Billionaire British entrepreneur James Dyson is attempting to sue Channel 4 for libel over the network’s suggestion that he was complicit in abuse and exploitation.
In UK high-court written submissions, reported by The Guardian, Dyson’s lawyer Hugh Tomlinson Kc said the allegations on a Channel 4 News lead story in February were “remarkably defamatory.”
The report concerned abuse and exploitation practices at an ATA-owned factory, an electronics manufacturer that makes cordless vacuum cleaners and purifier fans for Dyson.
Dyson’s lawyer said “nobody disputes” what was taking place at ATA but that he has taken issue with the fact that he was perceived as being “guilty of wrongdoing.”
Some of the workers have launched legal action against Dyson and the hearing that took place today was concerned with whether the three claimants were entitled to sue and whether the report contained meanings defamatory of the claimants, according to The Guardian.
In UK high-court written submissions, reported by The Guardian, Dyson’s lawyer Hugh Tomlinson Kc said the allegations on a Channel 4 News lead story in February were “remarkably defamatory.”
The report concerned abuse and exploitation practices at an ATA-owned factory, an electronics manufacturer that makes cordless vacuum cleaners and purifier fans for Dyson.
Dyson’s lawyer said “nobody disputes” what was taking place at ATA but that he has taken issue with the fact that he was perceived as being “guilty of wrongdoing.”
Some of the workers have launched legal action against Dyson and the hearing that took place today was concerned with whether the three claimants were entitled to sue and whether the report contained meanings defamatory of the claimants, according to The Guardian.
- 10/6/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Billionaire entrepreneur James Dyson confirmed that the United Kingdom government has ordered his brand new ventilator to treat the coronavirus (Covid-19) patients. On Wednesday, Dyson received and order for 10,000 ventilators to support the efforts of the United Kingdom’s National Health Service to treat the exponential spread of the coronavirus. Dyson said the company had […]
The post James Dyson Designs New Ventilator In 10 Days For Coronavirus Pandemic Fight appeared first on uInterview.
The post James Dyson Designs New Ventilator In 10 Days For Coronavirus Pandemic Fight appeared first on uInterview.
- 3/29/2020
- by Dante Fields
- Uinterview
Sony Pictures Entertainment’s UK division will remain intact and based in London, a spokesperson has confirmed to us, despite the multinational corporation moving its European HQ from London to the Netherlands to avoid disruption caused by Brexit.
Sony said this week the European HQ move would help it avoid customs issues related to Britain’s exit from the EU, which is due to happen on March 29 of this year. The electronics giant is not expected to move personnel or operations from existing UK divisions.
Sony’s film, TV and gaming teams in the UK comprise dozens of staff while hundreds are employed by the company across its portfolio.
This week, multiple major firms have signalled their intent to relocate aspects of their businesses in response to Brexit. On Tuesday appliance giant Dyson, whose founder James Dyson has been an ardent Brexit supporter, announced it was moving its HQ to Singapore.
Sony said this week the European HQ move would help it avoid customs issues related to Britain’s exit from the EU, which is due to happen on March 29 of this year. The electronics giant is not expected to move personnel or operations from existing UK divisions.
Sony’s film, TV and gaming teams in the UK comprise dozens of staff while hundreds are employed by the company across its portfolio.
This week, multiple major firms have signalled their intent to relocate aspects of their businesses in response to Brexit. On Tuesday appliance giant Dyson, whose founder James Dyson has been an ardent Brexit supporter, announced it was moving its HQ to Singapore.
- 1/24/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Michelle Wolf took a break from insulting Ivanka Trump and complaining about politics on her Netflix show “The Break With Michelle Wolf” to complain about just about everything else, along with her former boss, Seth Meyers.
Wolf formerly worked as a writer for Meyers on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” before going on to do her own streaming late-night variety show with “The Break.” The two reunited for a segment of jokes called “How Dare You,” in which they tore into the minor irritations and annoyances of the world — things like the hotness of World Cup players, the fact that Jurassic Park still hasn’t figured out that dinosaurs can’t be trusted, and one another.
“James Dyson, inventor of the Dyson vacuum, how dare you!” Meyers said. “Your vacuum sucks! By which I mean it’s awesome, but it costs like $1,000. If I wanted to pay that much for something to suck that hard,...
Wolf formerly worked as a writer for Meyers on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” before going on to do her own streaming late-night variety show with “The Break.” The two reunited for a segment of jokes called “How Dare You,” in which they tore into the minor irritations and annoyances of the world — things like the hotness of World Cup players, the fact that Jurassic Park still hasn’t figured out that dinosaurs can’t be trusted, and one another.
“James Dyson, inventor of the Dyson vacuum, how dare you!” Meyers said. “Your vacuum sucks! By which I mean it’s awesome, but it costs like $1,000. If I wanted to pay that much for something to suck that hard,...
- 7/8/2018
- by Phil Hornshaw
- The Wrap
Dyson has already perfected the vacuum cleaner and the bladeless fan. They have now set their sights on developing the perfect electric car. Founder James Dyson made the announcement which you can read in full below:
By 1993 we had developed several working prototypes and showed an early iteration to British television programme Blue Peter. The team went on to develop a much more sophisticated technology.
