Some products are so successful they become snynonymous with their whole category — nobody asks for a facial tissue, they ask for a Kleenex, you know? Today's episode is, at least in part, about two of those products. First, The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to chart the rise and fall of the Roomba, the robot vacuum that practically invented the category and yet seems to have been left behind. Can iRobot get its robot back on its feet? After that, Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn discusses the state of e-readers, what it's like to always be "the best non-Amazon option," and what we all want from devices that aren't our smartphone. Finally, The Verge's Chris Welch helps us answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11, or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about which TV you should buy in 2025. It's a complicated question, but there are answers.

Further reading:

From CNN: The secret military technology inside the household vacuum robot


iRobot announces eight new robot vacuums

iRobot tells investors its future is in doubt

Will iRobot’s reinvention of the Roomba be at the expense of its history of innovation?

Amazon wants to map your home, so it bought iRobot

The death of the Amazon deal could mean goodbye iRobot

iRobot’s founder is working on a new kind of home robot

Michael Tamblyn's website

Kobo announces its first color e-readers

The best ereader to buy right now


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The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to chart the rise and fall of the Roomba, the robot vacuum that practically invented the category and yet seems to have been left behind.

How Roomba got stuck