Dyson's new vacuum cleaner orders its own replacement parts
By Peter Rojas 
posted February 23rd 2005 9:32AM
posted February 23rd 2005 9:32AM
Dyson's coming out with a new vacuum cleaner that can call in to order its own spare parts when it breaks. Nah, it
doesn't carry around a quarter or have a built-in cellphone or anything like that, what it does is alert you when
there's a problem, and then you're supposed to dial a special number at Dyson HQ and hold your phone up the vacuum
cleaner. It'll then use secret crazy robotic vacuum cleaner code to signal to the engineers back at Dyson what's wrong
and what replacement parts it needs, along with its model details and serial number so it can have the parts
automatically shipped off to you (we heard it also reports back if you've been treating it poorly or not, so be nice,
ok?).
[Via textually.org]
Wanted: Absolute moron to sit in a cubicle and talk to vaccuum cleaners all day. Must be fluent in Beep.
...
Welcome to May, 2004, when this news was new. Wait that's my phone ringing, it must be slashdot calling.
hey d_slye, it's news to most of us, so try and relax, ok?
I never would have guessed our future robot overlords would have begun with vacuum cleaners, but have you ever seen that dude on the Dyson ads? creepy enough to be a robot crazed world domintaing mad man if you ask me.
The funny thing about Dysons is that despite the innovative engineering and being programmed for etiquette and protocol, if you actually go handle one and put it next to a Miele (for example), they can seem pretty cheap. I got a talking-to once in a vacuum store for asking how cool the dysons were. The guy couldn't stop going off on their loose constuction and plastic parts.
Looking beyond vacuum cleaners, this points to a time - very soon, apparently - when devices begin to integrate their functions to reduce the amount of administrative overhead required of the humans who use them.
For example, a printer might pre-order a new toner cartridge when its current one begins to run low. Either way, the utopian ideal is that technology will reduce the amount of intervention required of us.
That's the ideal. I suspect the reality will fall somewhat short of that. But we can still look forward and hope.
Carmi
http://writteninc.blogspot.com
Does anyone realize that Dyson is really the early 90's Fathom vacuum company? The Dysons REALLY suck. Suction in power (a good thing) and Suck in quality too (bad, very bad). Bought their upright and within 10 hours the bagless dirt holder flop broke. Back to Sears it went. It's no wonder they needed the vac to talk with tech support and order all their replacement parts.
Wow. d_slye may be cranky but he's right. Mike, if this is news to you, you may want to consider your sources. Did you hear that they make a 4gb iPod now?
I hear (from the voices in my head) that these are actually produced by the Department of Homeland Security and what they really do is scan what they suck up for illict materials. If any are found, it makes you think that something is wrong and you basically call and nark yourself out to the FEDs.
It could happen...
Let's all cave in to the appeal of flawless marketing. Older-tanned dude with british accent will pitch the prowess of the vacuum cleaner and we will be hypnotized. Unfortunately, their crap is 99.7% cheap plastic crap. Will break in 15 minutes, everyone will be pissed.
The funny thing is, as opposed to space travel and automobiles, the best vacuum cleaner design are the one that are old, I got a eureka, circa 1955 design, all metal, huge suction very close to the ground, and that things sucks (in a good way) there's not filter, no hose, nothing to get in the way. And it was half the price of a disposable Dyson. Did not come with glamorous britt accent either (a good thing :)
The older British dude is James Dyson himself whom I had the pleasure of meeting before. An impressive inventor that was sued by practically every vacuum cleaner company out there when he came out with the bagless cleaner, now they all have their own bagless models and it's getting more difficult finding a bag one.
...and I thought the shaq shoe phone was cool.
To be perfectly fair, the previous coverage of this product was upon it's release in Japan, and the article linked to covers its release in the UK, and mentions that it's been doing well in Japan. The fact that it's entering new markets makes it new news. The gizmodo post even said "be prepared to cough up as much as $700, plus import costs (at least until Dyson starts selling the DC12 here)."
Yep, the Dyson cleaners are so unreliable and easily-broken....I mean, we've had one since around 2000, and it...still.........works..........fine. Damn.
"Sir, I am fluent in 6 million forms of communication, this signal
is not used by the alliance, it could be an Imperial code.."
Seriously though, I've had my Dyson for several months now and am seriously impressed. Check out epinions for other people's opinions of them.
"Sir, I am fluent in 6 million forms of communication, this signal
is not used by the alliance, it could be an Imperial code.."
Seriously though, I've had my Dyson for several months now and am seriously impressed. Check out epinions for other people's opinions of them.
Individual testimonies are worthless when compared to unbiased lab testing. Dyson ranks in at number 13 according to Consumer Reports testing. That's pretty far from number 1 considering the price.
http://obviousdiversion.com/index.php?p=170
As there is a bit of Dyson bashing going on here I thought you might be enteretained to learnt that Dysons don't last more than 3 years in this house, but, as well as the usual jobs it also cleans out the range and chimney of soot once a week, grooms horses and works with DIY tools to remove the dust before it spreads. By the end of their three years they are sad a weary looking machines.
I am not concerned by the idea of them telling tech support of their abuse as I don't expect Horse to be part of their vocabulary!
Not only will it order the spare parts but also it will order pizza for itself.
And it weights 22 pounds. That is like picking up a mop bucket of water - full to the top. can someone install that dyson part in my back and have it call the doctor...
Did anybody watch the episode of Greys Anatomy last week???? There was a lot of blood. Do you think a vacuum cleaner can suck up blood? Would this one call the feds do you think? Oops, it makes you call the feds for it doesn't it. But anyway, Grey's Anatomy is a good show.
Hi again. I posted that thing because i wanted people to get confused. Did it work? its because im bored and you all sound so funny talking about a stupid vacuum. He he. It's kind of amusing actually. But anyway. Im sitting in my cooking class now and were in the lab trying to create a menu and i feel like i should share this experience with you because its soooooooo boring! We baked pies yesterday and i want to go home so i can sleep. Why am I telling you this, you may be wondering? because i can and i am! That why!
He he. Or you can choose just not to read this and go on with your boring lives. I don't know, maybe you have very fun lives, but your on a vacuum sight discussing this new vacuum and then again, so am i but i have good reason for being here, im trying to help my friend to find out ways on how they can improve on a vacuum and then i saw that i could write somethigna nd felt like confusing people so i wrote that last post of mine and now here i am again! Hi! Well im going now and i will never see you again or probably even see your reply's! so have fun replying! because i won't hear you!