Just when you thought the pink parade of Hello Kitty branded products had reached it’s end, along comes the Hello Kitty Cyclone Vacuum Cleaner. Now as much as we loathe Hello Kitty here, this one might actually convince kids to clean up after themselves a bit. It makes vacuuming fun…I guess.
The vacuum is on the smaller side, measuring 18.5 x 22.8 x 6.7″. It’s also battery powered, so while there’s no wires to get tangled up in, don’t expect to be sucking up 2 pound steel marbles out of your shag carpeting (and what exactly are you doing with steel balls on your shag carpeting anyway?) Cleaning is apparently cute again. Available at the end of next month for $60 with shipping from Japan costing nearly that same amount.
Collect and observe all types of bugs with this super cute Uncle Milton Nat Geo Wild Anteater Bug Vacuum
Kids will love to explore nature with this bug sucking anteater and they don’t have to actually touch the bugs to collect them (not that most kids mind touching bugs, it’s the adults that are usually squeamish). After checking them out, you can release the chamber and let the bugs free. Science! Nature! Bugs! Exclamation Points!
What would happen if you took the already-pretty-expensive Hyla Vacuums
You can actually purchase this bejeweled cleaning machine at a suggested retail price of $21,900 (you probably have to contact Hyla directly, I guess?). They don’t really expect anyone to buy one though, they expect gullible bloggers to write about it and promote their brand instead. Doh!
Vacuum Cleaner with 32,000 Crystals is World’s Most Expensive
What to get the homeowner who has everything? Perhaps a robotic vacuum styled in the fashion of an RC toy will fit the bill. Here at a gdgt event in New York City we happened upon iRobot's Roomba 790, which comes with a touchscreen remote for manually controlling where the bot goes. The controller -- make that the "Wireless Command Center" -- has an interface matching the one on the 790 itself, so there's no second set of menus to master here. In addition to deciding where it moves, you can also schedule daily cleanings or tap a "Clean" button to push the robot into action.Though this isn't the first time iRobot's dabbled in remote-controlled vacuum cleaners, previous models tended to rely on infrared sensors, meaning you could only control the Roomba if it was in your line of sight. This guy, though, uses a proprietary technology that allows you to program that 4pm scrubbing from up to 25 meters away.
As for battery life, it runs on four AA cells, and is rated for three to six months of runtime, depending on how compulsively you plan on cleaning. Interestingly, despite the change in wireless standards, the 790 is compatible with older 700-series Roombas, though it's not as is the controller would be sold separately. If you happen to be the kind of fabulously wealthy family who can afford (and has a need) for multiple Roomba cleaners, you can only pair the remote with one robot at a time anyway. Don't have the budget for a $700 robotic vacuum kit? We've got hands-on photos below and a demo video after the break.
Continue reading iRobot Roomba 790 with Wireless Command Center hands-on (video)
iRobot Roomba 790 with Wireless Command Center hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
