Staff Reporter

Junior Achievement team focuses on air quality |

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Junior Achievement Ramsey Grammar School ‘Kaizen’ team: Joey Callow, Ivo Morrey, Ketar Walker and Dylan OâReilly

Printed and digital download photos available

A group of high school students is creating a product to tackle the issue of poor air quality in work places.

Junior Achievement is a Manx charity which helps the island’s young people gain the skills they need when they leave full-time education. It helps students create a small business, learn to pitch ideas and formulate an understanding of how the business world works.

Kaizen, a Year 12 team from Ramsey Grammar School, want to study the high levels of carbon dioxide and its negative effects on people’s ability to process information, for example memory and focus.

The team, all 17 years old apart from Ketar Walker who is 16, will sell aloe vera plants to help reduce the levels of carbon dioxide organically as well as indoor air quality monitors.

These devices measure carbon dioxide plus the temperature, humidity, light levels, volatile organic compounds and presence of people in any given room.

Ivo Morrey, secretary to the group, said: ’The importance of this issue came to light during Covid as more people were spending longer hours indoors, so when kids went back to school in England, some schools asked pupils to bring in plants to lower CO2 levels in classrooms.

’We noticed that this problem was being highlighted recently in England and realised the Isle of Man wasn’t tackling this issue in the same way.

benefit

’We therefore felt that although there is some CO2 monitoring in schools and workplaces, awareness needed to be raised as tackling this could significantly benefit cognitive function in the school or workplace, so it seemed an obvious project for our team.’

Kaizen will be working with Manx Technology Group, which will act as an advertising agent for their indoor air quality monitors.

As part of this, they can provide access to an online dashboard for customers which presents the data recorded on their device.

Mr Morrey said: ’Data such as this is incredibly useful and can be used to visualise and assess the efficiency of the ventilation in a room, so you can ensure necessary alterations are put in place.

’To put this into context, outdoor levels of carbon dioxide tend to be around 400ppm.

’In a room with adequate ventilation this number rises to around 800ppm.

’However, in most offices and workspaces this number can unfortunately rise to 1500ppm (especially towards the end of the day).

’This can severely affect cognitive function.

’Ensuring carbon dioxide levels are monitored and tracked is therefore crucial for businesses as it helps workers remain alert and efficient.’

According to a Harvard study, after being exposed to 1,400 parts per million of carbon dioxide, cognitive function declines by 50%.

’This is therefore clearly a very important issue, so here at Kaizen we want to raise awareness and also help you find solutions,’ said the secretary.

When asked about the group’s experience with Junior Achievement so far, Mr Morrey said: ’So far Junior Achievement has been a really educational experience.

knowledge

’Previously we had little knowledge of how businesses interact and operate in the real world because there is only so much that can be learnt from studying business or other social sciences in school alone.

’Learning how to develop strategies for dealing with stressful situations like how to pitch your idea to judges or how to go about organising your team has also been really insightful.’

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NSW ECEC services warned to be vigilant about illness policy as gasto numbers spike

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

New South Wales parents are being urged to keep children at home if they are unwell following a substantial increase in the number of gastroenteritis outbreaks in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services being reported to NSW Health.

With almost 1,000 children and more than 210 staff members affected to date, NSW Health Executive Director of Health Protection Dr Richard Broome said it was important for those in the sector to be aware of the high numbers and to support parents to be aware of the need to keep children who are unwell at home.

For the month of February, 156 outbreaks of gastroenteritis in early childhood education centres were reported, representing a 97 per cent increase in the number of cases reported compared to the average for the month.

“NSW Health has notified the directors of NSW early childhood education services to an increase in viral gastroenteritis outbreaks and since then there have been further notifications of gastroenteritis outbreaks across the sector,” Dr Broome said.

Gastroenteritis information

Viral gastroenteritis is highly infectious. Viruses are spread from the vomit or stool (faeces) of an infected person. This can occur when cleaning up body fluids, during person-to-person contact, sharing of contaminated objects and occasionally inhaling airborne particles when people vomit.

Viral gastroenteritis symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, headache and muscle aches. They can take up to three days to develop and usually last between one or two days, and sometimes longer.

Advice for parents and caregivers includes:

Keep children experiencing gastroenteritis home from childcare services and school. Children should not return until 48 hours have passed since their last symptom.

Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly with soap and running water, particularly after changing nappies, assisting someone with diarrhoea and/or vomiting and before preparing food. Alcohol hand sanitiser is generally less effective than soap and water but can be used if these are not available.

Immediately and thoroughly clean contaminated surfaces with hot, soapy water and then disinfect the area using a household disinfectant. If possible, disinfect with a freshly made sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution, prepared according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Immediately remove and wash clothing or linen that may be contaminated with stool or vomit (use hot water and detergent).

Wear gloves and a mask when cleaning up bodily fluids, including vomit.

The main treatment for viral gastroenteritis is to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Most people recover without complications but it can be serious for infants, people with suppressed immune systems, and the elderly.

Please refer to information on how to prevent the spread of gastroenteritis for more information.

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Paulsboro, NJ water contamination study

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

PAULSBORO — The South Jersey town is one of eight sites in the U.S. as part of a national investigation into exposure to chemicals in drinking water.

