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Fuel Cells for Laptops Due Next Week

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the power-to-go dept.

prostoalex writes "AVC and Antig Technology will demo a production-ready fuel cell for laptops next week on CeBIT trade show. According to PC Magazine, 'the CD-ROM size fuel cell will fit within the media bay of a notebook PC, replacing the drive with additional battery power.' The fuel cell battery will last 8 hours."

14 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Fuel air bomb? by fredklein · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Seriously, what would be the travel restrictions with these? Will airlines (or more precisely the TSA) allow me onboard with, say a dozen of these? Or even just one?

    1. Re:Fuel air bomb? by Comatose51 · · Score: 3, Funny
      Seriously, what would be the travel restrictions with these? Will airlines (or more precisely the TSA) allow me onboard with, say a dozen of these? Or even just one?

      Answer your question:

      Airlines: Yes if you're part of the platinum elite patrician class. No if you're flying as a proletariat.

      TSA: Yes if you hand over your DNA, pictures of your family, especially your sexy, hot wife (don't worry about this one Slashdot), and prove that you're a supporter of the current administration. No if you're an average law-abidding citizen.

      Jokes aside, it seems to me that if they allow even one, they might as well allow more since a malicious group of people can each carry one and get together while in the air.

      --
      EvilCON - Made Famous by /.
    2. Re:Fuel air bomb? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Interesting
      I am amazed that they let you fly with lithium-ion batteries. A lithium-ion (or lithium polymer) battery is basically a bomb with a bit of electronics trying to persuade it that it's really a battery.

      On a lighter note, have you ever been asked at an airport if you are carrying anything that can be used as a weapon? What do they imagine you might be carrying that can't be used as a weapon?

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    3. Re:Fuel air bomb? by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Funny
      On a lighter note, have you ever been asked at an airport if you are carrying anything that can be used as a weapon? What do they imagine you might be carrying that can't be used as a weapon?
      Chuck Norris is no longer allowed to fly on planes.

      Everytime the TSA asked him if he was carrying anything that could be used as a weapon, he would deliver a roundhouse kick to the head.

      Chuck Norris now takes the bus.
      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    4. Re:Fuel air bomb? by bman08 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Why are you assuming Chuck Norris needs to 'go' anywhere. Chuck stays still and stuff comes to him.

  2. hate to be a skeptic, but... by jxyama · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There's no mention/plan on how to refill the thing. Also, it weighs a lot - more than 3 lbs, which could almost double some laptops' overall weight. It may be "production-ready" in the sense it can be manufactured and used, but I don't think it's "production-ready" in the real worls sense at all.

  3. 8 hours? by chris_eineke · · Score: 3, Funny

    It'll last 8 minutes w/ my AMD64 laptop! This thing eats electrons like pacman eats yellow pills.

    --
    "All you have to do is be fragile and grateful. So stay the underdog." Chuck Palahniuk, Choke
  4. Refilling? by bflong · · Score: 3, Insightful

    From TFA:
    Neither Antig nor AVC stated what the fuel-cell module would cost, nor offered any plan for consumers to refill them, however. Both companies are based in Taiwan, and company representatives were unavailable for comment.

    What? I can't refill it? Whats the point then?
    Nothing to see here... Please move along...

    --
    Why is it so hot? Where am I going? What am I doing in this handbasket?
  5. Price? by jemenake · · Score: 3, Funny

    Something tells me that the initial price of these fuel cells is going to exceed the price of the laptop itself. In fact, I'll bet it'll be cheaper for me to buy a car batter, an inverter, and a sherpa to carry them while he follows me everywhere. :)

  6. I'd Buy It by MBCook · · Score: 3, Informative

    If true, I'd buy it.

    My last laptop (a Dell Inspiron 8000) I kept two batteries in (it was a three spindle notebook). This increased the weight, but gave me over three hours of battery life with normal use (it was a desktop replacement that just loved to eat batteries). I would gladly replace one in that notebook with one of these for the extra battery life (if I still had it).

    My currently laptop is a Apple PowerBook (15", Feb 2005 model). I'm not sure it would have the room necessary for one of these to replace the standard battery, but I would gladly do it (I currently get 3 hours of use, or about 45 min if I run a full-on 3D game with the laptop in "high performance" mode).

    I would be much more interested if it was a closed system that could recharge it's self (like a fuel-cell could be set up). That said, it's 45w of power and almost 4 pounds. My current battery is 46 watts and less than 1.8 pounds. And I know the newer PowerBooks and MacBook Pros have better batteries than mine.

    3 more watts, double the weight. How will that give me 8 hours of battery life? I'm skeptical. Maybe in an ultra-light notebook with a slow processor doing word processing.

    Still, at least someone is about to market something other than a "normal" battery.

    --
    Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
  7. Power Brick by shmlco · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I don't get it. Practically every manufacturer uses a different form factor for CD bays, and many more than one. How hard is it going to be to find one of these for your favorite notebook? What about notebooks that don't have swapable bays?

    A better option would be to make a power "brick" with a DC output and a number of tips for popular notebooks, much as currently done for universal power supplies. You could then make a single device that works with a lot more notebooks, and have more power available as it's not constrained to fit into a particular form factor.

    --
    Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    1. Re:Power Brick by SirCyn · · Score: 3, Informative

      What decade are you living in? Most all laptops these days use the standard slimline cd-rom. They just have a different front bezel attached.

      --
      FreeBSD: The Power to Serve!
  8. Slashdot=stupid by gotak · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wee lets all look at the link on yahoo news. How come on one thought of going to the manufacturer's website?

    http://www.antig.com/english/mediabay.html

    It used cartridges. There you go your refill.

  9. Re:More 'burned groin' stories? by joe_bruin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Wait until you see what happens with the water generated by these things...

    Headline: Fuel Cells for Laptops Due Next Week
    Subtitle: Embarrased-looking early adopters with warm wet spots in their laps due week after that