When the shit hits the Air Multiplier

It's a fan!

A friend of mine, we’ll call him Daniel Griffiths (because that’s his name), occasionally sends me a mini essay on a random topic he’s been thinking about a bit too much. It’s therapy for him and an amusing distraction for me and the handful of others he includes in the email.

His latest is a rant about Dyson’s new fan (and yes… it IS a fan!) the Air Multiplier. Thought you might enjoy it too.

The Dyson Air Multiplier

Before we get stuck into the Dyson Air Multiplier let me ask you a question: Were hoover bags ever a problem in your life?

Think about it.

Did you ever curse having to install and remove them? Did all that tiresome walking over to the bin and dropping them in ever rankle? And the way your hoover ‘lost suction’ just before the bag needed emptying? Were any of the above ever once a thought that even fleetingly crossed your mind?

No, of course they weren’t. The Dyson vacuum cleaner is a solution to a problem that never existed. I could start on about how Dysons, actually, in truth, loose more suction than bagged cleaners. How they require more frequent emptying. How they’re heavier, more cumbersome, use more energy and, rather than having the dirt neatly wrapped up in a bag, instead bring you face to face with your own skin and hair every time you have to trip to the bin. Every five minutes.

I could do that. But instead I want to talk about the Dyson Air Multiplier. Another device that – like their famous Flash Gordon hoovers – is another solution to a problem that nobody has.

It’s like this:

The DAM (as it shall be known herein) looks amazing. Amazing! It’s a hoop on a stick. This is a fan? No way! There are no blades! How? What? Where? I’m actually stunned! It makes air fly out of the circle?! But how? Jeez, £200! They’re having a laugh there, but it makes air fly out?! This is incredible!

Only it isn’t. Have you ever wondered why Dyson hasn’t been able to claim that the DAM is any quieter or uses less electricity than a conventional fan? Or even why – for something with no moving parts – it’s so bloody noisy?…

Think about it. It magically *propels* air… Right?

Wrong.

The reason it uses as much energy as a fan and sounds like a fan is because it is a fan. It does have blades. And a bloody big electric motor to turn them too.

Now, forgive me if this isn’t a surprise. You may be cleverer than I, but I – for some time – presumed that the DAM somehow used ‘Dyson magic’ to propel it’s air.

Lifetime Collective’s unexpected new video

The du jour brand for hipsters. Lifetime, started as a DIY basement outfit and have steadily progressed to creating full collections. Watching this video shows they still haven’t lost their edge. It’s nice when brands mess with clichés.

TV Hat is here! And no, this isn’t a joke.

Pop in your iTouch or iPhone, slide down the magnification lens and pull down the side flaps to shield yourself from everyone pointing and laughing. This. Is. Ridiculous. But I wouldn’t mind a quick go if I’m honest. Check out the ‘must be a spoof, oh my god it isn’t!’ video below. And then buy yours here.

As if the beard wasn't off putting enough, this guy is going for the full lady-repellent look by adding a TV Hat!

Could you give a pet AT-AT a good home?

When not smashing up Rebel bases, a well-loved AT-AT can make a great family pet:

Zimbardo – The Secret Powers of Time

There are three things worth noting about this short film.

1 There’s an innovative theory on how different people and cultures view the world.

2 It’s really well animated.

3 This Zimbardo man is the famous chap behind the Stanford Prison Experiment

If Comic Sans Could Speak

McSweeney’s is a brilliant site at the best of times but this imagined sideswipe at designer elitism from Comic Sans is genius.

WARNING TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF POTTY-MOUTHED LANGUAGE

Sample Quote:
It doesn’t even matter what you think. You know why, jagoff? Cause I’m famous. I am on every major operating system since Microsoft @£$%ing Bob. I’m in your signs. I’m in your browsers. I’m in your instant messengers. I’m not just a font. I am a force of mother@£$%ing nature and I will not rest until every uptight armchair typographer @£$%-hat like you is surrounded by my lovable, comic-book inspired, sans-serif badassery.

