Report: President Trump to spare Apple from tariffs on Chinese goods

It’s no secret that the Trump administration is set to impose a new round of massive tariffs on Chinese goods, but according to a recent Bloomberg report, it looks like some tech-related products, like the Apple Watch and AirPods, will be spared from those tariffs. If true, the news should ease the minds of tech companies, who have been worried about getting caught in the crossfire between the Trump administration and the war on Chinese-made imports.

It’s expected that the government will release its final list of Chinese products set to be hit by the new 10-percent tariff in the very near future. That list will reportedly not include Apple products or things like fitness trackers and other smart watches from competing companies — all thanks to the removal of a product code that covers wireless devices. Even the 10-percent tariff is a reduction in and of itself — early reports indicated that the administration was considering a 25-percent tariff.

It’s interesting that Apple’s products won’t be included on the list, especially considering the fact that the wireless devices product code was included on a preliminary list that was released in July.

The news comes soon after Apple said that a “wide range” of products would be impacted by the proposed tariffs, and a request Apple made to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to reconsider the tariffs and take other measures to support the economy instead.

“Tariffs increase the cost of our U.S. operations, divert our resources, and disadvantage Apple compared to foreign competitors,” said Apple’s letter. “More broadly, tariffs will lead to higher U.S. consumer prices, lower overall U.S. economic growth, and other unintended economic consequences.”

Even with the removal of wireless devices from the list, the tariffs are still likely to have repercussions in the tech industry. As a report from The Verge notes, the tariffs will likely heavily disrupt manufacturing channels in the tech industry.

It’s unclear exactly why wireless devices have been removed from the list, though Apple CEO Tim Cook has been seen dining with President Donald Trump in the past — and it’s certainly possible that the proposed tariffs were the topic of discussion at that dinner.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Why Apple Watches, Fitbits, and more could soon get more expensive
• Here are all the Apple Watches getting updated to WatchOS 5
• Apple’s September 12 Event: Everything Apple announced
• Apple Car: What you need to know about Project Titan
• Apple quietly dumps Modern Buckle Watch band

We get up close with the Vision iNext concept to learn about BMW’s future

BMW

By now, you’ve probably seen the BMW Vision iNext concept following a photo leak before its official debut. The time has come to share details about why exactly the Vision iNext exists.

BMW made its plan quite plain and simple. The company is putting all of its efforts forward, pushing beyond its own boundaries in an ambitious attempt to become the next biggest thing in the automotive industry. It’s moving towards mass-market electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

To do that, you need cars to sell. And before you make cars to sell, like any entity in the business of selling goods, you have to test the market to see if your ambitions are going to work with the buying public. And that’s exactly what the Vision iNext is in BMW’s case: to test the waters.

BMW

Back in 2011, BMW introduced what we know as its i sub-brand, the company’s division completely dedicated to sustainable mobility efforts, including the design and manufacturing of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Basically, it’s BMW M’s eco-friendly alter ego.

Originally, it seemed like the days of the gas-powered BMWs we’ve come to love and cherish were coming to a dreadful end. However, with the production i3 and i8 vehicles, the company proved it can still harness its reputation for building the ultimate driving machines, but for the post-millennium. And so, it gave driving enthusiasts a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for what seems like the impending doom of the internal combustion engine.

“BMW i exists to generate creative, pioneering ideas which transform the way we think about mobility.”

“Ultimately, the BMW Vision iNext will add a new dimension to ‘sheer driving pleasure,’ because of course, driver orientation and driving still remains a part of our DNA,” said Klaus Frolich, BMW AG’s head of development, while introducing the iNext to journalists in the belly of the Lufthansa Cargo 777F at John F. Kennedy airport.

“Just to summarize, equipped with autonomous driving technology, next-level connectivity features, and an interior of the future, and of course, fully electric, the BMW Vision iNext will serve as an incubator. It’s a bold statement to demonstrate our company’s strengths in innovation. It will ensure BMW Group has everything in place to be successful in the market when competing with both old, and new players in the near- and far future.”

By Design

“BMW i exists to generate creative, pioneering ideas which transform the way we think about mobility,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group’s senior vice president of design. “The BMW Vision iNext marks another big step on that journey of transformation, showing how more intelligent vehicles can make our lives easier and more beautiful.”

