Technologies

Roomba Robot Vacuums Face a Shakeup as iRobot Files for Bankruptcy

iRobot says it will continue to offer its robots and smart home devices to consumers.

Two decades after it ignited a market for robot vacuums in homes, iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, best known for its Roomba robot vacuums, entered the filing late Sunday night after months of warning signs and financial pressure.

Under the proposed restructuring, iRobot will be acquired by its primary manufacturing partner, China-based Shenzhen Picea Robotics.

The company said it will continue to offer robots and smart home devices to consumers.

Massachusetts-based iRobot, which launched the first Roomba in 2002, was once synonymous with the category it helped invent. But years of mounting robot vacuum competition, particularly from Chinese brands like Ecovacs and Roborock, have eroded its market share.

An attempted lifeline came in the form of an Amazon acquisition in 2022, which promised to bolster iRobot’s position in the smart home space. However, that deal was ultimately scuttled by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic, leaving iRobot to fend for itself amid fierce competition.

In response, iRobot revamped its product line and worked with Picea to bring newer models to market, while also slashing prices to stay competitive. Despite those efforts, the company continued to lose ground. US tariffs didn’t help.

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What the iRobot bankruptcy means for you

The acquisition by Picea, a contract manufacturer that already builds many of iRobot’s products, is intended to allow operations to continue without interruption.

«Today’s announcement marks a pivotal milestone in securing iRobot’s long-term future,» Gary Cohen, iRobot’s chief executive officer, said in a statement Sunday. «The transaction will strengthen our financial position and will help deliver continuity for our consumers, customers, and partners.»

But while iRobot products remain on sale through major retailers including Amazon and Best Buy, whether you should still buy one, given the bankruptcy filing, is a complicated question.

«This will rightly have prospective buyers questioning whether to add one to their cleaning arsenal despite the company’s promise to continue operating without disruption,» CNET shopping expert Adam Oram said. «I wouldn’t advise that shoppers rule out a Roomba on this news alone, with many discounted Roomba deals still offering great value even if the longevity of the product remains unknown.»

Oram notes that iRobot’s products are highly rated among users.

But smart home history isn’t exactly full of happy endings. Support can disappear quickly when companies change hands, and even well-intentioned promises can get lost in the shuffle of restructuring.

So yes, you can still buy a Roomba, and in the short term, it’ll likely work just fine. But if you’re shopping for a robot vacuum with years of app updates and new features in mind, you might want to look at Roomba alternatives from brands with a clearer future. Oram suggested Roborock, Ecovacs and Eufy, in particular.

iRobot, founded in 1990, says it plans to be in the game for the long haul.

«By combining iRobot’s innovation, consumer-driven design, and R&D with Picea’s history of innovation, manufacturing, and technical expertise,» Cohen said in the company’s statement, «we believe iRobot will be well equipped to shape the next era of smart home robotics.»

Technologies

Apple Launches Creator Studio Package as $13 a Month Subscription

Mac users can still buy the apps individually, but subscribers get access to Final Cut Pro and other Studio tools.

Apple is bundling its pro filmmaking and audio tools including Final Cut Pro with its productivity apps Keynote, Pages and Numbers into a subscription software suite called Apple Creator Studio.

The package, which includes apps for Mac, iPad and iPhone, includes Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, MainStage and the whiteboard app Freeform. Creator Studio will be available starting Jan. 28 at a cost of $13 per month or $129 per year, or $3 per month or $30 per year for students and educators. Mac users will still have the option to purchase software like Final Cut Pro for a one-time free. The current price for Final Cut Pro in the Mac App Store is $300.

While apps such as Keynote and Pages are already free on Apple platforms, it appears that new versions of those apps will receive access to beta features that will roll out first to Creator Studio subscribers. The announcement by Apple alludes to «new AI features and premium content» in some of the apps it otherwise makes available to use for free.

What the Creator Studio bundle comes with

The star of the show in Creator Studio is Final Cut Pro, the video editing software that will now include Transcript Search on both Mac and iPad. There is also a new Beat Detection feature Apple says uses an AI model to analyze a music track and display a beat grid, making it easier to cut video to music rhythms. The software also will include a new Montage Maker on iPad for quick social video creation.

Motion, the 2D and 3D graphics tool, and Compressor also integrate with Final Cut Pro. Apple touted Motion’s Magnetic Mask feature for isolating objects or people without the need for a green screen.

Logic Pro has new features for musicians, including a Synth Player addition to AI Session Players. Chord ID, a new AI feature, can create chord progressions from audio or MIDI recordings. A new Sound Library will have hundreds of royalty-free clips, samples and loops.

A revamped MainStage app gives subscribers access to instrument, voice-professing and guitar rig tools. Pixelmator Pro arrives with new tools and filters, and there will be an iPad version in addition to the Mac tool.

Freeform in the Creator Studio package will add premium content, including curated photos, graphics and illustrations. It will also get new AI features that include image creation.

Technologies

Reddit Outage Resolved: Here’s What Happened

Did you have trouble reading your favorite subreddits today? You weren’t alone.

If you had trouble accessing the news and discussion forum Reddit on Tuesday, you weren’t the only one. However, as of 10:15 a.m. PT, the site appears to be back up and running normally. Reddit’s status monitoring page, RedditStatus.com, notes that «all systems (are) operational» after the brief outage.

But earlier, at 9:30 a.m. PT, RedditStatus.com said the company was «investigating elevated errors across reddit.com and native apps.» RedditStatus.com reported degraded site performance for both desktop web use and native mobile apps.

Earlier on Tuesday, the site-monitoring service DownDetector also reported issues at Reddit, providing additional details. At one point on Tuesday, DownDetector received over 100,000 reports that the site was having problems. At 10:25 am PT, the report numbers fell to under 600. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

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«Reddit is currently experiencing a significant internal outage causing widespread service disruptions,» the site said earlier Tuesday. «The impact is categorized as Very High, primarily affecting mobile app access (55%) and website connectivity (39%). While reports are heavily concentrated in major hubs like New York City and Chicago, the lack of ISP correlation suggests a broad, nationwide issue stemming from Reddit’s internal servers rather than external network providers.»

A representative for Reddit did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Another social media site, X, formerly Twitter, also showed problems on Tuesday, according to DownDetector. Those problems seemed to spike around 6:30 a.m. PT and improve after.

Technologies

This 3-in-1 Charger Is a Must-Have for Travelers, and It Just Hit a Record-Low of $95

Snag it for $45 off and charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time.

If you’re a frequent traveler, then you know that outlets are a precious commodity in places like airports and coffee shops. So why waste one on a single device when you can charge up to three at once? Right now, you can grab this seriously sleek Ugreen Magflow three-in-one foldable charger for just $95 at Amazon. That’s a $45 discount and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. Just don’t wait too long, as this deal could expire at any time.

At just 7.4 ounces, this compact charging station is designed to be taken on the go. But despite its size, it still supports 25-watt MagSafe charging for iPhones, as well as 5-watt wireless charging for AirPods and Apple Watches. The charging stand also tilts up to double as a stand, and it’s equipped with 16 magnets to keep your phone aligned and securely in place. Plus, it’s got built-in protections against overheating, overcharging, short-circuiting and more to prevent damage to your devices.

Why this deal matters

This folding Ugreen charger is great for juicing up your devices on the go, and it’s never been more affordable. Plus, Ugreen makes some of the best MagSafe chargers on the market right now, so don’t miss your chance to grab one at a record-low price.