To our chagrin, nobody at the time was interested in employing our diesel exhaust capture system and we stopped the project. The industry said that ‘disposing’ of the collected soot was too much of a problem! Better to breathe it in?
In the period since, governments around the world have encouraged the adoption of oxymoronically designated ‘clean diesel’ engines through subsidies and grants. Major auto manufacturers have circumvented and duped clean air regulations. As a result, developed and developing cities are full of smog-belching cars,...
By 1993 we had developed several working prototypes and showed an early iteration to British television programme Blue Peter. The team went on to develop a much more sophisticated technology.
To our chagrin, nobody at the time was interested in employing our diesel exhaust capture system and we stopped the project. The industry said that ‘disposing’ of the collected soot was too much of a problem! Better to breathe it in?
In the period since, governments around the world have encouraged the adoption of oxymoronically designated ‘clean diesel’ engines through subsidies and grants. Major auto manufacturers have circumvented and duped clean air regulations. As a result, developed and developing cities are full of smog-belching cars,...
- 9/27/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
With Run, a bleak new TV series, about to start, the actor talks about playing downtrodden women, messing up on stage and being called 'divinely gifted' by Meryl Streep
Olivia Colman is insufferable. We've been sitting for an hour on the balcony of the Ritzy cinema in south London and she's given me nothing but unremitting cheeriness. Doesn't she realise I need dirt, self-disgust and something really vile about working with Rose Byrne on I Give it a Year and/or Bill Murray on Hyde Park on the Hudson? She's even managed to be positive about the view. "Look at those gorgeous trees," she says of the espalliered Parisian-style Brixton avenue below. "How do they make those trees square?" Vigorous and regular pruning, no doubt, I reply glumly. "Lovely aren't they, though," she says, with that sunny smile that bewitched viewers when she won two Baftas in May.
She's been...
Olivia Colman is insufferable. We've been sitting for an hour on the balcony of the Ritzy cinema in south London and she's given me nothing but unremitting cheeriness. Doesn't she realise I need dirt, self-disgust and something really vile about working with Rose Byrne on I Give it a Year and/or Bill Murray on Hyde Park on the Hudson? She's even managed to be positive about the view. "Look at those gorgeous trees," she says of the espalliered Parisian-style Brixton avenue below. "How do they make those trees square?" Vigorous and regular pruning, no doubt, I reply glumly. "Lovely aren't they, though," she says, with that sunny smile that bewitched viewers when she won two Baftas in May.
She's been...
- 7/7/2013
- by Stuart Jeffries
- The Guardian - Film News
Behold the slick visage of super-scientist Aldrich Killian, as played by Guy Pearce in Iron Man 3. This is not the kind of bespoke tailoring and peroxide highlights you'd find on, say, James Dyson. No, Pearce, fresh from catapulting the human race into hammerpede-y hell in Prometheus, is playing another svelte but ethically challenged boffin whose pioneering research could - could - be more likely to endanger us all than win him an OBE. Shane Black's Marvel movie sees Killian working alongside Rebecca Hall's fellow brainaic Maya Hansen to harness the power of nanotechnology. It's a plot thread inspired by Warren Ellis' immensely influentual Iron Man: Extremis arc. Those familiar with that six-issue run of the comic-book won't be shocked to discover this sentence featuring the words "dangerously powerful new tech", "falling into" and "the wrong hands".Judging by the trailers to date, Robert Downey Jr.'s...
- 2/18/2013
- EmpireOnline
Will Daniel Day-Lewis be tackling Nick Clegg? Probably not, but here's how it might look
Clegg
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Nick Clegg
The 2010 general election. A hung parliament. Political stalemate engulfs the country. Vibrant young politician Nick Clegg is visited by a vision of the Virgin Mary: "Nick," she says. "This is your time. You have the power to change things." Clegg is the story of one man's decision to grasp this power and make a right old pig's ear of it. Daniel Day-Lewis insists on remaining in character during production, asking both cast and crew to avoid eye-contact at all times, in case he sees it as invitation to wander over and make desperately awkward smalltalk.
Tagline He came. He saw. He did whatever Dave said.
James Dyson: Lust For Balls
Starring: Sly Stallone as James Dyson
The year is 2525. Cryogenically reanimated cyborg James Dyson, knowing that his power source is failing,...
Clegg
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Nick Clegg
The 2010 general election. A hung parliament. Political stalemate engulfs the country. Vibrant young politician Nick Clegg is visited by a vision of the Virgin Mary: "Nick," she says. "This is your time. You have the power to change things." Clegg is the story of one man's decision to grasp this power and make a right old pig's ear of it. Daniel Day-Lewis insists on remaining in character during production, asking both cast and crew to avoid eye-contact at all times, in case he sees it as invitation to wander over and make desperately awkward smalltalk.
Tagline He came. He saw. He did whatever Dave said.
James Dyson: Lust For Balls
Starring: Sly Stallone as James Dyson
The year is 2525. Cryogenically reanimated cyborg James Dyson, knowing that his power source is failing,...
