Bladeless fan

Bladeless Fan
"Conventional three-bladed fans chop at the air and fire chunks of it at you, like wedges of cheese," Dyson says. "Plus, they can be dangerous if children's fingers get in the grille - and they are tough to clean."

His answer is a fan with no visible blades that he calls the Air Multiplier. Its key component is a hollow plastic hoop with an aerofoil cross section - like an aircraft wing bent into a circle. Set vertically on a pedestal, it contains a motor-driven "impeller" which forces air into the hollow rim of the hoop.

From there, air emerges through a slot that directs it over the hoop's aerofoil surface. This generates low pressure towards the centre of the hoop, which in turn creates a steady draught by drawing the surrounding air through it. The strength of the draught can be varied by adjusting the speed of the impeller.
See the video at: http://brightcove.newscientist.com/services/player/bcpid2227271001?bctid=44555602001
Read more at: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17968-hole-on-a-stick-aims-to-reinvent-the-desktop-fan.html