Dyson’s new wheeze? An air purification system that you wear on your head

a total headbutt

Last spring, Dyson floated the radical idea of ​​combining noise-canceling headphones with personal air purification. On paper it seemed like a crazy idea, and the prototype pictures looked crazy too. Overall, the collective response was one of disbelief, but hey, we once thought in a similar way about bagless vacuums, and yet here we are.

Just over a year later, the finished product is on my head, covering my nose and mouth, the result of what Dyson describes as the biggest challenge his engineers have ever faced. How do you miniaturize an air purifier, place the motors in two ear cups, and cancel the sound of the motors, along with any other ambient noise, to create a noise-free, easy-to-breathe music experience? Who knows why they have, but they have. They really have.

Hardly the USP of the Zone, but it needs to be stressed: when noise cancellation is on and the equalizer is set to “neutral” via the MyDyson app, the sound is pretty spot on. The music I’ve worked to make is reproduced exquisitely and accurately, with the kind of flat response you’d expect from headphones costing four times as much. As far as personal air purification goes, I’ll have to trust the statistics, but given Dyson’s three decades in the airflow business and the go-ahead from an independent lab, I’m happy to oblige. When the “visor” (as the purification accessory is called) is magnetically attached to the earbuds, you begin to breathe in a smooth, refreshing stream of air, free of particles larger than 0.1 microns across, including dust. pollen, and filtering of acid gases such as NO2 and SO2. The app tells you how much air and noise pollution is around you, and you’re fully equipped to take action against both.

Yeah, it looks weird. But while I was wearing it outside Liverpool Street Station in London (and I was feeling pretty self-conscious), a mother and daughter came up to me and asked for directions without even mentioning it. Perhaps the device gave me a majestic air of wisdom. I tapped the earpiece to turn off the noise cancellation, deftly lowered my visor, and heroically aimed them at the Elizabeth Line. Dyson Zone, £749.99, dyson.es

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playing a blender

Unveiled at CES earlier this year, the BlenderCap is billed as the world’s most powerful and compact portable blender. While I haven’t felt compelled to make smoothies on the go yet, if I had the urge to, this is the unit I’d go for.

A silver vacuum-insulated bottle (which keeps contents cold for 24 hours) screws into a solid little blender base, charged via USB-C. At the push of a button, an 18,000-rpm motor kicks into action, pulverizing whatever you’ve put in the bottle. It is beautifully conceived by two former Apple designers, feels very safe to operate, and performs excellently. Additional bottles can be purchased in various colors, with the clear one being a perfect option for use in the kitchen. Cross BlenderCap, $129, cruzlife.com

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wild

Part of the appeal of venturing into the wild is that no one can contact you. But the unexpected can happen, and having an emergency communication channel that doesn’t rely on cell coverage is probably a good idea.

The Android-based S75 offers just that: satellite connectivity, allowing messages to be sent and received on standard mobile networks when you’re in that dreaded zero-bar scenario. All you need is a clear view of the sky and a paid subscription (£4.99 a month gets you 30 messages plus free SOS assistance). The phone is resistant to dust, sand, dirt, water, heat and cold. Sorry, intrepid explorers: all your excuses for not responding to that text have been removed. Cat S75, £549; satellite plans from £4.99 a month, catphones.com

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little wonder

Top geek points for this diminutive 7-inch mini-laptop that’s fully modular, upgradeable, repairable, and ultimately recyclable. It’s a Linux machine, so you’ll need workarounds for the unsupported software you’re used to running on your PC or Mac, but it has a lot of appeal; It’s super portable, easier to use than a tablet or smartphone, and has a decent spec for its size: a quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, and plenty of connectivity, including USB-C, HDMI, micro-SD, WiFi. and bluetooth.

It also has a touch of exclusivity, with each machine assembled by hand in Berlin. $1,399 gets you the higher-spec version with a 1TB SSD and a plush white Piñatex case (a vegan textile made from waste pineapple leaves, you don’t know). MNT Pocket Reform, starting at $999, mntre.com

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Continue with discovery

This pint-sized projector quickly transforms a nearby wall into a 120-inch screen, auto keystone and autofocus for bright, vivid viewing. Crucially, it’s powered via USB, so if you have a power bank that puts out at least 65W, you don’t need mains power. (I’ve had it work great with Excitrus’ excellent NitroCharge 120 Pro.)

It’s an Android TV device, so setup is particularly easy for Android phone owners; just a few clicks and you’ll feel instantly at home, with the usual array of streaming apps (no Netflix, but there are ways around that). Two 8W speakers provide an impressive stereo field, but if you prefer to use headphones, a 3.5mm jack plug and HDMI port are provided for additional input flexibility. XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro, £529, xgimi.com

@rodri