Exclusive: Molekule CEO Jaya Rao talks about implementing Apple's HomeKit

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited December 2020
In this week's HomeKit Insider Podcast, Molekule CEO Jaya Rao reveals what HomeKit is like from a hardware developer's perspective, plus she discusses the a controversial review of her company's air purifier.

HomeKit Insider: a new AppleInsider podcast
HomeKit Insider: A new AppleInsider podcast


Rao co-founded Molekule in 2014, following two decades of academic and scientific research into the adverse effects of polluted air. Its products including the Apple-stocked Molekule Air Mini+, are about purifying indoor air so HomeKit seemed like a natural fit.

There's more to integrating HomeKit than there seems, though, and Molekule has so far also chosen it over competing systems such as Google and Amazon's. Rao reveals the company's thinking behind how to use HomeKit to get its products out to people.

Also this week, Logitech has launched a new HomeKit Secure Video-enabled doorbell. It's also only available for HomeKit and is solely controlled from Apple's Home app.

That simplicity, plus its range of features, pretty much guaranteed the Logitech Circle View Doorbell a spot in our AppleInsider 2020 HomeKit holiday gift guide, too.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    flydogflydog Posts: 1,123member
    Consumer Reports rated Molekule as one of the worst purifiers based on the percentage of particles that it actually filtered in a 15-minute period. It's also the loudest, one of the most expensive, and has among the highest-priced filter replacements. 
  • Reply 2 of 4
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    flydog said:
    Consumer Reports rated Molekule as one of the worst purifiers based on the percentage of particles that it actually filtered in a 15-minute period. It's also the loudest, one of the most expensive, and has among the highest-priced filter replacements. 
    Not saying this CR concerns are not valid and before I read their review I read Molekule description of what their product does and quickly determined they're removing gases not particles and then I read the CR review and they said the same thing.

    CR tests for particle reduction and not for gas or microbe removal. So we asked James Dickerson, CR’s chief scientific officer, whether Molekule’s claims have any merit.

    “Theoretically, PECO could work to eliminate microscopic airborne molecules,” Dickerson says. “But our tests show that the Molekule Air is not proficient at catching larger airborne particles, which ultimately means it’s not getting enough air passing through the system.” 

    That is CR option, they are using particle removes as the measure of clean air. Most particles are too heave to stay suspend in air so they drop and stick to surfaces. If you are not moving about or have air moving to stir up particle is hard for an air cleaner to catch them. In CR own statement they are not testing this filter the way it works. it is removes chemical molecule from the air not particle like dust. It does not look like Molekule claims to be dust collection filter. Whether you need a $800 or $1000 chemical molecule removal system is up to the person. But in typical CR fashion, they do not know how to test something and use their option as fact to rate something. If particle in the air are your concerns you need to have air movement all the time create negative pressure in the space to continually draw out particle out of the space. The other thing that helps is dusting and vacuuming all the time.


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 4
    Chris_SaulChris_Saul Posts: 4member
    It’s not just CR: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/worst-air-purifier-we-ever-tested/

    https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/watchdog-rejects-molekule-air-purifier-claims/
  • Reply 4 of 4
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Just because another media reporting on other peoples work does not make it more facts. Just because a journalist is writing an article about what someone else said does not make it independent facts. The is the problem today, lots of media sources report on what someone else said or did and because you have 10+ outlets reporting on the same source information everyone assume it must be true. Like you most do not dig in to find out if each media outlet did their own independent work or relied on the same work everyone else did nor did they check to make sure the source information was in fact correct.

    If you listen to the podcast you would have heard the Wirecutter who declared this worst filter because they too also lack the technology and methodology to test the filter properly. At least CR admitted they were unable to test the filter properly and use the same method they use on particle filters to test the Molekule filter, then assumed since it did not catch as many particles it probably was not filtering gases as claimed. Glad to see CR and Wirecutter following the science.

    BTW, not buying one of these filter nor do I use any sort of room filters in my house, found they are not worth the money. The furnace with its filter in my house does a pretty good job of keeping particle dust down along with the fact my house is mostly hardwood, a quick dust of the floors keeps the dust down. Rugs are the filthiest things you can put in your house.
    edited December 2020
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