically Foundry When you start your computer and log in, a number of processes and programs start automatically. Some are completely in the background, others are visible in the Taskbar, and a few open with application windows. In most cases you can control this from Settings > Apps > Startup. Switch off the programs/processes you don’t want to start automatically. If you want to add a program to start automatically yourself, you can place a shortcut to the program’s .exe file in one of the following folders: shell:startup (for your user account) shell:common startup (for all users) Foundry Locate the application you want to autostart in Applications or Programs (x86) and copy it. Then type in any of the above shortcuts in Explorer to go to the folder in question. Right-click in the window and select Show more options followed by Paste shortcut. Many programs have a built-in setting to start automatically at startup, adding themselves to the registry instead. By minimizing the number of programs that start automatically, you will not have to wait as long for the system to finish after each restart. On a new computer with a fast SSD, this may not make much difference, but on older hardware it can make a big difference. Settings that speed up Windows 11 If you have a slightly older computer and find that Windows 11 feels a little sluggish from time to time, you can go through the system settings and trim the computer a little. Foundry Performance mode Open Settings and go to System > Power & battery. Click on Power Mode to display those settings, then select Best Performance from the drop-down menu to the right of Plugged in. If you have a laptop, there will also be a separate setting for when the computer is not connected to the mains, where you should select Balanced or Best power efficiency instead. In previous versions of the system, these settings were in the Control Panel, but as part of Microsoft’s efforts to move as much as possible to Settings, they appeared there in 24H2. If you want to fine-tune individual settings, you can still do so in Control Panel, but for most people, the new Power Mode setting will suffice. Efficiency mode Foundry Programs running in the background rarely take up a lot of computer resources, but if you’re running a really heavy program or game, such background processes can still lead to a drop in performance. Then you can take advantage of a relatively new feature that Microsoft added to Task Manager in 2022 called Efficiency Mode. With efficiency mode enabled, two things happen: The application’s priority is lowered to “low,” which means that other applications with higher priority take precedence over the processor, and something called Ecoqos is activated. The latter means that the program runs as energy-efficiently as possible. Exactly how this is done varies depending on the processor and other factors, but it can include running without turbo or only on efficiency cores. To activate it, right-click on a process in the list and select Efficiency Mode. A dialog box will appear warning that it can make some programs unstable, but if you encounter one, you can always turn it off afterwards. Switch off search indexing Foundry Another feature that is useful on newer hardware but can slow down an older computer is indexing. This is especially true if you have the system on an old-fashioned hard drive and not an SSD. Click on the magnifying glass in the Start search and type in index and you should find the Indexing Options control panel. Open it and check which locations the system is set to index for faster searching. Click Modify to change your choices. If you rarely search for anything outside your home folder, you can delete everything except that folder to make indexing faster. If your home folder is very full, you can go down to the next level and deselect individual folders in your home folder that you don’t need to search quickly. Switch off special effects Foundry If your computer doesn’t have a standalone graphics card and the processor is a few years old, the integrated graphics circuit may struggle to keep up, especially if you have a high-resolution screen. This can make Windows 11 feel slower than older systems like Windows 7 and XP. One thing you can try to speed up the interface is to turn off special effects like shadows and animations. Open Windows search and type sysdm.cpl, which will take you to the System Properties control panel. Select the Advanced tab and click Settings in the Performance pane. In the window that opens, you can change from Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer to Adjust for best performance (to turn off all effects) or Custom, which lets you tick off the effects you think you can do without. Switch off transparency Foundry A special effect found in many places in the system is missing from the above settings. Transparency effects can instead be found in Settings > Personalization > Colors. Switch it off and the graphical interface will be a little less cumbersome. Sometimes it’s enough to make the system feel like it used to