SEATTLE — By Patricia Pending, AI Bee Reel Staff

February 19, 2026

BOISE, Idaho — Local resident Brad Heston sat in his flannel pajamas eating generic bran flakes this morning, casually tapping "Clean" on his phone app. He remained blissfully unaware that 5,000 miles away, a thousand cats were simultaneously jumping onto curtains in terror as their owners’ vacuums sprang to life unbidden.

"We view this as an unintentional neighborhood watch program," said Mark Davis, VP of Unsolicited Assistance. "When one user cleans, everyone cleans. It is the ultimate expression of the shared economy." The incident began when a user tried connecting his vacuum to a PlayStation controller, inadvertently unlocking administrative access to every device in the hemisphere.

"Technically, the floors are cleaner," explained Linda Vance, Chief Privacy Officer. "Most users do not even notice a stranger is driving their vacuum until it chases them into the bathroom. It is a small price to pay for total connectivity." She noted that users can opt out by unplugging their router and moving to a cave.

At press time, Heston pressed "Empty Bin," accidentally dumping dust onto the carpets of three thousand living rooms across Europe.

Inspired by the real story: A security researcher accidentally gained control of thousands of robots while trying to hack his own device. Read the full story.