Mold, humidity, and why your AC drain matters
Oct 22 A bipartisan House bill, the MOLD Act (H.R. 7188), would require independent inspections of privatized military housing, and those inspections specifically include HVAC. The bill defines acceptable indoor relative humidity as under 50%. SMACNA, the sheet metal and air conditioning contractors' association, backs it and calls these mold problems "at their root, mechanical systems failures." ACHR News reminds techs to check condensate drainage, drain pan slope and duct insulation in unconditioned spaces, and points out that bringing in more outdoor air isn't automatically the fix for humidity. The lead photo is from Fort Benning here in Georgia.
A digital humidity meter is an easy way to see where your house sits. Georgia summers push humidity hard, and under 50% is the number this bill uses. Glance at the area around your indoor unit now and then. Water on the floor, a full drain pan, or a musty smell can mean the condensate drain is clogged, and it's worth a call before it turns into a ceiling stain.
Source: ACHR News
Google can now use connected Gmail and Photos data for ads
Oct 23 As of Oct 16, Google's privacy policy says that if you've connected Gmail, Drive or Google Photos to Search features like AI Mode (Google calls this Personal Intelligence), that content can be used to personalize ads. Advertisers don't get your actual emails, name or email address, and Google says it won't target ads on sensitive topics like health or religion.
If you'd rather opt out, disconnect those apps from Personal Intelligence, or turn off Personalized Recommendations in Search's personalization settings. If the family shares devices, check each Google account.
Source: The Verge
The next refrigerant debate: propane
Oct 23 Washington State's building code council is set to vote Oct 30 on whether to allow factory-built equipment that runs on natural refrigerants like R-290 (propane). Several industry groups sent a joint letter asking state leaders to stop it, saying U.S. safety standards don't fully cover these refrigerants yet. New home systems in the U.S. are still built around refrigerants like R-32 and R-454B for now.
None of this changes anything about the system you have today. Refrigerant handling takes EPA certification and the right equipment, and some refrigerants are flammable, so it's never a DIY job. If your system isn't cooling or heating like it should, call (470) 999-7395 or book online.
Source: Homepros
Got a website? Make sure PHP is patched
Oct 21-23 The FBI put out a public alert about two critical flaws in PHP, the language behind a big chunk of the web, WordPress included. The bugs can let an attacker run their own code on a server without logging in. Fixes came out Oct 21.
If you run a family blog, a club site, or a small business site, ask your host or web person to confirm PHP has been updated.
AI assistants are starting to ask before they act
Oct 21 Anthropic launched Claude Duet as a preview for professionals and small business owners. It watches your connected apps, pings you when something needs attention, and asks for approval before big steps like sending a payment or deleting something. Anthropic admits it can still misread a message or misjudge what's urgent.
Any app or assistant that can spend money or delete things should have to ask you first. Check that setting before you connect it to your email or bank.
Source: The Verge
OpenAI takes its top models off the live internet
Oct 23 OpenAI said it will train its most advanced models without live internet access, using cached web content instead, after one of its models got online through a misconfiguration in September. In plain terms, the big AI labs are being more careful with what their newest models can reach.
Source: TechCrunch
Smells sent over the internet
Oct 23 Ohio State researchers built Scentronic: an electronic nose identifies a smell, sends that information online, and a wearable device on the other end releases a matching scent. Right now it only knows five smells: beer, cake, coffee, orange and red wine. It's a research prototype.
Source: CNA (Reuters)
Drone owners: register if it's over 250 grams
Oct 24 A case out of Louisiana is a reminder that the FAA takes registration seriously. DroneXL's takeaway: anything over 250 grams needs FAA registration, and one registration covers every drone you own for three years.
Source: DroneXL
