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Perpetual PDA Power? Possibly.
robb_c sent us this story about new high-efficiency power systems for portable devices - high-efficiency solar cells plus some sort of fuel cell system to store energy. Very nice, if it works, doesn't cost some ludicrous amount to manufacture, and doesn't explode when you drop it.
I want a clockwork PDA! You can already get clockwork radios and flashlights, why not a computer?
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> Nice idea but once your holding your PAD and you have the screen on the front where do you put
> the cells?
Ah, but you forgot about the OTHER gadgets they presented at the same show. There's the solar cell sunshades with the directional antenna that constantly gets pointed at your PDA/cell phone and transmits the electricity as a focused microwave beam. Or, for the less fashion conscious and more power hungry, there's the solar cell helmet. It doubles as a motorcycle helmet and is completely coated with solar cells. It also features the same directional antenna as the shades.
I keep on reading about them, but don't people
selling devices based on them.
I think there must be some sort of deep correlative link between being a Slashdotter and either (a) thinking that fuel cells are likely to explode and/or (b) exaggerating the explosive risk for "humor" value.
On the other hand, this may point out a potential PR issue for fuel cell makers. If even (supposedly) intelligent people like geeks make this kind of mistake, what will be the reaction of the general public?
Okay, it'll never happen, but here's a thought.
They've got fuel cells that will generate electricity from most types of natural gases.
What would happen if you hooked one of those into your pda, and your PDA via a long tube to the methane generating portions of your body?
Okay, it's stupid but what about as a source of energy for wearable computers? Your wearable PC could be powered by your underwear energy harness!
The risks of explosion from fuel cell batteries is probably smaller than the risk that your Lithium-ion battery explodes.
Most fuel cell technology uses substances like methanol as a fuel, and this is pretty harmless stuff.
Lithium-ion batteries can potentially create metallic Lithium, and that would be a bad thing to have sprayed all over your lap. Try looking up 'lithium ion explosion' on google
what the photon density of sunlight is in my pocket?
They've had solar powered calculators for year, but a PDA would seem to use quite a bit more power. I would assume that the PDA would charge a battery that would work for peak usage. Unfortunately, how do I get a charge with the thing in my pocket?
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
Silly slashdot story simply stated: storing some sort of small cell system sucks. Damn...It's too early in the morning for this.
Dude, have you ever thought about how wasteful batteries are? Like, why don't we like, build a PDA that runs on Solar Power? Because, like, its natural dude!
(Gurgling)You know what would be even cooler? If you could, like, have a button on the PDA that would order a pizza to your door any time, day or night!
(Gurgling)Dude, munchies over FTP would be 31337!!! If only I could remember my password...
Dude, you know what would be the coolest thing ever! If you could make a PDA into a BONG!!!
Yeah, and we could run the whole thing off a nine volt battery!!!
Hopefully I didn't put any [] around my words.
As I understand it, the fuel-cell does this:
Now, if you want to use a solar cell to generate some electricity, you can run the reaction backwards, electrolysing the water thus:
The point being, that you need to store the O2 and H2 given off by electrolysis, so you can use it later for the catalytic reaction.
This stuff was taught in chemistry and physics when I was 13 - 14 yrs old.
So that thing Dilbert and Wally gave the PHB (long gone from the archives by now, anyone saved it?) was ACTUALLY a notebook?
--I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else's fault.
--I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else's fault.
What about throwing these in laptops? If you could throw one of these into the shell right behind the screen, you could possibly get the added benefit of getting a little extra energy off the screen (kinda like a hybrid car generating a little energy off the rotational energy it already has put into its wheels). Also, would it be possible to use these reversible fuel cells as a replacement for current Li-Ion batteries?
Anyway, I'd like ot know how long the PDA accumulator could last as, for example, if I backlight my Palm III, this means:
- I can't actually get the photons I'd need to powerup my device
- It really becomes power-hungry
So, are these perpetually loaded PDA only for normal guys working in temperate zone during the day or using a lamp ?Hmmm...
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Trolling using another account since 2005.
Fuel cells are nice, but they have to have air, you can't use them in a rated space, and the fuel runs out. True, you can get more, but then you just have a longer running version of the AAA cell.
I want PDAs to come with a thin-layer isotopic battery built in, that never needs to be changed during the lifetime (oh, say thirty years) of the computer. Save wear, tear, grief all the way around, no more annoying battery doors to pop off at unsuspecting moments, decent reliability, and it gives us a reason to dig out some of the nuke waste that we've been hording and get it usefully distributed around the world.
*whup* "Get along, little electrons. Heeyah!"
... how many geeks do ever see sunlight?
I'm moving back to England. No solar power for me :-(
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Yes, the nick is flamebait