be, and you can leave shadows and other effects enabled. Maximize gaming performance with these settings and tricks Windows 11 has been accused of being slower in games than Windows 10, and that’s not entirely off the mark. One reason it may feel that way is that the new system has several security features enabled by default that users previously had to actively go in and switch on, and which, when running, can contribute to lower performance in games, among other things. Foundry Memory Integrity is a feature that uses virtualization to protect Windows from certain types of attacks. It’s one of the reasons Microsoft has raised the system requirements for Windows 11 so much, but for those who mostly play games on their computer, it might be worth trying to switch it off and see if it improves gaming performance. Open Windows Security, select Device Security > Core Isolation and switch off Memory Integrity. Foundry The second feature you can experiment with turning off is called Virtual Machine Platform and you’ll find it in Windows Features, which you can easily find via Windows Search. Tick it off and click OK. Check the drivers Old drivers for various hardware components can also make your computer less stable or slower than necessary. This is especially true for the graphics card, especially if you’re playing newer games, but even drivers for simpler components can crash the system if they have bugs. For graphics cards, I recommend that you check which card you have and install the manufacturer’s latest driver for that particular card. That is, directly from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia. Windows can install working drivers automatically for many cards, but it is better to go to the source. Skärmdump Other drivers can be searched for by opening Settings > Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional Updates. After a fresh installation of Windows on a computer, a lot of drivers may pop up here for various components on the motherboard like audio circuit and control circuit. You can also manually update drivers for individual devices in Device Manager, but this is rarely needed nowadays. Switch off unnecessary Windows features Windows has a large number of built-in features that run in the background and handle various things. They are called services and are often used by the system or other programs to perform various tasks. For example, the Print Spooler service handles printing and the Sensor Service handles various physical sensors such as GPS and light meters. Foundry The Services application allows you to manually switch off services that you and your installed applications never use, which can make your computer feel a little quicker. This is a slightly more advanced intervention and you should check each service to make sure you don’t accidentally switch off something important that you actually need. Even if you can’t make your computer much faster, Services is a great way to learn more about how Windows works and if you’re curious, I highly recommend a deep dive. Try it out — if you find your system unusable, you can always restore from backup or reinstall Windows. Further reading: Every Microsoft Windows operating system, ranked Read...

TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for just $14.97 (MSRP: $199). Still running Windows 10 and pretending everything’s fine? No shame — we’ve all hit “Remind me later” more times than we care to admit. However, if you’re still running Windows 10, your Microsoft support just ended. With this deal, you can finally make the jump to Windows 11 Pro for just $14.97. That’s a full-fledged, professional-grade operating system for the price of two fancy lattes. First of all, Windows 11 Pro is smooth. Like, way smoother than its predecessors. The redesigned interface is clean, centered, and customizable, which is great for focus and flow. Plus, it comes with features that make multitasking feel like second nature: snap layouts, virtual desktops, and lightning-fast search tools. You get enterprise-grade features like BitLocker encryption, Windows Hello biometric login, and TPM 2.0 compatibility — all designed to protect your work, files, and peace of mind. And Windows Copilot is now baked in, meaning you can ask for help, automate tasks, summarize web pages, or even brainstorm new ideas, all from your desktop. If you’re a developer, creative, remote worker, or small business owner, Windows 11 Pro is an upgrade that can give you a serious productivity boost. Don’t miss upgrading to Windows 11 Pro while it’s on sale for just $14.97 (MSRP: $199) through October 19. Microsoft Windows 11 ProSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

