Our partners at Consumer Reports put air purifiers to the test

Americans spend more than $500 million on air cleaners each year. But do they really purify the air like they promise? The video spot for LightAir air cleaners promises that they can protect you from dangerous pollutants. Consumer Reports tested the $300 LightAir Ion Flow 50-F Surface, along with more than two dozen other portable air cleaners.

To evaluate how well they remove dust and smoke, testers place them in a special sealed room. The chamber is filled with fine, powdered clay dust, as well as cigarette smoke. Testers use a particle analyzer to measure how well the air cleaners remove the contaminants. Testers found the LightAir about as effective at removing dust and smoke as using no air cleaner at all.

An air cleaner from Brookstone, the PureIon Pro, did far better removing dust and smoke. But it produces a small amount of ozone, which can aggravate asthma. The Brookstone meets voluntary standards on ozone levels. But Consumer Reports does not recommend any product that produces ozone.

Consumer Reportssays even if you do have asthma or allergies, you probably don't need any air cleaner. To improve air quality, put dust-mite covers on your mattress and pillows. Don’t use a fireplace or let pets in your bedroom.    

If you’ve taken those steps and still think you need an air purifier, Consumer Reports found some that are good at dust and smoke removal. The Holmes HAP756-U air cleaner for $150 is a good choice.

Consumer Reports says there’s another inexpensive way to improve the air in your home. If you heat and cool with forced air, you can replace the filter with better one— something you need to do every couple of months. Consumer Reports tests found that the $25 the 3M Filtrete Elite Allergen 2200 MPR filter does an excellent job removing dust and pollen.

Airpura And Austin Air Purifiers Offer Industry Leading Air Purification

Stop breathing contaminated air when you get an Austin Air purifier that is made from the highest quality material and are designed from the inside out. The primary focus of Austin Air purifiers is the filter. Austin Air purifiers are designed to take in air from every side at the same time. The purifier then processes the air into each of these four distinct filter stages that very effectively removes all contaminants.

What this does is create the maximum in efficiency of airflow, as well as a significantly longer than average filter life. Commonly, the filters last for five years under normal residential use. For an air purifier to produce the ultimate in clean, healthy air, it must eliminate all gases, submicron particles, and noxious chemicals. In addition, air purifiers should not produce any dangerous byproducts such as ozone.

Austin Air only uses the best, highest quality medical grade HEPA and activated carbon filters. This is the only filter technology is allowed and trusted for use in both hospitals and operating rooms. Unlike ion generators and electrostatic precipitators, none of Austin Air’s cleaners produce any byproducts. Austin Air’s HEPA filters are 99.97 percent efficient at capturing all airborne particles that are as small as 0.3 microns. They are also 95 percent efficient for airborne particles that are small as 0.1 microns. This is truly the most effective particle filter that you can purchase.

All of Austin Air’s activated carbon filters are manufactured to be highly porous, which leaves the surface area of the carbon more exposed which allows it to capture and chemically bind more contaminants like VOCs and noxious gases. Austin Air purifier bodies are all made of solid steel and, as a powder coated, non-toxic paint that is reliable, strong and supplies superior longevity. Because all of these air filters are made of the highest quality and a reliable, every Austin Air purifier comes with a five-year warranty, including a five-year prorated warranty on all filters.

In addition to Austin Air’s exemplary air purifiers, you can also purchase an AirPura air purifier that offers specific purifying qualities for every need. Regardless of your surrounding air, you can choose an Airpura air purifier. Is excellent for people with allergies, to purify tobacco smoke, to eliminate germs, eliminate VOC’s, or an air purifier that provides you with photo catalytic oxidation.

All of Airpura’s air purifiers are extremely simple, powerful, effective and provide the cleanest air possible. Airpura offers the simplest yet most effective airflow, for maximum efficiency and noise reduction. They all come with a powerful, variable speed fan motor, which you can choose the rate at which you clean your air, from a super quiet setting to the premium power filtering setting that provides you with 560 CFM capacity.

Air Purifier Presented in New Zealand

Comprising of the Emerald Condenser and the Emerald Evaporator, the new split system has been engineered to use R410A environmentally safe refrigerant. Fully compliant with International green gas standards, the thermodynamic properties of R410A enabled Dometic engineers to increase system efficiency by using fewer amps per capacity.

