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.
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.
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.
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.
Photograph: Chris Null
#Pool #Robot #Cleans #Pooland #Cleansshopping,review,reviews,robots,home,outdoors">This Pool Robot Cleans the Pool—and Then Cleans Itself
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.
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.
KVIFF 2026: 'Robert Richardson: The White Devil' Doc About the DP by Alex Billington July…
smart thermostats, one for the highest floor and another for the lower two. I asked to turn on the AC, which Gemini immediately did, but it didn’t ask me to specify which one and decided it was time for the upstairs AC to shine. It also defaulted to Eco mode, so I had to request that the thermostats be set to 75 degrees instead of the high 70s. Still, I was able to casually say “Can you set the temperature in the living room to 75, and upstairs too?” and it applied that to both smart thermostats.
Gemini Live is another way to converse with the Google Home Speaker (it’s only available on some older devices). You’ll tell the speaker “Hey Google, let’s talk,” and it’ll activate a conversational mode that will chat back and forth with you about any topics you bring up. I had a back-and-forth conversation with Gemini about my 3-year-old’s sleep schedule, how to treat sunburns on your scalp (you’ll never guess what I got this weekend), and asked about a summary of the previous night’s episode of Love Island (though Gemini didn’t have a recap yet of the episode that had premiered a few hours before).
Gemini also asked follow-up questions with each topic to keep the conversation going, but would change gears to whatever topic I introduced. It works as intended, but I’m not sure how useful it is in the home context—you’re more likely to use something like this on your smartphone. It’s just not my preferred way to learn or discuss new information, but audio learners might really like it.
I was excited to ask Gemini what it sees around the home via my Google security cameras, but the experience didn’t impress me as much as I hoped. Time and time again, I asked questions like whether the car was in the garage, and Gemini said that either it didn’t have access to that information or that I needed to upgrade my subscription tier to get the answer (you need Google Home Advanced).
Echo Chamber
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Google and Amazon made the same move at roughly the same time: a new small-sized smart speaker that promises the sound quality of larger speakers, retailing for $100. Smaller speakers like the previous Echo Dot models and the Google Home Mini have been popular because they can be placed anywhere, whether it’s on a crowded shelf or tucked into a corner of the kitchen, but they were also much cheaper.
smart thermostats, one for the highest floor and another for the lower two. I asked to turn on the AC, which Gemini immediately did, but it didn’t ask me to specify which one and decided it was time for the upstairs AC to shine. It also defaulted to Eco mode, so I had to request that the thermostats be set to 75 degrees instead of the high 70s. Still, I was able to casually say “Can you set the temperature in the living room to 75, and upstairs too?” and it applied that to both smart thermostats.
Gemini Live is another way to converse with the Google Home Speaker (it’s only available on some older devices). You’ll tell the speaker “Hey Google, let’s talk,” and it’ll activate a conversational mode that will chat back and forth with you about any topics you bring up. I had a back-and-forth conversation with Gemini about my 3-year-old’s sleep schedule, how to treat sunburns on your scalp (you’ll never guess what I got this weekend), and asked about a summary of the previous night’s episode of Love Island (though Gemini didn’t have a recap yet of the episode that had premiered a few hours before).
Gemini also asked follow-up questions with each topic to keep the conversation going, but would change gears to whatever topic I introduced. It works as intended, but I’m not sure how useful it is in the home context—you’re more likely to use something like this on your smartphone. It’s just not my preferred way to learn or discuss new information, but audio learners might really like it.
I was excited to ask Gemini what it sees around the home via my Google security cameras, but the experience didn’t impress me as much as I hoped. Time and time again, I asked questions like whether the car was in the garage, and Gemini said that either it didn’t have access to that information or that I needed to upgrade my subscription tier to get the answer (you need Google Home Advanced).
Echo Chamber
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Google and Amazon made the same move at roughly the same time: a new small-sized smart speaker that promises the sound quality of larger speakers, retailing for $100. Smaller speakers like the previous Echo Dot models and the Google Home Mini have been popular because they can be placed anywhere, whether it’s on a crowded shelf or tucked into a corner of the kitchen, but they were also much cheaper.
#Googles #Smart #Speaker #Takes #Leadgoogle,shopping,smart home,review,speakers,google gemini,smart speakers,reviews">Google’s New Smart Speaker Takes the Lead
Gemini did a pretty good job with more conversational commands, though you still need to be specific for some requests. For example, my three-story townhouse has two smart thermostats, one for the highest floor and another for the lower two. I asked to turn on the AC, which Gemini immediately did, but it didn’t ask me to specify which one and decided it was time for the upstairs AC to shine. It also defaulted to Eco mode, so I had to request that the thermostats be set to 75 degrees instead of the high 70s. Still, I was able to casually say “Can you set the temperature in the living room to 75, and upstairs too?” and it applied that to both smart thermostats.
Gemini Live is another way to converse with the Google Home Speaker (it’s only available on some older devices). You’ll tell the speaker “Hey Google, let’s talk,” and it’ll activate a conversational mode that will chat back and forth with you about any topics you bring up. I had a back-and-forth conversation with Gemini about my 3-year-old’s sleep schedule, how to treat sunburns on your scalp (you’ll never guess what I got this weekend), and asked about a summary of the previous night’s episode of Love Island (though Gemini didn’t have a recap yet of the episode that had premiered a few hours before).
