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Laptop Fuel Cells Approved For Air Carriage
gilgsn writes "According to reports in BusinessWeek, the US Department of Transportation has ruled that a new fuel cell developed by US company Polyfuel can be taken on airplanes. The announcement clears the way for the commercialisation of fuel cells as an alternative to batteries in notebook computers. The use of direct methanol fuel cells on aeroplanes has been questioned as they contain methanol, which is flammable. According to Jim Balcom, Polyfuel's CEO, the US DOT said that a fuel cell designed by his company could be taken into aircraft cabins when it goes on sale because it contains a relatively low concentration of methanol. Fuel cells are viewed as a promising power source in notebook comptuers as they are instantly refuellable (using fuel cartridges) and will power laptops two to three times longer than standard batteries. Full Story." This will be more exciting news when the fuel cells are actually available.
Wahoo, it could be an FP YAY SRIS!
And why did you staple the trout to the RAM?
In the next 1 month..
Beware you cocksucker
Does this mean we're going to see laptops take the same direction as deskjets? Please say it isn't so, I fucking hate paying for those refills, it's an abomination.
Is your browser retarded?
Hurry it up guys! You're making it too easy! YAY SRIS
And why did you staple the trout to the RAM?
so how safe are these new fuels? I'd hate it if they were to cause problems in mid-air....
Anything that is powered by oil will be quickly approved as long as Bush is in office, no matter how dangerous.
Instant Karma's gonna get you - John Lennon
Same as trying to boost a car and mis-connecting the jumper cables.
Could this be the result of a payoff?
What we see depends on mainly what we look for. -- John Lubbock Now search for that bug slave!
wow, uber dorks galore, let's get the first post! hurry! piss off, you lamers. No wonder why nobody regards slashdot postings as anything interesting - they're full of a bunch of flamebait, one liner retards who'd rather crack jokes than start good conversations.
We all laughed when Bender refueled himself by slamming an "Olde Fortran" ale, but now it looks like alcohol _is_ going to be computer fuel soon! Who knew?
A Wired article touched on this previously.
The neat thing are the carbon nanotubes used to drive these things. NEC is working on fuel cells for phones.
---
Interview with GoDaddy President Bob Parsons
Jim Balcom, Polyfuel's CEO, the US DOT said that a fuel cell designed by his company could be taken into aircraft cabins when it goes on sale because it contains a relatively low concentration of methanol.
Just one might have a small amount, but what about the person who carries a bag full of them? Initial excuse being that there will be only a few places to get these when they first hit the market.
Jesus saves souls and redeems them for valuable cash prizes
And if you take any other kind of laptop with you, will you be suspected of being an al-Qaeda member?
Good to hear. This is a very promising technology. I remember seeing on TV not too long back, and fuel cell prototype for a PocketPC that just needed a few drops of water added to it once a day. It was sure a lot quicker add some water to the fuel cell than having to plug the thing in a wait around for a battery to charge. Now if they can just make them consumer friendly.
Maybe they can be refueled at the lavatory.
33 years old and still making potty jokes. It's sad, really.
Li-ion isn't the safest technology, When Lithium Ion batteries were first released 4 years ago(Sic!) they were actually banned from transportation on aircraft. Unsolved problems with batteries exploding violently resulted in the ban. [transair.com] Let's hope that some lessons has been learned and this won't happen this time around. Though, Li-ion batteries are still used today because of better safety regulations [nec-tokin.net] and even built in microprocessors to protect from overcharging. Lithium will still explode or overheat if charged at a too high voltage and if it catches fire, don't try to put it out with water!
The advantages of Li-ion obviously outweight the hazards and since fuel-cells don't seem any worse they will probably get accepted too. Apart from
better performance they might find a niche already because of normal batteries abysmal heat specifications. My laptop battery is not to be operated at temperatures higher than 35 degrees celcius, which really is impossible to achieve if you are using the computer standing on a desk. Not considering people in hotter countries or scientists at the southpole...
Look here for a more balanced story on battery technology [extremetech.com]
Yes. Of course. "Yes sir, please take a 'relatively' low concentration of one of the world's most flammable substances on board!" Sounds like a GREAT idea. It's all too easy to start a fire with these, though. Unless the concentration is REALLY low, these are not safe. And if the concentration is too low, I would imagine the effectiveness declines. Also: can you take fuel cartriges aboard? That would be helpful the traveller, but also even more dangerous.
Everything is mainstream now.
I'll buy a laptop that has a methanol fuel cell in it when I can plug my laptop into any wall socket to recharge my methanol supply. Sure methanol may last way longer, but the readily availiable supply of electricity far outweighs the benefits of the longer lasting fuel cell.
Bork!
I mean, if they last for 13 hours on end then gee whiz! I want one.
However, if tehy do not last long, and users are having to swap them out constantly, doesn't that pose a fire hazard? (having 2 fuel cells per lap top toting passenger?)
It would saem that methanol wouldn't be that big of a problem. The first aide kits on planes have rubbing alcohol in them!
I say go for it!
it seems the guy in front of me has been bringing gas on airplanes for years... did this really need to go to court?
MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
We already allow people to accidentally carry on more dangerous materials such as containers under pressure, pocket knives, knitting needles, and illegal MP3s. What is the harm with someone finally having enough battery power to operate their laptop for the duration of a flight from LA to Hong Kong? Nothing.
Hydrogen is much less dangerous than everyone in the pro-oil community is saying. It wasn't even the cause of the Hindenburg fire, as the mythical tale of why hydrogen is bad says. If we are going to fly on planes with tonnes of flammable material under our butts, then what is the harm of having some flammable material in a much smaller quantity on our laps? If we outlaw everything that might catch fire, then we shouldn't allow fat people on planes, because their fat may liquify, and they would spontaneously combust.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
I can see it now - all those busines-class air travelers sitting with their laptops open, little puffs of steam bubbling out every few minutes...
