• Amazon addressed GPU shortages with internal tenets to guide the valuable resource's allocation.
• The company launched "Project Greenland" to streamline GPU distribution and prioritize ROI.
• Amazon employees now have better access to GPUs, the company said.

Amazon, like many other tech companies, has grappled with significant GPU shortages in recent years.

To address the problem, it created eight "tenets," or guiding principles, for approving employee graphics processing unit requests, according to an internal document seen by Business Insider.

These tenets are part of a broader effort to streamline Amazon's internal GPU distribution process. Last year, Amazon launched "Project Greenland," which one document called a "centralized GPU orchestration platform," to more efficiently allocate capacity across the company. It also pushed for tighter controls by prioritizing return on investment for each AI chip.

As a result, Amazon is no longer facing a GPU crunch, which strained the company last year.

"Amazon has ample GPU capacity to continue innovating for our retail business and other customers across the company," an Amazon spokesperson told BI. "AWS recognized early on that generative AI innovations are fueling rapid adoption of cloud computing services for all our customers, including Amazon, and we quickly evaluated our customers' growing GPU needs and took steps to deliver the capacity they need to drive innovation."

How Amazon decides who gets GPUs

Here are the eight tenets for GPU allocation, according to the internal Amazon document:

1. ROI + High Judgment thinking is required for GPU usage prioritization. GPUs are too valuable to be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, distribution should be determined based on ROI layered with common sense considerations, and provide for the long-term growth of the Company's free cash flow. Distribution can happen in bespoke infrastructure or in hours of a sharing/pooling tool.
2. Continuously learn, assess, and improve: We solicit new ideas based on continuous review and are willing to improve our approach as we learn more.
3. Avoid silo decisions: Avoid making decisions in isolation; instead, centralize the tracking of GPUs and GPU related initiatives in one place.
4. Time is critical: Scalable tooling is a key to moving fast when making distribution decisions which, in turn, allows more time for innovation and learning from our experiences.
5. Efficiency feeds innovation: Efficiency paves the way for innovation by encouraging optimal resource utilization, fostering collaboration and resource sharing.
6. Embrace risk in the pursuit of innovation: Acceptable level of risk tolerance will allow to embrace the idea of 'failing fast' and maintain an environment conducive to Research and Development.
7. Transparency and confidentiality: We encourage transparency around the GPU allocation methodology through education and updates on the wiki's while applying confidentiality around sensitive information on R&D and ROI sharable with only limited stakeholders. We celebrate wins and share lessons learned broadly.
8. GPUs previously given to fleets may be recalled if other initiatives show more value. Having a GPU doesn't mean you'll get to keep it.

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We’re in an age where you can realistically delegate tasks to smart hunks of metal, whether it’s a self-driving car or a robot that can clean on your behalf. Most of us probably won’t be able to afford the helpful sentient humanoids being developed in our lifetimes, but robot vacuums are an affordable way to experience that promised utopia right now.

Today’s floor cleaners are also more advanced than ever. In addition to vacuuming, many of the best models can now mop, allowing you to tackle both carpet and hardwood flooring. Some can automatically dispense of their trash and dirty water, too, and clean their own components without intervention. Soon, we’ll even have models that can pick up dirty laundry and purify the air in your home, preventing you from having to lift a finger.

But if you need something relatively affordable for daily cleaning, you’d be surprised how little you have to pay for premium features. Below, we’ve listed the best deals currently available on a slate of Verge-approved robot vacuums, whether you prefer a budget entry-level model from Yeedi or a top-of-the-line offering from iRobot, Dreame, and more.

The best Roborock deals

Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra — our pick for the best robot vacuum overall — is available from Amazon, Best Buy, and Roborock for $999.99 ($800 off), which is an all-time low. The combination of a 10,000Pa suction power and dual rubber roller brushes makes it a terrific vacuum, one that can easily pick up pet hair and other debris. It can also mop with great efficiency thanks to a sonic mopping system that vibrates the mop pad 4,000 times a minute, allowing it to clean sticky juices, thick condiments, and other common spills. The mop arm can extend to cover corners and baseboard edges, too.

The S8 MaxV Ultra’s camera-equipped AI obstacle avoidance makes it the best navigator in Roborock’s lineup and one of the top models overall, though it’s not quite as strong as Roomba’s. The mobile app offers ample options to customize cleaning zones and schedules, and you can use its dedicated voice assistant to start and stop routines. That said, it’s also a Matter-ready robot that’s compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, which is almost identical to the aforementioned S8 MaxV, is currently matching its all-time low of $899.99 ($700 off) at Roborock’s online storefront and Amazon. The main difference is that the Ultra lacks an RGB camera, meaning it isn’t as good at avoiding obstacles, but that might be a positive if you prioritize privacy. It’s also limited to 8,000Pa of suction power and lacks a built-in voice assistant, as well as support for Matter.