- 1/26/2013
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
Investors in film financing given chance to settle tax liability or risk disputes 'accelerated to litigation'
Hm Revenue & Customs is to write to some of Britain's wealthiest bankers, hedge fund managers and celebrities offering a chance to settle income tax avoidance schemes estimated to have sheltered more than £3.5bn through film financing structures and other tax-motivated partnerships.
It is unclear how generous the settlement offer will be, but Hrmc insisted such an approach was "the best opportunity to resolve these disputes in a way which was cost-effective and consistent with the law".
Hmrc vowed that those who did not take up the offer would risk "accelerated disputes into litigation".
Among those to have participated in tax-efficient film partnership schemes organised by Soho-based Ingenious Media – one of the largest film partnership firms – are footballers Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney; business figures Sir James Dyson and Lord Hollick; and pop stars Peter Gabriel and Robbie Williams.
Hm Revenue & Customs is to write to some of Britain's wealthiest bankers, hedge fund managers and celebrities offering a chance to settle income tax avoidance schemes estimated to have sheltered more than £3.5bn through film financing structures and other tax-motivated partnerships.
It is unclear how generous the settlement offer will be, but Hrmc insisted such an approach was "the best opportunity to resolve these disputes in a way which was cost-effective and consistent with the law".
Hmrc vowed that those who did not take up the offer would risk "accelerated disputes into litigation".
Among those to have participated in tax-efficient film partnership schemes organised by Soho-based Ingenious Media – one of the largest film partnership firms – are footballers Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney; business figures Sir James Dyson and Lord Hollick; and pop stars Peter Gabriel and Robbie Williams.
- 12/20/2012
- by Simon Bowers
- The Guardian - Film News
Sue Perry
Damon Garrett
Sue Perry, who led Publicis Mojo Melbourne through happier times as managing partner in the mid-2000s, has launched her own agency – with her former L’Oréal client Damon Garrett as co-founding partner.
Joining the duo on certain projects will be Grant Rutherford, the former Ecd of Ddb Melbourne, who left to work for cancer charity Snowdome Foundation in July.
Also part of the launch team is former M&C Saatchi Melbourne Ecd Paul Taylor, of creative agency day&age.
Called 1der, the Melbourne agency starts up with The Heat Group, Billabong and Moxie as founding clients, with projects already completed for new brand franchises for Tennis Australia.
Garrett told Mumbrella: “Sue and I started 1der because we were proud of the working relationship we had built together at L’Oréal. Many of the ideas we were working on, from launching Garnier into Australia developed from really forward-thinking lifestyle projects,...
Damon Garrett
Sue Perry, who led Publicis Mojo Melbourne through happier times as managing partner in the mid-2000s, has launched her own agency – with her former L’Oréal client Damon Garrett as co-founding partner.
Joining the duo on certain projects will be Grant Rutherford, the former Ecd of Ddb Melbourne, who left to work for cancer charity Snowdome Foundation in July.
Also part of the launch team is former M&C Saatchi Melbourne Ecd Paul Taylor, of creative agency day&age.
Called 1der, the Melbourne agency starts up with The Heat Group, Billabong and Moxie as founding clients, with projects already completed for new brand franchises for Tennis Australia.
Garrett told Mumbrella: “Sue and I started 1der because we were proud of the working relationship we had built together at L’Oréal. Many of the ideas we were working on, from launching Garnier into Australia developed from really forward-thinking lifestyle projects,...
- 10/9/2012
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
"There has been no bigger icon of British design style over [the last] 50 years," says the Barbican's genial boss Nicholas Kenyon, "than James Bond." Really? Has the fictional agent 007 been a more influential design creation in the last half-century than Mary Quant's miniskirts, Terence Conran's white plates, Ron Arad's furniture, James Dyson's household products or Vivienne Westwood's frocks?...
- 6/29/2012
- The Independent - Film
Sir James Dyson, the British technology pioneer, has suggested that his firm could be interested in designing a mobile phone in the future. According to TechRadar, Dyson said at an event in London that a Dyson phone would only be made if the firm could bring something different to the market. "We would consider making mobile phones, but only if we had a technology that was really interesting," he said. Billionaire Dyson is best known as the creator of the Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner, but he has also invented washing machines (more)...
- 3/1/2012
- by By Andrew Laughlin
- Digital Spy
Leading names from the worlds of contemporary art, design, fashion and film donated a record 2,900 postcard size artworks to the Royal College of Arts annual RCA Secret event, which culminated in a massive sale in London in the weekend.
Artists including Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, Grayson Perry, Yoko Ono, Olafur Eliasson, John Baldessari, Richard Wilson, Jeremy Deller and Christo; designers Sir James Dyson and Kenneth Grange; fashion designers Sir Paul Smith, Erdem, Manolo Blahnik and Dries Van Noten and film-makers Nick Park and Mike Leigh all produced mini masterpieces that went up for sale at just £45. The only twist was that buyers didn’t know who had designed the postcards until after they purchased one!
Read more...
Artists including Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, Grayson Perry, Yoko Ono, Olafur Eliasson, John Baldessari, Richard Wilson, Jeremy Deller and Christo; designers Sir James Dyson and Kenneth Grange; fashion designers Sir Paul Smith, Erdem, Manolo Blahnik and Dries Van Noten and film-makers Nick Park and Mike Leigh all produced mini masterpieces that went up for sale at just £45. The only twist was that buyers didn’t know who had designed the postcards until after they purchased one!
