All posts tagged: Filter

University of Florida PFAS filter removes forever chemicals

University of Florida PFAS filter removes forever chemicals

Published by skeptic

Chemical engineers at the University of Florida have developed a new PFAS filter that removes harmful “forever chemicals” from water more effectively than many existing commercial filtration materials. The innovation could offer a safer and more sustainable approach to tackling one of the world’s most persistent water contamination challenges. The research focuses on removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial processes and consumer products. These compounds are notoriously difficult to eliminate because they persist in the environment and have been associated with health concerns, including certain cancers and developmental problems. Published in the journal Energy and Environmental Materials, the study demonstrates that the newly developed gel-based material captures one of the most common PFAS compounds while avoiding the use of fluorinated materials within the filter itself. The team is now working to refine the technology for potential use in municipal and commercial water treatment systems. Gel-based PFAS filter improves contaminant capture Unlike many traditional filtration materials that rely on surface adsorption, the new PFAS filter allows contaminants …

FILTER vs XLOOKUP: Which Excel Function is Better?

FILTER vs XLOOKUP: Which Excel Function is Better?

Published by skeptic

The Excel FILTER function is a versatile yet often overlooked feature that can significantly enhance your data analysis workflow. Unlike VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP, FILTER excels at returning multiple matching results simultaneously, making it particularly useful for tasks like extracting all transactions from a specific region or isolating data based on multiple criteria. Excel Off The Grid highlights how this function can simplify complex lookups, such as retrieving the nth match or combining results with other functions like INDEX, allowing users to handle intricate datasets with ease. In this guide, you’ll explore how to apply FILTER to both basic and advanced scenarios, including ranking tasks and aggregating filtered results. Learn how to pair FILTER with functions like MAX or MIN to pinpoint key values within your dataset, or use logical conditions to handle approximate matches. By the end, you’ll have actionable strategies to streamline your data analysis and unlock new possibilities with this underutilized function. Why FILTER Excels as a Lookup Tool TL;DR Key Takeaways : The FILTER function in Excel is a versatile tool that …

OpenAI launches Privacy Filter, an open source, on-device data sanitization model that removes personal information from enterprise datasets

OpenAI launches Privacy Filter, an open source, on-device data sanitization model that removes personal information from enterprise datasets

Published by skeptic

In a significant shift toward local-first privacy infrastructure, OpenAI has released Privacy Filter, a specialized open-source model designed to detect and redact personally identifiable information (PII) before it ever reaches a cloud-based server. Launched today on AI code sharing community Hugging Face under a permissive Apache 2.0 license, the tool addresses a growing industry bottleneck: the risk of sensitive data “leaking” into training sets or being exposed during high-throughput inference. By providing a 1.5-billion-parameter model that can run on a standard laptop or directly in a web browser, the company is effectively handing developers a “privacy-by-design” toolkit that functions as a sophisticated, context-aware digital shredder. Though OpenAI was founded with a focus on open source models such as this, the company shifted during the ChatGPT era to providing more proprietary (“closed source”) models available only through its website, apps, and API — only to return to open source in a big way last year with the launch of the gpt-oss family of language models. In that light, and combined with OpenAI’s recent open sourcing of …

I Tried an Air Purifier Designed to Filter Out Weed and Cigarette Smoke

I Tried an Air Purifier Designed to Filter Out Weed and Cigarette Smoke

Published by skeptic

In the US and globally, April 20 has become an unofficial holiday for weed smokers. While vaping, gummies and edibles are increasingly popular, a fair number of people still light up for a smoke, and that can result in a lingering odor many find unpleasant. I’m one of those people, and GermGuardian’s new FLT420B air purifier filter is designed to remove cannabis smoke more effectively than standard air purifier filters.“As cannabis use becomes more widely accepted, we recognized a real gap in the market for a filter purpose-built to tackle cannabis smoke odors, not just mask them,” said Rukky Ojakovo, senior director of heaters and air quality at Guardian Technologies. “In our two-week in-home test, over 90% of users rated it very effective at reducing cannabis odor.” GermGuardian’s new air purifier filter can help remove the lingering smell of cannabis smoke and other VOCs.  GermGuardian I’ve been using the FLT420B filter in my home with a GermGuardian AC4880B air purifier for several weeks now, and I’ve been impressed with just how effectively it tackles smoke odors. …

This New Air Purifier Filter Can Remove Cannabis Smoke Odor, Just in Time for 4/20

This New Air Purifier Filter Can Remove Cannabis Smoke Odor, Just in Time for 4/20

Published by skeptic

In the US and globally, April 20 has become an unofficial holiday for weed smokers. While vaping, gummies and edibles are increasingly popular, a fair number of people still light up for a smoke, and that can result in a lingering odor many find unpleasant. I’m one of those people, and GermGuardian’s new FLT420B air purifier filter is designed to filter out cannabis smoke more effectively than regular air purifier filters.“As cannabis use becomes more widely accepted, we recognized a real gap in the market for a filter purpose-built to tackle cannabis smoke odors, not just mask them,” said Rukky Ojakovo, senior director of heaters and air quality at Guardian Technologies. “In our two-week in-home test, over 90% of users rated it very effective at reducing cannabis odor.” I’ve been using the FLT420B filter in my home with a GermGuardian AC4880B air purifier for several weeks now, and I’ve been impressed with just how effectively it tackles smoke odors. In my case, the odor is more from cigarette smoke than marijuana (I had the great misfortunate …

