The lowly electric fan, our constant companion in the hot summer days and the hot, humid nights.  Even in our offices we would sneak in small, portable fans for those times when we have to work overtime and the building’s airconditioning has been turned off.  For its simple yet effective design – rotating blades, swiveling head, selectable speed – we thought the furthest innovation this appliance can go is the ice compartment.

It was definitely a surprise to see it still can do an evolutionary leap.  In the shopping mall we saw a small crowd gathering around what looked like a swiveling tennis racket without strings.  Only it wasn’t a tennis racket without strings, it was an electric fan without blades!  Amazing.  The natural reaction was to put our hand through the loop and half expect to be hit by an invisible blade.  And to see our hand pas through it made it even more amazing.  So what’s creating the wind?

There’s a bit of wind science in the design.  In simple terms, the design is inspired by a cross-section of an airplane wing where airflow is magnified 15 times.  And I don’t want to bore you with the details but it sure is a very interesting product.  Imagine having this in your living room!  Your guests surely can’t get enough of it.  The website dedicated to the Dyson Air Multiplier has a video of people who are seeing the product for the first time, and it is definitely the same reaction we had.

Models cost US$299.99 and $329.99.  Now imagine our reaction when we saw the price

(photo credit: www.dyson.com)