That's what Consumer Reports thought it was offering when it reviewed air cleaners this month. Alas for The Sharper Image's Ionic Breeze, things didn't turn out too well: Consumer Reports termed it "ineffective." Richard Thalheimer, Sharper Image's founder/owner, is suing.
What a hoax he's been pulling over the American public for years with this bogus device. It's a "totally silent" de-ionizer, with no moving parts: air just passes through it and the dirt atoms cling to it and then break up into quarks, or some such shit. The Wall St. Journal reviewed it, along with other air cleaners, about a year ago and found it completely ineffectual at doing anything. They, like Consumer Reports, were not QUITE correct: the device cleans your checking account to the tune of $349. What I like best is that neither of these reports appears to have dented sales of this plastic and metal "orgone box" equivalent. Wilhelm Reich went to prison for selling his; I guess as long as it's not giving you an orgasm, it's OK. I'll bet these devices cost about $5 apiece to make in China. Now why can't I think up a cool scam like this?
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