That being said:
This could be a boon to the more adventurous computer users. Instead of having to drag a solar pack around, and a bag of spare batteries, a jug of methanol and you'll be set for weeks!
What will the new measurement be - MIPS/liter?
I am not a robot. I am a unicorn.
One thing to ask is, how much do these suckers weigh, and how big are they? If they're huge and huge they're not going to embraced by laptop users. The PDF file has a picture of a fuel cell (p8) that's the length of laptop. Some laptops still use big ones like that but many have made more compact batteries. Another page shows an external-type cell (p14), which might be nice for airlines, etc, but at the size given isn't anything hugely innovative.
The article also states that they power laptops 2-3 times longer than standard batteries. So what's standard? Between different laptops, and depending on activity, there can be a significant difference how long batteries last. A hard estimate of how long they last under normal conditions (no CD's etc running all the time) would be a lot nicer. Call me suspicious but they also say 2-3 times longer than standard batties. My laptop doesn't run very long at all on a few AA's (insert smiles here).
Lastly, just a poke at the article because I hate lazy editors:
also -notebook comptuers- it would be nice if the reporter could spell
Why the heck are they worried about flammable alcohol in my computer when the stewardess will give me two shots of 100 proof vodka that burns quite nicely?
The announcement clears the way for the commercialisation of fuel cells as an alternative to batteries in notebook computers.
Fuel cells are very promising but do not yet perform on par with normal batteries (in terms of life/ cost / weight).
When they do, I am sure that airline safety will be the smallest of concerns.
Tor
This could turn into a big cottage industry for local stores. For $10 a month you could have a pair of fuel cells out, and once they are gone you drop them up and pick up two more. I sure as hell would pay the extra for the longer battery life.
First cars are going to electrical motors, now laptops are using fuel cells. Why not a diesel powered cell phone ?
Next thing you'll tell me is that there is like a tenth planet or something.
Damn slashdot. I used to be a normal person.
"One for you, one for me. One for you..."
One way or another, today's young go-getters are going to end up high on meths. Oh the canadian irony.
-- Proud descendant of semi-nomadic cattle-herders.
In fact, if these fuel cells work with ethanol, maybe you could just order vodka or rum to power them :-)
Sounds nice. I don't understand how you "refill," though. If I have to carry around a can of methanol everywhere, then it's not worth it--not to mention how expensive it will get to keep buying methanol.
Actually Bush is more that thrilled to force any form of Methanol powered device down on us. All those states out there with too much corn money and too many electoral votes have the White House in thier pockets. Currently Bush is trying to punish California by making us add Methanol to our Gasoline to improve emmisions, despite the fact that the gasoline sold in California is alreay below federal limits without any additives. It is just another stupid revenue stream for the good ol' boys.
Why in the hell would anyone want a power supply that you cannot recharge?? I wouldn't want to keep buying methanol cartridges for it every
time it ran out of power. If they are going to put fuel cells in notebooks, they need to use HYDROGEN fuel cells. At least, then, you could
recharge it. You would just have to take the
H2 canister out of the notebook and put it in its AC "charger", which would use electrolysis of water to re-fill it with hydrogen. So I really don't think this methanol thing is going to fly.
I hope that some one comes up with a smalll enough package that it can be designed to fit into the variouse packaging design that diffrent Laptop makers have for there batteries. I would certainly purchase a fuel cell for my laptop.
True capitalism = lots of similar companies = jobs for everyone who wants one.
Screw the airplane--what about my lap? I mean seriously, an airplane is a lot harder to set aflame than my cordurouys.
---- El diablo esta en mis pantalones! Mire, mire!
As much as I'd like to run my laptop on fuel cells, this sounds like a potential loophole for carrying far more-flammable fuels onto airplanes. Not that there are people who would go to the trouble of implementing something like that when they could just fill their shoes...
... but this post doesn't excite me as much as it might have a year ago. The problem is that I fear laptops will sooner or later be banned from airplanes due to wireless interference concerns.
I've been looking at laptops lately, a lot of them have built in 802.11 and bluetooth. Problem is: how do you know if they are on or off? The average business user who has no idea what his/her laptop is capable of is expected to know to turn the wireless stuff off. Because of this there has been chatter about banning laptops all together.
It seems to me that air-travel should be a larger concern for mobile devices these days. My cell phone that has all these organizer and game features doesn't have an 'airplane' profile that shuts down the transmitters on it. Should laptops have 'Airplane' profiles too?
In any case, I know it's a little off topic. It's nice to see a company saying "we'll get this approved for use in the air", but arguably air travel is their target market. Personally, I wouldn't invest in them until I knew more about what the future holds for computing devices in the air.
"Derp de derp."
the path to commercial Mars trips has finally been cleared now that the Ministry of Transportation and the Surgeon General have reached an agreement on policies for in-flight smoking.
While fuel cells are very promising, there still remain enormous challenges before they can compete with normal batteries, for example in terms of price, performance, weight and so on. When (if) they become a competitive alternative, then surely airline regulations wont be a significant hurdle for commericial success.
Tor
With the advent of these cells the manufacturers may no longer have the need to put in **more expensive** low power consumption components inside such as P4m and Radeon mobility...so would that mean that we may have to wear some sort of heat retardant clothes? Would that also reduce the incentives for low power consumption R&D? How about the fuel cell assembly itself...wouldn't it produce additional heat as well? Will we end up having water cooling on our laptops? Or better yet would they come with a power outlet as well so that we can charge our web-enabled 3G bluetooth (or wi-fi) phone while we surf the net? :)
Live for the present, learn from the past, and dream of the future!
I don't see the point here. Sure, they last longer, but they're far more cumbersome to replace/refill. If they lasted 15-20 times longer I could see it, but...
vapor ware?
