Vacuum bricked after user blocks data collection – user mods it to run anyway

A smart vacuum got remotely “killed” after its owner blocked the gadget from sending home data — and the internet turned into a living room cage match. In Harishankar’s write-up and the Tom’s Hardware recap, the iLife A11 kept uploading maps of his house and activity logs. He shut down those servers, the vac later refused to boot, and service centers gave him the runaround. So he cracked it open, drove it with a Raspberry Pi joystick, and found a “security” setup so flimsy that a phone-style debug tool with full access wasn’t even password-protected. Cue community fireworks.

The loudest camp says this story is sensational, arguing a company must disable any “weird” device on its network. Another camp calls it corporate overreach, insisting home gadgets shouldn’t die because you don’t want to share floor plans. The skeptic squad thinks we’re missing details and the vac might’ve tripped alarms. And the maker crowd? They want him to sell that joystick — complete with “discovery mode” so you can steer your vac like Mario Kart. Memes flew: “Skynet Swiffer,” “Data or Die,” and “Broom Mode engaged.” Privacy vs convenience never looked this messy — literally and figuratively.