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Policymakers in California embrace a proven but unorthodox treatment for meth and cocaine addiction: Give people gift cards to stay off the drugs.

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If you've been tempted by something on our best Android phones list and are looking to upgrade your current model, then you may want to do a trade-in to save some money – and it looks as though Google has plans to make that process easier.

As spotted by Android Authority, edits being made in the main Android codebase suggest technicians who are checking that a phone works will be able to put it into a special 'evaluation mode', and run tests from there.

For safety and security reasons, it's recommended that Android phones are factory reset before they're traded in. That means the person testing them has to go through the normal Android setup process to take a look at them – for every single phone.

This new mode, once it's enabled, would bypass that and mean a phone could be evaluated in a quicker time – and that in turn would mean you'd get a faster decision on the trade-in value of your smartphone when you upgraded.

The Android Debug Bridge

Android 15 is ready to roll (Image credit: Shutterstock / Mojahid Mottakin)

These changes won't actually show up for users at all – Android will still look exactly the same. What will change are the options available in the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a comprehensive software tool used by developers and technicians.

Once connected to the ADB, that's when the new ability to skip the setup process will come into play. This isn't something you're going to be able to test yourself, unless you go to the trouble of installing the debugging software on Windows or macOS.

We're expecting the finished version of Android 15 to start making its way to Pixel phones including the Google Pixel 9 at some point this month, with Samsung Galaxy devices expected to be upgraded early next year.

Beyond that, we've already started hearing rumors about what Android 16 might bring with it. However, it's not clear if this trade-in update for Android will be associated with a major release, or get pushed out separately.

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There are plans to open the world's first permanent museum for AI art next year. Dataland, which is the brainchild of new media artist Refik Anadol, will be a 20,000 square-foot space that sits alongside galleries such as MOCA in the famed Frank Gehry-designed Grand L.A development, a culture hotspot in Los Angeles, California.

Anadol describes Dataland, which will host digital artworks and installations expressed through its own Large Nature Model (LNM), as a place "where human imagination meets the creative potential of machines".

Refik Anadol Studio's Large Nature Model is the world's first open source AI model based solely on nature data. The model is trained on data secured by permission from partners, including millions of specimens, objects, images and sounds from the Smithsonian, London’s Natural History Museum and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in addition to another half a billion images of nature.

The resulting multi-dimensional data visualization installations are mesmerizing and immersive, a "living museum made of pixels and voxels". You can see an example below.

Not only is the Large Nature Model's data ethically collected (as opposed to scraping data without permission, which is the approach of many AI image generators), but it is run on Google servers in Oregon that only use renewable energy, leading Anadol to label his model 'ethical AI'.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Anadol says, “We are blending Gehry’s building with AI’s infrastructure and technology, and this never-seen-before art form”. He also explains that he is still working out what to call this new art form. It's "not AR, not VR, not XR... the best name so far, and people love it, is generative reality.”

So is GR the future of art?

A post shared by DATALAND.ART (@datalandmuseum)

A photo posted by on

Is co-creating with AI the future of art?

For at least two years there has a been a tidal wave of AI-generated images hitting the mainstream photography world. An AI-generated image tricked judges to win a photo contest, and I spoke with award winning artists and photo contest organizers who had mixed feelings about AI in the art world. Some feel the rise of AI, especially in the arts, equates to the demise of what makes us human, while others are open minded about AI's role in creativity.

Anadol is more than open minded. He embraces AI, describing its role in art to the Los Angeles Times as a "co-creator and co-being".

His fascinating artwork isn't just the result of a few word prompts into a generator, created using anyone's data without their knowledge. Data is ethically sourced from partners and painstakingly labeled. In one example Anadol says they have 75 million flowers, which took a year to label, all of which are available for other artists and researchers to use too.

The Dataland team also personally collects data from unique locations around the world, such as rainforests, using various technologies including LiDAR, photogrammetry, ambisonic audio, high-resolution images and even scents.

