Did you know that Britain is a world leader when it comes to innovation? Some of the world's fastest cars, cleverest gadgets and even the technology inside this phone are made here. Britain is full of new ideas and cutting-edge technology and I'm hoping to see some of it.
The British love gadgets. And when it comes to innovators, James Dyson is world-class. He invented the bagless vacuum cleaner and this is his headquarters, where all the magic happens.
It took five years, over 5,000 prototypes and a lot of hard work and imagination to design Dyson’s Bagless Vacuum Cleaner.
…..
Tom Crawford is a senior engineer.
Richard: How do Dyson push the boundaries of innovation and technology?
Tom: We employ over 650 engineers and scientists to look at every aspect of our machine. We develop our own motors. We have microbiologists, fluid experts, noise experts, to really optimise every aspect of the performance of these machines.
Richard: How do you meet the needs of the international market?
Tom: Well, we sell our machines in over 50 different countries, so we have a really good understanding of what they want and what they need and, for example, for Japan, we know that their rooms are much smaller and we design a product to suit their demands, which is much smaller than the European models.
Richard: Excellent. Can you show me round your latest technology?
Tom: Yeah, please.
…..
Richard: Ah. I've used one of these before. Yeah, they're excellent.
Tom: Dyson Airblade is the fastest, most hygienic hand dryer. It uses a Dyson digital motor which rotates at over 5 times the speed of a Formula 1 engine. It pushes air out up to 400 miles an hour and dries your hands in under 10 seconds.
Richard: Awesome. What about this here?
Tom: OK. Experts in moving air. We've looked at the domestic fan and we've produced a bladeless fan which pulls air through the middle. It's very smooth, non-buffeting airflow and very safe.
Richard: That's excellent, isn't it? Ooh, it doubles up nicely as a hairdryer, too... How are you going to go into the future for Dyson?
Tom: Well, I can't tell you what our secrets are, obviously.
Richard: Go on!
Tom: No! But we've got a very exciting plan of products for the next 10 years, a plan of research for the next 20 years and we're also, obviously, looking to launch fantastically exciting products, like the new Dyson Digital Slim. Now this uses another Dyson digital motor, which is very lightweight and powerful.
Richard: No cord?
Tom: No cord. Cordless. Batteries. Have a go.
Richard: Got to. Got to have a go. Smooth. Loving that. Tell you what, Tom, thank you very much for showing me round. While I'm here, do you want me to just quickly... um...?
Tom: Yeah, just tidy up for us.
Richard: Feel free. No worries. Thank you. Cheers.
Tom: Thanks. OK.
Comments
Hello everyone..
☆ Do you like gadgets and technology? Why or why not?
- Yes, absolutely. One of the things about gadgets and technology is that they should be about improving your life. Wheather this comes through making your life easier or helping you to get more from life.
No matter what issue is plaguing you in life, there will be a gadget that provides you with the assistance you need to make life more productive and enjoyble.
☆ What's your most important gadget?
- The most important gadget in my life is smartphone, without a second thought. It has many uses, it can be used for communication or to search information and issues around the world in the Internet and also for entertainment purpose I think.
☆ Would you like to own any of Dyson's products?
- Yes, I'd like to own one of Dyson's products in the video. I think the fan is amazing since there are no rotating blades, the air multiplier must be more consistent and steady and the breeze from the fan doesn't buffet us with short gusts of air like we use the domestic fan.
By the way, Do you know how much the Dayson Bladeless fan cost?
Hi,
I did not understand when 'that' and 'which' are interchangeable and when not. Is there any article about the usage of them?
Thanks a lot
Hello Ebi Soleymani,
This is a question which relates to relative clauses. There are two kinds: restrictive (also called defining) and non-restrictive (non-defining).
In non-restrictive relative clauses you cannot use 'that'.
In restrictive relative clauses it is possible to replace 'who' or 'which' with 'that' with no change in meaning.
You can read more about these structures by using the links above.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi
how do i download the video? i am a teacher and i have to take the video to class, i dont have internet acces there
Hello aquiles174,
I'm afraid that the videos on LearnEnglish are not available for download for both technical and legal reasons - many of our videos are made in collaboration with other organisations such as the BBC and there are legal restrictions from this. I sympathise with your situation but I'm afraid we are not able to make them available offline.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Well a big special thanks to Richard who made me laugh all through the 24 videos. He is also so nice, enthusiastic, clear in his speech, ... The perfect reporter ! :-)
what does buffeting mean ? he says the fan is non-buffeting .Does it mean the fan is not making noises or shaking ?
Hello englishnoob,
Yes, that is the meaning here. 'Buffet' (the verb) means to strike violently or disturb in some way. It is often used to talk about the sea or wind, for example.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
In our days there are loads of gadgets that have made our lives better and easier; refrigerator, dish washer, hair drier and we are taking them all for granted, but can we imagine our lives without them, NEVER.
Computers and more specifically laptops are the greatest to me. I spend nearly 8 hours every day using my laptop, doing research, working, watching movies, learning English and socializing, it is very versatile and easy to get, I mean affordable.
When it comes to the gadgets shown in the video they are all brilliant, but the bladeless fan is the most amazing cause at home we should always pay careful attention to children not getting close to the fan, this one is very safe and I really don`t get how it works!
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