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Bluesky leans into AI with Attie, an app for building custom feeds | TechCrunch

Bluesky leans into AI with Attie, an app for building custom feeds | TechCrunch

The team from Bluesky has built another app — and this time, it’s not a social network, but an AI assistant that allows you to design your own algorithm, create custom feeds, and, one day, vibe-code your own app.

At the Atmosphere conference over the weekend, Bluesky’s former CEO, Jay Graber, now chief innovation officer, and Bluesky CTO Paul Frazee, presented the AI app, called Attie, for the first time. Conference attendees will become the initial beta testers for the new experience, which leverages Anthropic’s Claude under the hood to create an agentic social app built on Bluesky’s underlying protocol, the AT Protocol (or atproto for short).

“It’s a new product — it’s not a part of the Bluesky app,” explains interim CEO Toni Schneider in an interview. (In addition to his CEO role, Schneider is a partner at Bluesky backer True Ventures.) “We’ve launched a lot of things inside Bluesky — Starter Packs and custom feeds, and all those kinds of things. This is a standalone product, and it’s the first one that’s built by Jay’s new team.”

ScreenshotImage Credits:Attie from Bluesky

With Attie, anyone will be able to build their own custom feed just by typing in commands in natural language, the same as if they’re chatting with any other AI chatbot. To use the app, people will sign in with their Atmosphere login (meaning their login for any app that runs on atproto, which includes Bluesky). Attie will immediately understand what you’ve been talking about, what sort of things you like, and more, because Bluesky and the wider ecosystem are open systems that share data across apps.

You can ask Attie questions, like what posts you might like to see or repost, and you can use the app to curate your own custom feed, personalized to you.

“You control it, you shape it, without having to write code or know how to set up these feeds,” Schneider says. “It’s the beginning of just having a lot more people be able to build on top of the Atmosphere.”

Plus, he adds, “It is an AI product, but it’s an AI product that’s very people-focused … We think AI is a very powerful technology, but we want to make sure that we use it to build things that really benefit people.”

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At launch, Attie can be used to build and view these feeds, which will later become available to you within Bluesky or any other atproto app. Over time, the plan is to allow Attie’s users to vibe-code their own social apps as well as build tools for other people.

ScreenshotImage Credits:Attie from Bluesky

Schneider says that Graber and her team began working on the app a few months ago, which was around the same time she decided to return to building, instead of running the company.

“I think she realized that there was so much more that she wanted to build, and just doing the CEO job kept her busy, and she felt like she wanted more time,” Schneider tells TechCrunch. “As she spent more time, [and] got freed up, I think it became clear that this is her happy place. She’s an amazing leader and visionary, and we want her building more things and not worrying about operating the company,” he says.

Graber says today, AI is being used by the major platforms to serve themselves, not their users, by trying to increase people’s time spent in their apps, harvesting data, and controlling their algorithms.

“We think AI should serve people, not platforms,” Graber said in her announcement of Attie. “An open protocol puts this power directly in users’ hands. You can use it to build your own feeds, create software that works the way you want it to, and find signal in the noise.”

Graber’s decision to once again focus on protocol and product was followed by the company’s announcement that it now has $100 million in additional funding from a round that closed last year. The team hopes that news serves as a signal to the wider community that Bluesky will continue to be around.

“It means we have three-plus years of runway, which is great. That means stability and security for the rest of the ecosystem,” Schneider tells TechCrunch. It also means that Bluesky’s team has time to tackle the bigger challenges ahead, which include adding privacy controls to the protocol and finding a way to monetize the social network of 43.4 million users.

One thing that Schneider assures us is not in the works, however, is any crypto integration — despite the financial backing from multiple crypto investors. That’s something that had worried some Bluesky users, who feared the app would be filled with crypto scams or become a payment tool.

“It’s the kind of investors who were attracted to crypto because of its decentralization, and they were investing in things built on the blockchain that were super decentralized,” Schneider says of Bluesky’s backers in the crypto space. “This is decentralized social, so it fits those who are invested to believe in the platform and the ecosystem opportunity.”