Paulsboro residents are invited to have their blood and urine tested to see if their health has been affected by these chemicals.

Dr. Robert Laumbach, associate professor of environmental and occupational health at Rutgers School of Public Health and The Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute, is the lead on this study.

He said many people are concerned about the health effects of PFA chemicals found in the blood of almost every person tested. In Paulsboro, there is the contamination of the drinking water but nobody is sure when it started. These chemicals stay in the blood for a long period of time.

While researchers don’t know how long the water in Paulsboro has been contaminated, they also don’t know much about the health effects of these chemicals. That’s why the study is being done.

Laumbach said these PFA chemicals are used in a lot of consumer products. One of the big problems is that these chemicals don’t break down in the environment, which is why they are called “forever chemicals.” They also accumulate in our bodies over time.

In animal studies as well as some human studies, there have been adverse effects on parts of the body including the liver, kidneys, and immune system.

But Laumbach is concerned because researchers just don’t know what that level of exposure might be. They just know there is evidence of adverse health effects.

“We hope to learn more about the specific health effects of these chemicals and also at what level of exposure we should be concerned about because these chemicals don’t break down in the environment. They are found in more and more drinking water sources, they’re found in the dust at home, they’re found in various places,” Laumbach said.

What is scary, he said, is that in New Jersey, there are at least half a million residents who get their water from sources that are contaminated with PFAs at levels that exceeded the state standards on drinking levels of these compounds.

These forever chemicals are being found in almost everyone’s bodies who get tested, he said. It’s a chemical that’s being distributed throughout the environment, getting into people’s bodies and researchers need to learn more about the health effects so they can take reasonable action to reduce the exposure, Laumbach said.

In a smaller study done years ago in Paulsboro, he said people who had higher levels of a PFNA chemical found in the water supply were at the highest level ever found in the world in drinking water.

Laumbach said what they found was that residents who had higher levels of this PFNA chemical in their blood also had higher levels of cholesterol. So if people are aware of this, they can get screened and receive medical treatment to prevent high cholesterol.

“Now and as well as in the future, results of our study will be that people will know their PFAs levels,” Laumbach said.

Currently, people can get these tests done but it costs $400 or more and it’s not covered by insurance. But with the study, people can find out their PFAs levels for free, then inform their medical care providers to determine the next steps.

The Paulsboro study just started and so far 60 adults and one child have been tested. Laumbach hopes to get 1,000 adults and 300 children tested.

Jen Ursillo is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at [email protected]

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

Best coffee shops & cafes near NJ beaches

When it comes to food, New Jersey is known for many things such as pizza and pork roll. Don’t count us out when it comes to coffee.

With all the hustle and bustle involved in the average New Jersey resident’s day, coffee is essential. It doesn’t matter whether you’re living in the cities of North Jersey or the vacation spots at the shore.

In fact, as the former owner of two Jersey shore coffee houses, Coffee Dot Comedy in Sea Isle City and the Daily Grind in Ocean Grove, I know firsthand how much people at the Jersey shore love their coffee.

With respect to that, I asked my social media following where the best coffee houses at the Jersey Shore were, especially since my two places no longer exist.

Below is what they came up with. (And see this other article for their coffee shop and cafe recommendations for Central Jersey.)

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La Centinela Refurbishment / FORarquitectura

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

La Centinela Refurbishment / FORarquitectura

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https://www.archdaily.com/977504/la-centinela-refurbishment-forarquitectura

Area
Area of this architecture project

Area :
990 ft²
Year
Completion year of this architecture project

Year :

2021
Photographs
Manufacturers
Brands with products used in this architecture project
Lead Architects :

Francisco Ortega Ruiz

Text description provided by the architects. Where the furrows of the fertile land reveal the stones of the subsoil, a simple and humble dwelling from the end of the 19th century rises up. The imposing modesty of its gaze watches over the agricultural landscape and relates to it by opening its openings to the territory.

Sketch – Hallway

A century-old substandard dwelling lacking in hygienic and sanitary resources, unhealthy interior spaces due to the lack of ventilation, poor indoor air quality due to the presence of capillary damp, the absence of thermal support tools to combat the coldest time of the year and dubious safety conditions, make the longevity construction unfit for habitation.

But the strong relationship of the architecture and the building’s programme with the rural context, the appearance of a type of stone block popularly known as Cantilla among its load-bearing walls (used in the construction of the Cathedral naves in Malaga during the 18th century), the historical and landscape memory and the intention to conserve the rural heritage that is unfortunately being silenced, all these factors are driving and nourishing the concern for the preservation of the building; The architect’s concern not to let a building die, which so humbly is the biography of a staunch society that has stealthily enriched the economy of the Axarquía region, is the driving force and fuel for the architect’s restlessness.

The interior intervention consists of the structural consolidation of a roof that was on the verge of collapse due to the buckling of the wooden beams that supported it, which had been weakened by woodworm. An iron substructure was designed to support them.