The 4 Best Water Filter Pitchers (2026): PFAS, Microplastics

The 4 Best Water Filter Pitchers (2026): PFAS, Microplastics

Published by skeptic

This does not amount to an antimicrobial certification, hence Lifestraw’s caution to market the device for anything but municipal water. But if my primary worry were the bacteria or mold known to potentially accumulate in other water filters and pitchers, I would certainly spring for this Lifestraw. The same IAPMO India lab data also shows good removal of PFAS and PFOA “forever chemicals,” though not quite to the levels of my top filter picks. This doesn’t mean the filter is perfect. The Home’s tall dual-stage filter, comprising both a membrane filter and a replaceable activated carbon filter, causes the 10-cup Lifestraw to be quite lofty for a fridge pitcher: about 13 inches tall. It only fits in my refrigerator because I’d already removed a shelf to allow for tall bottles and meal kit boxes. The Lifestraw filter is also among the slowest I’ve tested, requiring more than 20 minutes to filter on the 10-cup pitcher. And while it removes free chlorine, it does not remove chloramine—a more stable disinfectant found in about half of municipal …

The Waterdrop G3P800 water filter system provides clean, filtered water without a wait

The Waterdrop G3P800 water filter system provides clean, filtered water without a wait

Published by Jenni Sidey

Sign Up For Goods 🛍️ Product news, reviews, and must-have deals. If you’ve ever Googled “what’s actually in my tap water,” you’ve probably scared yourself into at least considering a filtration system. The Waterdrop G3P800 is a tankless reverse osmosis system that promises to strip out PFAS and other contaminants while delivering filtered water fast enough that you won’t notice a difference from your regular faucet. After spending a month with it installed under my kitchen sink, I can say it largely delivers on those promises, while allowing a relatively simple DIY installation. G3P800 RO System See It Pros 800 GPD flow rate fills a cup in roughly 5 seconds—no waiting around Tankless design saves significant under-sink space compared to traditional RO systems NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, and 372 certified with independent lab-verified PFAS removal Smart faucet with built-in TDS meter lets you see water quality in real time UV LED sterilization adds a layer of protection against bacteria and viruses 3:1 pure-to-drain ratio is significantly more efficient than older RO systems DIY installation is …

HigherDose Red Light Shower Filter Review (2026): Filter Needed

HigherDose Red Light Shower Filter Review (2026): Filter Needed

Published by skeptic

The ring of red LEDs is charged separately via USB-C (this takes an hour and a half to charge fully), and can then be pushed up onto the showerhead and rotated to lock in place. The water-resistant, covered charging port is positioned away from where the water flows. One full charge is good for a couple hours of showers, which for most people is at least a week’s worth. The showerhead does have a power switch. But it’s best operated via its little shower-safe remote control, which is also charged by USB-C. Click the On button, and the remote will pair with the showerhead. The red light turns on for 5, 10, or 15 minutes. This works just fine, though it’d be nice if the buttons were more clearly marked than just with raised black text on a black button. Finding the power button, which looks like the other buttons, requires trial and error. But once you’ve got the remote figured out, the red light does indeed offer relaxation and a little bit of drama …

NVIDIA CEO defends DLSS 5 as gamers label it an ‘AI slop filter’

NVIDIA CEO defends DLSS 5 as gamers label it an ‘AI slop filter’

Published by skeptic

NVIDIA revealed NVIDIA DLSS 5 on Monday, a new rendering model that uses AI to add “photoreal lighting and materials” to video game graphics. The internet immediately hated it, criticising DLSS 5 for erasing games’ intentional artistic styles by basically adding an “AI slop filter.” Now CEO Jensen Huang has responded to DLSS 5’s critics, stating that they are “completely wrong.” SEE ALSO: Nvidia DLSS 5 games list: Every supported title we know so far DLSS 5 was unveiled during the NVIDIA GTC keynote, accompanied by a video showcasing the AI tool in action. Displaying clips from games such as Resident Evil Requiem, Hogwarts Legacy, and Starfield, the video compared graphics in their original state to with DLSS 5 turned on, the AI giving them a more photorealistic look. “DLSS 5 is the GPT moment for graphics — blending handcrafted rendering with generative AI to deliver a dramatic leap in visual realism while preserving the control artists need for creative expression,” Huang said in a press release.  Gamers lambast NVIDIA DLSS 5 as ‘AI slop …

Roblox launches real-time AI chat rephrasing to filter out banned language

Roblox launches real-time AI chat rephrasing to filter out banned language

Published by skeptic

Roblox is introducing a real-time, AI-powered chat rephrasing feature that automatically replaces banned words with more respectful language, the company announced on Thursday. The new feature goes beyond Roblox’s current text filter, which simply replaces banned words and phrases with the “#” symbol. But Roblox says that when users encounter strings of “####,” conversations can be disrupted and hard to follow. Now, instead of simply displaying hash marks, filtered text will be rephrased into more respectful language that is close to the user’s original intent. For example, a message that reads “Hurry TF up!” would previously have appeared as “####,” but will now be rephrased to “Hurry up!” Everyone in the chat is notified that the message has been rephrased to keep the conversation civil, Roblox says. “Chat is central to how people connect, coordinate, and play on Roblox,” said Rajiv Bhatia, Vice President of User and Discovery Product at Roblox, in a press release. “Real-time rephrasing helps keep gameplay and conversations on track while guiding language toward what’s appropriate. This approach reduces friction in …