Slashdot Mirror
Canon's Fuel Cell May Drive Portable Gear
RX8 writes "Canon, Inc., has taken the wraps off prototype rechargeable hydrogen fuel cells, the likes of which may one day power digital cameras, media players, and printers. Canon's demonstrated fuel cells win even more points on the environmental front: while companies such as Toshiba, Sanyo, and NEC have also been working on fuel cells (and had been expected to have developed fuel cell-driven notebook computers by now), those efforts are based on DMFC technology which derives hydrogen from methanol, producing small amounts of carbon dioxide (itself a greenhouse gas) in the process. Canon's cells obtain hydrogen from a refillable cartridge with no toxic byproducts."
As long as we're considering small quantities of C02 a 'toxic byproduct' as a greenhouse gas, I would like to point out that that all hydrogen fuel cells generate dihydrogen monoxide as their principle biproduct, which is an even worse greenhouse gas.
When things get complex, multiply by the complex conjugate.
but in the future, as a hydrogen infrastructure matures, the electricity will come from some hydrogen based generator.
--- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!
HUSH! You ruined it! I was having a blast hitting F5 and watching the comment getting modded up and up!
*goes back to getting some work done*
As you can see, it also causes dyslexia. I'm referring to DHMO, of course, not DMHO. 100% of all dyslexics have DHMO in their diets!
Christ, no one cares. Can we please stop bringing this up on every hydrogen story?
Where do you get the dinosaurs to make your oil/coal? That's just about how stupid your question is.
I plan on getting hydrogen from windmills in my backyard. I plan on getting the copper for the windmills from a mine in Mexico. I plan on getting the magnets for the windmills from China. I plan for the water for the hydrogen to fall from the sky periodically.
You can get yours out of the little plugs in your wall for all I care.
"I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
What I have to say will probably provoke a response from Canon. It may label me "nettlesome" or even "prodigal". I realize and accept that as a consequence of what I am about to say.
Ok, then. Yes, you are nettleseome, prodigal, and even a bit ebullient.
Canon is a drooling, hydra-headed monster of force and terror.
And so are you.
Well I guess it does, now that you've gone and ruined it for everybody...
Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
Hydrogen comes from Canon in the cartridges. Nobody knows how its made.
Canon's business plan
1. Make digital camera
2. Give away digital cameras
3. ???
4. sell hydrogen cartridges
5. profit
You mean, like the old fashioned manual-wind, shutter-and-film variety that have no electronics at all?? I think they first came out in the 1800s...
Seeing as Canon are involved, they'll probably contain 5ml of Hydrogen, cost half the price of the camera and be chipped to prevent unauthorized refilling.
Jolyon
Please read my Canon EOS tech blog at http://www.everyothershot.com
Coal/Oil is made from dinosaurs?!
Coal/Oil is dinosaurs!
Our fuel is made out of dinosaurs! Next thing they'll be breeding them like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!
OK, folks - if you are going to obsess over CO2 emissions, here are some other CO2 producing items you should be worried about:
And not the least of all:
www.eFax.com are spammers
Of course, the cartridges will not be refillable, just like their ink cartridges -- and they'll be coded with special chips that can't be modified, will tell you that you have no "fuel" left when you have a half-full cartridge, and uses .5% of the cartridges' power every boot-up to go through an "initialization" cycle.
It's the same as their current strategy of selling ink for $10,000 a liter.
If they're REALLY good, they'll make the screen that transfers the energy clog irrecoverably from time to time so they can sell you special "cleaning cartridges" (only available to dealers) or the consumer has to replace the whole printer.