Archive for the ‘Reviews and First Looks’ Category

First Look: Dyson’s Blade-Free Wonder Fan Blows Our Minds

James Dyson has a fetish for making unusual products: everything from vacuums that suck (in a good way) to hand dryers that blow (also in a good way), each use a clever combo of eye-catching design along with innovative methods of compressing and dispensing air. But even we in the Lab weren’t prepared for the WTF moment when we pulled Dyson’s blade-less Air Multiplier fan from its packaging.

The thing should not work. A gust of air should not be coming form this giant blue Froot Loop. But upon closer inspection, all that’s at work here is some clever engineering tricks. The unit is essentially one of Dyson’s vacuum cleaners working in reverse. The gray base station sucks up air and forces it through the circular blue thing that sits atop the rig. When the air jets through the front of the circle, it creates a suction behind and to the sides that draws more air through the loop and makes the fan more powerful. Dyson claims the Multiplier increases pressure15-fold and spews 118 gallons of air every minute. To get a better idea of how it works, checkout this bullshit artist rendering:

The fan’s operation is really quite amazing. Not only is it eye catching — everyone at the Wired office today was slack jawed by its striking build and apparent miraculous tempest — but the thing runs quiet too. There’s virtually no operating noise aside from the light hum of the engine and whoosh of the blowing gas. And it’s especially safe for worrisome parents who fret about junior getting his precious digits mangled by a high RPM spinning plastic blade.

The only thing we don’t like about the fan? (Aside from the ridiculously high price tag.)  There’s no emulating Darth Vader’s voice with this thing. I mean, how would it work in a Tommy Boy remake?

The Air Multiplier will go on sale on this fall and will cost $300 – $330.

See Also:

• Dyson Perfects the Clothesline
• Dyson DC-24 Vacuum Sucks Like No Other
• Mechanized Floor Lamp Puts on a Brilliant Light Show

Photo by Jim Merithew for Wired.com

Tweetie 2 for iPhone Flutters Into the App Store

A new version of our favorite iPhone Twitter app Tweetie just flew into the App Store. It’s got a cleaner look, a few extra features, and most importantly, it’s much faster.

We’ve had some time to test Tweetie 2, and so far we’re loving it. Like its predecessor, it’s a gorgeous, elegant app that demonstrates keen understanding of user interface design.  New features include a menu to view trending topics, a drafts manager, and the ability to post videos with your tweets.

A pretty impressive feature is the “Nearby” button, which launches a map that automatically sweeps the area for nearby Twitterers. Tapping each blue icon displays their user name and tweet. It’s kind of like a beefed-up Google Latitude.

The improvement you’ll care about most is the huge boost in speed. Tweetie 2 is completely rewritten with the iPhone OS 3.0 software development kit, so it takes advantage of all the performance gains in the new operating system. This should turn semi-active Twitter users into tweeting machines!

Just like its predecessor, Tweetie 2 is three bucks. Yes, you have to pay again even if you already paid for the first version. But we have no problem with this, because it’s a major upgrade, and AteBits developer Loren Brichter earns every penny. Think about it this way: If you bought a slice of pizza today, would you expect to get your next slice tomorrow for free?

Download Link [iTunes]
Product Page [Atebits]

See Also:

• 10 Most Awesome iPhone Apps of 2008
• Hands-On: Tweetie for Mac Shakes Up Twitterverse

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