Why dont the airlines simply provide outlets for recharging rather then allowing people to carry there own explosives on the plane? Why not just let terrorists walk on the plane with a box w/ 'explosives' written on the outside? John
Geek 2
Geek 3
Geek 2
Geek 1
Geek 3
*** Sound of several minutes of apparent use of tools ***
Geek 1
Geek 2
Geek 3
*** Static (or various moans and cries with a dark voice rambling "Liberate Tuteme Ex Infernus"(sp?) if you're in a marcabre mood.) ***
Hate me!
like the Boeing 727, 737, etc. I believe all of the newer Airbus 300 series aircraft (at least the 320 and 321) have DC power outlets in the armrests - in first class and in coach. The adapter to fit the socket (which looks like a smaller version of the 12V sockets in cars) costs about $80US-$100US.
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
he fucks CowboyNeal's ass all day long!
he he he haven't laughed like this in a while..mod'er up!
i was thinking a little while back: "man wouldn't it nice if we had atomic power, like minature tokamacks or whatnot for cars, cd players, laptops, etc etc.
and then it hit me -- no way man, it would suck ass. when you can store enough energy to run a car for 50 years in the size of a gas tank, what happens if something goes wrong (as it obviously will) with the storage? if somebody *intentially* sets it off, etc?
there are all these scientists out there who are striving for higher and higher power density in energy storage -- but i think there is an end; not necessarily the "diminishing returns" end, but a "maybe it's not a good idea for a AA battery to have enough juice to power a cadillac" -- because when you get enough power density in everyone's hands, everyone will have the power to blow a whole lotta stuff up.
this will probabbly become the next great hurdle in energy storage -- and ironically it's not even a technical challenge, but rather a socialogical one.
My life in the land of the rising sun.
I agonize over buying a laptop for 2 months, and then 5 hours after I decide they come out with one that can run for 3 times as long...
For an encore I intend to learn 4 dead programming languages, get a job at an internet company just before they go under, and commit suicide 10 minuets before they announce my winning lottery ticket.
Ahh who cares, in 3 years they will discover methanol fuel cells cause cancer.
I would rather be ashes than dust!
you listen to me, you are one motherfucking stupid piece of shit! why don't you go see if you can learn something before you shoot your mouth off about crap you know nothing about you goddamn retard!
And used butane lighters to light their smokes? I imagine the amount of fuel in these cells is less than the amount of butane in a bic lighter, besides, fuel cells are not really a puncturable container that could spill its methanol (and let it light up)
I can't see direct-methanol fuel cells not making it to production and widespread use in all sorts of things from laptops to cars. They have all the positive qualities of regular (hydrogen) fuel cells, but they have a few more really significant advantages:
1. They're easily rechargable. Anyone can pour a weak methanol solution from a bottle into a fuel cell's reservoir, but not everyone has the equipment (or desire) to store compressed hydrogen in their home or car.
2. They're stigma-free. Mention hydrogen and the first thing many people think of is the hindenburg. While it's true that hydrogen was _not_ the cause of the disaster (entire thing was covered in flammable paint), many people think it is and will shy away from hydrogen-powered cars and appliances for that reason. As far as I know, there have been no significant disasters for which methanol has been blamed. (Disclaimer: I may be wrong.)
3. A weak methanol solution really is safe - it's not going to hurt you unless you drink it. (Methanol isn't drinkable alcohol, that's ethanol. Methanol is converted by the body into formaldehyde, the stuff you use to preserve dead things.)
If you ran out of fuel, you could just ask the stewardess for one of those little bottles of vodka..
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Most People dont realize what bad people could make into weapons. For example, Go to the gift shop at the Air Port, buy a disposable camera, open it up and there is a large capasitor being powered by a AA battery. If you touch the wrong part on the curcuit board you can get a pretty nasty shock. Im sure someone could use that to take down a plane. Or modify a camera and install a larger capasitor that would do more harm. Stick that to someones neck and they will be in alot of pain. Sorry to sound evil, but its scary on what normal things can be turned into weapons. So I can see why they can be leary about Computer batteries.
keanmarine.com
I hate to see it so soon, but I gaurantee everyone here that we'll soon start seeing ad campaigns against these things in public. They'll be pushed by these same, uninformed opinions.
Sigh...such is free speech.
What's this Submit thingy do?
The new Toshiba Portege 2000 has a single button on the side to turn on/off the 802.11b wireless antenna.
And I've been sitting here wondering why the hell they would put it on there. Thanks for the clue!
Are you?
Ethanol is what is in your martini, and your smirnoff, and even in real vodka (snicker).
Methanol is what you find in rubbing alcohol, and is most definately a petroleum product.
If this is any more than vapor, this is excellent news for alternative transportation.
:)
Here's why: People have been working hybrid electric vehicles and decent batteries for decades. It was ONLY AFTER the cell phone and laptop boom that there was any significant advancement in rechargeable battery technology. So now we can make HEVs (and hopefully real electric vehicles).
If the idea of using fuel cells in laptops, cell phones, etc. takes off, we might end up with a generation of very useable fuel cells that we can apply to vehicle technology.
Of course, Detroit, Evil Oil Companies, and Starbucks will probably conspire and prevent this from happening
It won't matter how much current is available. if it won't arc at 12v at distance X, it won't arc at 12v at distance X even if the thing can sustain 200 amps or something rediculous like that.
I=E/R
From the posts I've read here, I've gathered:
1) In small quantities methanol isn't harmful.
2) Fuel cells aren't easily to puncture accidentally.
So, exactly how many batteries would be needed to create a harmful amount? People of malicious intent could easily bring 3 batteries each.
And are they easy to puncture when done on purpose?
The safety of these devices isn't wholly inherent in how they operate in normal situations. We need to look at them and say "could these be a weapon?".
