air quality
Latest
How to build a box fan air filter to escape the wildfire smoke blanketing NYC
As much of the northern and eastern US finds itself enveloped in haze stemming from Canadian wildfires, Engadget has a timely how-to for building your own box air fan.
Andrew Tarantola06.07.2023
How to understand Air Quality Index alerts for NYC and the rest of the east coast
Air quality levels in parts of Canada and the US have nosedived in recent days as winds have carried smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia across the continent. Here's how to understand the EPA's Air Quality Index and what to do when pollution levels become a health concern.
Kris Holt06.07.2023
IKEA made a smart air quality sensor to track indoor pollution
IKEA has released a smart indoor air quality monitor that might improve your health.
Jon Fingas02.14.2023
Google's Nest Hub will display air quality levels as wildfire season continues
Google is updating its Nest Hub displays with a new feature that displays the air quality index (AQI).
Steve Dent08.13.2021
California's new emissions rules target diesel trucks and cargo ships
California air quality officials have passed two new measures aimed at reducing pollution from diesel trucks and ships. One rule introduces new emissions standards for heavy-duty diesel trucks, while the other requires more ships docked at ports to either plug into electric power or use other technology to reduce harmful emissions. The “Heavy-Duty Low NOx Omnibus Regulation” requires truck manufacturers to comply with tougher emissions standards, revamp engine testing procedures, and further extend engine warranties to ensure emissions are reduced, according to a statement from the California Air Resources Board.
Ann Smajstrla08.28.2020
Play Whac-A-Mole on these weather-predicting smart ceramics
Most consumer IoT devices we've come across are made out of dull plastic, so excuse us for getting a bit excited over these porcelain smart mugs and vases at IDF in Shenzhen. Yes, porcelain, courtesy of Chinese ODM Thread Technology who's integrated Intel's tiny Edison computer module into these white ware pieces. And thanks to the translucent nature of the ceramic material, the company's able to add a simple 12 x 16-dot LED touchscreen underneath the inner wall. Once turned on, you can scroll through features such as weather forecast, music (either from a phone via Bluetooth or from the 4GB of onboard storage; built-in speaker), WeChat notification (voice playback and reply supported), dice and even a simple Whac-A-Mole game. Both devices have a conductive charging mat as well.
Richard Lai04.09.2015
LED mask concept lets you smile through the pollution
There are myriad reasons for wearing a face mask. In China and parts of South East Asia, they're commonly used as protection against alarmingly poor air quality, while in Japan and elsewhere they help reduce the chance of catching airborne diseases such as flu. Helpful as they may be, they're not the most conducive to maintaining everyday social interactions. Designers Simone Rebaudengo and Paul Adams' Unmask is an experimental prototype that aims to change that by allowing wearers to show emotions through their masks.
Aaron Souppouris12.26.2014
Netatmo Urban Weather Station tells iOS users when it's safe to brave the great outdoors (video)
We haven't seen weather stations garner the same level of clever mobile integration as other pieces of household gear -- like, say, thermostats. Netatmo wants its newly available Urban Weather Station to inject a similar dose of life into a category that some of us still associate with the thermometer by the window. The aluminum tube design certainly gives a fresh look to the WiFi-linked indoor and outdoor sensors, but the real trick is the matching iOS (and eventually Android) app. It's for more than just gauging the wisdom of biking to work: the free app tracks historical trends and shares them with fellow users in a network that Netatmo hopes will provide a better understanding of wider-scale and longer-term trends. The sensors go beyond just obvious air quality, humidity, pressure and temperature conditions as well, flagging noise levels and warning if the CO2 levels are high enough to warrant airing out the house. The $179 price for the Urban Weather Station isn't trivial, but neither is knowing just how well you can cope with your environment.
Jon Fingas08.29.2012
German airports use honeybees to test air quality
You could get one of those fancy gadgets to monitor air quality as you trundle about your neck of the woods, but if you're more concerned for the environment's well-being than your own, all you apparently need is an active beehive. Eight German airports are presently using honeybees to test the air for toxins by shipping their honey to a local lab -- and for four years running, that honey's tested just fine. Last year, Dusseldorf International Airport produced 200 jars of the stuff. We wouldn't pay extra for airport honey, mind you, but we suppose we'd give it a try...
Sean Hollister07.01.2010
Sensaris wearable sensor promises to track noise and air quality
While it's not too hard to get general information about the air quality in a particular city, it's considerably tougher if you're looking to break things down on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis, or get actual real-time information. The folks at Sensaris seem to think they can change that with this new GPS-equipped wearable sensor of theirs, however, which is not only able to monitor air quality, but noise pollution as well. Of course, that information isn't all that useful on its own, so the device makes use of its built-in Bluetooth to link up with your cellphone and broadcast the data to a central service, which in turn makes it available to the public at large. What's more, while there's no word of it being put into use 'round these parts, it is apparently going to be deployed in Paris, which Sensaris hopes will just be the first of many cities to hop on board.[Via ReadWriteWeb]
Donald Melanson05.26.2009