Instead, the company may experiment with other means of monetization. The team hasn’t yet decided if Attie will ultimately require a fee, as it’s only a private beta for the time being. Other ideas being batted around include subscriptions and hosting services for those who want to host their own communities on the protocol.

Schneider, the former CEO of Automattic, the home of publishing platform WordPress.com, sees the potential for the Atmosphere as being similar to WordPress in this way.

“At the center of [the Atmosphere] is a completely open system, so anybody can participate,” he says. “You can have all of these independent, decentralized pieces that work together. With WordPress, that turned into a huge ecosystem with billions of dollars — over $10 billion a year, now — flowing through it.”

Schneider continues, “So it’s gotten very big, even though it’s completely decentralized. And this is what we’re hoping for, for the Atmosphere to have that similar ability for lots of these apps and services to coexist and work together and build an ecosystem.”

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#Bluesky #leans #Attie #app #building #custom #feeds #TechCrunch


Johannes Heidecke, the Head of Safety Systems at OpenAI, is leaving. I know what you’re thinking: Hey, didn’t the head of safety at OpenAI just leave?

In fact, it feels like a head of safety at OpenAI is pretty much always leaving. Working in safety leadership—loosely defined—at OpenAI is a little like working as a drummer in the band Spinal Tap; lots of turnover. I’m not the world’s premier OpenAI Kremlinologist, so I might be missing some details and nuance, but here’s my basic timeline:

According to Wired, those previously reporting to Heidecke’s safety teams will be led by Mia Glaese, who is a VP, and also the head of alignment. However, there does seem to be an other replacement for Heidecke, according to Wired. Saachi Jain, former leader of safety teams, will now be an “interim head of safety systems” under Glaese.

What exactly keeps happening inside OpenAI’s offices is anyone’s guess, but OpenAI research chief Mark Chen did at least give Wired a hint, saying, “The demands on safety continue to increase—we are training models at a much faster cadence, and release cycles have come down greatly in turn,” and added, “As a result, we have bigger coordination challenges around safety today than ever before.”

The generous reading is that this is still an immature industry. The points along the chain where safety considerations are needed genuinely may keep jumping around as OpenAI figures out how best to build its products. Perhaps today’s sensible safety test procedure is tomorrow’s unnecessary bottleneck.

And there’s no actual direct evidence for a less generous reading of Heidecke’s departure—for instance, one in which any such consideration is a post-hoc rationalization for a pruning of safety procedures in service of faster product rollouts.

#Safety #Leader #OpenAI #Leftai alignment,AI safety,OpenAI">Yet Another Safety Leader at OpenAI Has Left
                Johannes Heidecke, the Head of Safety Systems at OpenAI, is leaving. I know what you’re thinking: Hey, didn’t the head of safety at OpenAI just leave? In fact, it feels like a head of safety at OpenAI is pretty much always leaving. Working in safety leadership—loosely defined—at OpenAI is a little like working as a drummer in the band Spinal Tap; lots of turnover. I’m not the world’s premier OpenAI Kremlinologist, so I might be missing some details and nuance, but here’s my basic timeline:  According to Wired, those previously reporting to Heidecke’s safety teams will be led by Mia Glaese, who is a VP, and also the head of alignment. However, there does seem to be an other replacement for Heidecke, according to Wired. Saachi Jain, former leader of safety teams, will now be an “interim head of safety systems” under Glaese. What exactly keeps happening inside OpenAI’s offices is anyone’s guess, but OpenAI research chief Mark Chen did at least give Wired a hint, saying, “The demands on safety continue to increase—we are training models at a much faster cadence, and release cycles have come down greatly in turn,” and added, “As a result, we have bigger coordination challenges around safety today than ever before.”

 The generous reading is that this is still an immature industry. The points along the chain where safety considerations are needed genuinely may keep jumping around as OpenAI figures out how best to build its products. Perhaps today’s sensible safety test procedure is tomorrow’s unnecessary bottleneck.