Read more...
- 11/28/2011
- Look to the Stars
The Ajiro--a concept from Australia--would come from the Earth fully formed. Is this the first step for a sustainable manufacturing economy?
Another bamboo bicycle? Yes--but the vehicle devised by Alexander Vittouris departs from the funky, tiki-bar-friendly lines made from this sustainable, globally ubiquitous grass. A design student at Australia's Monash University, Vittouris envisions a bicycle that isn't built, but grown--the bamboo stalks of the frame being trained into shape while the plant is growing. Inspired by arborsculpture, in which tree branches are fixed in expressive shapes that they take as the plant grows, Vittouris wants to develop a reusable framework that would shape bamboo into nearly finished bicycles.
While arboculture is a craft practice rather than a mass-production technique, its application to bamboo--which may be cultivated inexpensively, and grows with astonishing speed--offers at least a coy gleam of scalability. Manufacturing traditional bicycles expends energy and injects waste into the world,...
Another bamboo bicycle? Yes--but the vehicle devised by Alexander Vittouris departs from the funky, tiki-bar-friendly lines made from this sustainable, globally ubiquitous grass. A design student at Australia's Monash University, Vittouris envisions a bicycle that isn't built, but grown--the bamboo stalks of the frame being trained into shape while the plant is growing. Inspired by arborsculpture, in which tree branches are fixed in expressive shapes that they take as the plant grows, Vittouris wants to develop a reusable framework that would shape bamboo into nearly finished bicycles.
While arboculture is a craft practice rather than a mass-production technique, its application to bamboo--which may be cultivated inexpensively, and grows with astonishing speed--offers at least a coy gleam of scalability. Manufacturing traditional bicycles expends energy and injects waste into the world,...
- 8/4/2011
- by Matthew Battles
- Fast Company
The Pa report today that former Apprentice star Raef Bjayou has said he hopes “nice guy” Tom Pellereau wins this year’s competition.
Raef made his remarks to the press while attending the opening night of a new run of Yes, Prime Minister in London’s West End.
He said, “I thought Melody was going to win but she’s obviously been ousted, so I’m going to go for the wild card – Tom the inventor.
“It’s a shock he’s still in, but he’s in for a reason. Lord Sugar likes the fact he’s going to perhaps give a man £250,000 to create a James Dyson-style range of products.”
Raef went on to say that he thinks that the BBC1 show, now in its seventh series, has “lost a bit of its lustre” but he added that it was “still good”.
He also predicted that fans...
Raef made his remarks to the press while attending the opening night of a new run of Yes, Prime Minister in London’s West End.
He said, “I thought Melody was going to win but she’s obviously been ousted, so I’m going to go for the wild card – Tom the inventor.
“It’s a shock he’s still in, but he’s in for a reason. Lord Sugar likes the fact he’s going to perhaps give a man £250,000 to create a James Dyson-style range of products.”
Raef went on to say that he thinks that the BBC1 show, now in its seventh series, has “lost a bit of its lustre” but he added that it was “still good”.
He also predicted that fans...
- 7/9/2011
- by Sarah
- Unreality
The startup's capital comes from big names like Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock, and its tech team includes a cofounder of Silicon Graphics and the man who was the chief architect for Palm's revolutionary webOS software. So what's the fuss all about?
That click you just heard? That was the sound of photography as we know it changing.
Lytro is a Silicon Valley startup that's building on research carried out by CEO Ren Ng at Stanford, and its promise is simple: With its light field camera hardware and software, it could change photography in an almost unimaginable number of ways--starting with the thing that most news sites have picked up on this morning, the lack of a need to focus a photo.
Meanwhile, Lytro's $50 million in startup capital has come from big names like Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock, and its technological team includes a cofounder of Silicon Graphics and the man...
That click you just heard? That was the sound of photography as we know it changing.
Lytro is a Silicon Valley startup that's building on research carried out by CEO Ren Ng at Stanford, and its promise is simple: With its light field camera hardware and software, it could change photography in an almost unimaginable number of ways--starting with the thing that most news sites have picked up on this morning, the lack of a need to focus a photo.
Meanwhile, Lytro's $50 million in startup capital has come from big names like Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock, and its technological team includes a cofounder of Silicon Graphics and the man...
- 6/22/2011
- by Kit Eaton
- Fast Company
Fired Apprentice candidate Glenn Ward has revealed that he is determined to prove Lord Sugar made the wrong decision in firing him this week. Sugar axed Ward after a magazine branding and ad sales task, claiming that he couldn't see himself teaming up in business with an engineer. Ward told Digital Spy that the multi-millionaire was entitled to have doubts about his background, but insisted that he would live to regret his decision. "Lord Sugar has his opinions [on engineers] and if that's what he thinks, that's what he thinks. I can only go out there now and prove him wrong," he said. "I think there are engineers out there who have done well in business. Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, James Dyson... they all did pretty well as far as I can tell. I wouldn't (more)...
