Here's how often you should be replacing common household items - Alton Telegraph
Here's how often you should be replacing common household items - Alton Telegraph |
- Here's how often you should be replacing common household items - Alton Telegraph
- Break the Mold with Real-World Logistics AI and IoT - ReadWrite
- What Are the Best Air Purifiers? Try One of These Great Brands - Inverse
| Here's how often you should be replacing common household items - Alton Telegraph Posted: 08 Aug 2019 09:02 AM PDT  When was the last time you swapped out your dish sponge for a new one? What about when you last bought new pillows? And can you even remember when the water filter was changed? The truth is, there are probably quite a few things in your home that need replacing you may have forgotten (or don't even know) about. And on the flip side, there might even be a few things you've been replacing too often that, with proper care, could last you a lot longer. So, here's your room-by-room guide to making sure your household products, from your dish sponge to your air conditioner, are always replaced in a timely fashion. You'll thank yourself later! General Household Items:When to replace smoke detectors: If you've been in your home for more than a decade and have yet to swap out the smoke alarm, it's time. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, your smoke detector should be replaced entirely after 10 years (if you're unsure, you can look at the back of the alarm to see the manufacture date). Even if they seem to be working OK — it's not worth the safety risk. You should also be testing them by pressing the button once a month. How often to replace smoke-alarm batteries: Speaking of smoke detectors, make sure you're replacing the batteries every six months, too. While it's likely the batteries will last longer than six months, Consumer Reports recommends changing them anyway as a safety precaution — if you don't want to waste battery life, you can always use those batteries for other household items instead. Again, it's just not worth the risk. To make sure you don't forget, it's recommended to change the batteries when changing the clocks for daylight saving time. Air conditioners: Air conditioners can actually last quite a long time, so long as you take proper care of them meaning cleaning them properly before putting them away, changing the filters, etc. According to Plumbline Services, they should last about 10 years, maybe even up to 15, and you'll know your AC is in need of a replacement if it frequently breaks down or if the humidity in your home fluctuates while it's on. If you move into a much bigger space, you might also need to change it to ensure it's powerful enough to cool the room. In the Kitchen:Dish sponges: There's some debate about how often you should be changing your dish sponges. Some say once a week, some say once a month. The answer is, it depends on how often you use it and if you're cleaning and disinfecting it. A good rule of thumb is every two to four weeks, according to Well + Good. Water filters: If you're using a pitcher water filter, like a Brita, it's recommended by the brand that you change the filter every two months. Try labeling your water pitcher with the date of your last filter change, so you don't forget — or upgrade to a pitcher that has a monitor that will alert you when it's time. In the Bathroom:Towels: You use your towels daily to clean yourself and wash them frequently, so it shouldn't be surprising that after about two years, your towels will be in need of a replacement. Rather than tossing them out, Parachute founder Ariel Kelly told TODAY it's a good idea to repurpose your old towels as cleaning rags, or wash and donate them to a local animal shelter. Shower liners: First thing's first: You should be washing your shower liner every month, or at least every two to three months, according to Merry Maids. But if you're not washing it frequently enough, it's a good idea to replace it after a year, especially if you see any signs of mold or mildew — if you've been thorough in your cleaning and it still looks good as new, you can keep on keepin' on. Bath mats: Just like your towels, you should be replacing your bath mats every couple of years. And honestly, since you walk on it every day, it's probably going to see even more wear and tear than your towels in that time. In the meantime, Real Simple says you should be washing your bath mats weekly (you can get away with less if, say, you live alone versus a whole family sharing one bathroom) much like your towels, and hanging them to dry out after use (they need the ventilation). In the Bedroom:Sheets: After about two to three years, your sheets will start to look and feel worn (which can affect the quality of your sleep), much like your favorite T-shirt. Except you don't wear your favorite T-shirt every day, but you do sleep on your sheets every night, and wash them frequently — or at least, you should. You can make your sheets last longer by buying higher quality sheets, alternating between a few sets and washing them in cooler water. Pillows: If you've been sleeping on the same pillow for more than two years, it's time to get a new one. Along with needing a new pillow for cleanliness purposes, after a year or two — and sometimes less, depending on the pillow — your pillow won't give you the same structural support (which you definitely need) anymore. Mattresses: You know mattresses are meant to last a long time, but do you know actually how long? A good mattress should last you eight to 10 years (definitely before that 10-year mark, according to Consumer Reports), though some mattresses might need to be retired at seven years or earlier, according to The Better Sleep Council. And you won't always be able to tell by looking at it, though sagging and damage are indicators that it's time to upgrade. In this case, listen to your body — if your mattress is affecting your sleep, it's time.  |