 And there’s no actual direct evidence for a less generous reading of Heidecke’s departure—for instance, one in which any such consideration is a post-hoc rationalization for a pruning of safety procedures in service of faster product rollouts.      #Safety #Leader #OpenAI #Leftai alignment,AI safety,OpenAI

working as a drummer in the band Spinal Tap; lots of turnover. I’m not the world’s premier OpenAI Kremlinologist, so I might be missing some details and nuance, but here’s my basic timeline:

According to Wired, those previously reporting to Heidecke’s safety teams will be led by Mia Glaese, who is a VP, and also the head of alignment. However, there does seem to be an other replacement for Heidecke, according to Wired. Saachi Jain, former leader of safety teams, will now be an “interim head of safety systems” under Glaese.

What exactly keeps happening inside OpenAI’s offices is anyone’s guess, but OpenAI research chief Mark Chen did at least give Wired a hint, saying, “The demands on safety continue to increase—we are training models at a much faster cadence, and release cycles have come down greatly in turn,” and added, “As a result, we have bigger coordination challenges around safety today than ever before.”

The generous reading is that this is still an immature industry. The points along the chain where safety considerations are needed genuinely may keep jumping around as OpenAI figures out how best to build its products. Perhaps today’s sensible safety test procedure is tomorrow’s unnecessary bottleneck.

And there’s no actual direct evidence for a less generous reading of Heidecke’s departure—for instance, one in which any such consideration is a post-hoc rationalization for a pruning of safety procedures in service of faster product rollouts.

#Safety #Leader #OpenAI #Leftai alignment,AI safety,OpenAI">Yet Another Safety Leader at OpenAI Has LeftYet Another Safety Leader at OpenAI Has Left
                Johannes Heidecke, the Head of Safety Systems at OpenAI, is leaving. I know what you’re thinking: Hey, didn’t the head of safety at OpenAI just leave? In fact, it feels like a head of safety at OpenAI is pretty much always leaving. Working in safety leadership—loosely defined—at OpenAI is a little like working as a drummer in the band Spinal Tap; lots of turnover. I’m not the world’s premier OpenAI Kremlinologist, so I might be missing some details and nuance, but here’s my basic timeline:  According to Wired, those previously reporting to Heidecke’s safety teams will be led by Mia Glaese, who is a VP, and also the head of alignment. However, there does seem to be an other replacement for Heidecke, according to Wired. Saachi Jain, former leader of safety teams, will now be an “interim head of safety systems” under Glaese. What exactly keeps happening inside OpenAI’s offices is anyone’s guess, but OpenAI research chief Mark Chen did at least give Wired a hint, saying, “The demands on safety continue to increase—we are training models at a much faster cadence, and release cycles have come down greatly in turn,” and added, “As a result, we have bigger coordination challenges around safety today than ever before.”

 The generous reading is that this is still an immature industry. The points along the chain where safety considerations are needed genuinely may keep jumping around as OpenAI figures out how best to build its products. Perhaps today’s sensible safety test procedure is tomorrow’s unnecessary bottleneck.

 And there’s no actual direct evidence for a less generous reading of Heidecke’s departure—for instance, one in which any such consideration is a post-hoc rationalization for a pruning of safety procedures in service of faster product rollouts.      #Safety #Leader #OpenAI #Leftai alignment,AI safety,OpenAI

Johannes Heidecke, the Head of Safety Systems at OpenAI, is leaving. I know what you’re thinking: Hey, didn’t the head of safety at OpenAI just leave?

In fact, it feels like a head of safety at OpenAI is pretty much always leaving. Working in safety leadership—loosely defined—at OpenAI is a little like working as a drummer in the band Spinal Tap; lots of turnover. I’m not the world’s premier OpenAI Kremlinologist, so I might be missing some details and nuance, but here’s my basic timeline:

According to Wired, those previously reporting to Heidecke’s safety teams will be led by Mia Glaese, who is a VP, and also the head of alignment. However, there does seem to be an other replacement for Heidecke, according to Wired. Saachi Jain, former leader of safety teams, will now be an “interim head of safety systems” under Glaese.