Previous

Next

1 of 10

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

BMW Vision iNext Concept Art BMW

While the i3 and the i8 were just the beginning and really weren’t quite meant for everyone, iNext essentially pitches a more practical approach. By making its latest Vision iNext a crossover and an electric vehicle, BMW captures two of the most popular trending ambitions in the automobile industry today.

Crossover SUVs long ago took the lead as the most desired body style in all the land as vehicles for every situation and a majority of drivers, who feel safer when sitting higher off of the ground than in a normal car. By pitching to this market, BMW hopes it will get the attention it needs to garner demand and make a business case out of the future of its i brand as the entire industry shifts to become less fossil-fuel dependent.

“BMW i stands for innovation and inspiration. The project iNext also defines our mindset, it’s basically our project ‘i 2.0.’ “

With the Vision iNext  concept comes a new design language. BMW designers said the Vision iNext was inspired by the cleanliness and modernity of “boutique hotels,” both on the inside and out. The exterior not only caters to those infatuated with crossover SUVs, it features cues meant to give off the impression of a  chiseled look, as if it was milled from one solid piece. In a nutshell, you can almost say it looks like an elongated, taller, and more fluid i3 with extra ground clearance.

Despite its radical design, BMW engineers made sure to include the traditional kidney-style grille, which controversially has been enlarged to ungodly proportions.

Autonomy + Connectivity + Electric + Services

BMW’s entering the next (iNext ?) stage of the i brand’s evolution, epitomizing the company’s push towards prioritizing autonomous driving technology, connectivity, electrification, and top-notch customer service.

BMW

The iNext represents the pinnacle of these initial efforts, where in addition to autonomous driving technology, BMW representatives said the iNext is meant to reinvent the way humans spend quality time with each other while traveling.

To avoid alienating its future customers by overwhelming them with new tech, the company wants to ensure that it’s all user-friendly.

What’s the point of autonomous driving technology if you can’t focus on other things, such as spending time with the people you’re sharing your ride with?

“BMW i stands for innovation and inspiration. We are just lining up our company to be a proactive shaper of the digital future,” Fröhlich further elaborated. “The project iNext also defines our mindset, it’s basically our project ‘i 2.0.’”

The iNext also paves the way for the company’s fifth-generation all-electric powertrain. The Vision iNext concept itself features state-of-the-art high-efficiency motors, all built without the use of rare earth metals that heavily pollute the earth when mined—a part of BMW’s efforts for sustainable and clean mobility efforts.

Shy Technology

For the iNext, the focus is entirely on innovations with Autonomy + Connectivity + Electric + Services, BMW claims. However, despite all these concentrations, BMW seeks to roll out these new technologies in a shy manner.

To avoid alienating future customers by overwhelming them with new tech, the company wants to ensure that it’s all user-friendly. Thus, it adopted the concept of shy technology.

BMW engineers and designers already acknowledge the challenge of emerging tech and trying to make new tech intuitive and ergonomic. But with more tech and more features typically comes more buttons, controls and screens, which can be way too much for some—even those who are indeed tech savvy.

To combat this, BMW’s shy technology concept integrates the Vision iNext’s technological features in ways designers hope will be easy to use. Such includes the use of hand gestures—something already available on some new BMWs today to control in-car functions, like the radio—touch-sensitive interfaces integrated into the Vision iNext’s interior surfaces, minimal physical buttons, and above all, accurate and fast voice-recognition commands.

Some of those touch-sensitive integrations include what BMW calls intelligent materials. When being driven manually in boost mode, typical functions are operable using conventional buttons, screens, and controls.

iNext also features the intelligent beam: an in-car projector that acts as both a HD projector and a reading light.

But once the iNext is in autonomous driving mode, or ease mode, some of the basic controls—like the steering wheel and pedals—retract and disappear into the interior panels. Then, users can utilize various hidden control surfaces—like on the seats or on the center front armrest—that are touch-sensitive to control things like the radio volume and music track selection.

For example, integrated into the rear bench are touch-sensitive surfaces located where there would normally be a hump for the center seat and armrest. Instead, users can touch the surface and LEDs will light up, according to where touched, allowing users to use swiping gestures for the rear-seat entertainment.

Debuting as a concept on the Vision iNext is BMW’s intelligent personal assistant, which is in essence BMW’s competitive response to Mercedes-Benz’s latest MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User ‘eXperience’). It enables users to treat in-car functions and voice commands as if it were an Alexa home assistant device with the unsurprising term, “hey BMW.” The system is integrated seamlessly with BMW Connected services, while enabling smartphone and smart home network connectivity.