Broadcom said Tuesday that it has already begun sampling the first Wi-Fi 8 silicon to select partners, as a precursor for rolling out the first Wi-Fi 8 consumer hardware at a future date. Broadcom actually announced four different designs — the BCM6718 for the residential access point market, the BCM43109 for mobile handsets, plus the BCM43840 and BCM43820 for enterprise APs — that it will sell as chips as well as license as intellectual property. The sampling process has already begun, Broadcom said. Wi-Fi 7 is already well established in both PCs and handsets across the world. That Wi-Fi 7 technology, launched in 2023, is still being worked on: Intel’s Panther Lake laptop processor, for example, includes Wi-Fi 7 Release 2 support, which works toward better communication between your PC and the access point to reduce latency and increase the overall performance. That’s the whole point behind Wi-Fi 8, which broke cover in late 2024 and is set to be formally adopted probably by late 2028. That’s never stopped wireless chip vendors, however, which tend to put as much as they know of the specification into silicon as soon as they can to start landing design wins with customers just as soon as possible. It’s probably not a coincidence that the latest Wi-Fi 7 standards are transitioning into the overarching guidelines behind Wi-Fi 8: To improve the quality and reliability of Wi-Fi 8 wireless connections, rather than just improve performance. Wi-Fi 8 still can transmit data at up to a hypothetical, optimized speed of 23Gbps, according to rival Mediatek, but Wi-Fi 8’s most important technologies are essentially all qualitative, focusing on ultra-high reliability. Broadcom cited key features which included inter-AP coordination, which allows APs to target signal beams at devices to improve connectivity; and multiple ways of avoiding congestion. Wi-Fi 8 is also designed to extend the range of Wi-Fi, though Broadcom didn’t cite specifics. Broadcom said that the increasing ubiquity of AI, and the constant, high-bandwidth streams of data back and forth between devices and the cloud, necessitate Wi-Fi 8. In an interesting twist, each of Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 8 chips includes a hardware-accelerated telemetry engine, which “collects real-time data on network performance, device behavior, and environmental conditions, serving as a critical input for AI models.” Broadcom said that the telemetry engine can be used for optimizing the quality of the Wi-Fi expercience, or running “predictive maintenance” or to strengthen security. Broadcom’s BCM6718 for residential access points includes a 4-stream radio, packet scheduler, and telemetry engine, along with advanced eco modes and digital pre-distortion to reduce power. Broadcom also promises “full compliance” with IEEE 802.11bn and the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi 8 specifications. The company didn’t announce a radio specifically for PC, though the BCM43109 chip for handsets includes a two-stream Wi-Fi radio instead. It will also include Bluetooth capabilities as well as low-range WPAN, including ZigBee Pro. It, too, promises IEEE 802.11bn and Wi-Fi 8 compliance. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Impressive cleaning capabilities Epic battery life Easy waterline retrieval means you can put the pole away for good Endless configuration options available in the app Cons Heavy to lift and unwieldy to handle Relatively useless skimming feature Very expensive Our Verdict The price tag on this robotic pool cleaner might be hard to swallow, but Beatbot’s latest high-end offering has few flaws and an extensive warranty that arguably justifies it. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra Retailer Price $2,799 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The feature-rich Beatbot AquaSense Pro has been a top seller in the robotic pool cleaner space since its launch, but Beatbot hasn’t been resting on its laurels. The all-new Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra reviewed here is, to put it simply, more, and in every dimension. Is this even more expensive follow-up too much of a good thing? It all depends on how much you’re willing to shell out to escape the tedium of cleaning your pool yourself. Specifications The AquaSense 2 Ultra borrows most of its design cues from the AquaSense Pro I reviewed in October 2024 (which is still available for purchase). It’s a cetacean-inspired design, with fat wheels, treads, and two spinning brushes in between. The Ultra is also much larger and has a new, black color scheme. Weighing 29 pounds, it is also decidedly heavier than the 24-pound Pro, especially when you take it straight out of the pool, when the water-filled bot can hit 45 pounds. It’s bigger, too, in pretty much every way which (spoiler) makes maneuvering it in and out of the pool and onto its charging dock difficult. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra (right) is a beefy upgrade from the Beatbot AquaSense Pro we reviewed in October 2024.Christopher Null/Foundry All that heft comes in service of some serious firepower (waterpower?), including a boasted 27 sensors that include ultrasonic, infrared, and AI-powered video to map the pool and actively hunt for debris. It’s the first pool robot that, following a standard full-floor sweep, scans for remaining leaves with a camera the way you or I would with our eyes and a net. Beatbot says the machine can recognize 12 types of leaves by tree type, with more to come via over-the-air firmware updates. