CES Product Previews: iRobot Looj, PlantSense EasyBloom

Michael DiLauro, a product-information specialist for Consumer Reports, attended the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Here's his report on a couple of noteworthy home gadgets he saw at the Digital Experience event on Wednesday, January 7. Note that we have not yet tested either of these products.

iRobot Gutter Cleaner
Manufacturer of robotic home vacuum cleaners, iRobot, introduced the second generation of the Looj, its robotic gutter cleaner (shown). The company says improvements over the previous model include a flexible auger, designed to clean better as it moves through gutter; a slower forward speed that's supposed to provide more thorough cleaning; and a faster reverse speed, intended to return the robot to you more quickly when the job is done. done. The new model is expected to be in stores this spring and sell for $130.

PlantSense EasyBloom
Gardening has gone high tech. One of the most interesting products at the Digital Experience was the EasyBloom from PlantSense. This sensor ($60) is supposed to save you money and produce better results by taking the guesswork out of gardening. You place the EasyBloom in the soil for 24 hours to measure soil conditions, light, and temperature of outdoor or indoor plants. Next, you plug the EasyBloom into your computer via USB; the device then correlates its readings with a plant database to determine what you should in grow in that spot. The database uses algorithms to match its 5,000-plant database with the collected data and the weather based on your ZIP code. The EasyBloom is also designed to monitor the heath of plants in your garden. You place the sensor in the ground near a plant for one watering cycle and then hook it up to your computer. The EasyBloom will produce care recommendations for the plant.