If you currently have a laptop, notebook or handheld computer, chances are it contains a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. But just as these batteries replaced the nickel metal hydride batteries, which were clunkier and less efficient, there's a push to improve on mobile power once again. The answer? -- portable fuel cells, meant to be as inexpensive and disposable as a Bic lighter, and based on the same power source too. No more recharging. When it runs out, you simply toss it and plug in a new one.
The fuel cell works on a mixture of methanol and water passing through a hydrogen fuel cell membrane. The chemical reaction produces electricity. The mixture is contained in a disposable cartridge, to be plugged into a portable computer in much the same way that current rechargeable batteries are. Besides the cheap and compact nature of the cartridge, one of the biggest benefits of using a fuel cell is the fact that methanol has 40 or 60 times the energy efficiency of lithium ion.
The first fuel cells scheduled to hit the shelves later this year will not be particularly portable, weighing about two pounds, with a footprint that's about as large as the lithium-ion batteries now are, and only lasting about 5 hours. Most companies are working on smaller and more efficient cartridges for commerical release in 2005. These newer models are intended to last 40 hours or longer.
THE INNOVATORS ...
Toshiba, NEC and Hitachi are just some of the 35-plus manufactures rushing to get their own portable fuel cells to the market this year. Hitachi developed their fuel cell with Tokai, a major producer of disposable lighters and aerosol dispensers.
SMALLER, CHEAPER, LONGER-LASTING ...
How are manufactures working to make the cartridges last longer? By increasing the concentration of methanol in the mix, the cells should be capable of producing more electricity, but the process is hampered by the outdated hydrogen fuel cell membrane that current models use to separate the mixture of water and methanol from a catalyst on the other side. When the concentration of methanol is too high, fuel can leak across the membrane and be wasted. Fujitsu is working to replace the 40-year-old hydrogen membrane technology with something more efficient. California-based start-up company, PolyFuel, claims to have developed a similar new membrane, with even higher concentrations of methanol possible, resulting in smaller, lighter and cheaper fuel cells.
ARE FUEL CELLS SAFE?
The question still remains about the safety of fuel-based batteries. Methanol is a flammable liquid, and with both Kyocera and Nokia recalling traditional lithium-ion batteries after they overheated and exploded on laptops and cellphones, will consumers be ready to embrace this latest round of portable power?
Fuel cells are in fact much safer than a disposable lighter, and some argue safer than the current rechargeable batteries. Lithium ion often uses cobalt oxide, which when heated up can catch fire and explode. Kyocera had to recall Hong-Kong manufactured batteries sold with their 7135 Smartphone because they "can short-circuit and erupt with force or emit excessive heat, posing a burn hazard to consumers," Kyocera says in a release. Nokia also had a problem with exploding batteries.
Other security issues still exist, such as the concern about bringing portable fuel cells on planes. While people currently carry Bic lighters on flights, which are far more flammable than fuel cells, the government is still reluctant to permit anything on board a plane that might be used as a weapon. Manufacturers are still working with the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine if and how DMFCs will be allowed aboard.
WILL FUEL-CELLS BE AS COST-EFFICIENT AS RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES?
How will the new portable fuel cells stack up against the current battery technology price-wise? Current rechargeable lithium-ion batteries run around $130 for PDAs and over $200 for notebooks and laptops, and last for several years. While there are no hard figures on the price of the new portable fuel cell technology, industry predictions suggest the cartridges will cost about $2-$3 each once there is high-volume manufacturing.
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THE WILD, WILD WEB
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HOT NEW WINDSOR WEBSITES
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City of Windsor's Interactive "People Based Budget" ...
Promising a more accessible and accountable approach to government, Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis decided to come to the people in "cyberspace".
