Hacker News with Generative AI: Consumer Products

How Silica Gel Took Over the World (scopeofwork.net)
I find them stuffed into the toes of a new pair of sneakers. I find them wedged into a sheaf of seaweed snacks. I find them in the over-inflated bag that contains my new inhaler, and in the vacuum-sealed one puckered around my kids’ 3D printing filament.
Consumer Products, Everyday Objects, Design
219 points by Hooke 2 days ago | 168 comments
How Silica Gel Took over the World (scopeofwork.net)
I find them stuffed into the toes of a new pair of sneakers. I find them wedged into a sheaf of seaweed snacks. I find them in the over-inflated bag that contains my new inhaler, and in the vacuum-sealed one puckered around my kids’ 3D printing filament.
Consumer Products, Everyday Objects, Science
7 points by NaOH 4 days ago | 1 comments
The Pyrex Glass Controversy That Just Won't Die (2019) (gizmodo.com)
Clear glass Pyrex cookware is practically an American icon. With its pleasing heft and remarkable resilience, these famous clear pans have been essential when cooking biscuits, casseroles, and pies since 1915. There’s only one problem. A few years ago, the pans started exploding when they got too hot—which is ironic since Pyrex glass was specifically designed to be heat resistant. Some blamed a change in the glass formula and flocked to thrift stores to buy older models. Others cried hoax.
Consumer Products, History, Science
28 points by Tomte 6 days ago | 39 comments
Why do people keep buying printers they hate? (ft.com)
Why do people keep buying printers they hate?
Consumer Behavior, Technology, Consumer Products
19 points by austinallegro 16 days ago | 22 comments
Canada proposes phase out of 'forever chemicals' in consumer products (phys.org)
Canada on Wednesday proposed phasing out "forever chemicals" in many consumer products after finding them to be toxic and harmful at current high levels found in people and the environment.
Environment, Chemicals, Canada, Consumer Products, Government Regulation
4 points by PaulHoule 17 days ago | 0 comments
Show HN: Barcode Scanner to check if a product is European (fragdaspdf.de)
Enter a product barcode or scan it with your camera to check if it originates from the European Union.
Barcode Scanning, Europe, Consumer Products
33 points by mnewme 17 days ago | 4 comments
Origami measuring spoon incites fury after 9 years of Kickstarter delay hell (arstechnica.com)
An attention-grabbing Kickstarter campaign attempting to reinvent the measuring spoon has turned into a mad, mad, mad, mad world for backers after years of broken promises and thousands of missing spoons.
Crowdfunding, Kickstarter, Design, Consumer Products, Delays
13 points by Tomte 19 days ago | 7 comments
Repairable Flatpack Toaster (kaseyhou.com)
Repairable, Design, DIY, Consumer Products, Sustainability
836 points by t-3 31 days ago | 263 comments
Dangerous chemicals were detected in 100% of the braiding hair we tested (consumerreports.org)
Dangerous Chemicals Were Detected in 100% of the Braiding Hair We Tested
Consumer Products, Health, Safety, Hair Care
15 points by pessimizer 32 days ago | 4 comments
New reviews for Lumina Probiotic, the genetically engineered toothpaste (sfstandard.com)
In January of last year, a handful of tech elites flew to Honduras to try a single-use toothpaste that wasn’t available in the U.S. Shelling out up to $20,000 for a dose, they hoped the genetically engineered dental rinse might permanently ward off cavities.
Genetics, Biotechnology, Dental Health, Consumer Products, Social Commentary
4 points by tomwiddles 40 days ago | 0 comments
Jooki – Taking Control of a Forgotten Device (nv1t.github.io)
Jooki was a dream come true for parents—an intuitive, screen-free audio player that let kids enjoy music and stories with the tap of a token. But that dream turned into frustration when the company behind Jooki went bankrupt, leaving countless devices bricked and families frustrated. But what if Jooki isn’t as dead as it seems?
Hardware, Music, Startups, Consumer Products
60 points by nfriedly 53 days ago | 6 comments
Experts Call for an Immediate Ban on Magic Sponges for Household Cleaning (jasondeegan.com)
For many, magic sponges are a household cleaning miracle—an easy, no-fuss solution to remove stubborn stains with minimal effort.
Household Cleaning, Science, Consumer Products, News
22 points by mikhael 54 days ago | 9 comments
Ask HN: List of consumer AI/consumer hardware startups? (ycombinator.com)
Startups, Artificial Intelligence, Hardware, Consumer Products
7 points by iotambat 56 days ago | 5 comments
Science of Microwave Ovens (2016) (genuineideas.com)
Walk into any American kitchen, and about 95% of them contain a microwave oven. As do most break rooms, and even many gas stations. Why? Because they do their job, and do it well. Microwave ovens are fast, reheat leftovers directly in their serving tray, "nuke" popcorn with abandon, and remain cool to the touch. Yet, after a half century of popularity, microwave ovens are hardly ever used to cook a meal from scratch.