- 6/15/2011
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Ah, my saavy surfers, when crafting my daily Love letters to you, there are some internet memes I just skip right past because I'm certain you've already seen, smirked and moved on. Such was the case with Hipster Ariel. However, this little slice of meme cosplay is worth a link. Hipster Ariel Irl. (Epic Ponyz)
Irl means "in real life" you guys, just in case you didn't know. I didn't know before I landed this gig and started trolling the sometimes skanky shores of Reddit. Til (today I learned) that Gui means Graphic User Interface. Here's a collection of film's most recognizable GUIs. ))<>(( Back and forth forever! (Access Main Computer File)
Who uses emoticons to flirt, anyway? It's all about these 52 non-verbal signals. I assure you #3 (solitary dance) is not in my arsenal (love is a battlefield). Why do the White Girl's Overbite, when a firm #43 gets the job done every time?...
Irl means "in real life" you guys, just in case you didn't know. I didn't know before I landed this gig and started trolling the sometimes skanky shores of Reddit. Til (today I learned) that Gui means Graphic User Interface. Here's a collection of film's most recognizable GUIs. ))<>(( Back and forth forever! (Access Main Computer File)
Who uses emoticons to flirt, anyway? It's all about these 52 non-verbal signals. I assure you #3 (solitary dance) is not in my arsenal (love is a battlefield). Why do the White Girl's Overbite, when a firm #43 gets the job done every time?...
- 4/12/2011
- by Joanna Robinson
Tonight is a big night for many Pajibans, as a show many of us love, "Futurama," comes back from the dead. To be quite honest, I have mixed feelings about this. I thought "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" put a sweet end on the series; not too melancholy but without giving some artificial-feeling resolution to any of the characters or overarching themes. Of course, I never watched any of the movies that came afterwards so I have no clue what those tried to do to the characters or continuity. I heard one of them tried to re-write the end of "Jurassic Bark" which makes me, like every other Pajiban out there, burst into wet, sloppy sobs, and that seems misguided at best. Anyway, I'll be watching tonight, for better or for worse. Here's tonight's schedule:
8:00 p.m.: "Wipeout" on ABC. New episode on a special night.
8:30 p.
8:00 p.m.: "Wipeout" on ABC. New episode on a special night.
8:30 p.
- 6/25/2010
- by Intern Rusty
Sir James Dyson has made a mint selling the story of his dogged pursuit of the vacuum cleaner that "never loses suction." But Dyson's newest product doesn't suck. It blows.
That's right, Dyson's newest invention is a room fan--a bladeless fan--called the Air Multiplier. And it turns out that the Air Mulitiplier might never have been invented at all, if Dyson's engineers didn't notice something strange was happening during testing of another product, the Airblade hand dryer.
Some background: Rather that drying your hands by blowing hot air and evaporating water, the Airblade blows a single, super-thin sheet of air, at upwards of 400 mph. When you run your hands through it, it scrapes water off--just like a windshield wiper. No need to wipe your hands on your pants when the air shuts off.
But engineers noticed some scientific quirks in how the Airblade was working. The sheet of air, due to pressure and friction,...
That's right, Dyson's newest invention is a room fan--a bladeless fan--called the Air Multiplier. And it turns out that the Air Mulitiplier might never have been invented at all, if Dyson's engineers didn't notice something strange was happening during testing of another product, the Airblade hand dryer.
Some background: Rather that drying your hands by blowing hot air and evaporating water, the Airblade blows a single, super-thin sheet of air, at upwards of 400 mph. When you run your hands through it, it scrapes water off--just like a windshield wiper. No need to wipe your hands on your pants when the air shuts off.
But engineers noticed some scientific quirks in how the Airblade was working. The sheet of air, due to pressure and friction,...
- 10/13/2009
- by Noah Robischon
- Fast Company
What are little boys made of?Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
What are little girls made of?Sugar and spice and all things nice
The rhyme has been catchy enough to stick around for more than 200 years. But we think designing for gender is a little more complicated than sugar and spice or snails and puppy dog tails. Here are two situations when designing for gender works brilliantly--just not in the way you would expect.
The first situation is when the design is stereotypically masculine, but women end up reaping the rewards. Men tend to love technical sophistication, power, and new toys. James Dyson supplies all of that in one powerful package. His vacuum cleaners are designed to look like incredible, futuristic devices. A vacuum cleaner image on his website has popup menus with “pneumatic actuator” and “high-torque clutch.” Oh, and it’s not a lowly vacuum cleaner,...
What are little girls made of?Sugar and spice and all things nice
The rhyme has been catchy enough to stick around for more than 200 years. But we think designing for gender is a little more complicated than sugar and spice or snails and puppy dog tails. Here are two situations when designing for gender works brilliantly--just not in the way you would expect.
The first situation is when the design is stereotypically masculine, but women end up reaping the rewards. Men tend to love technical sophistication, power, and new toys. James Dyson supplies all of that in one powerful package. His vacuum cleaners are designed to look like incredible, futuristic devices. A vacuum cleaner image on his website has popup menus with “pneumatic actuator” and “high-torque clutch.” Oh, and it’s not a lowly vacuum cleaner,...