BMW

And lastly, the Vision iNext introduces intelligent beam: an in-car projector that sits above the rear passenger bench, acting as both a high-definition projector and a reading light. Users can open special print books the projector while the intelligent beam casts interactive overlays, all controlled by hand motions and touch. We’re not sure how this will be any better than using say, a tablet. And we can’t imagine intelligent beam being useful in direct sunlight. But it’s an interesting experience nonetheless.

The Vision iNext Concept will reach production

Ambitious and bold it may be, but BMW says the Vision iNext concept previews a genuine production model due by 2021. Between then and now, BMW will produce up to 100 prototypes to thoroughly test, research, and develop all of its latest technologies for the i brand.

Although specifics weren’t fully available, BMW says the latest fifth-generation electric vehicle powertrain enables the Vision iNext to travel for up to 373 miles on one charge, while allowing it to sprint to 60 from a standstill in less than four seconds.

And while, ultimately, the Vision iNext concept represents the next steps forward for the i brand, BMW promises a lot of the incoming tech will make its way into the rest of the company’s portfolio, starting with the next-generation 7 Series.

Editors’ Recommendations

• 2018 BMW 328d M Sport Euro Spec review
• From drones to pickup trucks, Workhorse CEO believes the future is electric
• Amazing future transports promise to supercharge our commutes
• Jaguar’s best-seller, the F-Pace, gets more tech for ’19, but it comes at a cost
• We drove the Volkswagen concept pickup that truck fans will drool over

Who will be the first private passenger to the moon? SpaceX will tell us today

SpaceX

On Monday, September 17, SpaceX is set to announce the name of the mystery passenger who it will launch into orbit around the moon. While the trip is a fly-by, meaning that there will be no actual moon landing, this is still immensely significant. Provided all goes according to plan, this person will become the first lunar traveler since the last U.S. Apollo mission in 1972, and only the 25th person to carry out this feat in human history.

The announcement is being livestreamed, starting at 9 p.m. ET.

“SpaceX has signed the world’s first private passenger to fly around the moon aboard our BFR launch vehicle — an important step toward enabling access for everyday people who dream of traveling to space,” the company noted in a recent tweet. “Find out who’s flying and why on Monday, September 17.”

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has so far failed to reveal anything about the identity of the mystery passenger, other than posting an emoji of the Japanese flag on Twitter last week. Whoever it is, it’s probably safe to assume that they are sufficiently wealthy to spend more money than we’ll see in a lifetime on a (literally) out-of-this-world moon-shot vacation.

While SpaceX will reveal the passenger name, it may not yet be ready to commit to revealing the price of the ticket or the exact date (or, heck, even approximate date) of travel, however. As far as price goes, SpaceX is keeping quiet. Don’t expect any kind of a budget vacation, though. In 2001, multi-millionaire Dennis Tito, the man who became history’s first space tourist, paid $20 million to spend eight days aboard the International Space Station.

In terms of when the launch will take place, things are also in the dark. The biggest clue in this regard is that the launch is set to take place on board the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which is thought to be still several years away from being ready for liftoff. The BFR has been described as the most powerful rocket in history.

While this is all definitely exciting, it’s important to display some caution. Last year, Musk said that two unnamed passengers had paid a deposit for a weeklong mission to the moon. Their names were not revealed and this mission has since been postponed.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Get your Sagan on with 60 awe-inspiring photos of the final frontier
• Prepare for liftoff: Here are all the important upcoming SpaceX rocket launches
• SpaceX wins confidence-boosting Falcon Heavy contract with U.S. Air Force
• Japan’s latest attempts at a private aerospace industry goes down in flames
• SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket: Here’s everything you need to know

CRISPR gene editing creates cocaine-proof mice, aims to crack addiction puzzle

Gene editing has already given us malaria-resistant mosquitoes and heat-resistant cows. Now, researchers from the University of Chicago may have topped both of those feats with their latest creation: Cocaine-resistant mice. Using the CRISPR-based gene-editing platform to modify the DNA of skin cells, researchers Xiaoyang Wu and Ming Xu have been able not only to create mice that are less likely to seek out cocaine than their counterparts, but are also immune to cocaine overdoses that killed mice without the same CRISPR-edited cells.

The process builds on previous work involving a modified enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE), which is capable of naturally breaking down cocaine very rapidly. Unfortunately, its short half-life makes it ineffective in a clinical scenario, since it disappears before it has any long-term impact on the body’s response to cocaine. BCHE cannot be administered orally, which makes it ill-suited for use as a potential treatment.