Anadol's practice makes for a compelling antidote to the all-too-often sinister and unethical use of AI in art. It's a multi-sensory art form with the power to educate that some fans are even labeling a 'movement'.

I'm relatively open minded about AI in art, though I prefer to celebrate human creativity, but I haven't embraced AI and its presence in my daily life with the same passion as Anadol. However, his concepts have opened my mind to the positive ways AI can be used for creative purposes, and I'm super keen to check out Dataland, whenever it opens next year.

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• “We do not view AI-generated images as photographs” – photo contest experts talk AI, and the steps they're taking to spot fake photos
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Plus: Harvard students pack Meta’s smart glasses with privacy-invading face-recognition tech, Microsoft and the DOJ seize Russian hackers’ domains, and more.

In 1996, Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Los Angeles prosecutors said this week they are taking another look at the case.

(Image credit: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Snag this sleek and magnetic Baseus portable charger for just $20 during Walmart's Holiday Deals event.

The official launch of Parallels Desktop 20 has introduced a number of advanced AI capabilities to the virtualization platform.

Offering compatibility across macOS Sequoia and Windows 11 24H2, Parallels Desktop 20 brings enhanced performance for users working on macOS, Windows, and Linux environments.

The latest edition introduces secure, downloadable AI-ready virtual machines (VMs), making AI development easier and more efficient. Notably, Parallels Desktop 20 is the only virtualization software authorized by Microsoft to run Windows on Apple silicon, meaning developers have flexibility and choice across various platforms.

AI-Powered virtual machines for offline use

Parallels Desktop 20 introduces a new AI Package offering a virtual machine pre-loaded with 14 AI development toolsets, including sample code and instructions, aimed at streamlining AI application development.

With a single click, users can download the virtual machine pre-configured for AI development, including support for running small language models inside the VM. This tool also allows users to customize resources and further lock down the working environment by disabling network access.

Parallels Desktop 20 is fully compatible with macOS Sequoia, Apple's latest operating system, and users can take advantage of macOS Sequoia's new AI-powered writing tools while working with Windows apps within the virtual environment. Another useful feature is the ability to sign in to Apple ID directly within macOS virtual machines running on Apple silicon.

(Image credit: Parallels)

On the Windows side, the company claims Parallels Desktop 20 brings up to an 80% boost in performance for some workloads due to the improvements made in the Prism emulator, which is built into Windows 11 on Arm.

Parallels Desktop 20 also introduces a new shared folder technology, which enhances compatibility and performance when running applications on various platforms. The update boosts performance with apps like Mathematica and NinjaTrader. Parallels claim that for some operations on Mac files in Linux VMs, the speeds are now four times faster.

There is also an Enterprise Edition of the new Desktop 20 which brings a new Management Portal that allows enterprises to monitor and manage virtual machines while providing advanced security policies. The Enterprise Edition also has enhanced licensing options, including support for Single Sign-On (SSO) and volume licensing.

This software has achieved SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, a critical security standard. It undergoes regular third-party penetration testing to ensure that it remains secure and resilient against cyber threats. For IT professionals and developers, Parallels Desktop 20 brings upgrades such as Enhanced DevOps services allowing developers to build software in Windows, macOS, and Linux VMs.

The new update also brings enhancements to the Visual Studio Code Extension, which now integrates with Microsoft Copilot to allow users to control virtual machines through natural language commands. In addition, the Snapshots feature and OCR-powered Packer for macOS VMs on Apple silicon have been upgraded.

The Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac is available for purchase or upgrade through the Parallels website and authorized resellers. The software is offered in Standard, Pro, and Business editions, with the Parallels AI Package included at no additional cost in the Pro, Business, and Enterprise editions in 2024.

“As PCs become more AI-capable, we believe AI will soon be standard on every desktop. This shift challenges developers to update their applications to fully leverage AI-enabled PCs,” said Prashant Ketkar, CTO at Parallels.