...of Osama saying "Hrblt k jethig Beowulf ad og" (Imagine a Beowulf cluster of thóse...)
+++ath0
The mountainous road serpentined forcing Richard Munfry to grip the
steering wheel tightly as he handled the big Mercedes with the assurance of
a race car driver. Storm clouds gathered and raindrops began to fall as the
sky darkened and lightning flashed in the distance.
He drove a little too fast for Harry Arnold, his childhood friend
who sat besides him trying hard not to appear frightened but was as Richard
raced into a turn, wheels shrieking as the car lurched forward up the
twisting mountainside. Richard's icy blue eyes glanced at the rear view
mirror at the road behind for any fast approacing state troopers, and then
at his friends, Tom O'hare, and Ted Peters who slept soundly in the back
seat as he raced towards his destination.
"Tom, can sleep on a bed of nails and so can Ted," Richard said and
patted Harry on the knee. "Even as kids they could sleep standing up and
nothing bothered them while we tossed and turned all night."
Harry smiled and looked at Richard who was sixty but didn't appear
a day over forty-five with his bronzed skin and handsome face. He still
trained five days a week as he done all his life and took great pride in
his appearance. Richard's wealth was not based on his intellect or ablity,
but on a rich lover dying and leaving him an estaste valued at over thirty
million dollars.
In spite of Richard's ocassional temper tamtrums and pomposity,
Harry and the Boys as he called them, depended and counted upon him since
they were kids. When Harry's wife was diagnosed with cancer and throughout
her entire illness, Richard, Tom and Ted were there for him. But, Harry,
Tom and Ted were also there for Richard when Bob, his friend was taken ill
and died and for Tom when his wife succumbed.
The four friends still met for breakfast at a local Greek diner
every Saturday, come rain or shine when they were available. Richard always
included them in his plans and was generous to a fault. Richard's gayness
was never an issue between any of them and when he told them in high school
that he was gay, " they all cried out in unison," who cares."
Harry, was heavyset with broad shoulders and a big belly. Every
week he looked at the caledar and promised himself that he would go on a
diet and often did but to no avail. He had a full head of brown hair that
was turning gray at the temples and alert, brown eyes that danced with
life. He taught English at a private school and threatened to retire at
least once a month but loved teaching and the kids that he taught.
Tom O'hare stirred in the back seat. "Are we almost there?" he
said. "I have to take a leak real bad."
"Hold your water," Harry said. "We're almost there."
Tom was a big, burly Irish detective who loved to eat judging by
his girth. Tom was over six feet tall with thick salt and pepper hair. His
robin blue eyes were filled with mischief. He had a round cherubic face and
rosy cheeks. His large belly hung over his beltline and like Harry was
always on a diet. He had been a widower for the last five years and Harry's
best friend.
Ted slept angelically, a grin plastered on his face. He was the
brains of the group, the smart one. As a kid, he was the one that got them
into trouble and clever enough to get them out of it. He was tall and thin
and hadn't changed over the years and even though his hairline had receded,
his humor and intellect hadn't. He was a judge and divorced.
"Can you pull over Rich?" Tom said with a pained expression. "My
bladder is full and my eyeballs are beginning to float. I don't want to
piss on your new leather seats."
Richard stopped the car and Tom jumped out and relieved himself at
the side of the road. He came back to the car smiling. "I feel ten pounds
lighter. Home James," he said to Richard who handed him a towelette.
"Wipe your hands," Richard ordered. "I don't want piss stains on
the interior," he said and Harry laughed not knowing if Richard was serious
or not.
"The fucking guy is serious," Tom said and took the towelette and
wiped his hands. "Even as a kid you were a dick and age has only
exacerbated you dickdom."
Their laughter awoke Ted from his slumber and he stretched and
cleaned his glasses on his shirt. "Are we nearly there?" he asked and Tom
hit him with his newspaper.
The road they travelled on was deserted at this hour and up ahead
they spotted a lone figure walking along the side of the road.
"Should we stop?" Richard said. "It's gonna pour in a few minutes
and there's nothing around here for miles."
"Why not?" Harry said. "He appears to be the right age for you and
there are four of us and one of him and Tom is carrying his gun."
"Why not?" Ted said. "He might even prove to be interesting as you
three guys have been boring the shit out of me since this odyesy began."
Richard stopped the car and the young man came running. Harry
opened the window.
"Can you give me a lift?" the young man said. "It's going to come
down in a minute." He was around twenty-eight. clean shaven and handsome.
His hair was the color of summer wheat and his eyes blazed like saphires.
Richard stared at the young man's body and said,
"Hop in, we're not going far but you're welcome to join us."
"Any place is just fine. I thought I might get lucky and be in
Bradsville by nightfall but this road isn't heavily travelled and my feet
are hurting from all this walking. My name is Stuart Sherman""
"Where you headed?" Tom asked.
"No where and everywhere," he answered. "I don't mean to be smug.
I'm single, burned out and I've saved a few bucks and decided to see the
country. When I find a place that I like, I'll stay a spell." He was over
six feet tall and well built. In his T shirt his muscular arms and chest
were evidence of a man that was serious about his body.
"Burned out?" Tom asked.
"Don't mind the questions," Harry said. "Tom is a detective and he
puts us all through the Spanish Inquisition. He doesn't mean anything. It's
just ingrained in him."
Stuart smiled. "I don't mind at all. Been alone on the road for a
few days and nice to speak with people. "Yes," he said. "I'm burned out
pretty much so that I needed a life style change. "I traded commidities for
a major company that went belly up in the Enron mess and I found myself on
the shelf so to speak. I guess it was a signal that it was time for me to
move on so here I am. "
"I'm Harry Arnold, the man seated next to you is Ted Peters and that's Tom
O'hare and the man driving the bus is Richard Munfry."
