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Ecovacs

Sure, sure, Elon Musk, the robotic uprising is coming. Someday our 'bots will achieve sentience and enslave us in their lithium mines.

I'll risk it. Housecleaning is pretty much the worst chore ever, so if a 'bot is willing to sweep and mop, I'll give it some leeway. Besides, what's it going to do, bump my ankle till it's sore? (Hey, I think I just wrote a Funny or Die script!)

If you've been wishing for your own floor-bot, wish no more: Thursday only, and while supplies last, Meh has the Ecovacs Deebot Mini 2 robot vacuum for $99, plus $5 for shipping. Elsewhere, it sells for at least $180.

This is a bare-floor cleaner, one that not only sucks (literally), but also, optionally, mops. I'm not totally clear on the latter function -- there's a removable pad, but apparently it just soaks up any liquid that might be on the floor. It's not wet itself, so it's more of a dry-mop arrangement.

And true to its name, the Mini 2 is more compact than other robot vacs, meaning it should have an easier time navigating between chair and table legs and those narrow spaces between couch and ottoman.

It's also smart enough to return to its charger when the battery gets low, and "smart" because it has Wi-Fi and can be programmed by app.

Although this model has apparently been around for six months or so, it currently has no user reviews on Amazon, which is kind of weird. And I couldn't really find any reviews elsewhere. But I've tried a couple of Ecovacs' other, larger, models and they've worked extremely well. The challenge for me: no virtual walls, so you can't keep them from going into carpeted areas or rooms where they're not wanted.

Still, if you have bare floors and hate cleaning them, this little 'bot can get it done for cheap.

Your thoughts?

Bonus deal: Sometimes I share money-saving tips via CNET's How-to section -- like, for example, how to buy glasses online and save hundreds of dollars. This post was, in part, the result of some great reader insight via Facebook and Twitter. But I'm eager to hear your thoughts as well: Where do you typically buy your glasses, and what do you typically spend? If you've ordered online, what was the outcome? Good? Bad? Other?

Sphero

Bonus deal No. 2: Speaking of 'bots (aka droids), I'll always be an R2-D2 man -- but I get that lots of people love BB-8. If you're one of them, and you've always dreamed of owning the adorable little guy, here's a Black Friday-worthy deal.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, MorningSave has the Sphero Special Edition Star Wars Battle Worn BB-8 with Force Band Trainer for $79, with free shipping when you apply promo code MORNINGSAVEBB8. He runs $96 at Amazon and $118 at Walmart.

This crazy-cool toy rolls around just like the real deal. He can act autonomously, respond to your voice and drive around via app controls. Strap on the Force Band and you can control using, well, The Force (aka hand gestures).

It's a little early to start shopping for the holidays, but this certainly would make a great gift for a kid who loves Star Wars.