The Roborock S8 Plus is another great robot vacuum / mop hybrid that’s available for $549.99 ($450 off) — its second-best price to date — from Roborock and Amazon, if you’re a Prime member. It offers a vibrating mop pad that scrubs floors well, and, like the S8 MaxV Ultra, it features dual rubber roller brushes. It’s not as powerful as the MaxV Ultra given its 6,000Pa of suction, but it still does a good job of sucking up dirt from carpets. It also lacks a water tank, though you do get good obstacle detection and a smaller auto-empty dock that saves space.

The big-wheeled Roborock Q5 Pro is down to $179.99 ($250 off) at Roborock’s online storefront and Amazon (with a coupon), which is $40 more than its all-time low. Not only is it one of the most affordable robovacs you can buy, but thanks to its dual rubber roller brushes and 5,500Pa of suction power, the entry-level Roborock model remains one of the best we’ve found at dealing with unwanted pet hair.

The lidar-mapping Q5 Pro features voice controls, digital keep-out zones, and mopping pads with an onboard reservoir, but no self-cleaning functions. This particular SKU doesn’t include a self-emptying base, but the 770ml dust bin is one of the largest you’ll find, so you can go a few weeks without touching it. That being said, Roborock sells a version with a self-emptying dock, which is also on sale right now for $479.99 ($220 off).

The best Dreame deals

The Dreame X40 Ultra is another mopping robot, and while it’s on the more expensive side, you can currently pick it up for an all-time low of $899.99 ($600 off) at Amazon. You’re paying a premium for 12,000Pa of suction power and a pair of removable, self-retracting mop pads, which it can automatically clean and dry on its own using the included base. It can also empty its own bin and refill its own water tank.

The Dreame X40 Ultra features an extendable side brush and mop pads, too, offering better coverage for baseboards, corners, and the underside of your furniture. It uses a combination of AI-powered cameras and “3D-structured light” (presumably based on lidar technology) to map and navigate rooms, with customizable keep-out zones and more functions available in the app. There’s also a dirt detection system that can identify messier spills and adjust its cleaning routine accordingly.

The Dream L20 Ultra is available for a new low of $549.99 ($450 off) at Amazon for a limited time. The L20 Ultra is an excellent alternative to Dreame’s newer flagship robots, including the X40. It lacks a bit of power in comparison, though its 7,000Pa of suction power is still enough for most cleaning jobs. It also doesn’t have the L40’s tri-cut brush, which makes the step-up model more efficient at picking up pet hair. The only other real advantage the X40 holds over the L20 is its self-extending arms for vacuuming (though the dual mop pads can extend a bit for baseboard and corner coverage), nor does it have dirt detection.

The L20 Ultra’s base station is rather large, but it can take care of the entire cleaning process, including emptying the dustbin, emptying and refilling the water tanks, and washing and drying the mop pads. It doesn’t have a heated cleaning function for the mop pads, however. It uses a lidar-based AI-powered navigation system, and you can prompt it to start cleaning by voice using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.

The best SwitchBot deals

The SwitchBot S10 is on sale for a new low of $390.99 ($809 off) at Amazon at checkout. The S10 is one of the most affordable robot vacuum / mop hybrids you can buy, one that can refill its own tank so long as you hook the battery-powered base station into your home’s plumbing. It can also dry its own mop pads and empty its own bin at a separate docking bay, and offers enough capacity to run for up to 90 days without intervention.

The S10’s self-cleaning roller mop is more effective than the typical pads we see in most other units, but it’s also limited to a smaller coverage area. It only has a single roller brush for vacuuming, but its respectable 6,500Pa suction can make up for it. And while it has lidar mapping and AI-powered obstacle avoidance, we found it still has a tendency to get stuck on laundry, bath mats, and other obstacles. The S10 is also one of the few robovacs with Matter support, however, which effectively enables native control through Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa (though said platforms don’t yet fully support robot vacuums).

Read our SwitchBot S10 review.

The SwitchBot K10 Plus is also available for an all-time low of $199.99 ($200 off) directly from SwitchBot with promo code LMTM120. At 3.6 inches high and 9.8 inches wide, it’s a more petite option if you want something that can maneuver tighter spaces, which it does to decent success with a lidar-based mapping system that supports digital keep-out zones. It only has 2,500Pa suction, but that should be powerful enough to lift dirt in all but the deepest carpeting. You can also attach disposable mopping pads, though their mopping function doesn’t work well. The K10 Plus comes with a self-emptying dock that can hold a respectable four liters of dirt before it needs emptying.

