In the first stage, normal devices are outfitted with "smarter" features, like advanced cruise control in cars or a washing machine that can sense the level of dirt in water and react by adjusting its wash time.

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The team conducted a series of experiments in which known quantities of five such chemicals were mixed with water and passed through a dishwasher, a washing machine, a shower head inside a shower stall or a tap in a bath, all inside a specially designed chamber.

ECONOMIST: Indoor pollution

Although the LG name has been a brand in most markets only for a decade or less, the company has come out with a few hits, including a 2006 steam washing machine, aimed at eco-minded consumers and designed to cut water and detergent usage.

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