The interior of the house respects the layout, opting only for the refurbishment of the spaces through the application of materials that camouflage themselves in a timeless atmosphere and coexist with those that have been recovered. In the bathroom, corridor and bedroom areas, the walls are covered up to a height of 2.10 m (doors’ dintel inclusive) with 14×28 cm Catalan tiles, creating a vertical tapestry surrounding the user in a warm environment. The rhythm of these tiles is altered on reaching the bathroom by changing their dimensions to 5×25 cm in the washbasin unit and wall, in order to highlight their functionality. Black glazed ceramic tiles indicate the wet areas such as the bathtub or the countertop in the kitchen. Earthenware tile floors that are scraped and sanded to clean them and then protected with a resin thin layer . Natural white lime mortars run up the walls, creating a salubrious environment that allows the walls to breathe and prevents condensation. These ceramic materials favour the interior thermal buffering by providing coolness in the shade during the warm season or by retaining the heat accumulated in the walls during the cold season.

The east area of the house contains the nocturnal and intimate programme (bathroom, corridor and bedroom), while the west side of the building includes the more public area (living room/workshop and kitchen). This differentiation between spaces, use and programme is further emphasised by an interior design based on the creation of atmospheres where materiality, lightning and thermal comfort embrace the user creating a rhythmic introspective journey to a sensorial plane where sobriety, calm and cosiness invite the user to reflect and contemplate space-time.

Sketch – Drawer construction

A timeless place protected from the urban invasion. It encourages reflection on the life of a construction, its history and its relationship with the place to motivate us to think about new lifestyles and the model of future sustainable architecture. What are the basic needs of human beings to inhabit a space?

[1] Pezzi Cristóbal, P. (2005). Canteras y cantería- Almayate (Málaga)-Historia; Catedral de Málaga-Diseño y Construcción. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga. Universidad de Málaga 2005

Lessons from tracking my home’s air quality for a week

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

I set up the AirThings View Plus in my office more than a week ago to measure the indoor air quality and to test whether differing conditions impacted my workflow. I learned several things — some surprising, some not so much — about air quality in the home and how it can be improved.

Does everyone need an air quality sensor? Probably not, but if you just don’t feel right or you’re afraid your air quality is affecting your work performance, a sensor like the View Plus can help.

What does the AirThings View Plus measure?

The AirThings View Plus tracks seven different air quality metrics:

Radon
PM2.5
CO2
Humidity
Temperature
VOC
Pressure

Radon is an invisible gas that most people don’t think of outside of chemistry class. Remember the noble gasses? Radon isn’t quite so noble; in fact, it’s the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

PM2.5 is a measure of the particulate matter in the air smaller than 2.5 microns wide. This includes output from cooking like smoke, but may also be pet dander, small particles of dust, and more.

CO2 is simple: The measure of carbon dioxide in the air.

Humidity and temperature are also self-explanatory, but they’re important to know. Elevated temperatures can impact cognitive performance over longer periods of time.

VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are castoffs from cleaning supplies, paints, and other materials in the home. These can affect your health in major ways. Short-term, you’ll experience headaches, sore throat, coughing, and more. Over the long term, exposure to VOCs can lead to cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

Pressure is just a measurement of the barometric pressure in your home.

It takes a week calibrate, so don’t expect immediate results

While you will get readings right away, the AirThings View Plus took about a week to calibrate completely. Once it does this, it begins to provide much more accurate readings.

The View Plus has built-in safety thresholds for different measurements. If any of these go too high, you’ll receive a push notification, along with a suggestion on how to bring the numbers down.

First things first: Don’t put your air quality monitor in front of a window. Not even a closed window. It skews the measurements in a lot of ways, but most notably temperature. Sunlight hitting the monitor will skew the temperature warmer; in fact, I had several days where it warned me the temperature was 76 degrees, when the high outside was in the mid-60s. My indoor air remains at 73 degrees.

Another reason is due to outdoor activity. Since I live in an apartment, there is often maintenance work taking place outside, usually with power tools. Weed eaters and lawn mowers exhaust CO2 during operation, which — you guessed it — my monitor picked up on. There’s also an air conditioning unit below my window, which further distorted the readings.

For the most accurate readings, place your air quality monitor near the center of your home, away from any windows. This is the area of the home where air quality is at its lowest.

So what did I learn?

I have air purifiers in multiple rooms, but they seem to only really affect that particular room. Only after I turned on an air purifier in my office did some of the numbers — especially those relating to particulates — start to drop. Vacuuming also reduces the amount of particulates in the air.

Sometimes, all it took to improve the air quality was to open a window and let some fresh air into the room. Some factors, like the humidity and barometric pressure, can’t really be changed too much. Humidifiers in a room will drive up the humidity rating, but barometric pressure is more of an external factor. It’s been a particularly rainy week here with several waves of storms, so the pressure score has been higher than on clear, sunny days.

If you suffer from health conditions like asthma, then an air quality monitor can be a solid investment. Indoor air quality can often be five times worse than outdoor air quality, especially if you don’t have sufficient airflow through your home.

With so many individuals still working from home and spending the majority of their time indoors, it’s more important than ever for us to focus on the air we breathe.

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More Minnesota companies solidifying return-to-office plans

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is ushering workers back to downtown Minneapolis on Monday, joining a host of other employers who have laid out new back-to-office plans.

Securian Financial’s employees will start coming back to the company’s St. Paul headquarters on March 22. United Natural Foods Inc., the food distribution giant that owns Cub Foods, will bring office workers back in the spring as well.