“That’s why we created the Parallels AI Package: to equip development teams—whether experts or beginners—with accessible AI models and code suggestions. This enables ISVs to build AI-enabled applications in minutes, significantly boosting productivity for every software development team using a Mac."

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The October 7th Hamas-led attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza has changed the course of geopolitics and will have far reaching consequences for the world. The events have also upended the lives of countless individuals. Our team of reporters in the region bring us stories of lives changed in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

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This week Amazon's early Prime-exclusive sale gave us some great deals, the Oura Ring 4 was announced, and Sonos said its app is almost fixed.

In case you missed these or any of the other biggest tech news stories of the week we've gathered the eight most important ones here so you can get up to speed.

Once that's done you might want to catch up on the new Mac computers Apple is likely gearing up to announce later this month, and you'll want to check out our picks for the seven new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend.

8. Voting for the TechRadar Choice Awards 2024 opened

(Image credit: Future)

The TechRadar awards are back for 2024, and this year you can help decide the winner in a record 90 categories, split among the following sections:

• Phones & Cameras
• Computing & Gaming
• TV & Audio
• Fitness & Home Tech

You can vote in every category, or just a few, but make sure all of your votes are cast before 00:01am PST / 03:01am EST / 08:01am BST on Friday October 11th 2024, otherwise it won’t count.

Once we’re done counting the votes we’ll combine the scores with the rankings of our expert judges to decide the final winners – with the one exception being the Readers' Choice Award which is 100% decided by you. Winners in every category will be announced during our big TechRadar Choice Awards Week, starting Monday, October 28th.

• Read more: TechRadar Choice Awards 2024 voting is open now

7. Amazon Big Deals Day early sales began

(Image credit: Future)

Amazon Big Deals Day – a sort of Prime Day 2 ahead of this year’s Black Friday sale – kicks off officially on October 8, but that hasn’t stopped plenty of discounts going live as part of the early sale across Amazon US and Amazon UK.

There are plenty of discounts across a wide range of products from Amazon’s own tech – even the brand new Amazon Fire HD 8 tablets are up to 50% off – as well as some of our favorite gadgets like LG TVs and Ninja kitchen appliances.

Just like with Prime Day, however, you must be a Prime member to access the exclusive Big Deals Day discounts – though some items are on sale for everyone, so you might be able to save big on the item you want without shelling out for a Prime subscription.

• Read more: Here are 17 deals that are worth buying right now

6. Sonos’ app apology tour has an end in sight

(Image credit: Sonos)

Sonos’ app launch in May was one of the biggest tech blunders of 2024, but this week it announced that 100% of the app’s missing features will be restored “in the coming weeks” – and that 80% have already made their return.

What’s more Sonos said that it’ll be extending the warranty of all Sonos products that are still under warranty by a year by way of an apology to disgruntled customers, and it now has made four pledges with the goal of "addressing the root causes of the problems with the app release" to ensure it never happens again.

If you read about what reportedly went wrong with the Sonos app launch some of the new commitments sound like they’re simply trying to change the company culture back to what it was before its recent major shake-up, but words are words and actions are actions. On that note, we’ll have to see if Sonos sticks to its promise and can start to claw back consumer confidence after what can be generously described as a rough few months.

• Read more: Sonos says it's extending warranties as part of its apology tour

5. Disney responded to fans after axing highly rated shows and movies

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Ivan Marc)

We’re back here again, folks. The physical versus digital media debate has reared its ugly head once more after fans noticed that Disney Plus and Max have removed some critically acclaimed and popular movies and TV shows from their back catalogs this week.

After its latest streaming library cull drew particular fan ire, Disney responded by saying the removals accounted for “less than 2% of our total titles”, which has gone down as well as you might expect with many of its subscribers. As more and more films and series are permanently axed from the world’s best streaming services, it might be time for you to restart buying DVDs and/or Blu-rays.

