Honeywell Water Leak and Freeze Detector explained

Small issues can develop into major problems if they aren’t dealt quickly. Spilling red wine on a cream carpet for example, isn’t something you want to leave unattended for too long. While in this case it wouldn’t be catastrophic if you did, aside from needing a new carpet, there are some small problems that could result in serious problems if they aren’t handled, such as a water leak.

The implications of not dealing with a water leak have the potential to be a lot worse for your home than a red wine stain. We’re not just talking a new carpet, we could be talking several new carpets, at best. Worst case scenario, you’re looking at a flood that could destroy your entire home and everything in it.

A water leak is of course not as easy to detect as a huge red patch on your pristine floor, but it can be if you have the right equipment. Honeywell has something called the Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector that will notify you of a drip or potential freezing through an app before these issues turn into a flood or a burst pipe.

Floods are one of the biggest insurance claims and many of them start with a simple leak. The Honeywell detector provides you with the information to stop something small, turn into something huge. Here’s everything you need to know about Honeywell’s water leak detector…

Honeywell Water Leak Detector: What is it?

Honeywell has described its Lyric Water Leak and Freeze Detector as an “early warning system that notifies you on your smartphone when a leak is detected or the temperature drops below a temperature of your choice.” The idea is that by catching things early, you can avoid pipe breaks, water damage, expensive repairs, and the loss of items. The detector has a list price of $79.99.

You can control the detector and manage your alerts via the Honeywell Lyric app. The Lyric app also guides you through setup with step-by-step instructions. The detector can be used with a 4-foot cable sensor that also detects water but you can get longer cords up to 500 feet in length. The device itself connects to standard home Wi-Fi directly with no need for a hub, and it has status LED lights and a buzzer for leak detection.

The detector can also measure temperature and humidity. Its built-in sensors have the ability to record and log your humidity and temperature of the area you are monitoring, and you can view all these stats via the Lyric app.

Honeywell Water Leak Detector: What’s in the box?

When you buy the Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector, you will get the detector and three AA alkaline batteries. You can also get an optional cable sensor and optional mounting screw.

Honeywell Water Leak Detector: Where does it go?

The detector and optional cable sensor can be placed where leaks are likely to occur such as the the bottom level of your home, near water sources, or anywhere you think leaks or freezing are possible.

Examples include floor drains, water heaters, sump pumps, washing machines, kitchens, sinks, toilets, and so on. Keep in mind you can connect multiple detectors to the Lyric app to cover the whole home.

Honeywell Water Leak Detector: How do you set it up?

To setup and use your new detector, search for Honeywell Lyric in the App Store or Google Play.

After downloading the Lyric app, setup a new account and follow the instructions in the Lyric app. You’ll need to ensure your Bluetooth is turned on for your Android phone or iPhone. 

The detector uses three AA batteries so make sure you open the battery cover on the detector and install the batteries before you try to register your new detector within the app.

To register your detector in the Lyric app, go to Menu, and then Add New Device. You will also need to provide a location for your detector and enter your Wi-Fi password. The detector’s LED will turn green for five minutes when connected to Wi-Fi.

An audible alert will sound and your detector’s LED will turn blue to indicate your detector is paired. Continue to follow instructions in the Lyric app to configure your detector such as setting levels for humidity and temperature warnings.

Honeywell Water Leak Detector: How does it work?

Simple: once the water leak detector detects a leak through the sensor probe or cable sensor, the detector itself will buzz and the LED lights will blink red. You will also receive in-app, push, or email notification, depending on your settings. Similarly, if the temperature goes below your set threshold, you will again be notified through in-app, push, or email notifications.

If the detector is not connected to your home’s Wi-Fi, the detector will still sound a 100dB alarm when it senses water as it does when it is connected, but you will not receive in-app, push, or email notification.

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Gene-edited organisms aren’t ready for the real world

Gene editing holds the promise of eliminating diseases and perfecting humanity, but is it truly ready for real life? Not by a long shot, if you ask the National Academy of Sciences. It just issued a report warning that organisms modified with gene drives (that is, genetic additions meant to propagate through reproduction) “are not ready” to be released in the wild. We don’t understand enough about how they work, the report says, whether it’s their inner workings, their ethical questions or their impact on the environment.

The consequences could be dire, the Academy says. You could accidentally wipe out an animal population (and not necessarily the one you were targeting), or inadvertently create a super-species that’s resistant to your attempts to shut it down. Even a field test could quickly spiral out of control.

And the solution? The committee involved in the report has a few ideas. It wants phased testing that gives scientists more opportunities to collect evidence before making decisions. It also wants more input from the public, and governance that’s both more flexible and takes gene drives into account. The Academy is in favor of gene editing — it just wants to be sure that the technology is used responsibly.

Source: National Academies

Airbnb makes it easier to find a place to stay with your friends

Airbnb addressed the problem of racist hosts at the beginning of its OpenAir conference today, but the event is primarily focused on new technology and products. As such, VP of technology Mike Curtis quickly took the stage to announce three new products: group collaborative wish lists, an improved booking process for business travelers and multi-party reviews for when a group of guests stay at a property.

To most users of Airbnb, the collaborative wish are probably be the most notable new feature. For a while now, you’ve been able to book a place on Airbnb and then invite other guests to view the details for the stay. But now, you can get your friends involved earlier in the search process and have multiple users save different homes to a shared wish list. From there, you can vote on your favorite option; once you book, the property will be shared with everyone’s account so your friends can see the details of your final choice.

The multi-party review system builds on the concept of group trips. Previously, hosts could only rate or review the single person who actually booked the property, even if multiple other people stayed at the house. Now, a host can write a review that applies to all the guests in your group; hopefully you stay with respectable friends, otherwise your reputation could take a hit. Of course, for both of these features, your friends will need Airbnb accounts to join in the fun.

The last new feature is more focused on business travelers, something Airbnb says is a core part of its business — in fact, the company says that business travel has tripled on Airbnb in 2016 so far. The new third-party booking feature will let another authorized individual (like a company’s travel manager) complete a booking on behalf of an Airbnb user. The company already sees 11 percent of Airbnb useres booking for another individual, so this feature should ease the friction there. All of these new features should roll out immediately.

Source: Airbnb

UK spies may have risked lives by collecting too much data

One of the common arguments against mass surveillance is that it could backfire: you might collect so much data that finding crucial info becomes difficult. As it turns out, that’s a well-founded theory. A 2010 UK report leaked by Edward Snowden warned that MI5 spies were collecting so much data that there was a real risk of an “intelligence failure” where it would miss info that could save lives. Without enough staff and tools, it simply couldn’t handle the sheer glut of raw surveillance content.

GCHQ’s snoops have had problems, too. In 2009, a study revealed that 97 percent of data collected on surveillance targets hadn’t even been seen. There was a real risk that something important might slip between the cracks, according to the findings. And there are more privacy concerns than previously thought. GCHQ would later offer internet metadata to other British agencies (such as MI5 and tax agents) as part of a sharing program codenamed Milkwhite, giving them information about suspects that they either wouldn’t have or would need to collect themselves.

While this was more of a warning than a definitive conclusion, the Intercept notes that there have been some real-world examples of mass surveillance failures leading to deaths. The extremists who murdered British soldier Lee Rigby in London were already known to MI5, but officials missed call and messaging records that would have revealed the killers’ intentions. Like it or not, governments may need to worry less about expanding their powers and more about reining themselves in — targeted spying could actually provide more useful intelligence.

Source: The Intercept