As offices come back, ATMO launches air monitoring device claiming to give COVID-risk score

by EuropeGadgetsHardwareStartupsTC

Way back in 2015 we covered the launch of the Atmotube, a small, innovative, portable air quality monitor which went on to receive a number of awards after its CES debut.

Since rebranding as ATMO, the company, co-founded by Vera Kozyr, is now launching the Atmocube, an indoor air quality monitoring system for businesses and enterprises. This new product is positioned far more for the post-COVID era, where air quality inside offices is going to be vital, and this time, instead of being small and portable (although that earlier product is still sold), the Atmocube will be prominent and visible in order to give office workers peace of mind that their air quality is good.

The key to this is measuring CO2 levels, which the Atmocube displays on its screen along with other metrics.

Atmotube Is A Tiny Pollution Sensor That Clears Up What’s In The Air You Breathe

The device has up to 14 sensors measuring various environmental parameters such as CO2, formaldehyde, PM1 (small airborne particles), PM2.5, ozone, and others, and other environmental parameters such as relative humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure, ambient noise, and light levels.

The company says this new device also calculates the Airborne Virus Transmission Score — based on the levels of particulate matter, humidity and CO2, and says it comes up with a “score” that estimates the probability of transferring virus diseases in closed spaces. Obviously, that’s probably something that would need independent testing to verify, but it is the case that the WHO advises that COVID-19 can be transmitted in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor settings.

Kozyr said: “Air pollution is dangerous because it can affect you and your health even if you don’t notice it. We aim to help people know what they’re breathing and make changes as a result. As businesses return to the office, they need a tool to make information about indoor air quality transparent and accessible to their employees. Most air quality monitors are designed to be hidden away, so we set out to create a device with a more transparent interface that would highlight HVAC performance safety and create trust between occupants and building owners”.

ATMO is by no means the only player in the space of course, as it’s joined by AirThings, Awair Omni and Kaiterra.

Floral_1080x1080-copy

Tile secures $40 million to take on Apple AirTag with new products

by AndroidAppleapple incAppsBluetoothGadgetsHardwareInteliPhoneMobileRecent FundingStartupsTCTechnologyUnited States

Tile, the maker of Bluetooth-powered lost item finder beacons and, more recently, a staunch Apple critic, announced today it has raised million in non-dilutive debt financing from Capital IP. The funding will be put towards investment in Tile’s finding technologies, ahead of the company’s plan to unveil a new slate of products and features that the company believes will help it to better compete with Apple’s AirTags and further expand its market.

DCIM100GOPROG0053711.JPG

GoPro debuts the HERO10 Black action camera

by GadgetsGoProHardwareTC

GoPro today announced a new flagship action camera for its lineup, the HERO10 Black. The main update for the camera is a brand new processor inside, called the GP2, which enables big improvements to image quality and video captures, including recording at 5.3K revolution at up to 60 frames per second, 4K video capture bumped to a max of 120 FPS and 2.7K video at 240 FPS, which enables awesome slow-mo capabilities.

The new HERO10 Black also offers better still images, with 23.6 megapixel captures, and better performance in low light. That improved low-light capture applies to video, too, with 3D noise reduction applied so that even nighttime scenes have a lot less grain. The improved processing capabilities of the GP2 chip also mean that using the GoPro interface and software on the camera is generally much snappier, too.

Another new feature made possible by the improved processor is the 4.0 version of HyperSmooth, which is GoPro’s tech for offering gimbal-like stabilization via software. HyperSmooth was already impressive, and based on our initial testing (a full review will follow soon), it’s fantastic on this new generation of camera. HERO10 also packs an upgraded horizon-levelling system, which locks the horizon even when the camera is tilted up to 45 degrees in either direction.

Image Credits: GoPro

The GoPro HERO10 includes a front-facing screen as well as a rear touch screen, with better frame rates on the front selfie screen. The new lens cover has a hydrophobic treatment to improve its ability to get wet and shed water, and it works with the existing Media Mod, Display Mod and Light Mod for GoPro cameras. It works as a webcam out of the box, has fast-charging support, and now offers wired content transfers to your smartphone or device in addition to cloud uploading and wireless transfer.

Also returning is GoPro’s SuperView lens, which offers an even wider angle capture, and which will be available in new 5.3K 30/25/24 FPS capture modes when a firmware update arrives on November 16. That will also deliver support for GoPro’s Max Lens Mods, as well as the following additional capture modes:

  • 5K 4:3 24fps
  • 4K 4:3 30/25/24fps
  • 5.3K 24fps
  • 1080 24fps

GoPro’s HERO10 is available now, priced at $399.98 with a bundled one-year GoPro subscription or for existing subscribers, or you’ll pay $499.99 without the recurring sub, which will cost $49.99 annually or $4.99 per month after the trial. There’s a HERO10 Black bundle that includes a Shorty tripod mount, a magnetic swivel clip, an additional battery and a 32GB microSD card for $549 without subscription, or $449 with one. GoPro subscribers can also upgrade to the bundle from their existing camera for a further discounted $399.