Based on Dometic’s cutting-edge air conditioning technology, the systems have been designed and refined to maximise performance and durability. The Emerald Split System Series provides increased efficiency by using fewer amps per capacity and offers a refined, quieter system that maximizes performance and durability. The system provides up to 17.5% more cooling capacity and its rotary compressor reduces amperage by up to 40% compared to older counterparts.

The In-Duct Breathe Easy Air Purifier, which was awarded the highly acclaimed IBEX Innovation Award in the Mechanical Systems category at IBEX 2010, is specifically designed to work within the ducting of a yacht’s air conditioning system. Operating silently, it purifies and cleanses air using Photocatalytic Nano-Mesh Technology with UV light. Each time the air circulates it is further purified.

The unit takes up little space and if retrofitted will require no alterations to be made to the vessel’s existing air conditioning unit. There is no need for any mounting hardware as a section of the A/C ducting is cut out and the circular In-Duct Breathe Easy tube simply inserted, then the ducting is reattached to it. The Breathe Easy is available in sizes to match all standard duct diameters.

The In-Duct Breathe Easy has been proven by independent test consultancy, Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory to reduce the presence of harmful mould spores and other contaminants and odours by up to 100%. Inhaled mould is acknowledged by leading experts as a key contributor to health issues such as eye and respiratory tract irritation, sneezing and sore throats.

High-tech tool helps Calgary drivers find parking

Drivers may now be able to save time finding a parking space downtown with the click of a mouse.

The Calgary Parking Authority has launched a system that keeps a realtime tally of available stalls in all seven of its parkades so drivers know before they head downtown what the chances of finding a spot are.

“It’s added convenience,” said general manager Troy McLeod.

“I think it might provide additional comfort for those coming downtown, especially those who don’t come downtown often.”

The CPA has a parking guidance system (PGS) to count available spots using devices at the entries and exits of parkades and sensors in the stalls.

The information is kept up to date in the operations control centre, and the CPA realized it could share the information with the public fairly easily and at essentially no extra cost, said McLeod.

Updates will be made approximately every 30 seconds, he said.

The service also allows Calgarians to receive automatic updates on computers or phones that are equipped with Internet Explorer 7 of higher.

They can subscribe to the feed with a Really Simply Syndication (RSS) reader, but with Alberta’s new distracted driving legislation to launch in a week, motorists are reminded not to check updates while they are driving.

The CPA has 5,327 stalls between its seven parkades, approximately 23% of which are open for hourly or daily parking.

Parkade availability updating is the first step in a larger plan to provide Calgarians’ access to parking information.

The CPA is working with a city agency to develop an iPhone application — expected to debut this fall — that would include the stall counts, but also other features including the ability to a make parking payments.

As well, historical parking data for on-street parking will be uploaded daily on the parking authority’s website starting this fall.

McLeod said the CPA does not have realtime information for its 2,300 on-street spots downtown, but can provide drivers with an idea of which areas tend to be busiest at which time of day.

We are leaving our children a toxic transportation legacy

THE end of the school year is rapidly approaching and I find myself in a situation millions of Los Angeles parents face each June, how to find safe, healthy summer activities for my 6-year-old son during the summer. Turns out getting him out of school is the safest thing I can do.

Keeping my child at home will prevent him from breathing air full of hazardous, invisible air pollution radiating from the heavily trafficked Interstate 5 freeway, which sits just a stone's throw away from his school's front door. These next two months are especially valuable since the freeway is scheduled to move even closer to his school by the time he starts second grade this fall.

For decades, our region has sought extensive and expensive freeway projects as a way to solve mobility and congestion problems. This current expansion abutting my son's elementary school affects the area between the 134 and 118 freeways.

Not only are all 450 students at Glendale's Franklin Elementary at risk, but so are the other tens of thousands of students at 30 other school campuses between the 710 to the 14 freeways. These students will inhale dangerous levels of particulate matter pollution not only from increased vehicle traffic along the I-5, but from pollution emanating from chronically polluting construction equipment required
to undertake this multi-year project.

A study in the American Economic Review found that traffic density on the typical interstate roughly doubled from 1983 to 2003, independent of whether new miles had been added. When new pavement is added to existing roads, the AER study found that new commercial traffic and additional trips by current residents made up the bulk of that increase, followed by driving by new residents attracted by the development. In the case of the I-5 project, designed under the premise that new lanes will facilitate existing drivers, this is clearly a fallacy confirmed by anyone who has sat in L.A. traffic.