Gemini also asked follow-up questions with each topic to keep the conversation going, but would change gears to whatever topic I introduced. It works as intended, but I’m not sure how useful it is in the home context—you’re more likely to use something like this on your smartphone. It’s just not my preferred way to learn or discuss new information, but audio learners might really like it.
I was excited to ask Gemini what it sees around the home via my Google security cameras, but the experience didn’t impress me as much as I hoped. Time and time again, I asked questions like whether the car was in the garage, and Gemini said that either it didn’t have access to that information or that I needed to upgrade my subscription tier to get the answer (you need Google Home Advanced).
Echo Chamber
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Google and Amazon made the same move at roughly the same time: a new small-sized smart speaker that promises the sound quality of larger speakers, retailing for $100. Smaller speakers like the previous Echo Dot models and the Google Home Mini have been popular because they can be placed anywhere, whether it’s on a crowded shelf or tucked into a corner of the kitchen, but they were also much cheaper.
Sound Off: Steven Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' - What Did You Think? by Alex Billington June…
range of accessories, but my favorite is the dual battery system. This $850 system isn’t cheap, but it adds another battery to the frame, which ups the range by another 40 miles. If you’re not taking this bike on long rides, it may not be worth the expense, but I appreciated the chance to maximize its range.
The rest of the accessory line focuses on storage. These include a cool in-frame rack, front and rear racks and boxes, and, for the beach bums, a very cool surfboard rack that mounts your board on the side of the bike.
Rough Ride
Photograph: Billy Brown
The H/T comes with five levels of pedal assist, but I mostly used the throttle, partly because I’m lazy and partly because the pedal-assist response could be wildly inconsistent. For levels 1 through 3, the pedal assist was smooth; it just felt like a little boost to my pedaling. On levels 4 and 5, however, the bike seemed to jerk forward every time I pressed down on the pedal. It felt more like my bike was leaping forward rather than assisting, to the point that I almost wobbled off the bike the first time I tried level 5. If you’re a chronic pedaler who’s looking for a more traditional cycling experience, this may not be the bike for you.
range of accessories, but my favorite is the dual battery system. This $850 system isn’t cheap, but it adds another battery to the frame, which ups the range by another 40 miles. If you’re not taking this bike on long rides, it may not be worth the expense, but I appreciated the chance to maximize its range.
The rest of the accessory line focuses on storage. These include a cool in-frame rack, front and rear racks and boxes, and, for the beach bums, a very cool surfboard rack that mounts your board on the side of the bike.
Rough Ride
Photograph: Billy Brown
The H/T comes with five levels of pedal assist, but I mostly used the throttle, partly because I’m lazy and partly because the pedal-assist response could be wildly inconsistent. For levels 1 through 3, the pedal assist was smooth; it just felt like a little boost to my pedaling. On levels 4 and 5, however, the bike seemed to jerk forward every time I pressed down on the pedal. It felt more like my bike was leaping forward rather than assisting, to the point that I almost wobbled off the bike the first time I tried level 5. If you’re a chronic pedaler who’s looking for a more traditional cycling experience, this may not be the bike for you.
#Finally #Ebike #Doesnt #Dorkyreviews,review,outdoors,bicycles,shopping,electric bikes,commuter bikes">I Finally Found an Ebike That Doesn’t Look Dorky
The handling at that top speed was excellent. Thanks to the comfortable upright position and frame geometry, cruising along at 28 miles per hour felt smooth and comfortable. Turning at speed and quickly adjusting to avoid a pothole was also easy and smooth, even when I was gunning the throttle. The thrill of riding fast on the H/T comes from the exhilaration of speed, not the fear of losing control.
I appreciate that there’s no app to go along with the H/T. It makes hopping on the bike and going for a ride feel much more natural than it does with the app-controlled bikes I’ve tested. The handlebar-mounted screen is also very intuitive and easy to use, and it has a personal passcode for added security. There’s also a USB-C charging port if you decide to get a handlebar mount for your phone. The bike has a front daytime running light that automatically brightens when the sun goes down, two front and rear turn signal lights, and a brake light. The front and rear hydraulic disc brakes are responsive and have excellent stopping power.
Add Ons
It’s easy to customize the bike and add utility. Pedal offers a range of accessories, but my favorite is the dual battery system. This $850 system isn’t cheap, but it adds another battery to the frame, which ups the range by another 40 miles. If you’re not taking this bike on long rides, it may not be worth the expense, but I appreciated the chance to maximize its range.
The rest of the accessory line focuses on storage. These include a cool in-frame rack, front and rear racks and boxes, and, for the beach bums, a very cool surfboard rack that mounts your board on the side of the bike.
Rough Ride
Photograph: Billy Brown
The H/T comes with five levels of pedal assist, but I mostly used the throttle, partly because I’m lazy and partly because the pedal-assist response could be wildly inconsistent. For levels 1 through 3, the pedal assist was smooth; it just felt like a little boost to my pedaling. On levels 4 and 5, however, the bike seemed to jerk forward every time I pressed down on the pedal. It felt more like my bike was leaping forward rather than assisting, to the point that I almost wobbled off the bike the first time I tried level 5. If you’re a chronic pedaler who’s looking for a more traditional cycling experience, this may not be the bike for you.