| Break the Mold with Real-World Logistics AI and IoT - ReadWrite Posted: 19 Jul 2019 12:00 AM PDT We have been talking a lot, lately, about the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). So much so that it's now difficult to differentiate the real from the not-so-real or purely 'marketing' IoT and AI. Data mining isn't AI. Marketers have been doing it for a good three decades, and others likewise. It's using intelligent correlations and cohorts to find patterns and latent needs. That's not much that is artificial about the issue nor situation. There should be a new marketing codebook with these lines: "Thou shalt not cite IoT and AI in vain." I don't know how, but the salesperson calls my latest watch "AI enabled," whether they have AI or not. The clock is not even smart; at best, it's just digital. When you wipe off the not-so-real jargon and look at the actual applications of AI and IoT, they are aplenty. But how do we find what is actually true — in a world so taken with these terms? It's simple. Just know the story behind the pitch. Does the product or solution improve over time? In a customer-facing scenario, does it customize itself to your language (maybe like the Amazon Echo).In a more enterprise setting, does it offer better/faster delivery routes for your logistics movement each time you use it? Does it incrementally better itself with a singular goal of improving the results, learning and adjusting? If yes (to any), then it's AI. A system which learns on itself and tells right from wrong;A recent use-case comes to mind. The company I am associated with, LogiNext, used Kalman filters (algorithm). NASA made the Kalman filter famous when they used the algorithm in their effort to better direct satellites in near and outer space. According to a paper, right back from 1985,
The company in question used an updated iteration of the Kalman filter to fix vital tracking information of hundreds of trucks moving across the country. Hence, each tracking point was, then, accurate up to 3×3 yards. What's the impact?
The updated algorithm, with the layer of Kalman filter, learns from the tracking errors. It is essential as the tracking is hardware and network coverage dependent. It identifies patterns in the tracking data to understand what is 'credible' monitoring and what's an error. The system would itself know which tracking data to use and which to ignore, growing the accuracy with continued functioning. In turn, this would ensure that the information going into the system for processing and route planning is accurate. More importantly, avoiding another case of 'garbage in, garbage out.' It would be more consistent with incrementally better plans each time it's used. Here's the IoT you can use, with complete logistics streamlining.Logistics is primarily a game of Service Level Agreements, SLAs. A company/carrier needs to adhere to these basic unit agreements, SLAs, or minimum viable service levels. It may be when a shipment leaves, the quality of the truck or environment for the cargo, the time when it needs to reach, etc. These SLAs are the code of conduct for carriers, drivers, and companies. They are specific to each shipment. SLA breaches are a serious affair and may result in delays and eventual penalties. So, with SLAs at the center stage, when you must track a package from perhaps LA to NY, you would expect a continuous flow of information regarding the location and state of your package, along with tracking the adherence to the all-important SLA, the 'promised delivery time.' How is your estimated time of arrival (ETA) looking as the package is exchanged between carriers, hubs, delivery centers, and the final mile couriers? It's a dynamic logistical world where even local traffic and weather may become disruptors. If you simplify the entire end-to-end movement of your package – there's the pickup, the hub-to-hub movement, and the delivery. It's possible that all this would be dealt with different drivers, trucks, etc., changing multiple hands. How would you know if any of these drivers are more prone to speeding or delays? How would you know if the truck loaded with your package is well-equipped to handle it? All of the maneuverability allows logistic leaders to use AI right now. Here's how IoT and AI help.It's the system, an intricate-interwoven-intelligent ecosystem of software and devices where right from the moment the package leaves your hand; it's tracking capture the unique id and driver details, aligning-in all possibilities, down to the climate in New Jersey a day from the end-delivery time. This system picks the best-suited driver and trucks for the package as per the promised timelines, nature of the package (perishable, fragile, sensitive, burdensome, etc.), route requirements and delays expected/predicted, hours of service for each driver (ELD/DoT compliances), etc. All the information is beamed-up into a single screen where a manager can view all his/her trucks across state lines, and the possibilities of any delays whatsoever. This monitoring empowers the manager (and the brand involved) to take on corrective measures and avoid final delays for the end-customer. Furthermore, this kind of detailed analysis and pin-point accuracy of multiple systems seamlessly talking to each other adds on a layer of predictability. Here the manager can efficiently predict, how many, trucks would continue to accommodate the possible load coming in, correctly. This is without having the need to dip into the spot markets. Conclusion? Only the beginning for IoT, AI, and yes — Machine learning, too.All this brings us to the summation of the main 'gains' of IoT and AI with real-world applications in logistics.