"Nice to meet you all," he said in a friendly voice. "I really appreciate
the ride."
Suddenly the rain came down and they drove in silence. Harry spotted
familiar landmarks along the road and knew they were approaching Richards
house. The drove by the cemetary where Bob was buried and down a dirt road
that was hardly used once the thruway was built.
"Nearly there," Richard said. "Stuart, we're going to my house for the
weekend and you're welcome to join us for the night. Harry and Tom are
great cooks and there is plenty of room. Tomorrow we'll put you back on
the road after a decent breakfast."
"You wouldn't mind?" Stuart asked.
"Not at all," Harry said and smiled looking at Richard who looked at the
handsome young man through the rear view mirror.
They drove a mile up a road, past a stone fence and into a driveway that
was carefully manicured and Richard's house appeared out of the mist. It
was an old farm house over two hundred years old on sixty acres of land
sitting on a private lake. The lawn was as big as a baseball field and
every fouth of July, Richard had a softball game for the local gays that
had homes in the area and then a big cookout with fireworks.
They pulled into the driveway and parked the car and they all got out. They
walked in the back way, past the pool and a garden that was in full
bloom. They walked up steps to a huge flag stone terrace that overlooked
the pool and lake and they entered the house. Richard had a woman who came
in and a fire was lit and the provisions that he ordered put away. Stuart
stood in the large kitchen and shook his head.
"Nice spread," he said.
"It works for me," Richard said. "Harry do me a favor and show Stuart to
his room. It's the one next to mine."
Harry smiled to himself and showed Stuart to a beautifully decorated room
with a fireplace. Each room had a fireplace. Stuart put his stuff on the
bed.
"I'll show you around," Harry said and walked Stuart throughout the house.
It was beautiful old house and the old beams were original and the wooden
planks were polished to a high gloss. There were three fireplaces
downstairs and one in each of the five bedroom. The house had a sauna and a
hot tub and all the comforts that a rich man wanted and desired and
decorated by a top New York designer.
"After you freshen up," Harry said, "cocktails are being served."
A few hours later
"A toast to Harry and Tom," Richard said, "for a wonderful meal. Tonight,
you guys outdid yourselves."
Everyone was relaxed as the wine flowed along with the conversation.
"Now that dinner is over, who's game for the hot tub?" Richard asked. "it
has stopped raining and a beautiful night with stars shinning. A glass of
blubbly while we soak and relax will have us all sleeping like babies.
"I'm game," Stuart said.
"Anybody else? Richard asked knowing that his friends wouldn't use the hot
tub while he was trying to seduce this young, handsome man.
Harry and Tom stood doing the dishes and cleaning up. From where they stood
they could view Richard and Stuart as they sat with their feet danging in
the hot tub.
"Do you think, he'll get him?" Tom asked. "My money's on Richard."
"Where's Ted?" Harry asked. "Maybe he wants to make a bet."
"Conked out on the couch. He's depressed. Found out the wife got a new
boyfriend and it's killing him."
They stood there as Richard slipped into the water and came up between
Stuart's legs and put his hands on his muscular legs. They could hear
laughter but not what they were saying.
"Richard must be drooling looking at that kid's incredicle body and that
piece of meat dangling between his legs." Harry said.
"Not to worry," Tom responded. "Soon he will be having his second meal of
the night." No sooner had Tom said it that they saw Richard's head between
Stuart's legs and taking his organ into his mouth.
"Son of a bitch," Tom said. "He's fucking unbelievable."
They watched as Richard licked the young man's cock and how Stuart
leaned back enjoying it as Richard applied the mouth that had conquered
countless men over the years.
Harry could hear Tom's breathing and looked down to see a bulge
rising in his pants. He reached down and grabbed Tom's cock.
"What's this?" Harry said holding Tom's cock.
"Don't know, but it's been so long since I've had sex, I just got
excited watching them and got this boner."
Harry's fingers lingered on Tom's dick and massaged it with his
hand, then reached out and kissed Tom full on the lips.
"Are you crazy?" Tom shouted. "Do you have any idea what you're
doing?"
Harry didn't say a word but held him close and Tom felt Harry's
erection pressing against him. They stood there not moving as Harry's
tongue entered Tom's mouth and kissed him. At first it was tentative, but
then with passion.
Tom reacted to Harry's kisses by pulling away. Harry saw the
stunned look on his friend's face but it was too late to do anything about
it. He was high but not drunk but wanted to kiss Tom. They had been best
friends since grade school and Harry was concerned that his impulsiveness
would or could affect their friendship. He found Tom in the den looking out
at the lake and stood behind him.
"I'm sorry Tom but I guess I had too much wine and reacted."
Tom didn't move but stood staring out the window.
"No, damn it. I have been wanting to do it for years. "I'm glad
that it happened and I wish you would have reacted differently but you
haven't and there's nothing I can do about it. "
Tom turned and faced Harry. There were tears in his eyes and one that ran
down his cheek. He pulled Harry into his arms kissing him with feelings
that had been bottled up inside him for years and poured out of him.
"Do you know how long I waited for you to do that? To say that?" he said
and kissed Harry with a kiss that was tender yet smodering as Tom's tongue
found his and they were locked in each other's arms. He unzipped Harry's
shorts, and felt his cock through the cotton briefs and slipped his hand
down his briefs and grabbed his cock. Harry moaned as Tom held it. It wa
large and straining to be released. He ran his hand up and down Harry's
shaft feeling his stiff organ as his hand fondled his balls which were
large and smooth to the touch.
"Have we both gone insane?" Harry said and looked into Tom's blue eyes and
kissed him sweetly on the nose and then the cheeks and then his mouth until
his tongue was buried in his inside of his mouth tasting wine, herbs as Tom
returned his kisses.
