Fuel Cell Laptop announced by Toshiba

Steve writes "Following on from the Fuel Cells approved for airline cabins story a week or so back, it would seem there will soon be a need for that approval: Toshiba has announced a fuelcell powered laptop for 2004,and possibly a PDA."

Toshiba Laptop, why CowboyNeal?

[w1r3sp33d]

but Toshiba doesn't make an option on the poll today?

Fuel Cell, eh?

[LordYUK]

So is that Regular or Unleaded?

Humor folks, enjoy it! =)

Just like printer cartridges

[Charlton Heston]

In a couple years we'll all be complaining about expensive fuel cell cartridges that can't be refilled without hacking around a security chip. We'll also be complaining about the spammers marketing cheapo printer ink refills AND methanol refills. But we'll sell our souls to the devil to get 10 hours of battery life, won't we?

Ethanol?

[bytesmythe]

Is this one of those ethanol-based fuel cells? Seems like this would be a bad thing for recovering alcoholics. Imagine the stares you'd get at an AA meeting trying to power-up your machine.

Business travelers could have it bad, too. Imagine this scene:

*Man gets pulled over for swerving on the highway*

Officer: Sir, have you been drinking?

Man: No officer, not at all.

Officer: Why is there an open bottle of vodka in your hand?

Man: Oh, I had my laptop playing a DVD and the battery nearly died. I forgot my car adapter, so I was just trying to refill the battery.

Officer: With vodka?

Man: Yes, officer.

Officer: Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the car so I can beat you senseless with my nightstick.

Almost there

[Faggot]

Until these things have a whiskey port, they will do me no good.

C'mon, man, truly practical computing!

How about...

[ocie]

An ethanol-powered PDA? It could double as a hip flask.

In other news

[NiftyNews]

In other news...

SpleenTech has announced plans for an addon to the digestion track exit that produces a new winged hybrid monkey. It is slated for release in Fall 2007.

Another [shrug] future possible product announcement, brought to you by the fine folks at SlashDot!

Re:Nothing gets on planes.

[bytesmythe]

According to this article [theonion.com], getting a laptop onto a plane might soon become a little more difficult.

Re:Toshiba Laptop, why CowboyNeal?

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe CowboyNeal is powered by his own proprietary, super secret fuel cell and doesn't want you to know. I suspect it's one of them discounted cases of Cool Ranch Cola.

Re:Almost there

[krog]

careful though. overcharging can cause a hasty kernel dump onto /dev/toilet or /dev/floor (depending on where the PC is pointing at the moment), followed by a several-hour shutdown.

Re:Fuel Cell...

[Malcolm MacArthur]

Any idea what these are actually fueled with? Alcohol or something proprietary?

Methanol, IIRC. Might also run on ethanol, so if your laptop starts running low, just pour some vodka into it :)

Fuel Cells

[mdechene]

Evidentally, someone forgot to refill the fuel cells on the server.

Re:Fuel Cell, eh?

[ackthpt]

So is that Regular or Unleaded?

And Jet Fuel for Overclockers.

Running on Empty

[nohear_t]

Was the server powered by one of these cells? 10 hours are up and the server runs dry.

This reminds me...

[velcrokitty]

Of an old Transactor Magazine cartoon with a 1541 drive and this huge engine/blower contraption up on top. There's this hick with a baseball cap claiming that it would back up disks in XX seconds...

But yeah, everytime I see news about fuel cell powered laptops, I imagine cranking over a two-stroke engine, pull cord, blue smoke, and noise!

Perhaps it's just the cold medication...

Aw nuts...

[klocwerk]

"Chuck, we got Slashdotted and we're out of fuel cells. Grab a bucket and make a run to Exxon, wouldja?"

wanted to read that too. gosh darn you geeks...

Re:Fuel Cell...

[ackthpt]

Methanol, IIRC. Might also run on ethanol, so if your laptop starts running low, just pour some vodka into it :)

Somehow I think these would be difficult to sell in Russia... Think of the conflict... "work on laptop" vs. "unwind with world's best vodka"

Be like trying to sell the french cars that run on champagne.

"My car is electric, but my laptop runs on gas."

Fraunhofer?

[freeze128]

It looks like The Fraunhofer Institute is joining the race to build Fuel Cells. Does this mean that my fuel cell can play MP3s? :)

Re:Recharging fuel cells

[Billy the Mountain]

I think this is how it'll work, there's this long tube running up the side of your screen that's open on the top. The methanol fuel will be colored red. When the red fuel level drops down to the letter "E" at the bottom, you take your syringe of extra fuel and stick it in the top of the tube, give a squirt and go back to playing "Half Life" for another ten hours.

Re:Fuel cells?

[rhombic]

You mean like the dozens of small containers of ~50% alcohol they walk up and down the aisle during your flight?

You can do cool stuff with alcohol solutions, tho. We used to put Stetson(tm) into a 2l soda bottle with a small hole in the lid and a nail in the side. Shake it up, and touch the nail with a portable tesla coil. Instarocket. Fun stuff.

And your friend-- think about this for a minute. Joking with Mr. "I've been pulled from my cushy desk job, my career is on hold, and I'm dressed in green camo inside of an airport, and I'd really like to take it out on the first idiot who yanks my chain". Does green camo inside an airport make any sense to anyone???

fuel door?

[Captain BooBoo]

will a bell ring if the fuel door flap is left open? will there be a fuel gauge? I wonder if someone will invent a "carburetor" that gets like an insane 50 hours of battery life then mysteriously disappears?

No More Bean-O

[NutMan]

Finally a use for that embarrassing gas problem I have!

Green camo inside an airport

[TyZone]

Does green camo inside an airport make any sense to anyone???

No, it doesn't make sense. It's just what they had available.

In a few months, the troops in the airports will be issued the new Office Camoflage(tm) uniforms -- imprinted with line and color patterns designed to blend in with their surroundings, airport security personnel will soon be indistinguishable from filing cabinets, desks and office water coolers.

These uniforms will be supplied by the same company that brought us the Urban Camoflage(tm) designs that allow tanks and APCs to be concealed in plain sight on city streets -- protective side-panel paint schemes such as Parked Van, Wrecked Pickup and Abandoned Dumpster.

- - - - - - - - -

All kidding aside, the guy's friend exercised what I'd call dangerously poor judgment in choosing his remarks while dealing with cranky people in uniforms with guns.

Re:Fuel Cell...

[waferbuster]

Honest officer, I haven't been drinking. That hip flask on the passenger's seat ... it's to recharge the battery in my laptop. Really! Honest!