The best Eufy deals

The Eufy X10 Pro Omni, our current pick for the best midrange robot vacuum / mop, is now available at Amazon for Prime members for $699.99 ($100 off), which is about $150 shy of the all-time low we last saw during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. You can also grab it directly from Eufy for the same price when you use promo code WS24T2351121 at checkout.

The X10 Pro Omni is a bit of a novelty, at least in comparison to other robovacs in its price range, in that it offers AI-powered obstacle detection, which allows it to deftly navigate cables and other clutter. It also features a slew of functions you’d expect from top-of-the-line models, including 8,000Pa of suction power, speedy lidar-powered mapping, and oscillating dual spinning brushes for mopping.

Mind you, none of these features are as effective as they are on more premium models, though the result is an all-in-one bot that punches above its weight. Plus, it has heated mop drying and onboard water reservoir, the latter of which prevents it from having to return to its multifunction auto-empty / wash / fill dock too frequently.

The best Yeedi deals

The Yeedi Cube is currently down to an all-time low of $259.99 ($230 off) at Amazon for Prime members. It’s not easy to find a self-emptying / self-cleaning vacuum at this price, as those features are typically only available on robots that cost upward of $600 or more.

With 5,100Pa of suction power, the Cube can tackle most common vacuuming scenarios, though its single hybrid rubber / bristle brush can get easily tangled with pet hair. It mops better than most models in its range, however, namely because its vibrating microfiber pads can actually scrub your floors. The Cube uses lasers for object avoidance, too, though it’s not as effective for navigation as those with lidar and AI smarts. It can avoid large furniture and other objects, but it might need your help rerouting around cables, toys, and laundry. Still, we found it navigates better than most other robots under $300.

More robot vacuum deals

Update, April 8th: Updated to reflect current price/availability and several new deals, including those for Tapo’s RV30 Max Plus and Narwal’s high-end Freo X Ultra.

First things first, some exciting news: The Vergecast has been nominated for a Webby Award! This one means a lot to us, especially because it’s an award you get to vote on. We’d be so grateful if you’d go vote for us once, or 40 times, or however many times the site will allow. (Also, honestly, you should listen to some of the other nominees; all four are great shows. Just don’t vote for them.)

Now, as for this episode. This is a seriously Vergecast-y week, actually, in the sense that two of the year’s biggest news stories — the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Trump administration’s disastrous economic policy — are both unfolding simultaneously, and stand to affect one another in unusually direct ways. So in this episode, that’s what we talk about: the gadget we’re all eagerly awaiting, and the policy chaos that could change the way it works.

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First, we talk Switch. Nintendo’s Direct announcement this week brought a lot of new information about the company’s new console, and a peek at some of its most anticipated games. Nilay, David, and The Verge’s Richard Lawler dig into wha …

Read the full story at The Verge.

• AppLovin confirmed a preliminary bid in an SEC filing to buy TikTok's business outside China.
• China's ByteDance faces a Saturday deadline to divest TikTok's US operations.
• AppLovin joins a long list of suitors who have put in last-minute bids.

Adtech company AppLovin has submitted a last-minute bid to acquire TikTok's operations outside China, joining a crowded list of suitors a day before a US TikTok ban is set to take effect.

AppLovin confirmed it submitted a preliminary "indication of interest" to President Donald Trump in a Thursday SEC filing.

The company, which helps developers market and advertise their apps, said in the filing that "there can be no assurance" that a transaction involving TikTok would proceed.

It's unclear exactly how AppLovin would finance or structure a deal, given TikTok's vast scale. TikTok's US operations are estimated to have a sale value of $40 billion to $50 billion.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives has previously suggested TikTok's global valuation could exceed $100 billion, potentially reaching $200 billion if its algorithm is included in the calculation. AppLovin has a market capitalization of just over $89 billion.

The bid places AppLovin among a growing list of late-stage suitors vying for TikTok as US lawmakers push for the app's separation from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

This week, Amazon put in a last-minute bid to buy TikTok, The New York Times reported. And on Wednesday, Reuters reported that a consortium led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely had submitted an intent to bid on TikTok.

They add to a flurry of other names that have been linked to buying TikTok.

Oracle has emerged as a leading contender, according to multiple reports, with a deal reportedly involving oversight of TikTok's US user data.

The YouTuber MrBeast said in January that he was part of a group making an all-cash offer for TikTok's US operations.

Other parties linked to a TikTok deal include Microsoft, Walmart, video-sharing platform Rumble, and AI startup Perplexity.

TikTok's future in the US has been uncertain since April 2024, when Congress mandated ByteDance divest TikTok's US business or face a nationwide ban. After taking office in January, Trump extended that deadline by 75 days.

The White House has been directly involved in deal talks as national security concerns remain central to negotiations.