Managers at the Fed, which has about 1,000 employees in Minneapolis, started to come back in November and fully expected to reopen offices in December or January. But as the omicron variant caused COVID-19 cases to increase, the target dates were put off.

Now that cases are trending down, Neel Kashkari, the Minneapolis Fed chief, said the organization felt good about a late February return.

“I am excited to see everybody back,” Kashkari said. “I can’t believe it’s been two years. But we will see. I am sure there are going to be some hiccups along the way. There always are.”

The state’s reported positivity rate of COVID-19 diagnostic testing yo-yoed from 8.6% in the two weeks ending Dec. 20 to a record 23.5% on Jan. 10 to 7.2% on Feb. 15. It soon could drop below the state’s 5% caution threshold for substantial viral spread for the first time since Aug. 2.

Kashkari required all employees to get vaccinated this past summer and allowed people to re-enter the building on a voluntary basis. Going forward, they are expected to show up full time.

In contrast, Securian Financial notified its 3,000 headquarter workers Thursday that managers will return on a hybrid basis on March 22. Others will follow in phases starting April 5.

The move comes “after two years in a company-wide work-from-home environment,” said spokesman Jeff Bakken in an e-mail. “Hybrid work will be our new normal moving forward.”

The hybrid work model adopted by many employers is reverberating through other parts of the economy. Some skyway businesses wonder how many people will be downtown on a given day.

Bright Horizons runs more than 1,000 on-site child-care centers nationwide and provides emergency backup child-care services for employees at Target, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, United Health, 3M, Medtronic and Allianz.

With more employers recalling workers on a hybrid basis, demand for “backup child care just increased exponentially,” said Maribeth Bearfield, chief human resources officer for the chain. “Our backup business did extremely well, as people are looking for flexible options.”

Since the pandemic began, Bright Horizons opened 23 child-care centers, bought Chicago-based Sittercity and contracted with Edina-based College Nannies and Sitters to keep up with demand from working parents dealing with shifting work demands.

“Work and life have blended together” and that is changing the child-care landscape for working families, Bearfield said. “The pandemic happened and all of a sudden the way people work changes. We have people working in very different ways.”

For UNFI, going back to the office will be voluntary, said the group’s chief financial officer, John Howard.

Howard joked with Kashkari during a recent meeting that the company originally hoped to reopen its Eden Prairie offices in February, but the idea of opening anything in Minnesota during the cold month of February “didn’t sound very positive, so I think we will do it in the spring.”

Workers will need to be vaccinated to work in the offices, Howard said during a video call earlier this month while he was in Providence, R.I., opening UNFI’s office there.

Howard is looking forward to “a great return.”

“I think folks have forgotten the value of being in an office together. I am a fan of working remotely personally,” he said. “I think it serves a purpose and it has a place in the toolbox of how can we work with folks. But being in the office? And being able to just walk down the hall and talk to folks? You just can’t beat that.”

The Fed workers will join employees from Ameriprise and the city of Minneapolis, which already have returned on a hybrid basis. Some U.S. Bank workers also were set to return late this month. Xcel Energy headquarters workers will return March 7.

While Wells Fargo workers started to come back Feb. 10, most of the bank’s U.S. employees were expected to start having office days around March 14.

Officials at St. Paul-based Ecolab said they have not yet announced any return-to-work plans. The maker of disinfecting and cleaning products and services had originally hoped to begin returning workers on a voluntary basis in June 2021.

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Gain Powerblast Dish Spray Helps Me Use 50% Less Tap Water And Have Cleaner Dishes

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

Welcome to Thrifty. A weekly column where associate nutrition editor and registered dietitian, Jessica Ball, keeps it real on how to grocery shop on a budget, make healthy meals for one or two and make earth-friendly choices without overhauling your entire life.

I am a dietitian on a budget, and I live in a small apartment. I’ll admit that my kitchen situation has been less than ideal for a little while now. My primary grievance is that I don’t have a dishwasher. I love to cook essentially every day for most (if not all) of my meals, and as a result, it seems like the sink is always full of dirty dishes and pans. While I have my little tips and tricks to help me cut down on the waste associated with lots of cleaning, (I’ll turn the water off while I scrub, cut my sponges in half, etc.) there’s one product in particular that’s changed the game for me when it comes to dishes.

The new Gain Powerblast Dish Spray ($4.89, Target.com) has actually made it enjoyable to do the dishes, and that’s saying something. Usually I dread the sink filling up with dirty dish water and having to endlessly scrub to get out the remnants of difficult ingredients like melted cheese. But the Powerblast Dish Spray not only cleans much better than traditional dish soap, it actually helps me use less water, too (roughly 50% less water, to be specific). When you spray your dishes, the soap is already foamy and ready for scrubbing, so you only need water for your final rinse. Avoiding the initial rinse with water also prevents food scraps or cooking grease from getting everywhere.

The scent of this Powerblast Dish Spray is amazing and my dishes feel noticeably cleaner after using it. Plus, I have to scrub much less to get rid of any stains or stuck on food remains. Not to mention, it’s less than five dollars for a bottle and a little goes a long way so it really lasts. Gain claims the inspiration for this product was to “transform washing dishes into everyone’s favorite household task”. While I wouldn’t go that far (I still daydream of dishwashers), I have already recommended this product to everyone I know. As a person without a dishwasher who cooks at least two to three times a day, I would consider this product a must-buy.