Wu and Xu have found a way around this by demonstrating that modified skin cells can secrete BCHE into the bloodstream over a long period of time. These skin cells can be applied in the form of a skin graft.

It is still early stages, but the work could have a profound impact on solving the problems caused by thousands of coked-up mice flooding the streets every Saturday night to throw crazy shapes on tiny dance floors, while talking rapidly about how freaking amazing cheese tastes.

Okay, so that’s not really what the researchers hope to solve. (I mean, if that was real, why would you want to stop it?) Instead, they believe their research could play a part in helping battle the effects of cocaine addiction in humans via a similar skin graft procedure.

“It will work, like in mice, by highly efficiently degrading cocaine as soon as it enters the blood circulation, so that little would reach the brain to produce consequences,” Wu told Digital Trends. “[As a result], drug naïve-subjects would not develop cocaine addiction, cocaine addicts would stop using cocaine, and there would be no cocaine-induced relapse in addicts.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Spider silk could be used to create artificial skin to help heal wounds
• Gene editing can reverse balding and wrinkling in mice — and maybe humans, too
• Fortnite skins that will make you the envy of all your friends
• From robot insects to human-sniffing sensors, this rescue tech could save lives
• How to unlock the galaxy skin in Fortnite

Will your carry-on fit in that overhead bin? Kayak’s new AR tool can tell you

It’s the air traveler’s walk of shame — pushing through all the passengers boarding the plane in that narrow aisle to gate check the carry-on that wouldn’t fit in the overhead bin. Now, travel search engine Kayak may have a solution to this problem that will help travelers figure out which bag will meet each airline’s carry-on requirements. Kayak’s augmented reality (AR) bag measurement tool can be found inside the platform’s iOS app and officially launched in mid-September.

Tapping on “new bag measurement tool” inside the app’s flight search will now allow the device’s camera to measure the bag you have. The app instructs the user to point the camera at the floor first, an initial step that helps calibrate the tool for better measurements. Next, users move the camera around the bag, while the app takes the measurements.

After scanning the bag, the app tells travelers the dimensions of the bag, which can be compared with the airline’s carry-on requirements. Kayak says that the tool also includes price comparisons for different airlines.

“A pain point in the travel experience is that moment you begin to worry if your bag will fit in the overhead bin, and now we’ve got a tool that can help,” said Giorgos Zacharia, Kayak’s chief technology officer. “There are a lot of AR applications that are fun — but this one was designed to be truly useful for travelers.”

The new AR bag measurement tool is a result of what Kayak calls SWAT week — an engineering competition that encourages rapid, innovative development of new app and website features. The company says that AR, along with virtual reality and artificial intelligence, is a focus for the company’s investments.

Available now, the new AR bag tool is only available on the iOS version of the Kayak app. The feature requires iOS 11.3 or later to run, and joins other trip-planning tools like estimated security wait times, directions for finding your gate (or food) inside the airport, and finding out if your delayed flight means some cash back.

This isn’t the only AR bag measurement tool around — Southwest Airlines has one inside its dedicated app — but the Kayak app uses the tool across multiple airlines, each of which can have variations in luggage allowances.

Editors’ Recommendations

• With Dropit’s delivery service, you can literally shop till you drop
• Google Measure app now works on any ARCore-capable phone
• The best augmented-reality apps for Android and iOS
• The best laptop backpacks for traveling
• Try before you travel — Kayak launches virtual reality exploration tool

Photographer Austin Mann Shares First Photos Captured With iPhone XS

Photographer Austin Mann, who often goes hands-on with new iPhone models in exotic locations to test their capabilities in real world situations, has taken a first look at the iPhone XS and shared some images captured with the new device.

Mann took the iPhone XS to Zanzibar to test it out, and shared the images with PetaPixel.

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are using the same 12-megapixel dual-camera system that was in the iPhone X, with an f/1.8 wide-angle lens and an f/2.4 telephoto lens, both of which feature optical image stabilization, but Apple has made some serious improvements that result in better-than-ever iPhone photos.

Apple has introduced a new image signal processor that integrates with the Neural Engine to introduce Smart HDR, a feature that offers up more detail in the highlights and shadows of images. The image signal processor also offers up more sophisticated bokeh (aka background blurring) to better match the results you can get from high-end DSLRs, and there’s a new Depth Control feature.

