--- title: Mind-Blowing Tech: Talking Vacuums, Mother's Day and More | TIME description: Important developments concerning talking robotic vacuum cleaners, a high-tech ghost town and Mother's Day. canonical: https://time.com/video/PxuDjr9D/ og:title: Mind-Blowing Tech: Talking Vacuums, Mother's Day and More og:description: Important developments concerning talking robotic vacuum cleaners, a high-tech ghost town and Mother's Day. og:url: https://time.com/video/PxuDjr9D/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/PxuDjr9D/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mind-Blowing Tech: Talking Vacuums, Mother's Day and More twitter:description: Important developments concerning talking robotic vacuum cleaners, a high-tech ghost town and Mother's Day. twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/PxuDjr9D/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Mind-Blowing Tech: Talking Vacuums, Mother's Day and More > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Mind-Blowing Tech: Talking Vacuums, Mother's Day and More [Watch (HLS stream): Mind-Blowing Tech: Talking Vacuums, Mother's Day and More](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PxuDjr9D.m3u8) (4:24)  _Published 2012-05-11. Important developments concerning talking robotic vacuum cleaners, a high-tech ghost town and Mother's Day._ --- Jul 27, 2023 3:24 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Boris Johnson Stresses Importance of Social Distancing on Mother's Day](/video/TXsHern7/) ### Boris Johnson Stresses Importance of Social Distancing on Mother's Day [Spending for Mother's & Father's Day](/video/EHDUnU2u/) ### Spending for Mother's & Father's Day [The Surprisingly Sad Origins of Mother's Day](/video/q68sNxIq/) ### The Surprisingly Sad Origins of Mother's Day --- ## Transcript Talking vaccum cleaner's a billion dollar high tech ghost town and geeky Mother's Day gifts, you should never buy your mother. I'm Doug [ INAUDIBLE ], in for the most insanely important, mind blowing, tech new of the week. [ MUSIC ] Roomba, heads up. Sharp as an [ UNKNOWN ] as a robotic vacuum called CocoRobo that is not only multilingual, but also has a built- in camera. You can see what it sees by your smartphone as it tools around your house. Picking up dust and debris. Waiting to exchange witty banter with you such as, long time no see. I gotta level with you. I souped up my own vacuum cleaner to talk and take pictures. And it was very cute and fun at first but after they grow up a little bit and get into their teenage years, it's, it's quite a different story. [ MUSIC ] I just, just wanna make sure my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. You set your charging station until noon, and now you're watching the Kardashians. Is that, that's accurate? I need $ 20. I gave you $ 20 yesterday. I, do I even want to know what you spent it on? What do you care? All you do is work? You want some money? He's an idea. Why dont you vacuum? How about you vacuum a little bit. This place is in desperate need of vacuuming. I'm meeting up with Brian later. The industrial strength floor buffer that I told you you were not allowed to see. I don't think so. [ SOUND ] No. That's where my money's going? You are grounded! I'm taking your battery out, and you will not see a nickel! Give me the money, or I will show your wife the picture I took of you eating butter by the spoonful, straight from the tub. You wouldn't! Stupid camera. Why'd I install the camera? All I have is three dollars. [ MUSIC ] A company called Pegasus Holdings is building a high- tech ghost town in New Mexico, at a total of around a billion dollars. The smart city will have no actual residents but will have houses outfitted with self. [ MUSIC ] Flushing toilets and smart appliances. With the goal of determining the direct and indirect benefits and coast the innovations tested would have on our existing info structure according to the company. [ MUSIC ] Listen if wanna test technology and innovation you gotta have people around to screw it up. Technology works great with out people. But once you throw people in the mix. That's when things start getting crazy. [ MUSIC ] I would be a great person to live in the town. I promise I would do everything to screw everything up then they could see what actually works and what doesn't. I just wanna watch a DVD how do I switch it off the TV . >> Input . >> Yeah it's full height. There's maybe 15 towels in there 20 towels. It's all towels . >> No . >> No input button. [ SOUND ] I'm looking up there. Oh really? It's too much? Yeah. Oh well, it's broken. I just cant find the handle to flush, and I can't flush it. Should I have not have twisted the knob on the radiator? [ SOUND ] Oh. Automatically flushing? Yeah, no, there's a lot of stream. Yeah you should still probably send someone out. I, yeah, something just broke off. You should probably send someone out. I know this sounds crazy, but this vacuum is always on the couch and it doesn't actually vacuum anything. And it won't let anyone else watch TV. Well, you should probably send someone out. 'Kay, thank you. Sorry. [ SOUND ] And last but certainly not least, Happy Mothers Day. Here's a look at some of the items on our ten item list of geeky gifts never to buy mom. A pink taser. Why? Because somebody will invariably get tased right after mom opens it. It's her day. She's gonna wanna try out her Taser. A USB, metallic, I love you, hand gesture, necklace flash drive. A simple rule of thumb when buying jewelry. Does it connect to a computer? If not, you're on the right track. The Travel Slanket. Why? Because it's, barely okay to wear a Slanket when no one else is. [ MUSIC ] This is looking, and if you take it out in public, those things generate enough static electricity to bring down planes, trains, automobiles, and any pace maker within 500 yards. How do I know? Because I have 2 of them, there there not safe to wear. Anything labeled beauty gadget, presented without comment. Those are just some of the things on the list. Check out the entire list along with all those insanely important, mind blowing tech news stories and more, on Tech Land. Happy Mothers Day mom. I love ya. [ MUSIC ] ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Mind-Blowing Tech: Talking Vacuums, Mother's Day and More","description":"Important developments concerning talking robotic vacuum cleaners, a high-tech ghost town and Mother's Day.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/PxuDjr9D/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2012-05-11T14:15:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PxuDjr9D.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/PxuDjr9D/","duration":"PT4M24S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/PxuDjr9D/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```