The company will continue to offer both the GoPro HERO9 Black and the HERO8 Black alongside the HERO10, at lower price points, as well as its MAX 360 action camera.

Home Assistant Amber

by smart home

To celebrate our 8th birthday we’re launching a crowdfunding campaign for Home Assistant Amber. We designed Home Assistant Amber from scratch for both beginners and home automation enthusiasts
to be the easiest way to run Home Assistant.

Go to campaign on CrowdSupply »

We will be hosting a Home Assistant Amber live stream today at 12.00 PDT / 21.00 CEST. We will talk about how Home Assistant Amber came to be and answer any questions you might have!

Mighty_Plus_Frontal_1

Storz & Bickel new Mighty+ vape features faster heating, USB-C and UL certification

by GadgetsHardwareTC

Image Credits: Storz & Bickel

Storz & Bickel finally updated the Mighty vaporizer. The original hit the market in October 2014 and quickly became a fan favorite despite its unwieldy form factor and market-topping price. Users point to the quality of the vapor, airflow and its certification as a medical device as primary reasons for buying the vape.

The new version is called the Mighty+ and features a ceramic-coated chamber, USB-C charging, a 60-second startup time and a new mode that will quickly boost the current temperature. And yes, this version has little feet so that it can stand vertically on a table. The Mighty+ carries a $399 MSRP and is available for purchase on September 23.

The company also updated two of its other products. The Volcano is now available in matte black, and the Crafty+ comes with a ceramic filling chamber and USB-C charging that reduces charging time by 25 minutes.

Storz & Bickel managed to get the Mighty+ certified by UL, a U.S.-based global safety certification company. The Mighty+ conforms to UL8139, becoming the first dry herb vaporizer to carry UL logo officially. To S&B, the UL certification is significant. The company has long differentiated itself from its competitors with a certification from TUV certifying two of its vapes, the Mighty and Volcano, as medical devices. The UL nod certifies the Mighty+’s components comply with the testing agency’s safety standards covering the electrical, heating, battery and charging systems.

“The Underwriters Lab (UL) came out with a certification,” said Andy Lytwynec, VP of Global Vape Business at Canopy Growth, “and it created a bullseye target for us. It took a lot of collaboration with them, and we just recently achieved certification.”

Lytwynec explained that S&B sees consumers increasingly scrutinizing vaporizer options and feels the UL certification gives owners additional peace of mind that the device will not implode in their pocket. “For S&B, we think it’s the beginning of a trend within the vaporizer market for consumers to be a bit more diligent and thoughtful, saying ‘Well, hold on a second, like, has a third party actually gone through the rigors of testing this.’ ”

The Mighty+’s new features are incremental updates developed from customer feedback. The device charges over USB-C, which can deliver an 80% charge in 40 minutes. It also heats up in 60 seconds, and hitting the temperature button three times activates an even quicker so-called Superbooster mode that quickly bumps the temp by 59 degrees. The filling chamber is now coated in ceramic, which, if nothing else, should make maintaining a clean oven a bit easier.

Mighty loyalists will be disappointed to hear the bright LED remains from the original. Some users find the screen too bright in a dark room and susceptible to UV light that dims the screens when outside. The battery system appears to be a carry-over from the original too.

The form factor is the same, except for the addition of tiny feet. The original cannot stand on its own, making filling the top-mounted bowl challenging without a third-party stand. Now there are little fins to help the Mighty+ stand on its own.

How do the changes impact performance? Unfortunately, I can’t tell you until I get the device next week.

I asked Lytwynec about the Mighty’s use of plastic in the top-mounted cooling chamber. Competitors are moving to glass or ceramic for improved taste, I pointed out. Lytwynec notes the Mighty+ is made of a new plastic polymer, and S&B is focused on using materials that allow its devices to be certified as medical devices. The company is aware of third-party accessories, but feels the current cooling chamber offers the right benefits to the consumer.

The company also unveiled a new version of the Crafty+, its smaller dry herb vape. The new model features many of the improvements found in the new Mighty+. There’s also a new version of the company’s original vape, the desktop Volcano. This new version is finished in a scratch-free matte black finish and will retail for $699 starting September 9.

Jürgen Bickel and Markus Storz founded Storz & Bickel in 2002, and in 2018, sold the company to Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth Corporation. Jürgen Bickel remains with S&B and continues to run the day-to-day operations and drive product development.