Perhaps it's time we speak of AI and IoT as "tools," which they are. They aren't 'magic' solutions to each of our problems. Just last week my investment advisors told me that they could double my savings. When I asked them how they planned to do it, they quickly came back with 'We'll use AI.' The funny part was that I wasn't supposed to ask anything else. Well, I did, and now I am looking for better investment advisors. Moral: Don't let the terms bog you down. Look beyond them to the real-world applications, and they may amaze you.   |
| What Are the Best Air Purifiers? Try One of These Great Brands - Inverse Posted: 13 Jul 2019 05:03 AM PDT Indoor air quality can be a concern at any time of the year. The air in your home probably holds more pollutants and allergens than you think—pollen, pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, and more are floating around unseen. If you have allergies or are sensitive to odors like smoke, now might be a good time to look for a deal on air purifiers. We're not positive that any air purifiers will be included in Prime Day, but it's likely there will be some because we saw some great deals on air purifiers last year. And Amazon was offering some big discounts on air certain purifiers in the days leading up to Prime Day. Automatic Sleep ModeWhy We Chose It The Winix uses three-stage air purification to truly clean the air. The air goes through an Advanced Odor Control carbon filter to remove odors and catch airborne particles, and then through a true HEPA filter that captures allergens like pollen and pet dander as small as 0.3 microns. The unit also incorporates PlasmaWave Technology to neutralize odors, vapors and other pollutants. This model has four fan speeds, a sleep mode that automatically kicks in based on the amount of light in the room, and a filter replacement indicator. White NoiseWhy We Chose It In addition to a True HEPA filter, the Germ Guardian uses UV-C light to kill germs. There's also a pre-filter which traps dust and other large particles, prolonging the life of the expensive HEPA filter, plus a charcoal filter to eliminate odors. You can choose from three fan speeds, and the lowest speed also functions as a white noise generator to help you get a restful night's sleep. This air purifier is Energy Star certified and complies with guidelines from the California Air Resources Board. Large Coverage AreaWhy We Chose It The Medify air purifier is equipped with medical grade H13 filters, which are rated as even better than True HEPA filters at removing particles from the air. The H13 captures 99.97 percent of particles. With this machine's capacity, you could purify the air for an entire large apartment or one floor of a house. The Medify has a built-in particle sensor and has an indicator that uses colors to signify air quality. There's an 8-hour timer, and you can choose from four fan speeds and a night mode. Ozone FreeWhy We Chose It Levoit air purifiers are 100 percent ozone free, so people with asthma don't have to worry about ozone being added to their air. This Levoit has a three-stage filtration system, with a pre-filter, True HEPA filter, and activated carbon filter to remove particles and odor from the air in a room up to 360 square feet. This model also features a smart filter that can accurately calculate the real life of the filter – because you don't want to replace a HEPA filter when there's still life to it. The Levoit also runs very quietly, at just 27 dB, and you can set the timer for up to 12 hours. Inverse may receive a portion of sales from the post above, which was created independently from Inverse's editorial and advertising team.  |
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