You know what? I still hate Comic Sans.

The World’s Worst Typo

No matter how bad it gets for the subs, it is never going to get this bad… surely. And they say newspaper standards are falling.

Fresh Dates – The Worst Self Publicists In History

Fashions may come and go (and all these fashions have happily fled) but the art of self promotion is still as strong as ever. If you are considering selling yourself on match.com do the opposite of these men.

Sample quote:
“I’m interested in pretty much every stage of data processing.”

Why I am not rich

This is fascinating, Kyle Conroy has put together some data on how much money you would have today if, instead of spending money on an Apple product, you just bought Apple shares instead. For example if, in 1997 you blew £2,400 on Apple shares instead of a Apple Power Macintosh G3 233 Desktop, you would now have $139,184.58!

http://www.kyleconroy.com/apple-stock.php

Why we still love Japanese TV ads

I don’t know about you, but I’m off to buy some Calbee crisps!

Monopoly Hotel Bus Shelter

When it comes to promoting the Minnesota State Lottery, Colle+McVoy got creative on their assets.

Logorama – 2010’s logotastic Oscar winner

The winner of this year’s Oscar for animated short is Logorama, a wonderful inspirational design classic… that’s also a great quiz…. can you name all the logos used in its beautiful construction*?

*Actually, if you are going crazy trying to name all the logos those wonderful humans at Wikipedia listed them all in the Logorama entry

Volkswagen Independent Cinema Sponsorship Ads

By DDB London, try and guess the films, and don’t cheat by looking at the filenames.

2009’s best cover lies

Great post from Jezebel decoding the best (or should that be worst) cover lies on women’s mags last year. Here’s a couple and the full list is here.

That’ll be the decade then!

Everything noughties in one lovely table.

Picturing the past ten years

Retro My iMac

The best thing to do to a beautiful, brand new 24-inch iMac. Click the image…

Big Headed Designer Genius

This is the best use of downtime I’ve ever seen, Eric Testroete gives a full and frank description of how to achieve this on his website… essentially he uses 3ds Max and photoshop and a load of paper and created a wireframe of his head and printed it out. Clever chap that Eric.

It’s The Perpetual Pin Badge Fridge Magnet Calendar

This is another one of those amazingly/annoyingly simple ideas that just work. Pin badge sized fridge magnets that act as a calendar. This won a graphic design award at the Kiev International Advertising Festival and should, hope fully be hitting the shops soonish.

South West Creativity Farm

Apologies to London.

Great Editorial Illustration

This image was created by Kevin Van Aelst to illustrate a piece in the New York Times concerning dad’s of internet age children who either just do or just don’t get the internet (eg “can I get to my Internet from your computer?”) and I thought it was a great example of getting the imagery just right. The minute you see it you know what the article is about.

It also reminds me of this famous painting by Magritte.

Skateboard Neon Tetris

36 Skate boarders make neon Tetris…

2001 opening credits as performed by school band

Somehow a little less dramatic than the original…

The Bible According To Google Earth

Scenes from that book “The Bible” as seen by Google Earth. Moses parting the Red Sea (top) and the crucifixion (bottom). Images made by Sydney-based The Glue Society.

Also check out their pigeon statue…

http://www.gluesociety.com/

Weight expectations

I can’t work out if this Fitness First bus shelter campaign is likely to attract or annoy potential customers, but the concept is stupidly simple and very clever.

Weighting for the bus

American Psycho: Business Card Scene

Click to view

Is this the best business card ever?

I SO want one of these next time we reprint. We could put ‘content’ in the search field followed by Did you mean: www.futureplus.co.uk

Such a cool business card

Sometimes the simplest ideas…

Shouldn’t it just be the law for all clubs to have these stamps? Genius.

SUCH an obvious yet brilliant idea

Roller babies

Is this brilliantly or shabbily done? I can’t decide, but I like it…