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How to Clean a HomePod or HomePod mini

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

No matter how hard you try, electronic devices can still get dirty. If you want to clean your HomePod or HomePod mini, read this guide to get started.

It doesn’t matter how clean you keep your house, your gadgets will collect dust and grime.

This is true for the HomePod and HomePod mini, but Apple offers little guidance in cleaning these smart speakers. From our own personal experience and suggestions of others, we’ve come up with some guidelines for how to clean a HomePod or HomePod mini.

How to Clean a HomePod or HomePod Mini (According to Apple)

Apple offers only a few thoughts on how to clean your HomePod or HomePod mini. It offers much more guidance on how to keep your smart speaker from being damaged. However, there are a few important do’s and don’t’s for cleaning your HomePod.

These include:

Clean with a dry cloth, Apple says. If necessary, you can use a slightly damp cloth.
70-75% alcohol wipes are OK. Using a 70-percent isopropyl alcohol wipe is okay for gently wiping the top surface of the HomePod or HomePod mini. You’re also okay using a 75-percent ethyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipe.
Avoid household cleaning agents. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, or abrasives to clean any part of the HomePod.
No liquids. Avoid bringing your HomePod or HomePod mini in contact with any liquids.

Other than offering suggestions on placing your HomePod or HomePod mini to prevent it damaging your furniture and avoid damage to the device itself, that’s all the guidance Apple offers.

Properly Cleaning the Top Surface of Your HomePod

After trials, tests, and gathering feedback from other HomePod users, here is the most effective way to clean the top surface of your HomePod or HomePod mini. This includes the touch surface, beneath which you’ll see the swirling light for Siri and other indications of activity.

To clean the top surface of your HomePod or HomePod mini:

Unplug your HomePod or HomePod mini from the electrical outlet.
Wait 10 seconds to ensure all electrical capacitors are fully discharged.
To begin, gently wipe the top surface of the device with a microfiber cloth. Other types of cloth may be abrasive and cause scratches on the touch surface.
If dirt or marks remain, dampen the microfiber cloth slightly with distilled water, wringing out any excess moisture.
With the damp cloth, again gently wipe the touch surface of the HomePod or HomePod mini.
Should any dirt or marks still remain, use an alcohol (70-percent isopropyl or 75-percent ethyl alcohol) wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipe to gently clean them.

To be perfectly safe, most cleaning wipes intended for eyeglass or camera lenses will be just fine for the top surface of your HomePod or HomePod mini. Take care not to allow the wipe to contact the mesh fabric, though, as there is a possibility it could discolor the fabric.

Under no circumstances should you spray any cleaning solution directly on your HomePod or HomePod mini. Doing so may allow liquid to enter through the mesh fabric, damaging the electronics within.

Cleaning the Surface Beneath Your HomePod

At the same time as you clean the top surface, check under the base of your HomePod or HomePod mini. Apple has stated the silicone base does occasionally leave white marks on certain wooden desks and tabletops. Cleaning these marks sooner rather than later will help prevent them from becoming permanent.

To clean these marks, a soft cloth (damp or dry) should help. If the marks persist, you should use the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process. If this is a concern, consider moving the smart speaker to a different surface or using a HomePod coaster or stand.

How to Clean the Mesh Fabric of a HomePod

Finding out how to clean the mesh fabric of the HomePod is harder because of the sensitive electronic components that live just beneath it. It’s still perfectly doable, though, if you follow some simple steps.

To clean the mesh fabric of a HomePod or HomePod mini:

Begin with your damp microfiber cloth, using distilled water. Make sure any excess water is wrung out, and gently rub the cloth along the surface of the mesh fabric.
If dust and debris persist in the fabric, use a lint roller to remove the remaining particles. Do not press the lint roller hard against the surface, or you could damage it.
A shoe shine brush, cleansed of any cleaning solutions, can also help remove stubborn dust, dirt, or other debris. A camera lens cleaning brush is also safe to use.
Several users have had good luck cleaning impurities like these using Jason Markk Shoe Cleaner. This particular brand of brush and cleaning solution uses no harsh chemicals or abrasives that could discolor the fabric.

Possible Other Methods for Cleaning HomePod Fabric

We’ve personally tested the methods above and noticed no damage or discoloration. Other suggestions may be safe as well, but we have not tested them. They include:

Using a can of compressed air from 3-4 inches away, in light strokes. While Apple advises against this, this light exposure shouldn’t cause any damage.
Using a low-power Dyson or another handheld vacuum to remove dust and debris, then wiping the surface with a damp cloth.

How to Keep Your HomePod or HomePod Mini Clean

The best way to clean your Apple smart speaker is to only use it in a location that prevents it from being exposed to dirt and damage in the first place. If you want to make sure your HomePod or HomePod mini maintains its beauty for as long as possible, follow these tips.