• Read more: Disney responds to fan ire over axing of highly-rated Disney Plus shows

4. We reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 FE alongside the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra last week, and we’ve since put the new phone through our full review process. The verdict? It’s a “shining example of how to do a more budget-friendly phone right.” For a cheaper price than the standard Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24 FE delivers a high-quality display, strong performance levels, and a capable suite of cameras – not to mention the full gamut of Galaxy AI features that have become synonymous with the best Samsung phones.

According to our tester, Samsung’s latest FE is an “AI-powered phone that's light on sacrifices, heavy on value,” so if you’re in the market for a near-flagship upgrade that won’t break the bank, the Galaxy S24 FE is absolutely worth considering.

• Read more: Our full Samsung Galaxy 24 FE review

3. Oura Ring 4 announced with a new sensor design

(Image credit: Oura)

Several new challengers may have entered the best smart ring, er, ring, but Oura isn’t about to go down without a fight. This week, it introduced the Oura Ring 4. It’s not a major redesign on the outside – we suppose there’s only so much you can do to tweak a simple band shape – but inside Oura is improving its device’s measuring accuracy (no matter its orientation), making the fit more comfortable, and giving the app a refresh too.

This rejigged sensor array – dubbed Smart Sensing – sounds like it could be a major convenience win for users. If you’ve never used a smart ring before, a quick TL;DR is they have a specific orientation that they like to be in so that the sensors are in the right place to take accurate measurements. If the ring rotates out of this preferred place then your readings will be less accurate, and even perfectly fitting rings can spin out of place throughout the day when you use your hands or while you toss and turn in your sleep.

The Oura Ring 4 eliminating this need for the ring to always be worn perfectly is a step in the right direction, and we’re even more excited to hear it’s not getting a price hike. It’s ready to preorder now ahead of its October 15 launch in in sizes 4 through 15 (in either Silver, Brushed Silver, Stealth, Black, Rose Gold, and Gold) starting at $349 / £349 (not available in Australia).

• Read more: Oura Ring 4 is putting the Samsung Galaxy Ring on notice

2. Gemini Live now won’t cost you a dime to use

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Gemini Live – a chatty version of the Google AI – has rolled out to all Android users for free. It was originally reserved only for paying subscribers, but now the voice assistant can be accessed by anyone who downloads the Gemini app – though it can only speak English for now.

After choosing one of ten voices, you can start conversing with the AI in a more natural way than you might be used to with Google Assistant or Alexa. Gemini will even respond in more human-like ways using casual language, or sounding like it's brainstorming, rather than just responding to direct instructions.

If you’ve been waiting to try out Gemini Live now’s the best time to.

• Read more: Gemini Live is here, free, and feeling chatty

1. Verizon had a serious outage

(Image credit: Getty)

If you live in the US and use Verizon, here's one story you won’t have missed; from around 10 AM ET on September 30 the Verizon network experienced some serious issues until it was fixed over nine hours later.

Affected customers couldn’t make calls, send text messages, or use data – or receive calls or messages from unaffected customers using AT&T and T-Mobile.

The FCC reportedly began an investigation into what caused the outage, however at the time of writing we don’t know what went wrong and might not find out for some time.

• Read more: Verizon’s network outage as it happened

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop two-minute review Product info

There are a few versions of this product.

With NeverTouch Pro base:
US: RV2820ZE
UK: RV2800ZEUK

With NeverTouch base:
US: RV2820YE
UK: RV2800YEUK

For this review, I tested the US model with the NeverTouch Pro base. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base isn’t the first robot vacuum on the market that can mop and vacuum at the same time, but the fact that it’s outfitted with lots of smart technologies makes it stand out. In fact, it has wide range of detection capabilities, some of which are borrowed from today's best Shark vacuums, including the ability to detect what kind of floor it's on and how dirty it is, as well as being able to spot wet or dry spillages and stains, and automatically adjust its cleaning behavior to suit.

In my testing, I found the PowerDetect robot vacuum did a great job with different types of stains and debris of varying sizes, and the detection features worked as advertised. Expect the best clean when the vacuum and mop work together. Unfortunately, the suction wasn’t strong enough to completely pull up super-fine materials like flour from hard floor or a thick rug, and you'll almost certainly need to supplement it with a manual vacuum for occasional deep cleaning – but that's not unusual, even with the very best robot vacuums.