What exactly keeps happening inside OpenAI’s offices is anyone’s guess, but OpenAI research chief Mark Chen did at least give Wired a hint, saying, “The demands on safety continue to increase—we are training models at a much faster cadence, and release cycles have come down greatly in turn,” and added, “As a result, we have bigger coordination challenges around safety today than ever before.”

The generous reading is that this is still an immature industry. The points along the chain where safety considerations are needed genuinely may keep jumping around as OpenAI figures out how best to build its products. Perhaps today’s sensible safety test procedure is tomorrow’s unnecessary bottleneck.

And there’s no actual direct evidence for a less generous reading of Heidecke’s departure—for instance, one in which any such consideration is a post-hoc rationalization for a pruning of safety procedures in service of faster product rollouts.

#Safety #Leader #OpenAI #Leftai alignment,AI safety,OpenAI

Image may contain Adapter Electronics Escooter Transportation and Vehicle

Photograph: Chris Null

Naturally, the AstroRinse also needs a power supply, so if you don’t have a standard electrical outlet near your hose spigot, you’ll need another extension cord solution here. The unit must be level to run properly, and it features adjustable feet and a built-in spirit level to help you achieve that.

All told, you’ll need to carefully consider where you’re going to place the AstroRinse, ensuring you have access to water, power, and drainage—and that the location isn’t too far from the pool. Since the AquaSense X robot itself weighs 29 pounds (and more when freshly pulled from the water), you probably don’t want to haul the thing halfway across the yard to clean and charge it. Unfortunately, given the availability of the above three services in my backyard, that’s exactly what I had to do.

A Familiar Friend in the Water

The Beatbot AquaSense X robot is nearly identical in appearance to the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra except for some changes to the basket design (which is a single piece here instead of two). Setting it up is far simpler than the AstroRinse.

Physical configuration involves installing two side brushes—these are used only by the skimmer function—but this is a fairly quick affair. Once the brushes are attached, the robot must be set on top of the AstroRinse cleaner so the two devices can be wirelessly paired together. (The quick start guide lays out the particular button presses you must do to complete this process; don’t lose it.) Lastly, the system must then be paired to the Beatbot mobile app; you’ll need Bluetooth and a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection to complete this task. One tiny hiccup I encountered: After completing all this work, both devices downloaded firmware updates, which promptly broke their pairing connection. It was easy to reestablish, however, by simply repeating the pairing process.

Video: Chris Null

After a full charge, I put the cleaner through its paces in the pool on both the floor and the surface, and as expected, I saw no real difference in performance against the AquaSense 2 Ultra. During floor testing with both organic and synthetic debris, the device picked up an average of 97 percent of the test material, doing exceptionally well on steps and platforms. On the surface, the unit was predictably middling to awful, collecting less than half of floating debris and sinking most of the rest. The unit is just too slow to collect much material on the surface, even though its spinning side brushes help, to a small extent, to pull leaves into its maw.

On the floor of the pool, maximum running time is about 41/2 hours, courtesy of a 13,400 mAh battery—the same as the battery on the AquaSense 2 Ultra.

Image may contain Electronics Mobile Phone Phone and Text

ScreenshotBeatbot app via Chris Null

As with other AquaSense robots, a bevy of operating modes are available in the Beatbot app, letting you choose from dozens of potential combinations of floor, wall, waterline, and surface cleaning, each with up to two runs per zone and with various running times. An AI Quick Mode activates the onboard camera to allow the robot to actively search for debris instead of encountering it randomly; it’s good for a quick clean when there’s not much to pick up but more than you can easily fetch with a net.

Again, not much of this is any different from how the AquaSense 2 Ultra behaves, and aside from the poor surface performance, it works outstandingly well.

