Discussions, summarized

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• Hacker News1I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboardOver the past decade, the author built Timeframe, a family dashboard system that displays calendar, weather, and smart home data. Starting with a Magic Mirror prototype, they experimented with Kindle e-paper displays before settling on larger e-paper screens that show real-time status updates around their home. The system integrates with Home Assistant and serves as a central status indicator, only displaying relevant information when the house needs attention. Despite ongoing interest from others, challenges remain around hardware costs, deployment complexity, and full Home Assistant integration before bringing it to market.Cost and alternatives:Discussion centers on the $2000+ cost of the Boox display being prohibitive for most households. Users suggest cheaper alternatives like Waveshare e-paper panels ($40-80), jailbroken Kindles, ESP32-based solutions, and TRMNL displays for budget-conscious builders.Design philosophy and attention management:Users praise the "blank status means healthy house" approach, where the display only shows information when attention is needed rather than constantly displaying everything. This contrasts with typical smart home dashboards that overwhelm users with information.Utility vs complexity debate:Mixed opinions on whether the project represents healthy technology use or over-engineering simple tasks. Some see value in automated status displays for washing machines and calendars, while others argue these tasks are easily managed manually without expensive technology.
• Reddit science1Using scented products indoors changes the chemistry of the air, producing as much air pollution as car exhaust does outside, according to a new study. Researchers say that breathing in these nanosized particles could have serious health implications.Using scented products indoors, such as flame-free candles and wax melts, can create significant indoor air pollution comparable to car exhaust. Research by Purdue University found these products release nanosized particles that can penetrate deep into lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream, posing serious respiratory health risks.Misleading title scope:Discussion about how study only focused on wax melts but title suggests all scented products, with debate about whether findings could logically extend to other scented itemsHealth concerns from chemist:A chemist's perspective against using scented products leads to sharing of personal health impact stories, from COPD to cancer cases, and debate about necessity of artificial scentsAir purification solutions:Discussion of HEPA filters and other air purification methods as solutions, with debate about effectiveness against different types of pollutants like VOCs and nanoparticles
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