Science, Consumer Products, Technology
75 points by comebhack 57 days ago | 61 comments
Your Light Bulb Is Lying to You: Why so many LEDs look so bad (theatlantic.com)
God said, “Let there be light”—everyone knows that. But God did not specify what color light, and this would eventually prove problematic.
Lighting, Technology, Consumer Products, Design
4 points by fortran77 67 days ago | 0 comments
47% of 160 Top Selling Protein Powders Tested Exceed P65 Limit for Toxic Metals [pdf] (cleanlabelproject.org)
Health, Food, Science, Safety, Consumer Products
74 points by clumsysmurf 79 days ago | 58 comments
Sonos CEO Leaving After Botched App Revamp Led to Customer Revolt (bloomberg.com)
Sonos Inc. Chief Executive Officer Patrick Spence is leaving after eight years in the job, a move that follows a botched app revamp that upset customers and stymied growth.
Business, Technology, Leadership, Consumer Products, Customer Service
6 points by pyrophoenix 81 days ago | 3 comments
Lead and cadmium found in muscle-building protein powders, report says (wqow.com)
Over-the-counter protein powders may contain disturbing levels of lead and cadmium, with the highest amounts found in plant-based, organic and chocolate-flavored products, according to a new investigation.
Health, Supplements, Food Safety, Heavy Metals, Consumer Products
89 points by mikhael 81 days ago | 92 comments
Foods with the Most Plastic Chemicals: Study Reveals Surprising Results (newsweek.com)
From popular brands like Burger King, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Whole Foods to everyday kitchen staples such as rice and salt, a new study highlights the alarming extent of plastic contamination in foods.
Food Safety, Environmental Issues, Consumer Products, Science, Health
17 points by XzetaU8 87 days ago | 1 comments
Ask HN: Why haven't we progressed in Consumer Robots? (ycombinator.com)
I've seen countless videos about robots, but seems like up until now there isn't a meaningful product that can be considered a home robot that can do a range of things.
Robotics, Consumer Products, Technology, Artificial Intelligence
12 points by halamadrid 89 days ago | 9 comments
List of Products with Microplastics (plasticlist.org)
Microplastics, Environmental Issues, Consumer Products
6 points by IG_Semmelweiss 91 days ago | 3 comments
Researchers detect elevated levels of PFAS in fitness tracker/smartwatch bands (news.nd.edu)
Fitness trackers and smartwatch bands are the latest consumer products found to contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.
Health, Consumer Products, Research, Chemicals
15 points by gnabgib 106 days ago | 3 comments
Air fryer might be sharing your private data (techradar.com)
Privacy, Technology, Security, Consumer Products
3 points by speckx 107 days ago | 2 comments
Huge math error corrected in black plastic study; authors say it doesn't matter (arstechnica.com)
Editors of the environmental chemistry journal Chemosphere have posted an eye-catching correction to a study reporting toxic flame retardants from electronics wind up in some household products made of black plastic, including kitchen utensils.
Science, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Consumer Products, Research
173 points by ars 108 days ago | 112 comments
Startup will brick $800 emotional support robot for kids without refunds (arstechnica.com)
Startup Embodied is closing down, and its product, an $800 robot for kids ages 5 to 10, will soon be bricked.
Startups, Robotics, Consumer Products, Business
60 points by jemp 113 days ago | 2 comments
A simple math error sparked a panic about black plastic kitchen utensils (nationalpost.com)
The simple arithmetic error that unnecessarily sent countless plastic spatulas into the trash over a toxic chemical scare came to light a few days ago as Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society, sat reading a research paper in his office in the Otto Maass Chemistry building on Montreal’s Sherbrooke Street.
Science, Misinformation, Consumer Products, Chemistry
16 points by cpncrunch 113 days ago | 0 comments
Startup will brick $800 emotional support robot for kids without refunds (arstechnica.com)
Startup Embodied is closing down, and its product, an $800 robot for kids ages 5 to 10, will soon be bricked.
Startup, Robotics, Consumer Products, Business
18 points by LinuxBender 114 days ago | 1 comments
Why are cassette and CD players so bulky now? [video] (youtube.com)
Technology, Nostalgia, Consumer Products
20 points by marcher 116 days ago | 28 comments
Bevy of smart doorbell bugs earn Ekon an FCC penalty for negligence (scworld.com)
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed a $734,872 penalty against a smart doorbell manufacturer that was anything but.
Security, IoT, Consumer Products, Regulation, FCC
5 points by LinuxBender 130 days ago | 0 comments
More states ban PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' in more products (phys.org)
Legislative momentum against PFAS has surged this year, as at least 11 states enacted laws to restrict the use of "forever chemicals" in everyday consumer products or professional firefighting foam.
Environment, Legislation, Consumer Products, Chemicals
4 points by PaulHoule 150 days ago | 0 comments