- 9/24/2009
- by Yvonne Lin
- Fast Company
Yusef Muhammed, the co-designer the 2009 Dyson Award-winning firefighting kitchen faucet, discusses the challenges it meets and the concepts his team discarded.
In 2008, Yusuf Muhammed and Paul Thomas were graduate design students at the London's Royal College of Art, facing a class assignment to create a fire-safety product. That would have been hard enough, but the real world was also closing in, and fast. It was their last year in school, and, as Muhammed says, "We didn't want to create just a piece for our portfolios. We were really keen on something that could be commercialized."
What they produced was a fire-fighting kitchen faucet, the Automist, which has just won the 2009 James Dyson Award.
While the solution they eventually reached seems straight forward, the idea didn't arrive fully formed.
After intensive research, lengthy interviews, and product surveys Muhammed and Thomas produced a bushel of ideas, including "smoke hoods" that could act as temporary gas masks,...
In 2008, Yusuf Muhammed and Paul Thomas were graduate design students at the London's Royal College of Art, facing a class assignment to create a fire-safety product. That would have been hard enough, but the real world was also closing in, and fast. It was their last year in school, and, as Muhammed says, "We didn't want to create just a piece for our portfolios. We were really keen on something that could be commercialized."
What they produced was a fire-fighting kitchen faucet, the Automist, which has just won the 2009 James Dyson Award.
While the solution they eventually reached seems straight forward, the idea didn't arrive fully formed.
After intensive research, lengthy interviews, and product surveys Muhammed and Thomas produced a bushel of ideas, including "smoke hoods" that could act as temporary gas masks,...
- 9/9/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
The Automist could be a breakthrough in home safety--a kitchen-faucet sprinkler system that controls residential fires.
After months and months of brilliant ideas, the winner is in: The 2009 James Dyson Award goes to Yusuf Muhammed and Paul Thomas, for their design concept, the Automist. The runners up were Min Kyu Choi's Folding Plug and Jude Pullen's Pressure Alert.
In the few years that it has existed, the Dyson Award has arguably become the world's most prestigious student competition, by virtue of the intense competition from thousands of entries, which compete for country and worldwide awards. Though Dyson insists that the awards aren't a recruiting exercise, many entrants have gone on to work for Sir James. Still others have quickly established new design practices as a result.
Muhammed and Thomas, who are students at London's Royal College of Art, will split a £10,000 prize. Their university gets a £10,000 prize as well.
After months and months of brilliant ideas, the winner is in: The 2009 James Dyson Award goes to Yusuf Muhammed and Paul Thomas, for their design concept, the Automist. The runners up were Min Kyu Choi's Folding Plug and Jude Pullen's Pressure Alert.
In the few years that it has existed, the Dyson Award has arguably become the world's most prestigious student competition, by virtue of the intense competition from thousands of entries, which compete for country and worldwide awards. Though Dyson insists that the awards aren't a recruiting exercise, many entrants have gone on to work for Sir James. Still others have quickly established new design practices as a result.
Muhammed and Thomas, who are students at London's Royal College of Art, will split a £10,000 prize. Their university gets a £10,000 prize as well.
- 9/9/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
A digest of the week's best stories in green politics, business, and design.
In a still-stagnant economy, the "Cash for Clunkers" program got people spending and moved units--but did it benefit the environment at all? Though it was touted as good for industry, good for the air, there are serious doubts that it was actually good for anything--other than middle class consumers. Even if it wasn't, it inspired an upcoming program that rewards consumers for buying energy efficient products that could be better.
The Carbon Disclosure Project has finished a study revealing that the Global 100 firms need to double their current rate of carbon reductions in order to successfully mitigate the effects of climate change.
Byd, a Chinese auto company backed by Warren Buffett, has announced it will be bringing its 'most advanced' car, the all-electric E6, to Us shores in 2010--a year ahead of schedule. In other electric auto news,...
In a still-stagnant economy, the "Cash for Clunkers" program got people spending and moved units--but did it benefit the environment at all? Though it was touted as good for industry, good for the air, there are serious doubts that it was actually good for anything--other than middle class consumers. Even if it wasn't, it inspired an upcoming program that rewards consumers for buying energy efficient products that could be better.
The Carbon Disclosure Project has finished a study revealing that the Global 100 firms need to double their current rate of carbon reductions in order to successfully mitigate the effects of climate change.
Byd, a Chinese auto company backed by Warren Buffett, has announced it will be bringing its 'most advanced' car, the all-electric E6, to Us shores in 2010--a year ahead of schedule. In other electric auto news,...
- 8/28/2009
- by Brian Merchant of TreeHugger
- Fast Company
James Dyson is probably the closest thing we've got to Tony Stark (aka Iron Man): Granted, he's not creating rocket-powered body armor, but he's a tinkerer whose billions allow him to explore inventive whims. And if Sir James suddenly discovers a political streak? Look out, bad guys.
At this year's Chelsea Flower Show--one of the largest, oldest, and most prestigious garden shows in the world---Sir James, the Baron of Suck, stole the show with a water fountain that appears to feature water flowing uphill. According to the BBC:
A set of four glass ramps positioned in a square clearly show water traveling up each of them before it pours off the top, only to start again at the bottom of the next ramp. It is a sight which defies logic, and has become probably the most memorable image of this year's show. Mr Dyson says his inspiration was a...