Depth Control is a new Portrait Mode option that lets you adjust the depth of field after you shoot, an impressive function that allows you to choose just the right amount of blur to bring out the subject of your photo. The Depth Control feature is available for both the front and rear-facing iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max cameras.

A bigger sensor with deeper, larger pixels lets in more light, which leads to better low-light photos, and sensor improvements paired with Smart HDR and no shutter lag result in sharper action shots.

We’ll get a better look at what the new cameras are capable of when iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max reviews hit later this week, and customers who pre-ordered the device will also be able to try it out when shipments start arriving this Friday.

The full range of images captured by Mann can be seen in high resolution via a Flickr album, which can be accessed here.

Related Roundup: iPhone XS
Discuss this article in our forums

Instagram Expands Shopping in Stories, Adds Shopping to Explore

Instagram today announced two major updates to the shopping feature in the Instagram app that’s designed to allow users to make purchases directly from Instagram.

Shopping within Stories, a feature that began rolling out in June, is expanding to businesses across 46 countries. When watching Stories from brands, items that are featured can be tapped so you can learn more about them.

Instagram is also adding a new Shopping channel in the Explore section of the Instagram app that’s personalized to each individual user. The Shopping channel is located alongside other topic channels, and it will feature brands you follow and brands you might like.

The Shopping channel in Explore is rolling out to Instagram users starting today and will expand globally “over the coming weeks.”

Instagram can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Instagram
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Shares Updated iOS Security Guide With Info on Shortcuts, Siri Suggestions, Screen Time and More

Apple today published an updated version of its iOS security white paper [PDF] for iOS 12, with information on new features and updates introduced with the iOS 12 software.

According to Apple’s Document Revision History, the updated guide covers iOS 12 features like Siri Suggestions, Siri Shortcuts, the Shortcuts app, Screen Time, Password AutoFill Student ID cards, and more.

On Siri Suggestions, for example, Apple explains that suggestions for apps and shortcuts are generated using on-device machine learning, with no data going to Apple except info that can’t be used to identify the user.

On the Shortcuts app, Apple explains that shortcuts can be optionally synced across Apple devices using iCloud or shared with other users. Apple protects against malicious JavaScript within shortcuts by updating malware definitions to identify malicious scripts at run-time.

Custom shortcuts can also run user-specified JavaScript on websites in Safari when invoked from the share sheet. In order to protect against malicious JavaScript that, for example, trick the user into running a script on a social media website that harvests their data, updated malware definitions are downloaded to identify malicious scripts at run-time. The first time that a user runs Javascript on a domain, the user is prompted to allow Shortcuts containing javascript to run on the current webpage for that domain.

Screen Time, meanwhile uses CloudKit’s end-to-end encryption to protect usage data. Apple only collects Screen Time statistics if iPhone and Apple Watch analytics is turned on, with Apple monitoring whether Screen Time was turned on during Setup Assistant, whether Screen Time is turned on, whether Downtime is enabled, the number of times the “Ask for more” feature is used, and the number of app limits applied.

One interesting bit in the document relates to the new feature that lets a second appearance be added to Face ID in iOS 12. Adding a secondary appearance, says Apple, will decrease the probability that a random person can unlock the iPhone from 1 in 1,000,000 to 1 in 500,000.

The probability that a random person in the population could unlock your iPhone is 1 in 50,000 with Touch ID or 1 in 1,000,000 with Face ID. This probability increases with multiple enrolled fingerprints (up to 1 in 10,000 with five fingerprints) or appearances (up to 1 in 500,000 with two appearances).

Apple’s security document explains in detail how each and every iOS 12 feature works and how it’s protected. The guide is filled with many small but significant details on iOS 12 features, and for anyone interested in the security of the iPhone and the iPad, the full document is worth checking out.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
Discuss this article in our forums

Deebot 901 review: Cleaning your house just got smarter and easier

A few weeks ago I adopted the Ecovacs Deebot 901 when it arrived on my doorstep. I lovingly named it Suckatron and quickly realized it would become an essential member of the household. Before we go any further, I do want to mention the Deebot 901 was provided to us by Ecovacs but these are my unbiased opinions about it.

However, I have to admit between the performance, the app, and support for Alexa and Google Assistant I love this thing. So, that might make it a little difficult to stay unbiased.

Design

There is nothing particularly unique about the design of the Deebot 901, then again you could say the same for most robovacs. They all use a very similar design and it can be difficult to tell one from the other.