The mopping is effective, but left my wood floors wetter than I would have liked. Unfortunately, you cannot opt out of the automatic cleaning and instead manually choose vacuum or mopping settings, which is frustrating in situations like this.

One standout feature is this robovac's ability to roam over high thresholds; I've never seen a robovac that can lift itself as high as the PowerDetect can. It also has a novel approach to edge cleaning: when it gets near an edge, the robot blasts air to move debris into the cleaning path. Unfortunately, over-sensitive object avoidance means that it doesn't always get close enough to the edges of rooms to make this feature as effective as it could be. On the plus side, the companion app is easy to use and very accurate.

Shark launched its PowerDetect robot vacuum in summer/fall 2024. The combination robot vacuum-and-mop is available with a NeverTouch Pro base, which self-empties, cleans its own mop pads, and refills its own water tanks. That's the priciest option and the one I tested for this review, and I appreciated how it took care of so many maintenance tasks for me. However, if you're on a budget, you can opt for a model with a NeverTouch base (no 'Pro'). It's the exact same robot vacuum, but the dock doesn't self-clean and it doesn't have an anti-odor puck.

(Also in the PowerDetect range is an even cheaper robovac that doesn't have mopping capabilities at all, and various manual vacuums – head to TechRadar's Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum review to see how we got on with one of those.)

Read on for my full Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review.

(Image credit: Future) Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: price & availability

• Price with NeverTouch Pro Base: $999.99 / £799
• Price with NeverTouch Base: $899.99 / £699
• Launch date: September 2024
• Availability: US and UK

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop launched in the US and UK in September 2024. It's available to buy direct from Shark, as well as via third party retailers like Amazon.

For this review, I tested the most expensive option: the PowerDetect robot vacuum and mop with NeverTouch Pro base. This has a list price of $999.99 / £799.

Alternatively, you can pick up the same robovac but with a slightly less advanced base (the NeverTouch base – no 'Pro'). This one doesn't self-clean its mop pads, and there's no anti-odor puck. This is currently available in the US for $899.99 and the UK (although, weirdly, not currently on the Shark UK website) for £699.

There's also a basic version, which still self-empties but doesn't mop. In the US this costs $599.99 (product code RV2820AE). It's also available in the UK for £499.99 (RV2820VEUK).

On my review model, an extra mop pad, odor neutralizer cartridge, and multi-surface cleaning solution were included. Further replacements are available direct from Shark.

At TechRadar, a robot vacuum that costs more than $800 / £650 is considered a premium model, so the 2-in-1 PowerDetect falls into that band. Generally, self-empty robovacs, and combination vac-mops do sit at the upper end of the market, although it is possible to pick them up for as little as $350.

Overall, this robot does a great job in a lot of areas, especially in terms of mapping and ease of use. Do I think the model I tested is worth $999? I’d say a fairer price might be $799, as I’ve tested other robot vacuums with more features, such as live camera, voice control and so on.

Even though it's very new, you might still be able to snag a discount. The Black Friday deals often deliver particularly good robot vacuum deals, and until then it's worth keeping an eye on TechRadar’s Shark coupon codes for other ways to shave a few dollars off.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: design

• Circular robovac with vacuuming and mopping abilities
• Base charges, self empties and (if Pro version chosen) self-cleans
• Robot controlled via companion app

The Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base is a black circular robot vacuum that’s 13 inches in diameter and has a cleaning path width of 5.69 inches. At 2.7 inches tall, it can fit under most cabinets.

My review model came with the NeverTouch Pro base, which is has a dark gray – almost black – in color. It stands 17.5 inches tall, 18.8 inches wide, and 14.33 inches deep. This dock charges the robovac, cleans its mop pads, empties its onboard dust cup and dirty water, and refills the onboard water tank. It also has an anti-odor puck to prevent bad smells building up.