At this year's Chelsea Flower Show--one of the largest, oldest, and most prestigious garden shows in the world---Sir James, the Baron of Suck, stole the show with a water fountain that appears to feature water flowing uphill. According to the BBC:
A set of four glass ramps positioned in a square clearly show water traveling up each of them before it pours off the top, only to start again at the bottom of the next ramp. It is a sight which defies logic, and has become probably the most memorable image of this year's show. Mr Dyson says his inspiration was a...
- 8/24/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
Impressive advances for the blind abound, but a MIT design team has taken blind technology back to basics with the 6dot Braille Labeler, a tool that prints labels in Braille. The labeler, which was this week selected as the James Dyson Award People's Choice Winner, aims to solve the problem of error-prone, clunky Braille labeling systems with an intuitive and reliable design.
The 6dot Labeler embosses Braille into adhesive labeling tape with a standard Braille keyboard. unlike most Braille labelers that mechanically print out lettering, 6dot embosses letters electronically to minimize mistakes. The labeler is ultra-portable, too. It comes with a neck strap and ergonomic casing that rests on the knee or a table. A button cuts tape at the end of each label, and a tab assists users in peeling off label backing.
newsletterPromo("FCNow", "right"); The MIT team is already far along the production process--a second working prototype was developed in April,...
The 6dot Labeler embosses Braille into adhesive labeling tape with a standard Braille keyboard. unlike most Braille labelers that mechanically print out lettering, 6dot embosses letters electronically to minimize mistakes. The labeler is ultra-portable, too. It comes with a neck strap and ergonomic casing that rests on the knee or a table. A button cuts tape at the end of each label, and a tab assists users in peeling off label backing.
newsletterPromo("FCNow", "right"); The MIT team is already far along the production process--a second working prototype was developed in April,...
- 8/16/2009
- by Ariel Schwartz
- Fast Company
A young designer solves the eternal problem of making the milk last as long as you need it.
The James Dyson Awards, a sprawling event that garners thousands of entries from design students the world over, is a pretty phenomenal wellspring of ideas--the short list runs into the hundreds. Treehugger points us to one concept we hadn't seen: A collapsible milk jug that makes the milk last longer.
The designer--who has to remain anonymous for now, since the contest isn't over--points out that plastic milk jugs basically foment milk spoilage, because they trap air in the container. And that's what the concept, Fresh, fixes. As the milk level gets lower, you collapse the container bit by bit, to prevent undue air exposure. The designer claims that experiments show that the milk lasts a week longer as a result.
A product like this could be a huge boon to other countries: To save plastic,...
The James Dyson Awards, a sprawling event that garners thousands of entries from design students the world over, is a pretty phenomenal wellspring of ideas--the short list runs into the hundreds. Treehugger points us to one concept we hadn't seen: A collapsible milk jug that makes the milk last longer.
The designer--who has to remain anonymous for now, since the contest isn't over--points out that plastic milk jugs basically foment milk spoilage, because they trap air in the container. And that's what the concept, Fresh, fixes. As the milk level gets lower, you collapse the container bit by bit, to prevent undue air exposure. The designer claims that experiments show that the milk lasts a week longer as a result.
A product like this could be a huge boon to other countries: To save plastic,...
- 7/27/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
Scrape away all the wizardry, and the Harry Potter films are about a company that unites behind a leader to defeat its foes. Which got us thinking about the real world wizards of finance and technology. In short, who in the business world is equivalent to our heroes and who deserves the title of He Who Must Not Be Named?
Scrape away all of the wizardry, and the sixth Harry Potter film is about a company that unites behind a leader to defeat its foes. Which got us thinking about the real world wizards of finance and technology, and how they would map onto the characters in the film. In short, who in the business world is equivalent to our cast of heroes and who deserves the title of He Who Must Not Be Named?
He's the chosen one. Everyone looks to him to stop the threat facing the world.
Scrape away all of the wizardry, and the sixth Harry Potter film is about a company that unites behind a leader to defeat its foes. Which got us thinking about the real world wizards of finance and technology, and how they would map onto the characters in the film. In short, who in the business world is equivalent to our cast of heroes and who deserves the title of He Who Must Not Be Named?
He's the chosen one. Everyone looks to him to stop the threat facing the world.
- 7/17/2009
- Fast Company
A universally accessible weight machine is among the front runners in the current James Dyson Award contest.
We've had the Americans with Disabilities Act for nearly twenty years, but gyms remain nearly impossible to access and use for those in wheelchairs. The Access was inspired by the difficulty, after the designer saw a man in a wheelchair arrive at a gym, with a bag full of homemade gadgets attached to the back of his chair. In the following hour and a half he spent more time fiddling with the equipment and getting in and out of the chair than he did working out. Surely, he wasn't alone: Almost no gyms have equipment for the handicapped.
The designer's still anonymous, because the design itself is competing for the James Dyson Award, a global competition to find the cleverest student-designed concepts (after the spirit of Sir James and his ubiquitous vacuum). The...