His interactive new "People Based Budget" can be found online at www.peoplebasedbudget.com, inviting the citizens of Windsor to help council make some of the tough choices that they're facing in dealing with an operating budget shortfall of $17.3 million for 2004. In addition to a series of budget meetings with people in their wards, and a paper version of the survey, you can go online to tell the Mayor and your councillors just what you think the spending priorities should be this year, before they gather to prepare the 2004 budget this April. In addition to the "interactive budget", you can find more details about the ward meetings, and plenty of background material at the website above. TIP: to get a complete read on the survey, view the full PDF "Download Survey" the website links to first, before filling out your answers in the "Online Survey" version.
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BluesFest Radio ...
February winter blues got you down? Well there's a new kind of blues in town, or rather an old one that just got a shiny new electronic face lift.
Ron Nugent, President of Computer dzyn Systems www.dzyn.com is the DJ of www.BluesfestRadio.com, a brand new internet radio station playing around the clock, seven days a week. If you can't wait for July to arrive to bring all that great music back into town, click on BluesfestRadio.com and listen to your favourites while you chat it up with other true blue connoisseurs. Ron opened up his internet business to local indie broadcasters who wanted to take to the digital airways last year.
If Ron's name sounds familiar, it may be because he and his wife, Elaine, were champions of the earliest online child and family safety efforts in Windsor. Hats off to the Nugents, who produced informative public information nights, free of charge, to help educate and protect local families while they surfed.
Know of Other Cool Canadian Community Websites?
At a time when Canadians are using and are affected by computer technologies at a breakneck pace, I think it's more important than ever to create a simple way of sharing and celebrating our breakthrough innovations. That's why I'm inviting you to share your stories at the new "Computer Technologies and YOUR Canadian Community" forums. Drop by to tell me where you see innovation in action ...
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REGIONAL EVENTS
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HOT NEW WINDSOR SITE
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Apple SPICE Meeting
Optimist Community Center
1075 Ypres, Windsor
Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Got Mac? Or thinking about it want to hang out with some Mac savvy folks who are willing to share their thoughts on why they're great computers? Why not head out to the next "Apple Spice" meeting? This month's theme is "Movie Making", with a discussion on Apple's "Final Cut Pro". (see this week's "Software Picks" below)
Paul Rousseau, an Executive Committee member of "AppleSPICE", the Windsor & Essex County Macintosh Users Group was my guest in the studio on Monday, December 15th. AppleSPICE is one of the oldest Apple UGs in Canada, and has been helping the local Apple/MAC community since 1983. They review new products, share tips, offer resources and tutorials through a monthly newsletter and at their website:
homepage.mac.com/applespicemug
Their annual membership fee is $35.00. This covers your entire family, and includes Club CDs, special events and monthly door prizes. Visitors are always welcome. The first meeting is free. After that they ask non-members to kick in $5.00 to cover the pizza and pop that they serve at each meeting. They meet on the 3rd Tuesday each month from 7:30 until 9:30 p.m. at the Optimist Community Centre at 1075 Ypres in Windsor.
Know of Other Events in the Area?
Something of interest going on in your community? Does your computer group meet to discuss new and emerging trends? Is there a trade show where people can see and interact with new technologies? Drop by our new forum "Event Center" to give a shout out about gatherings of interest to computer consumers.
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SOFTWARE RECOMMENDATIONS ... THIS WEEK'S PICKS
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FOR KIDS ...
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BARGAIN!
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BARGAIN!
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WHAT'S HOT
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Little Bear: Preschool Thinking Adventures
(jewel Case) by Riverdeep
Preschool Ages
$8.99
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Reader Rabbit: Thinking Adventures
(jewel Case) by Riverdeep
Ages 4-6
$8.99
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Finding Nemo
(by THQ)
$29.99
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BEST BET ...
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Adventure Workshop (by Riverdeep) $32.99 |
PRESCHOOL-1ST Grade
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1ST-3RD Grade
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4TH-6TH Grade
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FOR BIG KIDS ...