Across the region, thousands of children living or going to school near freeways subsidize freeway expansions with their health. This collateral damage is felt not only in the 17 percent childhood asthma rates in some L.A. neighborhoods, but in the thousands of annual premature deaths attributed to air pollution. Air quality studies document obvious health effects on children and adults who live close to busy roadways.

Instead of sinking billion of dollars in widening existing freeways, we should invest in healthier transportation alternatives. Changing the transportation infrastructure of Los Angeles will no doubt require more than a few of the daily 6 million cars to stay parked while their drivers take public transportation. But it can be done, and the city of L.A. is already investing in several initiatives through the 30/10 program to make those transit options available.

If CalTrans continues the freeway expansion projects, it must include strategies to protect our kids from the pollution. The safest solution is to relocate schools nearest the freeway. Other measures are higher soundwalls, planting a canopy of mature trees in and around the school, and installing air monitors, purifiers and filters in all the classrooms and buildings.

Before adding more pavement to our region, we should stop and reflect on the transportation legacy we're leaving to the next generation. In 10 years, when my son can legally drive, I don't want him held hostage by gridlock traffic. When the I-5 widening project is finished, my son will be in fourth grade and 9 years old. He will be 6 inches taller, three years older and have three years of toxic diesel pollution in his lungs.

This is not the legacy we should leave our children.

Holden Commodore SS-V

When dressed in something less glaring than our car's canary yellow, the Commodore is a smartly designed large family sedan. By pushing the front wheels as far to the front of the car as possible, the Commodore proudly advertises its rear-wheel drive layout. It's only on the high-end models, though, with their fat tyres and big wheels, that the aggression of the flared wheel arches is sufficiently realised.

The SS-V's 19-inch alloy wheels, quad tailpipes, body kit, 10mm lower suspension and large boot spoiler are essential parts of the car's boy-racer looks. The spoiler is functionally debatable, but worse, it horribly obstructs vision rearwards, fuelling our paranoia to the point where we began suspecting that any white car behind us was a police vehicle.

Late in 2010, Holden updated the Commodore range, with the shift from VE Series I to II marked by a series of mild cosmetic changes. Only the most ardent Commodore fan will notice the lightly redesigned bumpers, new alloy wheel designs and more pronounced aero lip on the sedan's boot. For many, the most obvious alternations are the Series II badges and less rectangular headlights.

At 4.9m long from bumper to bumper there's no denying that the Commodore is a big car. The boot isn't quite as capacious as we were hoping for, partly because our review vehicle was fitted with the optional full-size spare wheel instead of the standard inflation kit and can of sealant - without the spare wheel boot space is rated at 498-litres. Unless you opt for the wagon, the rear seats can't be folded down; boot-expansion on the sedan is limited to a supersized ski port for long items. There's no internal handle or grip on the inside of the boot lid, either, so prepare to get your hands dirty every time you close the trunk.
Interior

It mightn't have Audi quaking its boots, but generally speaking the Commodore's cabin is nicely designed and a comfortable place to be. That is, of course, unless you opt for a red or light or dark grey SS-V, in which case your eyes will be assaulted by splashes red on the seats, lower dashboard and various other locales.

The cockpit's materials feel quite hardy, especially the leather seats, and there's even soft plastic on the dashboard top and a rubberised bin in the centre console that's a perfect fit for most smartphones. On the down-side, the cup-holders aren't well placed, the plastic cover for the instrument panel reflects quite badly - making it almost impossible to read the analog instruments without the interior illumination on and the handbrake design can easily trap your thumb if you're not careful. There are also some rough edges on the underside of the plastic that lines the centre console, and the centrally located electric window switches feel a bit flimsy.

Given the car's dimensions, it's no surprise that the Commodore is spacious, with plenty of room for all five passengers. As the steering wheel is adjustable for both height and reach, finding a comfortable driving position should be possible for all, although the seat adjustment ratchets can be tiring and for down-sized individuals (such as this writer) the seats don't feel as grippy as they look. The rear seats are quite vertical, although occupants do get their own air conditioning vents. Lowering the rear armrest is quite a chore as there's no pull latch attached and, oddly, the rear seat's cup-holders can only be accessed when the ski port is folded down.
Features

Given the retail price of $55,290 after GST but before dealer and statutory charges, the SS-V isn't creaking under the weight of its tech-gear. On the flip side, it does offer acres of space, a wonderful driving and riding experience (more on that later) and plenty of tyre-frying V8 action.

