In the Daily Mail today, a sycophantic Sean Poulter screams: “Get it while its hot!” and goes on to talk about the new Dyson Hot electric room heater.
Essentially a Dyson fan with some slick new heating elements attached, the new Dyson Hot (badged as the AM04) fills a gap in the Dyson range in that it is a blade-less fan heater that doesn’t collect dust all over the elements like old-style fan heaters of yore. Yes, OK, with the price of gas now, an effective electric heater may be in our sights.
However, some guy called Stephen Bayley, a design expert and founder of the Design Museum in London, thinks that the success of Dyson’s products lies not just in the technology, but from hot air blowing out of the PR department.
He told the Daily Mail:
‘No-one is going to get hysterically excited about a new fan-heater. But surround its launch with secrecy, non-disclosure agreements and the charlatan’s legerdemain of a carefully managed “reveal” and you might, just might, have a news story.
‘In the age of the “pseudo-event” when things are real only if they are reported in the media, managing the launch of a fan-heater is as important a business as designing and manufacturing it.
‘Thus, Dyson has made as big a contribution to the history of public relations as to the history of design or technology.’
Gosh, what a cynical fellow. But, he may have a point. A fan heater is no big deal. When it costs £269, it becomes less of a priority. But, here at Real Deal we like Dyson stuff. Jimmy got himself a knighthood and a few million quid, and isn’t that what every Englishman wants? OK, his washing machine was a bit pants, but his vacuum cleaners (Note to the uneducated: they are not called “Hoovers” because Hoover is a brand name) are pretty good.
However, overenthusiastic Sean from the Mail went on to say:
The device relies on Dyson’s patented Air Multiplier technology, which massively amplifies the hot air it can create.
The net effect is that the amount of warm air generated is some six times greater than the amount drawn in at the bottom in a process known as inducement and entrainment.
The heater has its own thermostat which allows it to heat a room between 1 and 37 degrees Celsius. It will click on, should the temperature drop below the set figure.
The material used – Acrylontride butadiene styrene – means the heater is also cool to the touch, while it will automatically switch off if knocked over.
Nice bit of science; it obviously originated at Dyson’s PR office. Really, can these people not write their own copy and not rely on press releases from products they never saw?
Anyway, if you get all overheated at the prospect of a Dyson fan heater, I can direct you to further sources of information. Check out the article on the Dyson Medic website here: Dyson Launch the AM04 Fan Heater – The Dyson Hot
If you are so inclined, you can join the discussion on the unofficial Dyson forums here: The AM04 Dyson Hot Electric Heater
Both sites carry James Dyson’s video on his new product and neither carry sycophantic wailing and recycled press releases from Sean Poulter.