The Pro base is pretty compact compared to other robovac-mops I've tested, but if you'd prefer something smaller, take a look at the regular NeverTouch base (RV2820YE). It lacks self-cleaning capabilities and doesn't have the anti-odor puck, and it looks a little different in that the water tank on the base is visible.

(Image credit: Future)

The robot itself has a side brush (an extra is included in the box) for gathering dirt and debris, as well as a half-circular mopping pad and a dust cup with a capacity of 0.33 quarts. It’s also outfitted with LED lights and has NeverStuck Technology which means the robot is designed to be able to lift itself over obstacles, thresholds, and thick carpets; I’ve never seen a robot vacuum lift itself as high as this one can.

When mopping, the robot also lifts the pad when moving over rugs. To assist with edge cleaning, the PowerDetect robovac blasts air to pushes debris from the edges of rooms and into its cleaning path. It can also extend the mopping pad up to an inch out from its sides for better edge mopping.

The base itself has a bin designed to last 60-days (no actual capacity is provided), while the water tank is capable of filling the robot with water for 30 days (again, no specifics from Shark). Thanks to felt and washable foam filters, as well as a HEPA filter, you can rest assured that the vacuum contains the dust and allergens it picks up.

The NeverTouch Pro base houses water tanks and a larger dust cup (Image credit: Future)

Setting up the robot was fairly easy. It doesn’t take more than connecting the ramp to the base, filling the tank with water, attaching the side brush to the bottom of the robot, inserting the odor cartridge on the top of the base, and leaving everything to charge. I downloaded the app and connected the robot vacuum to my Wi-Fi. It took a few tries but not so many that I was concerned or frustrated. This is pretty typical for me during the testing of products with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.

Although it's far from basic, this Shark robot vacuum lacks some features I'd expect in the premium price bracket – for example, voice control (it will emit voice commands to let you know when it needs to charge or if it gets caught on something, but you can't issue instructions back), the ability to move the robot vacuum with controls in the app, and live camera footage.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: performance

• Great at object avoidance and climbing thresholds
• Decent job at vacuuming and mopping
• NeverTouch Pro base takes care of most maintenance

After connecting the Shark robot vacuum to the app, it mapped my house. I was very surprised by how quickly it mapped the house and how accurate the map was. I think it’s the most accurate initial map that I’ve seen from a robot vacuum, especially considering that the robot didn’t go to every room in my house. While I’ll go more into detail about the app in the following section, I found it really easy to control the Shark robot vacuum in the app.

To begin my testing, I set the Shark robot to vacuum and mop my entire house so I could get a good sense for how it would work on a regular basis. I noticed a few things during this process. For one, the robot does a great job of object avoidance. I never saw it hit a wall or any of my furniture. This was impressive. I think the only drawback to this aspect is that it may impact the edge cleaning.

The robovac didn't get quite as close to the edges of rooms as I'd like (Image credit: Future)

The robot seemed intent on not hitting a wall or an object, and because of that, it didn’t get as close as I would have liked it to get for superior edge cleaning. Yes, with EdgeDetect technology, the robot vacuum blasts air to move debris near the edges into the cleaning path. However, it needs to get closer to an edge to even effectively use such technology.

EdgeDetect is just one of a range of detection capabilities offered by this robovac. Another key one is 'DirtDetect', which essentially means the vacuum can sense how dirty a floor is and automatically adjust suction in response. However, on Shark's manual vacuums, you also have the option to manually set a suction level, whereas there's no manual control option here.

As someone who has a house with a lot of tall thresholds, I was curious to see how well the robot would be able to climb over them. It easily lifted itself over all my thresholds except for one, which I’ve never seen a robot able to do (it’s about two inches tall, so that's understandable).

