Month: August 2024

The new Dyson Airwrap i.d. now connects to a smartphone app. | Image: Dyson

The Dyson Airwrap is getting an upgrade. The new Airwrap i.d. will now feature three new attachments, Bluetooth connectivity, and personalized curling sequences via a smartphone app. It’ll also come in two types: one for straight to wavy hair, and another for curly to coily hair. And in true Dyson fashion, it’ll cost $600.
Dyson has loomed large in beauty tech for years now, but this is the company’s first connected beauty device. (It also has multiple hair dryers.) The Airwrap was last updated in 2022; that version allowed for multidirectional curling. The Airwrap i.d. is a much techier update. You’ll now be able to enter a hair profile into the MyDyson app that includes hair type, length, and your own skill level. It’ll then develop a personalized curling sequence for heat and airflow. You’ll also be able to check the filter status and cleaning guidance through the app.

Dyson is also introducing three new attachments: a conical barrel, a wave and curl diffuser, and a blade concentrator. The barrel is multidirectional, with a smaller 20mm diameter, and is meant to create more defined curls. The diffuser sends airflow in two ways for more enhanced and defined wave or curl patterns. Lastly, the blade concentrator purportedly delivers a smoother finish.
It’s also notable that the Airwrap i.d. comes in two variations based on hair type. While many love the Airwrap, some have criticized existing versions for not working quite as well for Type 3 and 4 hair. This, plus the addition of smart curling routines, is an acknowledgment that gadgets like these aren’t as easy to use as beauty influencers might make them seem. Just because you see someone online effortlessly use the device doesn’t mean you’ll be able from the first try. Even easier, high-tech curling gadgets like these require some skill and knowledge about hair products, hair type, and styling techniques. Given that, it’s not surprising that Dyson is leaning into the “smart” portion a bit more heavily, especially at this price point.

The new Dyson Airwrap i.d. now connects to a smartphone app. | Image: Dyson

The Dyson Airwrap is getting an upgrade. The new Airwrap i.d. will now feature three new attachments, Bluetooth connectivity, and personalized curling sequences via a smartphone app. It’ll also come in two types: one for straight to wavy hair, and another for curly to coily hair. And in true Dyson fashion, it’ll cost $600.

Dyson has loomed large in beauty tech for years now, but this is the company’s first connected beauty device. (It also has multiple hair dryers.) The Airwrap was last updated in 2022; that version allowed for multidirectional curling. The Airwrap i.d. is a much techier update. You’ll now be able to enter a hair profile into the MyDyson app that includes hair type, length, and your own skill level. It’ll then develop a personalized curling sequence for heat and airflow. You’ll also be able to check the filter status and cleaning guidance through the app.

Dyson is also introducing three new attachments: a conical barrel, a wave and curl diffuser, and a blade concentrator. The barrel is multidirectional, with a smaller 20mm diameter, and is meant to create more defined curls. The diffuser sends airflow in two ways for more enhanced and defined wave or curl patterns. Lastly, the blade concentrator purportedly delivers a smoother finish.

It’s also notable that the Airwrap i.d. comes in two variations based on hair type. While many love the Airwrap, some have criticized existing versions for not working quite as well for Type 3 and 4 hair. This, plus the addition of smart curling routines, is an acknowledgment that gadgets like these aren’t as easy to use as beauty influencers might make them seem. Just because you see someone online effortlessly use the device doesn’t mean you’ll be able from the first try. Even easier, high-tech curling gadgets like these require some skill and knowledge about hair products, hair type, and styling techniques. Given that, it’s not surprising that Dyson is leaning into the “smart” portion a bit more heavily, especially at this price point.

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A cooling center in Sacramento, California, on July 3rd, 2024.  | Photo: Getty Images

Heat-related deaths are on the rise in the US, according to a new analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The number of heat-related deaths recorded in the US jumped 117 percent between 1999 and 2023, it finds. These kinds of deaths are preventable and had previously been on the decline. This study is likely the first to show an about-face in the US since 2016, the authors write.
Authorities need to put appropriate safety measures in place
Keeping people safe when temperatures spike is becoming more difficult in a warming world. Heatwaves are more frequent and more intense than they used to be. Authorities need to put appropriate safety measures in place to prevent more deaths in the future, the paper warns.
“As temperatures continue to rise because of climate change, the recent increasing trend is likely to continue,” it says. “Local authorities in high-risk areas should consider investing in the expansion of access to hydration centers and public cooling centers or other buildings with air conditioning.”
The research is based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on deaths between 1999 and 2023. It counts deaths in which heat was recorded as an underlying or contributing cause — a total of 21,518 people who lost their lives over that time period.
The age-adjusted mortality rate started to increase significantly in 2016, growing 16.8 percent per year since then. That’s compared to a slight 1.4 percent decrease per year between 1999 and 2016. Heat-related deaths peaked in the US last year with 2,325 documented. 2023 also happened to be the hottest year on record for the planet.

We know that heat kills far more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, or other weather-related disasters. And yet, official numbers can easily miss deaths related to heat that authorities may not have had the resources to investigate. Heat exposure can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, for example, but that might not be named on a death certificate. Children, whose bodies are less efficient at cooling themselves down, and older people, who are more likely to have chronic health conditions, are most at risk during extreme or prolonged heat.
Policymakers and urban planners across the US are working to prevent those deaths and prepare for rising temperatures with climate change. The Biden administration has proposed federal heat protections for workers. Arizona, Miami, and Los Angeles now have chief heat officers charged with coordinating responses to extreme heat. Simple measures like keeping people informed ahead of a heatwave, making sure residents have safe places to cool down, and designing cities to trap less heat can all help save lives.

A cooling center in Sacramento, California, on July 3rd, 2024.  | Photo: Getty Images

Heat-related deaths are on the rise in the US, according to a new analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The number of heat-related deaths recorded in the US jumped 117 percent between 1999 and 2023, it finds. These kinds of deaths are preventable and had previously been on the decline. This study is likely the first to show an about-face in the US since 2016, the authors write.

Keeping people safe when temperatures spike is becoming more difficult in a warming world. Heatwaves are more frequent and more intense than they used to be. Authorities need to put appropriate safety measures in place to prevent more deaths in the future, the paper warns.

“As temperatures continue to rise because of climate change, the recent increasing trend is likely to continue,” it says. “Local authorities in high-risk areas should consider investing in the expansion of access to hydration centers and public cooling centers or other buildings with air conditioning.”

The research is based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on deaths between 1999 and 2023. It counts deaths in which heat was recorded as an underlying or contributing cause — a total of 21,518 people who lost their lives over that time period.

The age-adjusted mortality rate started to increase significantly in 2016, growing 16.8 percent per year since then. That’s compared to a slight 1.4 percent decrease per year between 1999 and 2016. Heat-related deaths peaked in the US last year with 2,325 documented. 2023 also happened to be the hottest year on record for the planet.

We know that heat kills far more people each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, or other weather-related disasters. And yet, official numbers can easily miss deaths related to heat that authorities may not have had the resources to investigate. Heat exposure can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, for example, but that might not be named on a death certificate. Children, whose bodies are less efficient at cooling themselves down, and older people, who are more likely to have chronic health conditions, are most at risk during extreme or prolonged heat.

Policymakers and urban planners across the US are working to prevent those deaths and prepare for rising temperatures with climate change. The Biden administration has proposed federal heat protections for workers. Arizona, Miami, and Los Angeles now have chief heat officers charged with coordinating responses to extreme heat. Simple measures like keeping people informed ahead of a heatwave, making sure residents have safe places to cool down, and designing cities to trap less heat can all help save lives.

Read More