Charging and Cleaning

On to the main event: cleanup. After each run, the AquaSense X parked itself at the waterline to await retrieval, and I dutifully lugged it across the pool deck to where I had the AstroRinse station set up. While it can take a little trial and error to get the robot seated in just the right spot, once you do, the cleaning system kicks in automatically within a few seconds.

Video: Chris Null

As the rinsing system starts up, the top-mounted arm swings into place and connects with the mouth the robot uses for surface skimming. Then, a high-pressure stream of water (sounding quite loud) begins blasting from the arm and into the filter basket, which is positioned directly below this opening. The water spray runs uninterrupted for three minutes before the arm swings back and the system shuts off. (A quick mode, which runs for one minute, can also be selected in the app.) After that, the arm retracts and the unit is done. Debris is captured in a net-covered basket built into the base of the cleaning station. Any remaining water drains out through a mesh screen at the very bottom of the unit.

Image may contain Car Transportation and Vehicle

Photograph: Chris Null

#Pool #Robot #Cleans #Pooland #Cleansshopping,review,reviews,robots,home,outdoors">This Pool Robot Cleans the Pool—and Then Cleans ItselfPhotograph: Chris NullNaturally, the AstroRinse also needs a power supply, so if you don’t have a standard electrical outlet near your hose spigot, you’ll need another extension cord solution here. The unit must be level to run properly, and it features adjustable feet and a built-in spirit level to help you achieve that.All told, you’ll need to carefully consider where you’re going to place the AstroRinse, ensuring you have access to water, power, and drainage—and that the location isn’t too far from the pool. Since the AquaSense X robot itself weighs 29 pounds (and more when freshly pulled from the water), you probably don’t want to haul the thing halfway across the yard to clean and charge it. Unfortunately, given the availability of the above three services in my backyard, that’s exactly what I had to do.A Familiar Friend in the WaterThe Beatbot AquaSense X robot is nearly identical in appearance to the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra except for some changes to the basket design (which is a single piece here instead of two). Setting it up is far simpler than the AstroRinse.Physical configuration involves installing two side brushes—these are used only by the skimmer function—but this is a fairly quick affair. Once the brushes are attached, the robot must be set on top of the AstroRinse cleaner so the two devices can be wirelessly paired together. (The quick start guide lays out the particular button presses you must do to complete this process; don’t lose it.) Lastly, the system must then be paired to the Beatbot mobile app; you’ll need Bluetooth and a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection to complete this task. One tiny hiccup I encountered: After completing all this work, both devices downloaded firmware updates, which promptly broke their pairing connection. It was easy to reestablish, however, by simply repeating the pairing process.Video: Chris NullAfter a full charge, I put the cleaner through its paces in the pool on both the floor and the surface, and as expected, I saw no real difference in performance against the AquaSense 2 Ultra. During floor testing with both organic and synthetic debris, the device picked up an average of 97 percent of the test material, doing exceptionally well on steps and platforms. On the surface, the unit was predictably middling to awful, collecting less than half of floating debris and sinking most of the rest. The unit is just too slow to collect much material on the surface, even though its spinning side brushes help, to a small extent, to pull leaves into its maw.On the floor of the pool, maximum running time is about 41/2 hours, courtesy of a 13,400 mAh battery—the same as the battery on the AquaSense 2 Ultra.ScreenshotBeatbot app via Chris NullAs with other AquaSense robots, a bevy of operating modes are available in the Beatbot app, letting you choose from dozens of potential combinations of floor, wall, waterline, and surface cleaning, each with up to two runs per zone and with various running times. An AI Quick Mode activates the onboard camera to allow the robot to actively search for debris instead of encountering it randomly; it’s good for a quick clean when there’s not much to pick up but more than you can easily fetch with a net.Again, not much of this is any different from how the AquaSense 2 Ultra behaves, and aside from the poor surface performance, it works outstandingly well.Charging and CleaningOn to the main event: cleanup. After each run, the AquaSense X parked itself at the waterline to await retrieval, and I dutifully lugged it across the pool deck to where I had the AstroRinse station set up. While it can take a little trial and error to get the robot seated in just the right spot, once you do, the cleaning system kicks in automatically within a few seconds.Video: Chris NullAs the rinsing system starts up, the top-mounted arm swings into place and connects with the mouth the robot uses for surface skimming. Then, a high-pressure stream of water (sounding quite loud) begins blasting from the arm and into the filter basket, which is positioned directly below this opening. The water spray runs uninterrupted for three minutes before the arm swings back and the system shuts off. (A quick mode, which runs for one minute, can also be selected in the app.) After that, the arm retracts and the unit is done. Debris is captured in a net-covered basket built into the base of the cleaning station. Any remaining water drains out through a mesh screen at the very bottom of the unit.Photograph: Chris Null#Pool #Robot #Cleans #Pooland #Cleansshopping,review,reviews,robots,home,outdoors

Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra except for some changes to the basket design (which is a single piece here instead of two). Setting it up is far simpler than the AstroRinse.

Physical configuration involves installing two side brushes—these are used only by the skimmer function—but this is a fairly quick affair. Once the brushes are attached, the robot must be set on top of the AstroRinse cleaner so the two devices can be wirelessly paired together. (The quick start guide lays out the particular button presses you must do to complete this process; don’t lose it.) Lastly, the system must then be paired to the Beatbot mobile app; you’ll need Bluetooth and a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection to complete this task. One tiny hiccup I encountered: After completing all this work, both devices downloaded firmware updates, which promptly broke their pairing connection. It was easy to reestablish, however, by simply repeating the pairing process.

Video: Chris Null

After a full charge, I put the cleaner through its paces in the pool on both the floor and the surface, and as expected, I saw no real difference in performance against the AquaSense 2 Ultra. During floor testing with both organic and synthetic debris, the device picked up an average of 97 percent of the test material, doing exceptionally well on steps and platforms. On the surface, the unit was predictably middling to awful, collecting less than half of floating debris and sinking most of the rest. The unit is just too slow to collect much material on the surface, even though its spinning side brushes help, to a small extent, to pull leaves into its maw.

On the floor of the pool, maximum running time is about 41/2 hours, courtesy of a 13,400 mAh battery—the same as the battery on the AquaSense 2 Ultra.

Image may contain Electronics Mobile Phone Phone and Text

ScreenshotBeatbot app via Chris Null

As with other AquaSense robots, a bevy of operating modes are available in the Beatbot app, letting you choose from dozens of potential combinations of floor, wall, waterline, and surface cleaning, each with up to two runs per zone and with various running times. An AI Quick Mode activates the onboard camera to allow the robot to actively search for debris instead of encountering it randomly; it’s good for a quick clean when there’s not much to pick up but more than you can easily fetch with a net.

Again, not much of this is any different from how the AquaSense 2 Ultra behaves, and aside from the poor surface performance, it works outstandingly well.

Charging and Cleaning

On to the main event: cleanup. After each run, the AquaSense X parked itself at the waterline to await retrieval, and I dutifully lugged it across the pool deck to where I had the AstroRinse station set up. While it can take a little trial and error to get the robot seated in just the right spot, once you do, the cleaning system kicks in automatically within a few seconds.

Video: Chris Null

As the rinsing system starts up, the top-mounted arm swings into place and connects with the mouth the robot uses for surface skimming. Then, a high-pressure stream of water (sounding quite loud) begins blasting from the arm and into the filter basket, which is positioned directly below this opening. The water spray runs uninterrupted for three minutes before the arm swings back and the system shuts off. (A quick mode, which runs for one minute, can also be selected in the app.) After that, the arm retracts and the unit is done. Debris is captured in a net-covered basket built into the base of the cleaning station. Any remaining water drains out through a mesh screen at the very bottom of the unit.