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra is an exceptional robotic pool cleaner with an extremely long-lasting battery. A 13,400mAh battery powers the unit to up to 6 hours of running time on the pool floor and 10 hours on its surface. A contact-based charging dock similar to the one that shipped with the Pro is included, so you don’t need to physically connect a cable to top up that battery. Lastly, the Ultra has a dual-band (2.4- and 5GHz) Wi-Fi adapter onboard, so you can control it with Beatbot’s mobile app. But that’s possible only while the robot is on top of the water or out of the pool, as Wi-Fi signals don’t travel far through water. Installation and setup The Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra features a front-mounted camera that searches your pool for any debris it might have missed while patrolling your pool. It will then go back and vaccum up whatever it found.Christopher Null/Foundry While most robotic pool cleaners require very little setup beyond an initial charging, the Beatbot Ultra has a little work for the user to do. The charging stand sets up easily, with two legs that snap into place. The more onerous work is setting up the two side brushes. These are small horizontal wheels with rubber brushes positioned in the upper front corners of the robot. They’re used primarily when it’s operating as a surface skimmer and as bumpers for when the robot hits the wall of the pool. These wheels are bare out of the box, so it’s up to the user to wrap the two rubber brush strips around them. This is achieved by stretching each strip around the wheel and affixing two loops on either end of the strip to a protrusion on the wheel. This takes a little trial and error and some patience, but I got it done in a matter of minutes. You’ll need to install these side brushes on the Beatbot Aquasense 2 Ultra after you take it out of the box.Christopher Null/Foundry You’ll also find a retrieval hook in the box (which you shouldn’t need) and a cover for the robot, which is handy for storage. This is the first time I’ve seen this as part of any robotic pool cleaner bundle. The app sets up quickly over Wi-Fi, being a matter of two button presses on the robot and walking through some basic configuration steps in the app. Using the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra Much like the AquaSense Pro, the Ultra can be configured via buttons on the device, via the mobile app, or both. The onboard controls are more basic, with four buttons for cleaning floor-only; floor and walls; floor, walls, and surface; or a custom mode configured in the app. To start the robot, just power it on, pick your mode, set it flat on the pool deck for a few seconds, and then place it into the pool. It will spin to scan the pool from the surface to get its bearings and then sink to the bottom to start its work. the AquaSense 2 Ultra has four basic control buttons on its top surface.Christopher Null/Foundry The Ultra’s specific operation depends on the mode you set, but if you’re running the most comprehensive option, the robot will do a full sweep of the floor, clean the walls, and skim the surface. After a full sweep of the floor, the robot’s AI debris detection gets to work. This uses the front-mounted camera to literally look around the pool for leaves it might have missed. And it really does that, scooting around randomly until it catches a glimpse of debris on camera, then it adjusts its course to roll over it, stop, then roll back and forward again to make sure it got it. The good news is that the Ultra is an exceptional cleaner. The unit specifies battery life of 4.5 hours, although as noted above, I easily got 6 hours with it in the water, and my pool was completely free of debris after just 3 hours (I evaluated it with both organic and synthetic test material). I also tested its AI detection mode by adding additional test leaves after the 3-hour mark, scattering them around the pool to see if the robot could find them. Of the 10 additional test leaves I added, the robot picked up all but one before its battery died—and I witnessed it just miss picking that leaf up when it veered a bit too far to one side of it. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra’s charging dock. Christopher Null/Foundry While the robot is excellent on the floor, it is not overly effective on the surface, as was the case with the AquaSense Pro. The robot’s design and its narrow profile (compared to standalone skimmers) means floating debris was often pushed out of the way by the bow wave of water in front of the robot rather than being sucked into its mouth. The new side brushes on this model are supposed to help prevent debris from escaping to the sides, but they weren’t effective at overcoming the power of the wave the bot pushed in front of it. In fact, my testing of the skimmer feature showed that it only captured about 40 percent of the test debris, with the rest being left behind or sinking to the bottom of the