The one design element that does stand out is the Laser Distance Sensor at the top. This is not an exclusive feature to the Deebot 901 though as there are other units on the market that use this or something similar.

The sensor on the top is not the only smart feature, it also includes sensors on the bottom to detect ledges such as stairs to prevent it from falling. In my usage, I also found this works if you pick it up and causes the Deebot 901 to power down. The front bumper also acts as another sensor to help it find boundaries.

Hidden under the top compartment are the power switch and WiFi button along with the dustbin. The built-in handle makes removing the dustbin easy but there was often a little fuzz and dirt left at the opening I had to remove manually.

The Deebot 901 features some large wheels that extend and offer good traction. I was able to see it transition easily between carpet, hard floors, and power through over rugs after becoming caught on the corner. There will be no worries if you have area rugs or large thresholds in your home.

Setup

The Deebot 901 is a WiFi connected robovac and as such takes a little more work to set up. No worries though, it is actually quite simple. If you’ve ever set up a smart speaker then the process is very similar. You just have to get the Ecovacs app and run through the quick start guide to get it connected.

The Deebot 901 will boot up and connect to your phone where you can quickly and easily connect it to your WiFi network. Afterward, you will be able to control it through the app.

The App

The app works great and is pretty essential to working the Deebot 901. As I mentioned above the app is used to connect it to your WiFi network, but is also capable of much more. In order to begin the Deebot will have to run once through your entire home to map it.

While the Deebot 901 runs you get to see it map come to life in the app. Watching as it reveals walls and furniture, and then bumps into them to confirm. Which for a geek like me was just amazing. I was obsessed watching Deebot traverse the house and fill up the map as it went along.

Seeing how it detected the walls and barriers around my home and watching as it would slow its approach and then tap it to be certain. I also got a few good laughs as it would tap objects repeatedly and try to work its way around obstructions. I marveled while watching it through the app and followed it around the house, seeing as gray areas transitioned to white filling up the floorplan.

Back to the app though, after the first run you are left with the floorplan for your entire home that I’m still geeking out over. Not only because I have a full floor plan for the top floor but because the Ecovacs app actually creates zones automatically afterward.

Zones

With these zones, it is easy to send the Deebot 901 to only clean certain areas of your home without making it do a full pass. There is also a way to create custom cleaning plans sending it to several of the areas if you’d like.

While I love the zone function and that it automatically creates them I wish it would allow us to name the zones to use in conjunction with the voice commands. Having the ability to use Alexa or Assistant to ask it to only clean the kitchen or the living room would be very helpful. While at this time the voice commands can only be used to have it clean the entire house or nothing at all.

Virtual Barriers

Another ingenious feature in the app is the ability to create virtual barriers. This really came in handy to prevent the Deebot 901 from entering areas where it might suck up cables or knock over items. Unfortunately, the first time you run it you cannot use this feature and need to keep an eye on it. I had to rescue it a few times when it tripped up on a couple of cords and some rubs with tassels on the ends.

However, after the first run, I was able to set up some barriers and make sure it would only focus on the high traffic areas and not run into any trouble. If you happen to have some frayed rugs in your home they suggest to tuck them under, but I found this didn’t prevent hang ups, only minimized them. For that reason, I choose to block off those rooms and only send it there if I can supervise it.

Schedules

Scheduling is a fantastic feature allowing you to set a time and day each week for your Deebot to run. This is the perfect way to make sure that you come home to a clean house by allowing it to run when no one is home.

One improvement I wish I could see to this feature would be the ability to schedule it to clean only certain zones. Then you could have it clean high traffic areas more frequently and other areas like your bedroom less frequently, instead of the whole house each time.

Maintenance

While the Deebot 901 helps you by vacuuming your house automatically it does come with a little work. Occasionally you have to perform some maintenance on it including emptying and cleaning the dustbin, filters, main brush, and side brushes. It is also recommended that you clean the bumpers, drop sensors, and charging contacts.

On top of that, you’re supposed to also replace parts on it such as the main brush, side brushes, and filter. The app provides you with a timeline based on your cleaning history to alert you when it is time to change these.