Keep the HomePod indoors, and only use it there. The device is not intended for outdoor use.
Place your HomePod or HomePod mini on a higher surface, such as a shelf, where pets and children are unable to dirty it.
Keep your smart speaker away from liquids. This means avoiding places where liquid may splash, such as next to a sink or dishwasher or near open containers of liquids.
Keep the mesh fabric clear of blockages, so air can circulate optimally.
During thunderstorms, unplug it from the electrical outlet.
If the HomePod isn’t being used for a long period, unplug it.
Do not place your speaker near heat sources like radiators, ovens, stoves, or ventilation ducts.
Keep open flames and heat sources, such as candles and lit cigarettes, away from your HomePod.

If you suspect liquid or other damage to your HomePod, contact Apple Support for help. Do not attempt to open or repair the unit yourself.

More HomePod Tips and Tricks

Apple’s HomePod and HomePod mini are fantastic sources of entertainment, so be sure to make the most of what they offer.

For instance, Apple’s Intercom feature can be a great way of communicating with your friends and family. You can also pair one or two HomePod speakers with your Apple TV for an immersive home theater experience.

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Create a safer working and living space with Panasonic’s nanoe™X technology air solutions

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

While working from home is now the new normal, working remotely for long periods of time is not as good as it seems. Social isolation and difficulty separating work and home life are among the top reasons that people are increasingly reluctant to work from home. This was discovered in a recent survey — “What Workers Want” — released by Savills Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

The survey showed that most office workers would be returning to the office as they felt going to the workplace would benefit their physical and mental health and further support their professional and personal development.

However, office workers do not want the workplace to be the way it was pre-pandemic. The most obvious hurdle to their returning to the office right now is is the risk of contracting Covid-19.

The tower block of Parliament Malaysia, which houses the administrative office, is equipped with Panasonic IAQ solutions

As Covid-19 is spread via airborne particles and droplets, ensuring the safety of employees means more than just supplying masks and hand sanitiser. A crucial element is the indoor air quality (IAQ).

Quality indoor air solutions

World-leading home living quality solutions provider Panasonic had recognised even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck that clean and safe indoor air is of the utmost importance to ensure a comfortable and healthy lifestyle. In fact, more than 20 years ago, Panasonic kicked off a study on how to bring the refreshing outdoor air indoors by taking inspiration from the way Mother Nature cleans the air through natural ions called hydroxyl radicals.

In its two decades of research, Panasonic has achieved a breakthrough in synthetically producing hydroxyl radicals and patented this technology as nanoe™ and nanoe™X technol0gy. nanoe™ is an ioniser that generates nano-sized atomised water particles using electrostatic atomisation technology. It collects invisible moisture in the air and applies high voltage to it to produce hydroxyl radicals contained in the water.

The highly reactive and oxidative hydroxyl radicals have the potential to inhibit the activity of pollutants, breaking them down and neutralising their unpleasant effects, vastly improving the indoor environment. The more hydroxyl radicals there are, the more effectively bacteria and viruses can be inhibited.

nanoe™ can generate 480 billions of hydroxyl radicals per second, while nanoe™X, which was invented and introduced by Panasonic later, releases 10 to 20 times more hydroxyl radicals than nanoe™.

Back in September 2020, Panasonic had verified in a collaboration with Texcell (a contract research organisation that specialises in virus testings) the inhibitory effect of the nanoe technology on the novel coronavirus in a small test space of 45 litre using a nanoe™X device to produce hydroxyl radicals.

All the units at Mirai Residences are equipped with Panasonic’s IAQ solutions

Further, in September 2021, Panasonic, together with the Japan Textile Products Quality and Technology Center (QTEC), conductedresearch on the inhibitory effects of the nanoe technology on four novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) variants — Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta.

During the verification tests, SARS-CoV-2 and these four variants were compared in a 45-litre test space with and without exposure to nanoe™. The test confirmed that more than 99% of the activity of the five viruses was inhibited after two hours of exposure.

From the automotive and railway industry to the hospitalitysector, nanoe™- and nanoe™X-equipped air solutions are used. They can be found across 40 Japanese and European car models, Japan’s rail transport, convenience stores, hotels, schools and even the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic village, to keep the athletes in a safe environment and ensure infections are at a minimal. Most recently, luxury automobile brand Jaguar Land Rover embedded nanoe™X technology in its in-vehicle HVAC system in the new Range Rover.

Trusted brand in Malaysia

In Malaysia, the commercial applications of Panasonic’s nanoe™X-equipped air solution have been widely adopted by many familiar brands and organisations, such as S P Setia, WCT Holdings, Platinum Victory, PKT Logistics Group, Tan Chong Group, MCT, OSK Properties, Yamaha Music School, Qra Grocer, Sunway Malls, co-working space WORQ and the Parliament building.

Believing that employees are the backbone of the company, PKT Logistics group chief executive and managing director Datuk Michael Tio says the group needs to provide a safe working environment. “Our employees are our most critical asset. As employers, it is our responsibility to provide a safe and healthy working

environment for them. Good IAQ means less sickness among staff, higher productivity and better focus. Clients who visit our offices will also feel more comfortable.

SP Setia’s Setia Alam Welcome Centre is equipped with units of Panasonic’s air-e ceiling mounted nanoe™X generator

“nanoe™X tech is easy to maintain and covers a wider range. Unlike bulky air purifiers that take up too much space, nanoe technology is quite discreet. Our office space is huge, so minimal maintenance saves us a lot of manpower,” Tio says.

nanoe™X is generated with a device made of titanium that requires no maintenance and the titanium needle could easily last more than the lifespan of the product itself.