(Image credit: Future)

The base took more time than I expected to fill the robovac's onboard water tanks. Since it’s a hands-free process, it’s not the biggest concern but something I wanted to note. I didn’t think I’d be impressed by the Shark’s robot’s mopping capabilities, because I am not a fan of the type of mop pad this robot uses. It’s a half circle pad that sticks to the bottom with Velcro. I prefer rotating circular pads as I think they clean better.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised with the Shark PowerDetect robovacs mopping abilities. This is due in part to the fact that the robot can move the mop pad from side to side offering enough friction to pull up dirt and stains from the ground. Thankfully, the robot lifted the mop pad significantly when it went over the rugs.

One of the biggest drawbacks of this robot vacuum is that it left behind too much water on my floors. Because I have historic wood floors, I have to be especially careful when it comes to mopping (water can damage wood floors). I was disappointed that I could not adjust the water level of this robot vacuum in the app.

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop leaves a lot of water on the floor (Image credit: Future)

Because the robovac is able to vacuum and mop simultaneously, it can clean your entire house in half the time it would normally take (for instance, if you had to vacuum first and the mop after). In most cases, it's actually better to instruct the robovac to mop and vacuum at the same time, because vacuuming doesn't always completely remove fine dust, and the mop can deal with any remnants.

Cleaning tests

To accurately gauge the Shark's cleaning prowess I ran some standardized tests. I placed a ground coffee and flour mix on my laminate floor and the same mixture on a rug and used the spot cleaning feature of the robot to send it to both spots to see how well it vacuumed the area. I like that there is a spot cleaning option, but unfortunately, you can’t adjust the size of the spot in the app.

Image 1 of 3

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop about to clean up flour and coffee on a hard floor (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

Results of the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning a hard floor (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning up flour and coffee (Image credit: Future)

On the laminate flooring, the robot had a sound rating of 69dB. It picked up the coffee with ease. When it came to the flour, it did a pretty good job, though it wasn’t completely perfect. Rather, it left behind a small dusting of flour, which leads me to say that, if you drop fine materials on hard flooring, such as flour, you should probably use the vacuum and the mop function in conjunction to clean it completely.

Image 1 of 3

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop about to clean flour and coffee on a rug (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

The Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning up flour and coffee (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

Results of the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop cleaning a rug (Image credit: Future)

When I sent the robot to the rug, the noise level increased to 70dB. It actually did a better job of vacuuming the rug than I thought it would. Like on hard floor, the robot picked up all of the coffee, but it left a round patch of flour. The brush also flung some of the flour out of the spot-cleaning zone, and thus it was not vacuumed.

Next, I tested the mopping capability by placing a puddle of water and some dried syrup on the floor. With a sound rating of 69dB, the robot picked up the liquids easily. I couldn’t tell if the robot pushed the water around as it leaves a good amount of water behind anyway, but it seemed to clean the syrup well. After the floor dried, I noticed a very slight (and I mean very slight) stickiness to the floor, and just to be safe, I had the robot mop the spot once again.

This Shark robot takes about 3.5 hours to fully charge and then runs for about 2 hours and 20 minutes before it needs to recharge again. If it runs low on power in the middle of a cleaning job, it just recharges enough to finish cleaning your house. The robot isn’t able to clean my 1,600-square-foot home completely on a single charge. This is not really a concern for me since the robot vacuum takes itself to the base, recharges, and then finishes the cleaning job when it’s ready. I don’t have to do anything but sit back and let it clean on its own time.

The robovac is shallow enough to be able to clean underneath furniture (Image credit: Future)

My favorite aspect of this Shark vacuum is the hands-free cleaning. The NeverTouch Pro base lived up to its name. It not only pulls the dirt and debris from the vacuum and stores it in a sealed 60-day capacity bin, but it washes and dries the mopping pad after every clean. I should also add that the water tank holds 30 days’ worth of water, which is impressive considering how small the base appears from the outside.

Maintenance

As for other elements of maintenance, the vacuum and base need to be cleaned about every 30 days. You’ll have to use a dry dust rag to clean the sensors and charging contacts on the robot and in the base. The base can be cleaned with a wet rag and then dried with a cloth. The brushroll and side brush need to be cleared of hair, string, or debris. The mop pad should be washed and/or replaced every three months. The base’s dustbin should be emptied once a month.

