Archive for the ‘Dyson’ Category

Dyson DC25 Blueprint impressions: is the ‘Ball’ worth it?

Dyson’s DC25 Blueprint just started shipping en masse this month, and with an MSRP of $529.99, it’s significantly more pricey that the “bargain-minded” DC23 Turbinehead that we had a peek at last month. The company’s range of ‘Ball’ vacuum cleaners have been around for years now, but this is the first chance we’ve had to roll one over our own carpet. With a striking white finish, impeccable build quality and a design to make any gadget nerd blush, there’s quite a bit here that you won’t find on your average vac, but is the sphere really enough to warrant the lofty sticker? Read on for our two pennies.

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Dyson DC25 Blueprint impressions: is the ‘Ball’ worth it? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Dyson’s Blade-less Fan Works [Infographics]

In case my passionate summary wasn’t enough, this info-clip will demonstrate how Dyson’s Air Multiplier moves air without blades—except that it fails to mention that there are still blades inside the machine (that factoid kills the magic). [boingboing]

Dyson’s Air Multiplier looks great, feels good, hurts wallet

For a week I’ve tried to use Dyson’s bladeless Air Multiplier as a giant bubble-blowing machine, to no avail. No combination of soap and speed setting succeeds, no matter how carefully coated the vent halo or the ring itself, or how much time I spend experimenting with detergents. And I’d better stop, before I break what amounts to a $300 desk fan.

Available from the manufacturer’s website and “select design stores,” the Air Multiplyer hides the blower in the base, forcing the air through a ring of vents which are aerodynamically contrived to “multiply” the strength of its airstream.

In ads and TV apperances, Dyson also claims that the resulting breeze is smoother than the “choppy” air produced by traditional bladed fans.

It has a 5′ grounded cord, tilts and oscillates, and can be set on a continuum of speeds with a dial on the front. Dyson sells 10″ models in pearly white or blue/gray, and a 12″ model in silver.

The “multiplied’ air feels good and it can blow as hard as similarly-sized fans, but design is what sets it apart. It looks like a portable Stargate by way of Cupertino (Imaginary Steve: what are all those hieroglyphics for? Remove them!) and even has a practical element–no accretions of greasy black fuzz in difficult-to-clean places. It comes with a microfiber cloth and is easy to assemble (pop the ring on the base, turn it on).

When it comes to noise, the Air Multiplier isn’t quieter so much as it is different. Instead of the juddering white noise of a normal model, Dyson’s motor (It sounds like a quieter version of the one in his hand-vac) produces a thin whine. But it is annoying enough at higher settings. It’s not something that, say, audiophiles might consider using to cool the listening dungeon.

The biggest hurdle is the price: at $300 and up, you should wait until next year’s first hot monday and cycle back to see how early adopters are doing. Durability and long-term performance, not sexy design, will determine if it’s a sensible choice for the home or office.

Dyson Air Multiplyer [Official Store]

I Would Love For Dyson To Make a Spoon That Propelled Food Into My Mouth [Humor]

This cartoon by Lunchbreath illustrates additional opportunities for Dyson to profit mightily off the the technology that went into his new Air Multiplier fan.

I mean yeah, the prices are a joke, but how many of you would actually consider spending $400 on a spoon that eliminated one step in the eating process while simultaneously increasing the volume of food you can consume at one time? Be honest. [Flickr via Core77 via PopSci]

James Dyson Lightning Interview: A Mac Man With a Bladeless Fan [Interview]

Sir James Dyson is more than a guy who makes unusually interesting vacuums. He makes unusually interesting fans, too! We got a (very brief) chance to talk to the man about his tech allegiances, his design philosophy, and more.

In all seriousness, Dyson’s legacy is about more than a few home appliances—though they’re no doubt impressive. He’s a brilliant designer and inventor in an industry starved for brilliant designers and inventors; he’s got a clear enthusiasm for what he does, and he’s become a sort of evangelist for engineering and inventing; also he’s a nerd. I had, like, three minutes with the man, but managed to blurt out a couple questions.

We started on tech:

Giz: PC or Mac?

Sir James: (Emphatically) Mac! Since 1984. I bought the first Macintosh.

Giz: What kind of phone do you carry?

Sir James: Well, I have a BlackBerry and an iPhone.

Giz: Are there any unlikely companies or designers that you see doing really interesting stuff right now?

Sir James: There’s my son, who does lights where he varies the angle of the light in quite an interesting manner.

Giz: So they’re not lasers?

Sir James: No, they’re regular lights. They’re floor lights where the shade goes up and down to create a wide or narrow beam. There are wall and ceiling lights which have barn doors as a shade; you get an amazing effect on the wall. I don’t know if nepotism is allowed on Gizmodo. [Ed. note: It is! So here's how they work:]

We also run a student competition around the world, and there are some really interesting ideas that come out of that.

Giz: You’re fond of removing requisite parts from things—bags from vacuums, blades from fans—is there any particular part in another device that you just want to get rid of?

Sir James: Well, I’m sure there will be, but I don’t think we should talk about it now. But yes, it is quite a nice approach to minimalism, removing things—well, removing things that cause problems; that’s the point.

Giz: Have you thought about directing your talents away from domestic inventions, and toward something more altruistic? Do you have any projects or dreams outside the world of Dyson?

Sir James: (Laughs) I’d like to do a better vacuum cleaner, but there’s all sorts of things I want to do. We’re very interested in encouraging people to get into design. In the West, we’re training far too few engineers and scientists. Schoolchildren love science and love technology, but somehow their parents, teachers and society tells them that other things are going to be far more interesting, so I’m on a bit of a mission to try and change that.

And as quickly as he stepped into my mic range, he stepped back out. Later, James!

You can read Mark’s review on Dyson’s $300 bladeless Air Multiplier fan here, as well as the rest of our Dyson coverage.

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