Storz & Bickel sits atop Canopy Growth Corporation’s device segment. According to Canopy’s latest financial release, S&B recorded $24.1 million in the first fiscal quarter of 2022. This marks a 41% ($7 million) year-over-year increase. This growth is attributed to an expansion of its distribution network.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article had the Mighty+ launching on September 16. That is incorrect and the article is now updated with the proper date of September 23.

Sila Nanotechnologies’ battery technology will launch in Whoop wearables

by GadgetsHealthTransportationWearables

Sila Nanotechnologies’ next-generation battery technology made its commercial product debut Wednesday in the new Whoop fitness tracker, a milestone that caps a decade of research and development by the Silicon Valley startup, all aimed at cracking the code to packing more energy into a cell at a lower cost.

Billions have been spent over the past few years on improving battery chemistry, with different startups aiming to either replace the anode or the cathode with a conversion material, like silicon or even lithium in the case of solid state companies.

Sila Nano’s battery chemistry recipe replaces graphite in a battery cell’s anode with silicon to create a more energy-dense and cheaper battery pack. Other companies, like BASF, are focusing on creating a high energy dense cathode. 

Automakers have battery anxiety, so they’re taking control of the supply

While numerous companies are working on a variety of different battery chemistries, they have yet to take over the traditional cell technology found in today’s lithium-ion cells. The Sila battery used in the upcoming Whoop 4.0, the company’s latest health and performance tracker, could be the first time in the last few decades the world has seen a next-generation battery chemistry ship to market. 

“Launching a small fitness tracker doesn’t seem like a big thing, but this is really the first device in the market that proves our breakthrough, and, over time, this will scale and lead to the electrification of everything,” Gene Berdichevsky, founder and CEO of Sila Nano, told TechCrunch.

Electric vehicles, and Sila Nano’s role in powering them, is at the top of Berdichevsky’s “electrification of everything” list. And the company has already made headway.

Sila Nano hasjoint battery ventures with BMW and Daimler to produce batteries containing the company’s silicon-anode technology, with the goal of going to market in the automotive industry by 2025. 

“You can translate this success with Whoop to cars in many ways,” said Berdichevksy. “Today, if you want a really long-range vehicle, it better be a pretty big car. The smaller the EV, the shorter the range because there’s nowhere to put the battery. But as our technology advances into the automotive market, you’ll be able to have a city car that has 400 miles of range on it. This is enabling more segments of the auto industry to electrify.” 

Whoop, which earlier this month announced a 0 million raise at a .6 billion valuation, is introducing the Whoop 4.0 as a wearable that’s 33% smaller, in large part as a result of Sila’s battery, which has about 17% higher energy density, according to Berdichevsky. Not only does a denser, better battery lead to a smaller wearable, but Whoop was able to add additional features — like a sleep coach with haptic alerts, a pulse oximeter, a skin temperature sensor and a health monitor — without compromising its five-day battery life. 

Whoop raises another $200M for its athlete-focused fitness wearable

“One of the key outcomes of enabling a chemistry like ours is it allows you to build things that couldn’t otherwise be built,” said Berdichevsky. 

In Whoop’s case, that’s referring to its new Any-Wear tech that allows the wearable to be integrated into a new line of garments like bands that can collect sensor data from areas including the torso, waist and calf.

It’s not just Sila’s chemistry that’s allowing for a successful product to go to market. It’s the scalability of the product that’s really important. Scalability has been built into Sila’s roadmap from the beginning. 

“One of the things we did very early on is we told our scientists and engineers they could only use global commodity inputs so that we know we can make enough for millions of cars,” said Berdichevsky. “Next we said you had to use only what we call ‘bulk manufacturing’ techniques, and that means you use volumetric reactors rather than planar reactors.”

An easy way to think about the difference in reactor types is through the analogy of making enough food to feed a crowd: A big pot of chili (the volumetric reactor) will go a lot further than individual pizza pies (planar reactors).

Berdichevsky also told his team that anything they created had to be able to seamlessly drop into any battery factory process, whether that factory is supplying batteries for smartphones, cars or drones. 

Sila Nano has already proven scalability twice, Berdichevsky said. The first time it scaled 100x from lab to pilot, starting with volumetric reactors that were about the size of a liter. Wednesday’s partnership with Whoop marks the second time the company has scaled up 100x, and this time to 5,000 liter reactors. To put that in relative terms, a couple of humans could probably climb into one of those reactors. The next stage of scaling will involve reactors large enough that you could drive a car through, says Berdichevsky, which is fitting, given Sila Nano’s goal of scaling up to automotive quantities over the next three years. 

“The reason we’re not in cars today is we have to go scale up 100x to have enough to really deploy in cars, but the material is the same,” said Berdichevsky. “The particles, the powder we make, it’s the same in every one of the scales we’ve made so far.”