Gizmodo: dryer

Tragic Death Reminds Us To Lock Down Our Washing Machines And Other Large Gadgets

Jason Chen — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:40:00 EST

This very sad story of a 4-year-old girl dying in a washing machine when her 15-month-old brother hit the start button reminds us to lock up our machines, especially around small children and pets. [MSNBC]

Rain Wipe is Slick Solution For Wet Umbrellas

Elaine Chow — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT

Leave it to the Japanese to come up with an environmentally friendly solution to drying wet umbrellas. The new “Rain Wipe” from Annon removes rainwater using a squeegee-like device to pull water from the umbrella into a collecting tray. The tray would only need replacement after about 3000 umbrellas have been squeezed through. It generates less trash than using those plastic umbrella baggies and uses less energy than umbrella blow dryers. Ingenious! [Dvice]

Laundry Concept Hides Washing Machine In Lounge Chair

Elaine Chow — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Someone I know once had the awesome idea of turning a laundromat (popular here in my neck of the woods) into a singles bar. With this concept washer and dryer from Indian designer Harsha Vardhan, we could up our prospective plans a notch and instead turn laundromats into singles lounges. The make believe washing machine doubles as a large seat whether it's in active or passive mode. The inner chamber of the chaise acts as a pressure washer and cleans clothes with ionized air instead of water.

While the Alternative Clothes Cleaner unfortunately still remains in the realm of fantasy, I'd like to believe that someday an appliance like this will finally exist. Then we can all place bets on how many cosmopolitans I'd need to chug before I can pull out my unmentionables in front of the cutie two sofa-washers down. [DVICE]

Japanese Somela Fast Dehydrator Sucks Water From Clothes With Your Help

Jason Chen — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Many people in Japan and other parts of Asia forego dryers in favor of just hanging out their clothes on a line. Whether it's for space conservation (quite likely) or out of habit, people there don't seem to be big on dryers. This Somela Fast Dehydrator, on the other hand, seems to be a quick and fairly easy way of drying your clothes in a trash can-sized appliance. It takes 3-5 minutes per article, but you need to hold onto the clothes while the dehydrator does its thing, so it's more suited for that one piece of clothing you need to wear "RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S MY LUCKY SHIRT OMG WHY DID YOU WASH IT YOU KNEW I HAD TO WEAR IT TODAY" to work than doing your whole load. [Rakuten via DVICE]

Eco Shoes Dryer Saves Us All From Your Smelly Feet

Sean Fallon — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:20:46 EST

Remember, sweaty feet equals smelly shoes. Do everyone around you a favor by drying your shoes regularly with the new Eco Shoes Dryer. Each dryer contains a silica gel material that can absorb moisture using power generated by an internal battery that can be charged from any standard wall socket. When your shoes are dry, the indicator window turns from pink to blue, letting you know that it is safe for you and your loved ones to re-enter the house. Available for 2,980 yen (or $27). [Life in Detail via Sci Fi Tech]

Winter Gear Dryer Uses Series of Tubes for Quick Turnaround

Charlie White — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:45:00 EST

We're getting jealous of our California brethren, with all those sunny skies and balmy nights, because the rest of us are shoveling snow, getting cold and traipsing inside with frozen-solid boots and gloves that need to be dried, and fast. That's where this winter gear dryer might come in handy. It sure beats putting those heavy boots into the clothes dryer, banging around for an hour and perhaps melting in the process.

It looks like a glorified hair dryer, blowing air through its series of tubes that are sized variously for gloves, boots, or anything else you can fit on them. Neat idea, but you'll pay $95 for the privilege. This technological device would be perfect for those who live in places like Alaska. – Charlie White

Winter Gear Dryer Speed Dries Shoes, Mittens, and Hats [Luxury Housing Trends]

Dyson Airblade Copied Mitsubishi Jet Towel?

Jason Chen — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 20:15:54 EDT

Mitsubishi's own high-speed hand air-dryer has been deployed in Japan for almost 10 years now, a fact most foreigners—like us—were oblivious of. Apparently, that includes Dyson.

Called the Jet Towel, the dryer works in a virtually identical way to removes water from the front and back of freshly-washed hands.

We'll give Dyson the benefit of the doubt here, since there's only so many ways you can get water off your hands using air. – Jason Chen

Dyson Airblade appears to be a copy of Mitsubishi Jet Towel [Pocket Lint]

Panasonic Washer Dryer Combo

Jason Chen — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:59:04 EDT

Washer/Dryer combos aren't anything we haven't seen before, but this one features a tilted-drum so children and the elderly can easily load and unload clothes. That is, actual elderly citizens living by themselves, not lazy middle-aged men making their parents do their laundry for them.

This machine is targeted for the Asian market, and has a heat-pump dryer so "no heater or water is used during the dry cycle." We guess that's good? We're no laundry experts. I don't even have any clean clothes left—I'm so very naked. Go go breeze-blogging! – Jason Chen

Panasonic washing and drying machine [Appliancist]