Standard features on the SS-V include leather seats, steering wheel and gear knob, automatic headlights, front fog lights, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, cruise control, electric height adjustment on the driver's seat, alloy pedals and a flip-out key as standard. On the performance and safety front there are 19-inch alloy wheels, 10mm lower sports suspension, a limited slip differential and stability and traction control.

Other nice features - such as auto-dimming rear view mirror, xenon headlights, rain sensing wipers, fully electric seats and a separate rear seat entertainment module - are only available on the luxury-themed Calais and Caprice models.
Entertainment and navigation

As part of the Series II upgrade, all Commodore and Caprice models now come fitted with the Holden-iQ system. Driven by a 6.5-inch touchscreen, it has dragged the Commodore entertainment and navigation offering from near the bottom of the class to a position where it can vie for dux. Sound quality is decent, as is the bass-thumping, when the loudness feature is switched on.

Placed nice and high on the dashboard, the 6.5-inch screen is easy to view when on the move, but we do wish that the screen had a higher resolution. Flanked by buttons for iQ's various functions and music sources, the interface is easy to use, although list items are on the small side, so tapping the right one on the go is a lottery. Complementing the touchscreen are steering controls that allow the driver to switch sources and tracks, as well as adjust the volume and access their phone.

Although the SS-V's system can't play DVDs (either video or audio), the list of music options is pretty comprehensive. Bluetooth is present and not only handles hands-free calling, but also allows for wireless music streaming. The USB port is compatible with both flash memory drives and iPods/iPhones, although scrolling through a large music library on an iPod/iPhone requires the patience of a hundred Gandhis; an auxiliary jack is also included. An almost-impossible-to-find CD slot can play audio discs straight. Alternatively, there's 1GB of internal flash memory that can store up to 15 ripped CDs - bring your patience though, as ripping a CD can take upwards of 15 minutes.

Like many factory-fit nav systems, Holden-iQ misses out on text-to-speech. It is, however, one of the few such systems to feature speed limit info; available for most roads, it appears as a small icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the 6.5-inch display and, rather more usefully, in the LCD screen in the instrument cluster. That screen can also display fuel economy stats, a digital speedo and next turn instructions. Other features include live traffic information from Suna and lane guidance system, although this is primarily limited to freeways.

For more on the Holden-iQ system, check back soon for our full review.
On the road

Mated to the standard six-speed manual transmission, the 6-litre V8 generates 270kW of power and 330Nm of torque. Pay AU$2000 for the convenience of the six-speed auto, and power and torque drop to 260kW and 317Nm respectively. Either way, when you sink your slipper into the go pedal, the authoritative urge of all that torque will make you grin from ear to ear. Acoustically, though, the V8 lacks the bad-ass soundtrack that we had hoped for.

Even though the engine is able switch seamlessly and automatically between running on four or eight cylinders, the SS-V drinks like a school of fish. Our heavy feet in the inner city meant that the SS-V consumed refined dinosaur remains at an alarming rate of between 24.6 and 26.3L/100km. Out in the 'burbs, consumption fell to a less heartbreaking 15.3L/100km, while on the highway we recorded an average figure of 10.11L/100km. To offset some of the damage it might wreak on the environment, the 6-litre V8 is capable of drinking unleaded fuel blends that are up to 85 per cent ethanol, although finding servos that sell E85 fuel is difficult.

Good thing, then, that the SS-V handles like a dream. The power steering lightens up just enough at speed to make the car feel nimble and pointy, and the cornering is commendably flat. The only time you really feel the car's weight is when it floats over undulations at high speed. Just as impressive as the handling is the ride, which, despite the sports suspension and low profile tyres, isn't like a Muhammad Ali punch to the jaw followed by a kick in the lower spine. Rather, it soaks up everything from smallest bump to the largest pothole with ease. Despite its sporting intent, the SS-V's cabin is almost as a quiet as a regular Commodore's, with tyre noise well quelled on all but the coarsest of roads.

Our only complaints with the driving experience are that the brakes aren't a match for the car's mass and performance. To get the necessary braking performance, buyers will have to shell out AU$2500 for the Redline package that also comes with even sportier FE2 suspension. Vision out of the car is compromised by the thick windscreen pillar that can swallow up entire roundabouts and sidewalks. For such a large car, the wing mirrors are on the small side, and only the passenger's side has convex glass. Although the pictures from the rear-view are grainy and low res, we're glad that it's fitted to the SS-V.