"We may be, but I dreamed of this for a long time. Anyway, we're two
consenting adults." Tom answered and opened Harry's shirt, his fingers
finding Harry's fleshy chest and his nipple. He played with it feeling it
come alive in his fingers.
"Oh God," Harry moaned as Tom put his mouth on his nipple and began to suck
on it gently and then applied pressure so it began to grow and harden in
his mouth.
"Not here," Tom said. "I want to make love to you in a bed as I fantasized
about all these years."
They climbed the stairs to Tom's room. A fire was lit and a small night
lamp was on. They embraced holding each other as they clumsily undressed
one other, at first unsure of what they were doing. Was it the wine? They
both didn't care as they touched each other with an urge that was strong
and powerful, enjoying the sensation that each touch brought to them. They
didn't speak but held each other's hand and kissed. Tom licked Harry's ear
and ran his tongue inside of Harry's ear lobe. He felt Harry shudder and
felt the skin on his arms rise as he sucked on his lobes, his breath hot
against Harry's ear that had him panting from excitement.
Tom was smooth and Harry ran his hand over his belly. He held it there and
felt the slow movement of his belly as it rose and fell with each breath he
took. His hand was party of Tom's body as he kissed him. His hand moved
his hand down to Tom's organ and lingered on his throbbing dick. He held
him close and pulled down his briefs and held his uncut cock. It wasn't
large but thick. Harry fondled it and Tom twitched and began to leak.
"Harry, if you touch me I might cum, I'm so hot," his voice husky as pulled
Harry toward him and led him to the bed. They lay down next to each other
and they kissed once more now sure of what they wanted and that was to love
each other.
"Do you realize that if Richard knew what we were doing up here he would
die?" Tom said and reached down and slipped off Harry's briefs. Harry's
cock was large and thick as he rubbed it against Tom's belly and kissed
him.
"It can't be wrong if I feel wonderful lying here next to you," Harry said.
They entwined their fingers and held one another. Harry kissed Tom's
nipples and sucked on them. Tom groaned as Harry flicked at one with the
ball of his thumb as he licked the other and held him close to him. Harry
moved down Tom's body kissing his stomach and tonguing his bellybutton as
he found the soft mound of gray hair of his crotch. Harrry was
inexperienced but enjoyed eating his wife's pussy when she allowed it. He
thought the same principle applied to a man and that was pleasing your
partner. He found Tom's organ and put his fingers on the shaft and milked
back the head and saw the beads of pre cum that had formed around the
rim. He had never done anything like this before but wanted to taste Tom's
cum, wanted to know what his load was like. His tongue tasted the thick
liquid which was sweet as honey. He put his mouth on Tom's organ and
sucked slowly not sure of what he was doing but had watched Richard over
the years as he did his tricks. Harry licked at the hood, his tongue inside
licking at Tom's slit and feeling it grow as his mouth moved down the
shaft.
"Oh, Harry," I never felt this way before. Please, don't stop and love me."
Harry sucked on Tom's cock, licking his balls and Tom lifted his legs
andHarry could see his ass.
"Please don't make me cum," Tom pleaded. "I love you Harry," he said.
"Me, or my mouth on your dick?"
"You. It has always been you since we've been kids, I've alway loved you
and wanted you. I made love to Martha and it was you I was loving. I never
said anything for fear you would laugh at me and I couldn't bear that. I
feared if I did I would lose your friendship. I never told Richard that I
was gay or anyone and have been living a lie all these years and wanted you
always. "
"You big lug, Harry said and kissed him. "All these years and not a word. I
never had a clue. I fought my gayness because of my family and
responsibilities. I know that sex with the wife was all right when I was
younger but I always fantazied about being in threesomes and with another
heavy man. I was afraid to be with a man, fearful of the consequences, so I
pushed sex from my mind. When the wife turned me off I didn't care and
polished my rocket and more than once it was over you." He kissed Tom and
they lay in each other's arms.
Tom wanted Harry's load, wanted it forever and now he was going to get
it. He held Harry's cock and licked at the slit and tongued the head until
his saliva made it slick as he put his mouth on it and began to suck slowly
moving down the shaft and then up, concentrating on the head as Harry moved
under him running his hands lovingly through Tom's hair. Harry's cock was
big and Tom wanted it in his ass. He dreamed of it in him and said.
"Harry, I want you to fuck me. I want you inside of me where you belong."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Harry's cock was hard as steel as Tom lay besides him, his ass ready for
the taking as Harry rubbed agains his buns, sliding his cock down the ass
crack as Tom spread his cheeks so Harry could put it dick into his hole.
Tom had a beautiful round ass for a heavy man. Harry began to kiss first
one cheek and then another as Harry's tongue gently glided down the crack
of Tom's ass, now moist with Harry's saliva. In the soft light of the room,
he could see Tom's touch hole. His tongue snaked in as Tom moved up and
down on Harry's tongue moaning happily. Harry licked Tom's ass slowly
enjoying the taste of his sweetness as he rimmed him. He had never done
anything like this in thirty years of marriage but loved doing it with
Tom. Tom moved his ass upward so Harrycould get deeper penetration. Tom was
in esctacy as Harry savored Tom's ass and he pushed it into Harry face
calling out his name as Harry probed his ass with his tongue.
"Have you ever been fucked before?" Harry asked.
"No," Tom said, "but I want it with you."
Harry felt giddy as a teenager who was on his first date as he gently
pushed his dick into Tom's hole and felt his tight ass as his prick
strained to enter. He heard Tom groan in pain and was fearful that he had
hurt Tom and backed away.
"Slow so I can get use to that tool of yours, " Tom said and grabbed
Harry's cock.
