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The week in Reviewed: Robot lawn-mower edition

Ashwin Jagannathan
Reviewed.com
iRobot's new robot lawn mower has astronomers up in arms.

This week at Reviewed.com, we did what we always do: tested out some gadgets and home appliances. Several products entered our labs, and we determined which ones were worthy of praise, and which ones should be fed to the lions. These included the world's first high-efficiency laundry center from Frigidaire, a curvy 4K TV from Samsung, and Fujifilm's new selfie-friendly interchangeable lens camera.

In our news and features department, we learned that astronomers are directing their ire at a robot lawn mower. We also covered a pepper grinder that can stop you from texting during dinner, a speed oven that can cook pizzas in under five minutes, and a designer's kitchen island that's actually an aquarium.

Why iRobot's lawn mower is making astronomers mad

Robot makers and astronomers might seem like natural allies, but that's not the case with iRobot, makers of the famous Roomba robot vacuums. The company's new robot lawn mowers have managed to upset some astronomers because they use radio frequencies that interfere with those used by some space telescopes. Ultimately, it seems like the FCC will have to get involved to resolve the dispute.

World's first high-efficiency laundry center worth the wait

Laundry centers — which usually include a top-load washer with a dryer stacked on top — are known for being compact, but they generally lag behind their full-sized counterparts when it comes to performance and efficiency. That's not the case with this stacked laundry unit from Frigidaire, which performs well and uses much less water to clean your clothes.

This pepper grinder puts an end to mealtime texting

The idea of eating dinner with your family without any electronic distractions might seem like a relic of a more innocent era, but there's a new gadget that could change that. It's a pepper grinder that promises to not only spice up your food, but also bring people together. Called the Pepper Hacker, it can disable any electronics — including phones and WiFi routers — for 30 minutes with a simple twist.

This pepper grinder will disable electronic devices for 30 minutes.

Fujifilm X-A2 helps you step up your selfie game

For some (especially narcissistic) consumers, the most important criteria for choosing a new camera revolves around how well it takes selfies. If this describes you, Fujifilm has your back. (Also, seek help.) Its new X-A2 interchangeable lens camera has a screen that can flip all the way up to face you, so you can capture that perfect selfie. While it lacks sophisticated controls, at $550 it's actually a fairly solid entry point into the Fujifilm family of cameras and lenses.

It's not a selfie, but this is a sample shot taken with the X-A2. Check out that shallow depth of field.

Five minutes or less: New oven cooks pizza in a jiffy

Black & Decker's new 5-Minute Pizza Oven does exactly what you'd hope: cook pizza in five minutes, fresh or frozen. Acting as a giant toaster oven that can heat foods up to a scalding hot 650 degrees F, it can cook pizzas (and other items) faster than traditional ovens. It could come in handy the next time you need to stave off a pizza emergency.

Samsung's curved 4K TV could use more contrast

Samsung's curvy new 4K TV is perfectly fine — but it doesn't quite justify the $1,600 asking price. Especially now that the price of excellent 4K TVs has dropped below the $1,000 threshold (thanks to the Vizio P-Series), we expect more from a TV in this price range. That's not to say it's completely without merit — it sports a solid smart platform, and its picture quality is generally strong. But thanks to lackluster contrast, we'd have a hard time recommending it over the P-Series.

This designer took 'kitchen island' way too literally

Dutch designer Robert Kolenik is known for his luxury designs. His latest project, the Ocean Kitchen, measures up against anything else in his portfolio — and might even surpass it. It's essentially a giant freshwater aquarium that doubles as your kitchen island, and it's also a working cooking area. The result is both strikingly stylish and functional.

Robert Kolenik's kitchen island is both stylish and functional.

Lenovo Yoga 3 bends to your whims

With Lenovo's Yoga 3, you don't need to choose between a laptop and a tablet. Thanks to its extra-bendable hinge, you get essentially both in one package, plus the ability to wield it in tent and stand modes. Unfortunately, it's not that impressive in either its laptop or tablet configurations. It's plenty powerful and will complete tasks adequately, but doesn't do anything exceptionally well.

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