There I was, drying my hands in the men’s room of the legendary La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, N.M., when it hit me: The Buddha and Dyson, the “cyclone technology” vacuum cleaner company, are two peas in a cosmic pod.

Here's the deal. People cannot hear the tone of your voice through the computer — whether you are writing an email, posting something on a social media site or chatting someone up. The intonation and inflection in one’s voice do a great deal to show the vibe of a conversation. So can facial expressions, hand gestures and the tiniest body movements.