The filter in the robot and the filter at the top of the base should be cleaned once a month, by shaking them free of dust and debris over a trashcan and then rinsing the foam filters with cold water and allowing them to air dry for 48 hours. On the bottom side of the base there is another filter, the post-motor filter, that can be cleaned every 6 months. You’ll also want to clean the water container with soap and water before refilling it.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop review: app

• Easy-to-use app with great mapping and instructional tips
• Whole house clean, room clean, or spot clean options
• App contains schedule and cleaning history

I love a simple and easy-to-use app, and the Shark app is just that. The map that was created of my house is quite accurate. Take note that it’s only 2D; there are no 3D mapping options. The map shows the different rooms in my house and even has some shadow areas that indicate furniture or things like a bathtub.

I can easily adjust the map – which I did by merging two rooms together that the robot separated and then splitting two rooms that the robot determined as one. I can also label my rooms and create no-go zones. Unfortunately, you can’t customize a no-go zone. For instance, I would like to create a no-go mopping zone for a specific area of my house, but the app doesn’t allow that.

The app is where you can see the battery life and instruct the robot to return to the dock, pause, or set it to vacuum, mop, or vacuum and mop at the same time. I can choose to have the Shark robot clean the entire house, one room, or to spot clean in a certain area. Unfortunately, with the spot clean feature, I can’t adjust the spot cleaning box to be smaller or larger. It seems to be a set size that I have to move on the map to the area I want cleaned.

Not only can I schedule the robot to clean and look at the cleaning history, but there is a support section that answers all of my questions related to the use and care of the robot vacuum. I also like the little notifications found on the main page as they can be helpful in knowing if there was an issue while cleaning or if the robot used some particular function to improve the cleaning experience.

This app would benefit with a few additions, such as the ability to adjust the water flow and vacuum suction power. As it is, the vacuum adjusts the suction and mopping functions based on its ability to detect dirt on the ground. While this is impressive, it would be nice to have some more control in some situations.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop specs Should you buy the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop? Buy it if…

You like to keep your house clean between deep cleanings

This robot vacuum is the ideal partner in keeping your house clean on a daily basis, whether it’s picking up dirt brought in from the kids or sucking up a spill in the kitchen. You may need other tools for a deeper clean, but it can handle the daily dirt and wear in a home.

You prefer a hands-free vacuum and mopping experience

This robot’s charging station pulls the dirt and debris from the vacuum, inserts the water into the vacuum, and even cleans the mop pad. You’ll do very little maintenance and cleaning of this vacuum.

You want a robot that won’t bump into your furniture

Some robot vacuums knock things down, run into walls, or get stuck on furniture. This Shark does a great job avoiding obstacles and preventing any mishaps as it cleans.

Don't buy it if…

Your home has a lot of carpets

While this Shark robot does a decent job with large rugs, it’s not the best choice for someone with a lot of carpets, as it doesn’t have the suction capability to clean deep pile carpets.

You have historic hardwood floors

As someone who has historic hardwood floors, I was cautious in using this robot on them as it tends to leave behind far more water than I would like.

You like a lot of customization options in an app

Unfortunately, there aren’t as many customizable features in the app as you might expect. For instance, you can’t adjust the spot cleaning size or create no-go zones in your house for vacuuming or mopping specifically. Water flow and suction power can’t be adjusted either.

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum and Mop

I tested the Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop with NeverTouch Pro Base for over a week in my historic home. My house is outfitted with laminate and historic wood flooring, and some large thick rugs. To adequately rate and review the vacuuming and mopping capabilities of this robot, I ran the robot vacuum throughout my home and used various features like spot cleaning. I also conducted controlled tests where I had the robot vacuum flour and coffee from hard floors and rugs, as well as mop flour, water, and sticky materials from the laminate floor.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

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