But, age has changed me.
These days, my wheezing lungs seem to notice variance in air more.
Once this has happened, the Foobot starts monitoring the surrounding air quality.
On a superficial level it does this with some LEDs that circle the unit.
Theyre blue when stuffs a-okay and an orange color when theyre, uh, not.
Right, but what does that actually mean?
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Volatile compounds:These are carbon based vapors, such as benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene.
These can arise from a range of sources, including paint, detergent, air-freshener, and similar products.
Carbon dioxide is self-explanatory.
Instead, it works it out from the volatile compounds reading, so may not be entirely accurate.
Okay… does it work?
Well, I put it through a couple of unscientific homemade tests.
One involved me burning some incense, which should count as fine particles.
I also burnt a bit of oil while cooking, which turned the Foobot orange.
You know, like this:
All this wasnt enough though.
I needed to know how the Foobot reacted in real-time.
So I sprayed it with some air-freshener.
Damn son, Im gonna get one!
Well, not quite so fast.
Takethis storyfrom David Heinemeier Hansson, the creator of Ruby on Rails, for example.
Due to a problem with the air in his house, he purchased three Foobots.
There are some important points on both sides here.
We have to take Hanssons story seriously, while understanding where he went wrong.
What did you actually use it for?
Now were getting into the crux of the matter.
I didnt use it for… much.
When the machine costs $199, Im not sure if Im engaged enough.
The main problem I have is that if I have bad air quality, what do I do?
How am I meant to improve it?
And, if that doesnt work?
Well, you just have to live with the knowledge that your air is garbage.
Whos this for then?
Its for the connected-home enthusiast and the person who worries about the air quality in their home.
Just dont rely on it completely, okay?
Just dont expect it to cure your cough.