We've had the Americans with Disabilities Act for nearly twenty years, but gyms remain nearly impossible to access and use for those in wheelchairs. The Access was inspired by the difficulty, after the designer saw a man in a wheelchair arrive at a gym, with a bag full of homemade gadgets attached to the back of his chair. In the following hour and a half he spent more time fiddling with the equipment and getting in and out of the chair than he did working out. Surely, he wasn't alone: Almost no gyms have equipment for the handicapped.
The designer's still anonymous, because the design itself is competing for the James Dyson Award, a global competition to find the cleverest student-designed concepts (after the spirit of Sir James and his ubiquitous vacuum). The...
- 7/9/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
German designers Wach just unveiled a product concept that any small-apartment denizen will love: A sink that doubles as a dish washer. The piece is part of a show of work by young German designers, called Dmy Berlin.
The so-called Colo system is exceedingly simple: After a meal, you load a tray with dirty dishes, then you plop that down into the sink. Above the sink there's a hood which can then be lowered to create an enclosed washing chamber. After that's done, you can pull the trays back out and hang them--they function as storage for the clean dishes.
Just a clever concept? Maybe. But a design like this really could work, if they nailed one important issue: The pressurization of the water, sprayed down upon the dishes. That's a big reason why dish washers are far more water-efficient than hand washing--they make every single drop count. But the...
The so-called Colo system is exceedingly simple: After a meal, you load a tray with dirty dishes, then you plop that down into the sink. Above the sink there's a hood which can then be lowered to create an enclosed washing chamber. After that's done, you can pull the trays back out and hang them--they function as storage for the clean dishes.
Just a clever concept? Maybe. But a design like this really could work, if they nailed one important issue: The pressurization of the water, sprayed down upon the dishes. That's a big reason why dish washers are far more water-efficient than hand washing--they make every single drop count. But the...
- 6/4/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
Recycling water is a murky issue. Some say grey water--the wastewater from domestic tasks like washing dishes, doing laundry and bathing--is too good to go down the drain. Grey-haters say it smells, and cite the need for long-term health testing. And since grey water codes vary by municipality, installing such a system could be illegal in your town. Nevertheless, 13.9% of households in California, and 7% in the U.S., save some part of their sullage--legally or not--according to a grey water study conducted by Soap and Detergent Association. That's why designers are increasingly ending up with their minds in the gutter. Here are a few systems that will help flush your grey water worries away.
South Korean designer Jang WooSeok’s sink flows elegantly into the toilet. Grey water in the toilet bowl is mixed 50/50 with new water from a separate source, so the system stays fresh. [via The Design Blog]
Shower water is more...
South Korean designer Jang WooSeok’s sink flows elegantly into the toilet. Grey water in the toilet bowl is mixed 50/50 with new water from a separate source, so the system stays fresh. [via The Design Blog]
Shower water is more...
- 6/3/2009
- by Genevieve Knapp
- Fast Company
Design thinking is currently an "It" concept, the topic of countless books and blogs and conference panels. While it can mean a lot of different things to different people, for me, design thinking is a methodology, a tool, a killer app, and a problem-solving protocol to be used on virtually any problem. It can be equally effective in designing a new product or creating a new brand, to envisioning a new approach to health care or to reinventing city management. Mayor Daley in Chicago, where I live, is a pretty effective design thinker. That's right, Mayor Daley.
Design thinking isn't the sole province of the insular world of design and designers. Every year, I learn this lesson over again in the class I teach in "Design and Design Thinking" at Northwestern University. The mostly left-brain, linear thinking, engineering professionals in the class never fail to blow me away with how...
Design thinking isn't the sole province of the insular world of design and designers. Every year, I learn this lesson over again in the class I teach in "Design and Design Thinking" at Northwestern University. The mostly left-brain, linear thinking, engineering professionals in the class never fail to blow me away with how...
- 5/26/2009
- by Mark Dziersk
- Fast Company
James Dyson--the British king of suck, inventor of the cyclonic vacuum--has been awarded a patent for an enitrely new product line: A modular, space-saving kit for kitchen appliances.
Usually, your blender, toaster, tea kettle, and food processor are all bulbous, separate pieces, which monopolize entire swathes of counter space. Instead, Dyson proposes an appliance system composed of rectangular units that can be easily stacked together, eliminating wasted space. The appliances could plug into a common power supply, to further trim the total size. The control panels would all be on the front, providing easy access; the flat surfaces would be easily wiped down. One configuration even includes a water tank/filtration system that could replace both tea kettles and water coolers.
Dyson, for it's part, isn't committing on a release date for such a product. As a spokesman told the New Scientist, the company is working on a number of new technologies,...
Usually, your blender, toaster, tea kettle, and food processor are all bulbous, separate pieces, which monopolize entire swathes of counter space. Instead, Dyson proposes an appliance system composed of rectangular units that can be easily stacked together, eliminating wasted space. The appliances could plug into a common power supply, to further trim the total size. The control panels would all be on the front, providing easy access; the flat surfaces would be easily wiped down. One configuration even includes a water tank/filtration system that could replace both tea kettles and water coolers.
Dyson, for it's part, isn't committing on a release date for such a product. As a spokesman told the New Scientist, the company is working on a number of new technologies,...
- 5/4/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
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