Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Hot, isn’t it? So we should give thanks for technology. We have air-conditioning in our homes, workplaces and cars.

There are even, in rare cases, air-conditioners that cool the outside air; you could stand outside the Burj Al Arab’s front door all day without breaking sweat.

Most of us would not be welcome to loiter outside Dubai’s biggest landmark for a prolonged period. Some of us wouldn’t want to, and even those who do may be forced to admit that it wouldn’t be a very productive use of a day.

Instead, we have A/C piped into the places where we live, work and play, without which many of us wouldn’t live out the summer.

Of course, nothing is perfect, and there are many complaints about our favourite air-cooling system. It can be noisy, it dries your skin, it’s a nightmare for anyone with contact lenses and it spreads infections. Oh, and who can really claim that all parts of their office are kept at the same temperature?

But there is a greater sin still: it is ugly. Not just a bit ugly air-conditioners are proper fell-out-of-the-ugly-tree-hitting-every-branch-on-the-way-down-and-landed-under-the-wheels-of-a-bus-before-catching-fire-and-having-it-put-out-with-a-shovel ugly.

Look on your rooftop and you will see the lumbering metal boxes that work their air-cooling magic.

Inside, the fan units aren’t much nicer. And let’s not even think about those buildings in Karama where every window has a combination unit poking out as though all of the residents have tried to defenestrate an ammunition box and given up halfway through.

Dyson, the company that revolutionised vacuum cleaner design with its striking colours and attractive forms has done the same for the humble fan. The Dyson Air Multiplier has no blades spinning noisily around or waiting for your toddler to insert a crayon (best case) or finger (worst case).

Instead, there’s a ring around the outside and a space in the middle that your toddler might be able - quite safely - to climb through. It makes no sound, because it doesn’t ripple the air current as it blows, which also makes the experience of being fanned gentler and more breeze-like.

It’s also a quick wipe away from being clean. More than can be said for traditional floor or desk fans with their scuzzy blades unwipable behind that impenetrable grille. And it looks lovely. You’d be proud to have one in your home or office.

Having done the fan, perhaps James Dyson and Co can set their minds to redesigning air-conditioning. If we all club together, we might pay his air fare to get him to the Middle East and see our ugly plight. Once he has, he’s sure to take pity on us.
Until then, here’s hoping you survive the heat.