Alexa and Google Assistant

Let’s take a second to talk about the voice controls with the Deebot 901. It is oh so satisfying being able to boss around your robot servant through voice commands. While I loved the app and I would still pull it out to check where it was cleaning or the progress. Having the ability to ask it to start cleaning with only a simple voice command is extremely gratifying.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t a couple of issues, however. For example, from reading reviews for the Alexa skill it appears the skill only supports one vacuum. Meaning if you have two floors in your home and want to use two vacuums, you won’t be able to control them both. As someone with a home that has two floors that is very disappointing and honestly makes me think twice about getting a second one.

The Google Assistant skill wasn’t without its own issues. If you try installing and linking it from the Explore menu in the Google Home app it refuses to work. Instead, you must enter the Home control menu and add it within there. I don’t think Ecovac takes the blame on this one though, it seems to be more of an oversight in the Google Home app.

How Well Does it Clean

The Deebot 901 has two different suction levels. For the first few runs, I let it use the standard level and was shocked at how much it picked up. I was able to fill the entire dustbin both times with only a day in between cleanings. On the first run there was even some dried grass and a leaf I had brought in on my shoes and without skipping a beat it sucked all of it up.

The third run left it only about half full which makes sense now that the floor is being cleaned more regularly. The true test came when I waited a week and ran the Deebot 901 on max power on the carpet in the living room. Afterward, I ran the regular vacuum and was surprised the regular vacuum picked up almost as much as the Deebot 901.

Deebot 901 on left Regular vacuum on the right

For this reason, I think it would be best to run a regular vacuum once a month or so for a deep clean. While allowing the Deebot to keep the floors looking good in between.

Not Perfect for Homes with Two Floors

Having the ability to transport the Deebot 901 between different floors in your house with saved maps would be ideal. As for now, you can only have it save the map of one floor of your home and for the other floor you have to let it run on auto mode. Even if you were to buy two of them you’d still be left unable to manage both with voice commands.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day spending $400 for a robovac is a little on the pricey side. However, it is not unreasonable for such an advanced device. There are cheaper ones on the market, but they don’t offer the extensive mapping system and smart features that come with the Deebot 901.

Except for a couple of mishaps on the first run where the Deebot got snagged on some cords and the frayed rugs, I was thoroughly pleased. The Deebot 901 has changed the way I’ve cleaned my home and saves me a great deal of time.

They say money can’t buy happiness but this does buy you more time, and with that extra time you can spend it doing activities that make you happy. In this way, by spending $400 on this robovac you are indeed buying some happiness. Unless vacuuming is what makes you happy. If you’d like to adopt one of these into your very own home then hit the link below.

Buy from Amazon

Microsoft could debut transparent Surface Dial sequel at October event

Microsoft’s range of Surface 2-in-1s may not be the only hardware the company shows off at its October 2 Surface event. A new Federal Communications Commission filing suggests we could get our first glimpse of a new Surface Dial sequel as well. Although potential features and specifications are pure speculation at the moment, earlier patents filed by Microsoft suggest that it could debut with a transparent center to give a view through to the screen underneath it.

The Surface Dial is one of the more intriguing products Microsoft has released in recent years. The rotational puck provides additional input options for Surface Studio users. By placing it on to the screen in the right context, users could twist the puck to make choices on radial menus. It also worked in tandem with the Surface pen to provide even more intuitive input options.

With a new Surface Studio 2 expected to debut at the October Surface event (here is what we want it to have), a new Surface Dial could accompany it. MSPowerUser highlights a particular FCC filing for a new Bluetooth accessory that Microsoft filed just a few days ago. Although the document doesn’t give away any detail about what the device is, the fact that it’s circular and would feature labeling on the side, suggests it is a dial-like device at least.

Drawing on patent information highlighted earlier in the year, MSPowerUser suggests that the second-generation Dial could be transparent in its center, thereby making it possible to view the Surface Studio screen through it. That not only makes its placement on the potential Surface Studio 2 that much easier to manage — as you can see anything you put it on — but it opens up new potential functions such as magnification or layer manipulation.

Microsoft has also filed patents for a Surface Inkwell design, which would make it possible to charge and store multiple Surface Pens in a central hub location. In theory, a Surface Dial 2-like device could draw features from that, too, though that seems unlikely.

The Surface event is set to take place on October 2, where we also expect to see details of a new Surface Pro 6.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Refreshed Surface Pro 6 could arrive at Microsoft’s October 2 event
• Microsoft may go back to black with 2018 Surface Pro and Surface Laptop
• The Surface Go tablet unofficially leaks online
• Microsoft Surface Pro 6: Everything we know
• Microsoft’s Surface Mobile Mouse is the ideal companion for your Surface Go