pool. That was about the same result I got with the AquaSense Pro. The app lets you fine-tune just about everything about how the Ultra runs, specifying 0, 1, or 2 cleanings each of floor, walls, and surface (20 possible combinations in all), or you can pick from a quick AI-only mode (a search-and-destroy as described above), a MultiZone Mode designed for pools with multiple large stepped areas, or an eco mode that cleans the floor every two days. Each of these are configurable in the app, and then selectable by pressing the custom mode button on the robot’s control panel. The AquaSense 2 Ultra has thick treads and robust scrubbing brushes..Christopher Null/Foundry Every mode offers the option to dispense a water clarifier during the cleaning process, but I don’t use this type of solution in my pool and did not test it; clarifier solution is not included with the device. Upon completion of a run, the Ultra returns to the surface and docks against the wall of the pool, where it will float for about 15 minutes. If you don’t retrieve it within that window, the robot will then float freely while remaining on the surface of the pool for easier retrieval. (The Park button on the app will call it back to the wall, provided there’s sufficient battery power.) This waterline retrieval option is one of the best features of both the Ultra and the Pro. Needing to clean debris from this two-sided basket is a minor hassle.Christopher Null/Foundry Debris is stored in a two-piece basket similar to the one on the Pro. It’s relatively easy to clean, though having to clean two different chambers adds a small amount of hassle to the process. The bigger issue is the robot’s nearly 30-pound weight, which is considerably more when it’s full of water. This, combined with its gargantuan size, means it’s difficult to maneuver into and out of the pool, and I found it virtually impossible to avoid getting my lower body wet while retrieving it. After each run, the Beatbot app pushes a mobile notification and then logs the area cleaned and the length of the run. Floor-cleaning runs also include a map of the pool that’s generated as part of the log. The map isn’t all that useful (and it is in a different orientation each time) but it does at least give you some idea of the robot’s level of intelligence. For what it’s worth, the map it generated mostly looks like my actual pool. The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra draws a map of your pool and logs its activity.Christopher Null/Foundry Lastly, an on-demand remote control is included in the app, though this can only be used when the robot is on the surface, where it’s in Wi-Fi range. You might find this effective when there are a few wayward leaves you want to pick up and the robot is already skimming; but given this robot’s limited debris-skimming abilities, I found it easier to wait for the leaves to sink or to just grab a net instead. Should you buy the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra? With an MSRP of $3,550 ($2,779 at Amazon at the time of this review), the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra is easily the most expensive pool robot I’ve tested. Fortunately, Beatbot’s impressive three-year whole-unit replacement warranty takes some of the risk out of a purchase. But to be honest, it’s probably more robot than most pools need. It’s definitely more than I need, and I have a fairly large pool to clean. And while it’s easy to fixate on that pricey bottom line, don’t underestimate this machine’s significant weight and bulk. Owners of more petite pools might find the Ultra just too large to wrestle with—even though it will do an outstanding job of keeping the pool sparkling clean. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robotic pool cleaners. Read...

We don’t write about the Kindle Scribe too often because, let’s be honest, it’s quite expensive with its $420 MSRP. But now that October Prime Day has come and gone, we’re seeing “like-new” Kindle Scribe digital notebooks for $228, which is a much better price. These discounted Kindle Scribes are refurbished devices that were tested and certified to be in perfect working order. Quite honestly, it’s likely that these are returned items from last week’s sale since “like new” Amazon gear always pops up at a discount after major sale events. The Kindle Scribe is a solid digital notebook option, enabling you to take notes, sketch, journal, and so on without the distractions you get from a tablet. Since the Scribe can turn your handwritten notes into text, it’s even more useful as you can transfer those to other apps later on. You can even write on books, which is something we know you’d never do in real life (hopefully). The Kindle Scribe features a 10.2-inch Paperwhite display that’s quite larger than your regular e-reader, so there’s plenty of space to write your notes. So go ahead and get yourself a Kindle Scribe with 32GB of storage space and a Premium Pen for only $228 while this deal’s still around. Read and write on this super discounted Kindle ScribeBuy now at Amazon Read...