Image may contain Car Transportation and Vehicle

Photograph: Chris Null

#Pool #Robot #Cleans #Pooland #Cleansshopping,review,reviews,robots,home,outdoors">This Pool Robot Cleans the Pool—and Then Cleans Itself
Image may contain Adapter Electronics Escooter Transportation and Vehicle

Photograph: Chris Null

Naturally, the AstroRinse also needs a power supply, so if you don’t have a standard electrical outlet near your hose spigot, you’ll need another extension cord solution here. The unit must be level to run properly, and it features adjustable feet and a built-in spirit level to help you achieve that.

All told, you’ll need to carefully consider where you’re going to place the AstroRinse, ensuring you have access to water, power, and drainage—and that the location isn’t too far from the pool. Since the AquaSense X robot itself weighs 29 pounds (and more when freshly pulled from the water), you probably don’t want to haul the thing halfway across the yard to clean and charge it. Unfortunately, given the availability of the above three services in my backyard, that’s exactly what I had to do.

A Familiar Friend in the Water

The Beatbot AquaSense X robot is nearly identical in appearance to the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra except for some changes to the basket design (which is a single piece here instead of two). Setting it up is far simpler than the AstroRinse.

Physical configuration involves installing two side brushes—these are used only by the skimmer function—but this is a fairly quick affair. Once the brushes are attached, the robot must be set on top of the AstroRinse cleaner so the two devices can be wirelessly paired together. (The quick start guide lays out the particular button presses you must do to complete this process; don’t lose it.) Lastly, the system must then be paired to the Beatbot mobile app; you’ll need Bluetooth and a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection to complete this task. One tiny hiccup I encountered: After completing all this work, both devices downloaded firmware updates, which promptly broke their pairing connection. It was easy to reestablish, however, by simply repeating the pairing process.

Video: Chris Null

After a full charge, I put the cleaner through its paces in the pool on both the floor and the surface, and as expected, I saw no real difference in performance against the AquaSense 2 Ultra. During floor testing with both organic and synthetic debris, the device picked up an average of 97 percent of the test material, doing exceptionally well on steps and platforms. On the surface, the unit was predictably middling to awful, collecting less than half of floating debris and sinking most of the rest. The unit is just too slow to collect much material on the surface, even though its spinning side brushes help, to a small extent, to pull leaves into its maw.

On the floor of the pool, maximum running time is about 41/2 hours, courtesy of a 13,400 mAh battery—the same as the battery on the AquaSense 2 Ultra.

Image may contain Electronics Mobile Phone Phone and Text

ScreenshotBeatbot app via Chris Null

As with other AquaSense robots, a bevy of operating modes are available in the Beatbot app, letting you choose from dozens of potential combinations of floor, wall, waterline, and surface cleaning, each with up to two runs per zone and with various running times. An AI Quick Mode activates the onboard camera to allow the robot to actively search for debris instead of encountering it randomly; it’s good for a quick clean when there’s not much to pick up but more than you can easily fetch with a net.

Again, not much of this is any different from how the AquaSense 2 Ultra behaves, and aside from the poor surface performance, it works outstandingly well.

Charging and Cleaning

On to the main event: cleanup. After each run, the AquaSense X parked itself at the waterline to await retrieval, and I dutifully lugged it across the pool deck to where I had the AstroRinse station set up. While it can take a little trial and error to get the robot seated in just the right spot, once you do, the cleaning system kicks in automatically within a few seconds.

Video: Chris Null

As the rinsing system starts up, the top-mounted arm swings into place and connects with the mouth the robot uses for surface skimming. Then, a high-pressure stream of water (sounding quite loud) begins blasting from the arm and into the filter basket, which is positioned directly below this opening. The water spray runs uninterrupted for three minutes before the arm swings back and the system shuts off. (A quick mode, which runs for one minute, can also be selected in the app.) After that, the arm retracts and the unit is done. Debris is captured in a net-covered basket built into the base of the cleaning station. Any remaining water drains out through a mesh screen at the very bottom of the unit.

Image may contain Car Transportation and Vehicle

Photograph: Chris Null

#Pool #Robot #Cleans #Pooland #Cleansshopping,review,reviews,robots,home,outdoors

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