Water Canary – is it real?
I have been watching the Water Canary project from the beginning of the year waiting for some news – nothing yet. I first saw the Ted video, which is just great:
Searching for more information only got me the simple, PR style, text from it’s web-site:
The Water Canary is an inexpensive water-testing device that makes it possible to collect real-time water quality data from the field. With the push of a button, anyone can measure water quality and share that information with the world.
By placing real-time water quality information within reach, the devices make it possible to quickly identify invisible threats so that appropriate actions can be taken to protect people and ecosystems and prevent hazards from erupting into full-scale emergencies.
Even the ‘Technology‘ page does not add any information. This reminded me of the “Compost-Fueled Cars: Wouldn’t That Be Great?” video. Hope I’m wrong.
If anyone has any real information about the Water Canary I would love to hear about it. Messages sent via their contact form were unanswered.
Just ran across the Tedtalks video on “Water Canary” and found the same problem. Almost a year since your post…I searched for a place to purchase this “fast, inexpensive device that tests drinking water for contaminants”(quote from Kopernic)and found quotes from press releases, links to the tedtalk and that’s it. No sources to buy the device, no data from the field…nada. Looks to be another case of all smoke, no fire. As you put it so well, hope I’m wrong.
DAMN!!!! Here it is 2015 and the ‘smoke’ is still blowing! Still cannot find where/how to purchase said product. Writers are coming up with prices, but no info on when, where, how? etc.
I think what bothers me the most is the credibility of TED talks have dive bombed. One of the few video entertainments I thought one could sit and relax and enjoy without having to be on guard all the time!
I have never understood these fakes. Why do they bother? What is their actual gain? It must be lucrative, so I’d like to be let in on the secret and riches so I can start my fake blog and website which aspires to show the world that crayfish feces cures cancer!!! In seconds… at no cost… and guarantees you’ll meet beautiful women (or men as the case may be)
PHEW!!! I am exhausted and weary from these charlatans.
Same here; watched the Ted Talks presentation and looked for it online. The original home site no longer exists (interesting in itself) without any replacement popping up.
No pricing, no availability, no government mentions, nothing. Apparently a hoax. Not even any snake-oil sales places.
Not a single reliable indication it ever existed. Apparently Ted Talks has some rather slack proof requirements.
Have contacted the site and have gotten no responses regarding acquisition of the product. I do presentations on new water technology but haven’t been able to find this item.
Feb 1, 2015 and still no purchasing information
March 2017, still no info about it
Nope 🙁
Almost 2020 and no answer! Has anybody find yet an other option?
I tried to contact them by email, twitter, facebook. NOTHING
I found this from 2013
http://www.concordia.ca/cunews/main/stories/2013/05/15/a-vision-for-waters-future.html
Peyman Ansari, a master’s student in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, says he was impressed by Luthra’s idea of creating a cheap alternative for water testing,
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but that his presentation did not contain enough information about how the product works.
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“The technical part was really short and simplified,” he says. “But it’s a good approach to use nano-technology to provide a user-friendly product that’s not just for scientists.”
It seems that they are still working on it, their twitter account is active
Here in 2024. I was close to using this in a slide for my studemts. Pheww.
I didn’t watch the TED talk but wonder if it was some similar lab on a chip kind of idea like Theranos. Godd thing the canary didn’t get famous.