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Why Roomba Died + Tech Predictions for 2026 + A Hard Forkin’ Xmas Song

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Why Roomba Died + Tech Predictions for 2026 + A Hard Forkin’ Xmas Song

Hard Fork

2025/12/19
Hard Fork

Hard Fork

2025/12/19
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

This week, iRobot, the pioneering American robotics company behind the Roomba, filed for bankruptcy and announced that it would be taken over by its Chinese creditor. Colin Angle, a co-founder and a former longtime chief executive of the company, joins us ...

Highlights

Once a trailblazer in home robotics, iRobot's collapse marks a turning point for American innovation in the face of global competition and shifting tech landscapes. As the company that brought robots into living rooms worldwide files for bankruptcy, questions arise about what went wrong—and what it means for the future of U.S. leadership in AI and robotics.
09:31
LiDAR is still the wrong choice for vacuum robots
16:39
The FTC's block of Amazon's iRobot acquisition may have damaged U.S. leadership in consumer robotics.
28:00
X merged into XAI in March 2025 as predicted
33:30
An AI company will solve a Millennium Prize problem in 2026.
42:00
An AI-generated work could be Grammy-nominated by 2026 due to shifting industry dynamics.
53:11
2026 is the last year to buy a house in San Francisco

Chapters

What led to the fall of the company that made robot vacuums a household name?
00:00
Why did Amazon’s attempt to save iRobot backfire?
12:53
What does iRobot’s fate mean for America’s future in robotics?
21:00
Which of last year’s big tech predictions actually came true?
25:14
Will AI crack unsolved math problems—and reshape politics—in 2026?
30:27
Can AI win a Grammy? And what’s next for Sora and Apple’s leadership?
39:08
Is the AI boom creating an economic bubble ready to burst?
50:13

Transcript

Kevin Roose: Casey, what's going on? Casey Newton: Well, Kevin, I want to get ahead of something before you. And all of our listeners. Read this in the tabloids. I did have to get rescued off a ride at Disneyland this past weekend. Come on. Yeah, Really? ...