Dyson has a new line of its ‘Cool’ bladeless fans out, and as you might expect from the UK-based appliance maker, they’re basically the best-looking fans you can buy. I got to take the AM06 Desk Fan 10 out for a test spin, just to see if the brains and beauty combined in the sleek package amounted to more than just a very expensive way to move some air around. Basics 15-minute… Read More
Way back in 2009 we talked a bit about a cool new fan from Dyson that had no blades. That fan was called the Air Multiplier and it cost a lot of money. Dyson is back with a new and improved version of the Air Multiplier, and the second generation of the device is still really expensive.
The new devices, models AM06 and AM07 promise to be 60% to 75% quieter than the original design. A brushless motor is located in the base of the fan and air still shoots out through the gap in the round case. They use a special cavity to reduce noise, along with a modified loop that allows air to flow with less turbulence making it quieter in operation. The new fans also use 10% to 30% less energy than the original models.
The new fans have ten speed settings and come with a remote control. They also have a sleep timer so you can turn them off when you are sleeping.
The second-gen Air Multiplier is available now for $299.99(USD) in the desktop variant, and $399.99 for the floor-standing model.
[via Telegraph.co.uk]
I dread taking showers on especially cold mornings. While the water heater makes bath water warm and comfortable, there’s the matter of the cold air seeping through the door while toweling off.
This is a problem designer Adrien Lefebvre understands, which is why he came up with the Air Shower.
It looks and functions just like a typical shower, with one important feature added to it: a dryer. When you’re done rinsing off, just switch the head of the device into dryer mode and just dry yourself off. I imagine it works like a high-powered hair dryer by blowing hot air all over your body.
Mock-ups and diagrams indicate that the Air Shower’s head has a ceramic exterior and an interior built using ABS plastic. Waterproofing the dryer and making sure nothing shorts when it’s in use should probably the top priorities for this device.
I definitely like the idea and hope that more people get behind it so there’ll be a bigger chance that it’ll be turned into a reality.
[via Yanko Design]
Nest Labs isn’t counting solely on the allure of discounts from power companies to reel us in this spring. It’s pushing out a 3.5 update to all versions of the Nest Learning Thermostat that should be make it smarter about saving money — even if it means spending a little up front. Along with the utility tie-ins from last week, the upgrade adds a Cool to Dry mode that invokes air conditioning when it’s too humid, raising the energy bill slightly to avoid a costlier mold outbreak. The thermostat also won’t be easily duped by the sun: a new Sunblock setting prevents unnecessary cooling whenever direct sunlight affects the temperature reading. Homeowners who just want more precision, meanwhile, may be happy with both refined fan scheduling (shown above) as well as mobile app updates that introduce alert messages and a more thermostat-like interface. Those with Nest units connected to WiFi should see version 3.5, and hopefully its intended savings, by 9PM Eastern tonight.
Filed under: Household
Source: Nest, App Store, Google Play
Sharp is releasing Plasmacluster Slim Ion Fan “PF-FTC1″ in mid April.
The design is stylish and slim and the fan blades are not visible.
It has Sharp’s unique “Aerodynamic form” blast system and “Mihari (watch)” function that detects the temperature and humidity in the room and lets you know with a sound and light. This would occur, for example, when the room air temperature reaches a dangerously high temperature in the summer, or when air gets very …
Panasonic’s new electric fan is slim and stylish and looks completely different than the usual swinging floor-based electric fans found in every Japanese household.
But beyond looks, this is no ordinary fan – it utilizes Panasonic’s “Nanoe” technology which generates electrostatic atomised water particles, keeping air fresh and maintaining moisture which is good for skin, especially in the dry winter months. So this fan can be used year-round.
And if that were not …
On February 21, “aero sphere fan”, a new-generation circulator fan with a very practical yet elegant Japanese design, will be launched.
Its round design keeps hands at a safe distance from the fan blade while the honeycomb-style cylindrical holes augment the reach of the wind it produces.
Specifications:
Price: ¥8,400
Size: W211×H211×D271[mm](without a stand)
Color: Black or White
Weight: Approx. 1kg
Battery: AC Adopter
Accessories: AC Adopter, remote control, stand
Builder Matthias Wandel is known for his awesome moving marble contraptions, which certainly can make some noise. But now, he’s gone and taken his DIY skills and applied them to a much louder noisemaker – his own air raid siren.
He built it by attaching a pair of spinning wood disks with specially-curved air channels, and then attaching them to a powerful blower motor. These are lined up with a set of matching holes, which cause air currents to intermittently blow out and create the familiar, whiny sound of a siren.
While Matthias’ siren doesn’t even have a horn on the front of it, it’s still quite loud. In fact, it’s so loud that he has to take it out to the country to test it out in this video clip:
I can only imagine how much louder this thing would get if he attached a giant horn to this thing. You can check out the full build process over on Matthias’ website, Woodgears. And promise me you won’t build one of your own if you live anywhere near me.
After living in New Orleans for a number of years of my life, I can speak from experience that hurricanes can be serious business. So the more we can learn about how hurricanes and tropical storms work, the more prepared that we can be for disaster, and the more lives and property can be spared from nature’s fury. In the interest of learning more about these storms, one university has built the world’s only category 5 hurricane simulator.
The machine, dubbed the “Wall of Wind” (WoW) is basically an array of twelve massive, 700 horsepower fans, which can generate sustained winds of up to 157 MPH. Specialized technology allows it to emulate the wind turbulence of a real hurricane, and it can even simulate the driving rains of a real storm through its water-injection system.
The Wall of Wind is installed at Florida International University’s International Hurricane Research Center, at a cost of about $8 million (USD). The simulator will be used to test the structural integrity of building materials and construction techniques with the goal of improving safety and survivability of the deadliest of tropical weather.
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