It is also worth noting that as nanoe™X hydroxyl radicals are contained in water, the particles are safe and non-chemical in nature. The sustainability feature of nanoe™X is one of the key reasons S P Setia Bhd choose Panasonic as its IAQ partner.

“As a caring employer, we are responsible for ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for our employees. Bad indoor air quality will affect the health of our employees, resulting in the likelihood of increased absenteeism and reduced productivity. We chose Panasonic’s nanoe™X technology as we believe in its track record of providing good air quality through its appliances, which have undergone rigorous lab tests with proven results,” S P Setia’s deputy president and chief operating officer Datuk Seri Koe Peng Kang says.

Over 800 units of Panasonic’s ceiling mounted nanoe™X generator have been installed in all its 29 sales galleries nationwide, playing a key role in the company’s “Freedom Bubble” — a Covid-19- safe zone where fully vaccinated visitors can have peace of mind when visiting S P Setia’s properties.

PKT Logistics Group’s office gym is equipped with units of Panasonic’s air-e ceiling mounted nanoe™ X generator

Meanwhile, MKH Bhd group managing director Tan Sri Eddy Chen Lok Loi sees nanoe™X technology as the “natural choice” for inhibiting virus activity.

“With Panasonic’s lab-proven nanoe™X technology that can help combat bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, as well as its ability to inhibit pollutants, deodorise the space while inhibiting allergens and mould, coupled with the well-known reliability of the Panasonic brand and products, it is our natural choice,” Chen says. MKH and Panasonic have had a long and close working relationship since pre-Covid times, with the former using the efficient built-in air purification systems called PureTech and Energy Recovery Ventilator.

“From the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, a well-ventilated indoor space was critical in helping reduce the risk of exposure to the virus, especially over a prolonged period. High IAQ means reduced health risks, a healthier body and a peace of mind to focus on the things that matter,” says Chen.

New technologies

In accordance with Panasonic’s corporate slogan, “A Better Life, A Better World”, Panasonic Corp’s QAFL (quality air for life) Business Promotion Office managing director Ichiro Suganuma says its mission is to continually contribute to society by coming up with new technologies to adapt to new lifestyles and environmental changes.

“The coronavirus pandemic has been the catalyst for us to accelerate the introduction and implementation of nanoe™X technology — Panasonic’s patented air purification technology that has been verified to be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Nanoe technology has been at the forefront of our research and development for more than two decades.

Contribute to society with better IAQ solutions — “Panasonic’s contribution to society is by offering solutions to improve IAQ, creating safer indoor spaces and healthier living for consumers.” — Suganuma, Panasonic

High IAQ means reduced health risks, a healthier body and a peace of mind to focus on things that matter.” — Chen, MKH Bhd

“We have long-term plans to expand our nanoe™X-equipped products to cover a wider range, so more consumers around the world, including the B2B (business-to-business) and the B2G (business-to-government) markets, can enjoy the benefits and protection of our unique proprietary technology. Panasonic’s contribution to society is by offering solutions to improve IAQ, creating safer spaces and healthier living for consumers,” he says.

Most of Panasonic’s air solution products across the consumer and commercial categories incorporate nanoe™X technology. For the home, Panasonic’s range of air purifiers, air conditioners, air-e ceiling mounted nanoe™X generator and portable nanoe™X generator are equipped with nanoe™X, making them suitable for living spaces.

Meanwhile, any commercial outfits can employ Panasonic’s latest NX series of single-split packaged air-conditioner systems consisting of one-to-one combinations (one indoor and one outdoor unit) across various types of indoor units such as cassette, duct and ceiling.

Creating a safe community where people can Live, Learn, Work and Play — “nanoe™X supports S P Setia’s initiative [Freedom Bubble], a Covid-19-safe zone where fully vaccinated visitors can have peace of mind when visiting S P Setia’s properties.” — Koe, S P Setia

Building confidence to return to offices and colleges — “nanoe™X technology is quite discreet. Our office is huge, so minimal maintenance saves us a lot of manpower.” — Tio, PKT Logistics

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Michigan has ‘one of the greatest sources of fresh water in the world.’ But it may not enough

February 27, 2022 by Staff Reporter

ALLENDALE, Mich. – Dale Buist knew running a commercial greenhouse would pose challenges. He just never expected a water shortage to be among them. Not in Michigan, with its vast aquatic riches.

Yet a couple of irrigation wells yielded only a trickle. And one quickly ran dry.

He installed equipment to capture rainwater for the plants. Then a drinking water well failed. Finally, Buist spent $350,000 connecting to a pipeline that supplies nearby Grand Rapids.

“My greenhouse sits 12 miles from Lake Michigan, one of the greatest sources of fresh water in the world,” the Ottawa County grower said. “And I didn’t have enough.”

His struggle, resulting from a geological quirk and heavy demand from farmers, developers and homeowners in a surging section of southwest Michigan, is a cautionary tale for a state counting on its reputation as a water paradise to be a competitive economic advantage as climate change afflicts hotter, drier regions.

Some futurists depict Michigan and the Great Lakes as “climate havens” that will lure people and businesses weary of worsening drought, wildfire, hurricanes and other disasters. Not so fast, skeptics say. Amid images of abundance lurk problems with pollution, overuse and deteriorating infrastructure.