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For the Digital Movie Mogul
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Final Cut Express 2 Retail (for Mac)
$ 384.99
Final Cut Pro 4.0 (for Mac)
$1,584.99
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Adobe Premiere 6.5 (for Windows)
$874.99
Adobe Premiere 6.5 (for Mac)
$834.99
Adobe Premiere Pro (for Windows)
$1,089.99
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You Recommended ...
Have a favourite computer tool that you'd like to recommend? Perhaps you've come across a great piece of software that would be of interest to other listeners. Drop into the "You Recommended" listener forum and tell us about it ...
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Hollywood-in-a-Box
listen to show in Streaming Audio:
 Hi-Fi (DSL/Cable modems)
Lo-Fi (dial-up modems)
This month the AppleSPICE group is reviewing the Final Cut Pro software featured above. Wondering who else uses movie editting software in this area?
On Monday, December 1st, Gavin Booth told us why he calls today's home computers "Hollywood-in-a-Box" for students and young film makers, and even used his own to help make a full length feature film right here in Essex County. You can still tune in (click one of the radio buttons above) to hear Gavin as he talks to computer columnist Sue Braiden about how he used his PC to launch a film career that now has him working with Grammy award winning Detroit music artist Eminem, and hosting an online screenplay writing contest in 2004.
click here to learn more ...
Viruses, and Trojans and Scams -- Oh My!
gentle listener :)
Well, we weren't long into the new year before the most virulent form of nasty yet decided to give us a bite. MyDoom set records as one of the fastest sweeping viruses ever to hit the net, with one in four emails containing it.
With the latest breed of viruses and worms designed to turn your PC into a weapon against corporate and government websites, including big banks and even Capitol Hill, the damage reaches far beyond hobbled hard drives on home computers, and sheds light on the urgent need for individuals to commit to a reliable and up-to-date form of protection.
If you missed my shows on dealing with the latest round of viruses and tools to stop them in their tracks and clean up after them when they're gone, you can still help yourself to the tips and the tools by clicking on the links above.
On to things bigger and better ...
In order to celebrate the launch into 2004, you can look forward to a new "look and feel" for the "Edible Computer" website soon! Have some ideas about the things that you think would be most useful? Particular topics? A better way of getting around? I invite you to visit the Listeners' Picks forum to tell me about it.
One of the big changes in 2004 will be a renewed focus on Canadian-based innovation! (Click here to read more about why I think this is important, and how you can participate). I'm always looking for stories to share about great new Canadian consumer computing products and services, and people who are showing breakthrough innovation in the way that they use their computers. Know of someone I should be covering? Drop me a line and let me know who they are, and what they're up to at the Am I Looking for You? forums.
I'm always grateful for your feedback. I want your experience as a listener, and as a visitor to the website, to make your journey as a computer consumer easier and more valuable.
Have a terrific Monday morning, and let's keep talking!
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What Did We Talk About During the Last Few Shows?
Monday, January 26, 2004
2004 Guide to Protecting Yourself Online
Due to the recent rash of attacks and scams, it's a good time to revisit the issue of personal computing security, and to address some of the more problematic new trends that are cropping up. I focused on the main areas that people become vulnerable, and talked about some simple ways they you can protect yourself. Here's a summary of what I covered ...
1. THE USUAL SUSPECTS:
viruses (destroy property; steal personal information)
hacking (theft of info; theft of home computer processing unknowingly deployed in a denial-of-service attack)
scams (e.g., the Nigerian letter scam)
spoofing (email claiming to be from an official company, but it's not; fraud)
identity theft
spam (productivity killer; often contains malicious code and spyware)
2. NEW NASTIES:
"phishing"
what is it? ... people looking for personal and financial info
how do you recognize it? ... links that don't go where they say; just hold your cursor over a link without clicking on it and see what is actually displayed in the status bar at the bottom of your computer screen
how do you protect yourself? ... never click on a link; go directly to the official website in your browser; forward the suspicious email to the official institution they claim to be representing, e.g., eBay, PayPal, CitiBank)
"harvest attacks"
what are they? ... people looking for live email addresses to add to mass mailing lists for future spam
how do you recognize them? ... nonsense subject lines; no apparent links
how do you protect yourself? ... "bounce" it when you get it (a feature of IncrediMail)
3. VIRTUAL BODYGUARDS:
virus protection (Norton, McAfee, Panda)
personal firewalls (ZoneAlarm, Norton, McAfee)
spyware protection (AdAware)
scam alerts
4. INNOVATIVE NEW PRACTICES:
SPAM-proofing your computer ...