Harry began again and he heard Tom groan as his cock entered him and he
stopped, holding Tom tight, kissing his neck leaving his cock at the
entrance of his hole. It was warm, tight and wet and the feeling was
indescribable to Harry who never felt this way. Tom moved his ass slowly
and Harry inched into him, and rested while Tom got use to the feel of his
tool. Once, the pain had eased, Harry moved slowly, the friction of Tom's
tight ass and the sight of his beautiful buns had him on the edge. He held
Tom's belly, soft and round and gripped his cock which was soft but began
to grow as Harry played with it. With a final thrust, Harry was inside of
Tom and began to move in him.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked. "Am I hurting you?"
"No, I'm fine now. It hurt going in but it is everything is as I dreamed it
would be. Fuck me, come inside of me," he whispered and kissed Harry's
fingers, sucking on them. "I love you Harry."
Those words were music to Harry's ears as he moved inside Tom who ground
his hips as moved to take the thrusts.
"Oh, baby, it feels so good with you in me. Love me Harry, do what you want
with me. I'm yours."
Harry was on fire, inflamed by Tom's words and not having had sex in years
and he began to move feeling Tom's ass and his heat as he moved within
him. He didn't know how long he could hold out but wanted this feeling to
never end. Tom shook his ass as Harry grinded his dick into him loving him
with his tool as he felt himself getting ready to shoot his load.
I'm going to cum, he cried out."
"Give me your love, fill me with it. "I love you Harry."
With those words, Harry filled Tom's ass with his load as the cream poured
out of him into Tom's beautiful ass. They didn't move and when he was soft
he pulled out and Tom turned and faced him. There were tears in Tom's eyes.
Harry went down on Tom who was semi hard and he began to suck him, sliding
back the shaft with his mouth and tonguing him as he slid up and down his
pole until he was stiff. He made love to his organ as he had made love to
his ass. It was natural for him as he took Tom's dick into his mouth and
down his throat and heard Tom's moans of pleasue. He wanted Tom's juice, to
taste the ambrosia that would be soon his as the head of Tom's cock was
growing large and he heard him cry out,
"I'm cumming" and shot his load into Harry's mouth. He was released and had
given him his love and Harry was pleased as he tasted his cum and then
swallowed his load.
Not a word was spoken as they laid there holding each other. Nothing
needed to be said for they found out that loving one another was all that
mattered.
The Next Day
Did I miss anything last night," Ted said. "The booze sure hit me hard."
"Nothing," Tom said and winked at Harry. "We were tired and went to bed
early."
"Where's Richard?"
"Driving Stuart to the highway," Harry responded.
"That's nice. What's our plans for the day?"
"Don't know about you, but Harry and I will take a walk and then come back
and nap as you know how this country air makes you sleeply."
"I'll probably go into town with Richard so you guys will be alone most of
the afternoon."
"We'll manage," Tom said and Harry looked at him with love in his eyes.
Some laptops use as much as 70 watts of power. That's not much less than a human being uses at rest (such as sitting in an airline seat). Airlines barely circulate enough air into the cabin now to keep people from passing out. With fuel cells sucking up more of the available oxygens, airlines may have to provide more air--and they might not get around real soon to doing that. I hope it doesn't cause anyone serious breathing problems.
There have been several mentions of using a red or infrared laser to blind cameras. Has anyone tried the green laser pointers now available?
If I drive fast enough at the red light, it'll appear green.
I know that this post may be OT, but the post that this is a reply to WAS NOT. Whoever modded that down either didn't read the article, didn't get the joke, or some combination of both. That post was a reference to the laptop being safe for airline travel, implying that similar laptops are unsafe. Now do you get it?
I'm starting to see how this is all going to pan out. Apologies to those who already figured it out.
so HP makes most of its money off of proprietary inkjet refill carts. It's the disposable razor model, where you get the printer for a song, but the supplies suck you dry. now with fuel cells, for the sake of 'safe transferrance' of fuel to the cell, the fuel cell supplier will sell you fuel packs in proprietary cases (probably with microchips (ala Epson ink carts) to deter 'piracy' (ie third parties)). The batteries will go for a song, and at $10 each the refills won't seem prohibitively expensive. heck, you could get a 10-pack for $70 at costco, most likely.
But use them day after day for your commute to work, use them on planes, on vacation so you don't have to lug a power supply (since you'll be able to buy them on demand all over the world, like film) and suddenly a huge new industry emerges, because we're too clumsy to put methanol into a compartment without NASA-level safeguards.
Yeah, I'm bitter, but this is how the world works. Things don't come to market because they're better; things come to market when people figure out how to get rich off it.
Kevin Fox
To pose a more important question, "Why recharge slowly, when you can refill directly and with less waste?" You want to wait for electricity being generated hundreds of kms away to slowly reorganized the chemistry in your battery, or just readd the needed chemistry parts, right there instantly?
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
I was reading in a science fair book that you can make methanol from household garbage using a pressure cooker. Free battery power!!! Good for the environment too.
Do the airport security screeners tell that the liquid in the cell is what it's supposed to be?
I'd prefer Ethanol as a fuel, at least if it can tolerate a small amount of water rather than requiring anhydrous. Airplanes could start carrying the full-strength Everclear (apparently the 192-proof is illegal in California, so we can only get 151 here, but I assume the real stuff is available.) (For non-US readers, this is 96%-pure ethanol, with the other 4% being water.) And unlike methanol, it's relatively non-poisonous. So while you wouldn't have a fuel line feeding directly into your laptop from the airline seat, it'd still be convenient, and you could drink the leftovers....
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Where can I read more about this newfangled "air carriage" you speak of? Is it anything like Doctor Flavinbottom's ocean-going mechanical horse?
Truly, this is an age of marvels.
``Life results from the non-random survival of randomly varying replicators.'' -- Richard Dawkins
2 to 3x of laptop use? I have a pack of AAA's that says that as soon as these are available laptops will use 2 to 3x as much power.