Windows 11’s Snipping Tool has definitely enjoyed some upgrades in recent times, but at the end of the day it’s still just a basic tool that allows you to do little more than take screenshots and videos. GIF creation wasn’t even supported until just a couple months ago! Because of these limitations, I use ShareX instead for more complicated or precise screen captures. As well as capturing GIFs, ShareX offers significantly more advanced features, including precise capture with a magnifier, scrolling screenshot capture, and timed capture. ShareX even lets you add annotations like arrows, lines, and text bubbles to screenshots. And another great thing… it’s totally free! Here I’ll show you how to use the highly coveted GIF recording function. What to do: Download, install, and run ShareX. Type Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen. A crosshair will appear on your screen. Now select the part of your screen you want to record a GIF with by moving the crosshair over it—it will automatically select the window or area surrounding your cursor. Click your mouse to begin recording. To stop recording you can either type the shortcut again (Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen) or hit the stop button in the ShareX media control bar. Dominic Bayley / Foundry Once you’re finished shooting, your GIF will appear in the default capture folder which is typically located at C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\ShareX\My Files. The GIF will also appear in the task tray or “History” tab of the ShareX window so that you can play it back and decide if it’s good to go. That’s a wrap for this Try This tip. Just a heads up, we have a customizable selection of newsletters at PCWorld so if you dig free PC tips, tricks, and other news and want it delivered to your inbox every week, be sure to sign-up. Read...

This year my laptop turns six–a relatively young age in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it’s gotten slower and the battery life has taken a hit, but since I don’t use it for advanced video editing or gaming, it’s no problem. For lighter workloads like web surfing and emailing, it gets the job done just fine. There’s really only one problem: my laptop is too old for a Windows 11 update. On October 14th, 2025, Windows 10 will reach the end of its life period, which means no new features or security updates. The former is not a big problem. The latter will be a disaster. I’m not alone in this situation. Over 50 percent of users are still running Windows 10, and this figure is gradually dropping. How many will have updated in six months’ time is anyone’s guess, but whatever the percentage, one thing is clear. A large proportion of the world’s 1.6 billion Windows PCs will still be running Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025. What makes this challenging is that Windows 11 is so technically demanding that it’s not possible to update all fully functional computers. Sadly, my six-year-old laptop is one of them. If Microsoft stops updating Windows 10, it would turn into a breeding ground for cybercriminals. A computer without security updates is not only a problem for the user, but it can also spread malware to others. This decision also creates major environmental problems. If a few hundred million fully functional computers are thrown away and users buy new ones, emissions will increase. Manufacturing new computers requires large amounts of energy and the extraction of rare metals. Microsoft has stated that security updates to Windows 10 will still be available for another year, but for a fee. Until now, businesses could subscribe to extended support for old Windows versions and now we consumers can do the same. This is, of course, tempting for Microsoft in the short term, but it’s not a sustainable solution. In such a situation, a large proportion of users would continue to run Windows 10 without paying, thereby compromising security for us all. I personally hope that Microsoft realizes that they should reconsider this decision. The only reasonable thing to do is to send out free security updates to Windows 10 as long as the system is widely used. It’s neither economically nor ecologically sustainable to sell computers with a six-year lifespan. We need to move away from the idea of computers, mobiles, tablets, and other technologies as disposable products. This is a transition from the throwaway society that we all need to make. If Microsoft is serious about being a sustainable company, they should immediately remove the death sentence on my six-year-old laptop and other working Windows 10 computers. Further reading: How to save your older PC when Windows 10 hits end of life Read...

Adobe updates Real-Time CDP with new features for real-time campaign insights, Amazon integration, and easier collaboration, boosting privacy and ROAS. Read...