Outsiders “see these five enormous lakes and assume there’s more than enough water for everybody,” said David Dempsey, an environmental analyst for government agencies and activist groups. “But we have tons of unresolved problems.”

Blue-Economy Blues

The Great Lakes region is striving to shed its worn out Rust Belt image by developing a “blue economy” that leverages its abundant fresh water. Around the lakes, many cities are promoting water-based tourism and technologies while converting urban riverfronts from industrial wastelands to parks and condominiums.

The strategy would seem especially suited to Michigan. Surrounded on three sides by four of the Great Lakes, it also boasts 11,000 inland lakes and 76,000 miles of rivers and streams.

“We are a state geographically and culturally defined by our water,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at a conference last year.

But clean, affordable water isn’t as available as it seems.

Lead pollution has made the cities of Flint and Benton Harbor symbols of neglect disproportionately harming poor, largely minority communities. Water bills are soaring in some areas as infrastructure deteriorates, a recent University of Michigan study found.

Toxic chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, contaminate wells around the state. Industrial waste, farm runoff and sewage trigger algae blooms and prompt occasional warnings about swimming in the lakes or eating too many of their fish.

And while Michigan does not share the growing crisis with depleted reservoirs and aquifers that haunts the West, that situation may be about to change — at least in high-demand areas.

The reason: Despite all that surface water, nearly half of Michigan’s residents get their supplies from underground. The state has the most household wells in the U.S.

Collectively, the Great Lakes region is believed to have enough groundwater to fill another Lake Huron. But it isn’t evenly distributed or accessible.

“This resource is vast but it’s finite and the public isn’t aware of that,” said David Lusch, a geography professor emeritus with Michigan State University. “We’ve all grown up with this bias that we’re the water wonderland and how could we possibly have a shortage?”

Glaciers that scoured the landscape before melting to form the Great Lakes left a jumble of subsurface rock formations, some holding more water than others, said John Yellich, director of the Michigan Geological Survey. Where soils are rich with sand and gravel, rain oozes deep underground, replacing water sucked out for irrigation, industry or home uses.

But in spots, thick clay prevents surface water from replenishing aquifers. Heavy pumping can send levels perilously low — and draw up salty remnants of oceans that covered the continent eons ago.

Michigan is behind on detailed mapping of its underground waters, so the extent of its vulnerability is unknown, Yellich said.

“For some parts of the state it’s a crapshoot,” he said.

In at least one place, the danger is clear.

So close, yet so far

Ottawa is the fastest growing county in Michigan and Allendale Township its boomtown — a Grand Rapids bedroom community home to Grand Valley State University. The main thoroughfare is lined with chain restaurants and stores. The Grand River, longest statewide, winds toward Lake Michigan past blueberry farms and cornfields mingled with newer subdivisions.

As Buist battled balky greenhouse wells, local officials juggled reports of salty irrigation water from farmers and spotty supplies in residential developments. Studies found the clay-topped aquifer below had plummeted 40 feet since the 1990s, said Paul Sachs, county director of strategic impact.

It’s a sore point for Chip Rybicki, a fifth-grade teacher whose family was first to occupy a new cul-de-sac in next-door Blendon Township five years ago.

“Nobody said, ‘Hey, do you realize there’s a lack of groundwater and you’re on a well?’” he lamented.

As his lawn sprinkler ran one summer day in 2019, “I heard this spitting and sputtering … like when you go down to the bottom of a glass with a straw,” he said. “We were running out of water.”

He cut back on sprinkling — “I’d rather have an eyesore than no water” — but many others haven’t.

“People say, ‘Hey, I’m not watering that much,’ but add up thousands of homes and it’s a lot,” said Kelly Rice, president of the Ottawa parks commission.

She has defeated several citations alleging violation of rural “noxious weed” and road vision ordinances after replacing water-gorging turf grass with native shrubs on her 5 acres.

A county plan warns of dire consequences unless things change: dry wells; crop failures; health problems from drinking water with excess sodium.

An advisory board is considering policies such as limiting well-dependent subdivisions, which might encounter resistance in the Republican-heavy county where Donald Trump received 60% support in 2020.

But an Allendale ordinance already requires that new residential projects connect to city water. Residents “will appreciate it when they turn on the faucet,” township Supervisor Adam Elenbaas said.

Only the Beginning?

Some other parts of Michigan have geology like Ottawa County’s and “the potential is there for similar issues,” said Jim Milne, a water supervisor with the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

Demand is rising, particularly where farms are stepping up irrigation.

“Groundwater is a natural resource in peril,” Michigan academics and regulators said in an October report arguing for more protection from overuse and pollution.

Inland communities that run short can’t count on a bailout from the Great Lakes. They supply nearly 300 of the state’s public water systems — but mostly in coastal areas. Pipeline projects are very expensive and must meet rigorous environmental standards.

Instead, experts recommend persuading people to take conservation seriously.

“Marketing the blue economy is a good idea,” said Alan Steinman, a Grand Valley State water quality professor. “But we don’t want to go the way of the lumber barons who said they saw a century’s worth of timber in Michigan and wiped it out in 10 years.”

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Originally Appeared Here