In grade school physics class we made methanol and ethanol from wood. Taking what amounted to skinny popsicle sticks and heating them in a test tube we were able to get both methanol and ethanol out of it. Granted, this may not be the most economicaly efficient way to obtain methanol, but it's not strictly a fossil fuel derrivative.
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
I'm pretty bent out of shape by the whole "airport security" thing.
I don't have and answer, but the problem is that politics suck. We are losing our civil liberties daily for no real benifit.
To wit: if two guys with box-cutters can hijack an airplane, then two guys armed with somthing like "CIA-001 or CIA-003 could. And anyone who is comitted enough to commit suicide by flying a plane into a building is surely comitted enough to get through security with one of these up his ass. I say that not to be crude, but to illustrate what we are up against.
The bottom line is that tightening the noose around our own neck is not going to save us. Handing box-cutters out to passengers as they board would be more effective than every security measure implemented before September 11, or since.
Recall that they fourth plane didn't hit a building. The passengers of United 93 went through the same screening process as everyone else. The difference was that those passengers took a stand. A hell of a lot harder stand than the one it would take on our part to reverse the tide of cowardace that we are sweeping our freedoms away in.
Your government can't protect you. Your government is not obligated to protect you (see South v. Maryland).
Let's take the plunge and live free, huh?
-Peter
Correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't most laptop batteries flammable - most seem to have all sorts of warnings plastered over them warning not to dispose by fire, etc...
,it's time to pour more liquid nitrogen over the CPU......
Then again, my laptop gets hot enough to fry an egg, but has yet to burst into flames... Speaking of which
-- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
It's been about 13 years ago, but I remember an article in Popular Science that was talking about mixed-hydrocarbon fuel cells that would run on gasoline, methanol, ethanol, propane and probably some others. Since then, I've seen very little discussion of fuel cells that wasn't hydrogen based.
If we can have methanol fuel cells to run laptops, is there any particular reason we can't get them sized up to do things like run cars? Methanol's a lot easier to come by than hydrogen, a lot easier to store, yadda yadda. The only downer is that it breathes out CO2 and water, instead of just water. But so do you. Um, and me too.
The whole idea as I understood it was that these things produce electricity lots more efficiently than piston or turbine based generation.
I must be missing something.
In Brazil, which doesn't have any oil, they have been producing methanol from cane sugar amongst other things.
As long as there are babies and children wailing on planes, there's too much damn oxygen in the plane as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps the drain of oxygen by my laptop will keep everyone around me quiet, and I can use my laptop in peace.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I can't quite remember how the refills worked, but I had the feeling they came in disposable bottles - are these bottles also OK'ed for taking on planes, or are we back to square one when they realize we have to check luggage to have spare power for the laptop when we arrive?
I'm personally not convinced it's going to be more convienient to find a fuel cell refill than a power outlet for the next 10 years or so. Even if the battery life is longer (which is great), when you're out, you're out and I don't want to have to play parent to my laptop and take a thousand bottles of "laptop formula" with me on trips to feed the thing.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
OK, at the mo', we plug out laptop into the mains to recharge.
..." (alongside "... fitted with mobile phone blockers for uninterupted peace..." :).
Soon, we're gonna recharge with an aerosol of cigarette lighter or something similar.
It'll be silly putting handling for batteries into a laptop, it will just add weight - hey, everyone is using those fuel cells now.
So, in future, laptops don't get plugged into the mains, they get a line of methanol.
This will be the next big thing in managed offices and luxury housing - "... fitted with cat5e cabling and methanol to every room
(Seriously, I think that a docking station will do AC conversion as just now, and no-one will ever pipe methanol through their office, and certainly not through their home - whadaya think?)
Note to ACs: I won't mod you up, even if you are being funny or insightful. So take a chance! It's not real life!
The small quantities of methanol, and the dilution with water, means the risk is pretty low (you could cause more trouble, I guess, breaking out the lithium from your batteries and adding it to water - don't try this at home,folks).
For those who are asking, that article also explains why it is difficult to scale these cells up to automotive use.
One problem for the automotive industry is that methanol attacks many of the components of the current fuel distribution system, which is quite sensitive to the chemical composition of what it carries. At one time you could find carburetor conversion kits for some British motorcycles which included gaskets of different materials to handle this problem, and I tried this during the 1970s fuel crisis. Handling pure methanol without a standard fuel pump is not much fun, but it surely cleans out the carbon from the engine and the experiments were worth it just from that point of view.
And btw, rubbing alcohol WILL NOT WORK in your methanol fuel cell, neither will vodka.
Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
There was a lithium battery in a GPS device, back in the days before they put moderators in them to prevent them from exploding all the time for no good reason. This GPS device was sitting in the back of a plane that was on the ground and when it detonated, it essentially took the tail off the plane.
Well, considering that they sell liquor on planes, it is not a great leap of intellect to figure out that buying a couple of micro-bottles of scotch would be a lot easier than removing the liquid contents from your fuel cell. I can't imagine that your ethanol-as-a-weapon would be any less effective as your methanol-as-a-weapon. Maybe you could bring down a plane by starting a fire, but could you really comandeer it?
Yeah, you are right. I knew that, too.
I was thinking of isopropanol.
Do not make my bunghole angry!
Fortune suggests uses for YOUR favorite UNIX commands!
/usr/ucb/which sense (Bourne shell)
Try:
[Where is Jimmy Hoffa? (C shell)
^How did the^sex change operation go? (C shell)
"How would you rate BSD vs. System V?
%blow (C shell)
'thou shalt not mow thy grass at 8am' (C shell)
got a light? (C shell)
!!:Say, what do you think of margarine? (C shell)
PATH=pretending!
make love
make "the perfect dry martini"
man -kisses dog (anything up to 4.3BSD)
i=Hoffa ; >$i; $i; rm $i; rm $i (Bourne shell)
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