On Wednesday, Trump introduced an effective 54% tariff rate on Chinese imports. The president told reporters on Air Force One on Thursday it gives the US "great power" to negotiate and a potential bargaining chip in a TikTok deal. On Friday, China announced a 34% tariff on all products imported from the US.

• Trump's new tariffs could hurt Amazon and Meta due to their reliance on Chinese advertisers.
• Advertisers are expected to take refuge in performance advertising and TV sports.
• Analysts laid out scenarios for how ad and media companies could be affected.

Amazon and Meta could be big losers from President Donald Trump's new tariffs, ad industry analysts and insiders said.

Trump announced a baseline 10% tariff on products coming from all countries outside the US, but the tax is higher for certain ones. Those include China, which effectively faces a 54% tariff. Tech stocks fell sharply on the news.

Amazon and Meta get a lot of business from Chinese advertisers that are trying to reach American shoppers, and they could pause advertising or lose business.

"Retail media and digital media will be significantly impacted by these tariffs, especially because products shipped from China and Vietnam are meaningful to Meta and Amazon," Brian Wieser, a veteran advertising analyst, wrote in a note.

He estimated around $10 billion of Meta's US revenue comes from advertisers outside of US, mostly from China, and cited research showing China represents half of Amazon's top sellers on its marketplace in the US, which is likely its biggest ad driver.

Eric Haggstrom, director of market intelligence at Advertiser Perceptions, said the most immediate impact would be on quick-turn products like apparel and home goods.

"The biggest losers you're going to see right now are companies based on Chinese-based advertising: social media and retail media," he said.

Ad analysts stressed that tariffs would affect every product category and ad seller because of the global nature of many supply chains. Apple, notably, will likely get hit hard because China is its biggest manufacturing hub. But the situation is so fluid that it's impossible to predict with any certainty at this point.

"There's no sector that doesn't get hit by this," Wieser said.

Others argued that Amazon, Meta, and search ad-driven Google would be resilient because of their scale, measurability, and ability to drive outcomes.

"The retail media outlets are going to continue to win," said Nadja Bellan-White, CEO of M+C Saatchi Group, adding that advertisers' expectations for performance guarantees will be greater than ever. "They want to know if they spend X amount, they're going to get X result."

NewStreet Research analysts wrote that Pinterest, Reddit, and Snap would be the most challenged from an ad standpoint because they have smaller user bases than the likes of Meta. Reddit, for example, has strong user communities but a specific vibe that takes extra work for an advertiser to fit into. Big advertisers could retreat to the platforms they are most familiar with.

The tariffs upheaval comes as the ad industry prepares for its biggest showcase of the year, the television upfronts, when TV giants try to lock in large chunks of ad inventory.

"Advertisers are still going to want to lock in dollars when they need to run ads tied to product launches," Haggstrom said. "Advertisers want to make sure they are able to place their advertising at the right time. But these negotiations might take longer due to the whole economic and fiscal situation. This is a pretty major shock."

Live sports is driving a lot of the TV market because of its big, reliable, and ad-friendly audience, which could benefit players like Disney and NBCUniversal.

Sports is the watchword for advertisers as they worry about political backlash, longtime ad industry player Michael Kassan said.

"It's the safest place to be," he said.

Another view is that advertisers could be hesitant to lock themselves into big TV buy and could shift spending to always-available digital channels.

How Disney, Netflix, and WBD could be impacted

As for other media and entertainment companies, economic weakness that results from the tariffs could hurt those that rely on consumer spending, Morningstar analysts wrote. Most of those companies also make money from advertising and could see some slowdown there.

Media and entertainment stocks nosedived on the tariffs news.

Disney's parks and experiences generate most of its profit, and a recession would likely depress tourism and reduce attendance in that business. Disney's improving streaming business could make up for weakness in its experiences, though, the Morningstar analysts wrote.

Warner Bros. Discovery also has had recent streaming success that could provide a buffer, but it still has a big debt burden that could make it vulnerable if the credit markets tighten, the analysts wrote.

Netflix doesn't have the Disney-like moat of experiences to protect it, but it has a service that has reached utility-level status. That makes it unlikely that subscribers would cancel in droves, Morningstar analysts wrote.

Bernstein analysts, however, wrote that Netflix's growth abroad could slow if Europe imposes retaliatory tariffs. Netflix is the top streaming video service in the five largest European markets.

The company that remains the biggest wildcard: TikTok.

Some advertisers are embracing its ability to drive outcomes, thanks to steps it's taken to make it easier for marketers to manage and measure ad campaigns, NewStreet Research analysts wrote. However, other advertisers continue to hold back because of its potential for a ban or sale. Adding to the murkiness, its future could be tied to the tariffs, with Trump suggesting he could try to use them as a bargaining chip to get China to allow a sale of the app.