using the "bounce" feature to make it appear your email address isn't valid (Incredimail)
"disposable email addresses" (a feature of Yahoo Plus)
Closing the windows and doors ...
preventing the display of images in emails / only turning them on in the ones you choose (Incredimail)
suppressing the execution of code (Incredimail)
5. JUST GOOD SENSE:
using reliable virus scan and firewall software and keeping it up-to-date; choosing software that updates itself automatically
subscribing to "alert" services that give you the heads up on new viruses, scams and other security issues
having an alternate email address and identity for registering products and subscribing to sites (keep it apart from your private email)
not giving out any information that's not required
only update personal information at the actual site you're registered with; never follow an email link to provide it, because it may be a spoof
Monday, January 12th, 2004
Using Your Computer to Help You Stick to those New Year's Resolutions!
Monday, December 29th, 2003
Using Your Computer to Make a Music Video
listen to show in Streaming Audio:
Hi-Fi (DSL/Cable modems)
Lo-Fi (dial-up modems)
http://markhewer.com
A few years ago I began my search for local music artists who were using their computers to produce, promote and profit from their work, and was amazed by the sheer volume of talent I uncovered. But there was one artist who stood out because of his sheer drive and innovation: Windsor artist, Mark Hewer.
Mark not only uses his computer and the internet to market himself like nobody's business, he uses them to launch and polish grand collaborations with other music artists around the world. In addition to his own prolific work, he has a number of compositions and performances he was a part of creating with people he has never met. Never satisfied to rest on the status quo, Mark's added a new notch to his musical belt: this month he's released a music video, the result of a trans-atlantic collaboration that included a "Bono-esque" vocalist from Germany. The result is a polished, cinematic production that Hewer believes may be the first of it's kind.
If you missed the show on Monday, December 29th when I sat down with Mark Hewer to learn more about how a local business man launches a music career through the net, and conjures up a global music video with music video with other artists he's never met, you can still catch it here.
VIDEO: "Swayed" (click to watch)
ARTIST: Burn/Hewer/Iorio
LABEL: BURN PRODUCTION
Calling All
New Media Music Moguls! |
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Are you a Canadian music artist with a story to share about how you're using computers to produce, promote and profit from you work?
Drop by our "New Media Music Moguls" forum to tell us about it!
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MORE PAST FEATURES ...
Monday, December 15th, 2003
A Very Apple Christmas
with special guest Paul Rousseau
of the AppleSPICE group
homepage.mac.com/applespicemug
Monday, December 1, 2003
Hollywood-in-a-Box
with special guest Gavin Booth
listen to show in Streaming Audio:
Hi-Fi (DSL/Cable modems)
Lo-Fi (dial-up modems)
Monday, November 17, 2003
CitiStat: A Chance for Citizens to Tap Into Public Service from their Home Computer?
Monday, November 3, 2003
Turning Your Knowledge Into Cash: Are You the Next Online Professor?
Monday, October 20, 2003
Flash Mobs ... Social menace or future champion of collective community action?
Monday, October 6, 2003
This is one fashion trend you definitely DID NOT see at the Emmy's last week: "wearable" computers ...
XyberNaut.com
Monday, September 22, 2003
Throw away your business cards and burn a mittful of mini-CDs. It's a memorable yet cost-effective way to reach out and touch someone ...
Missed my shows on dealing with the latest round of viruses and tools to stop them in their tracks and clean up after them when they're gone? You can still help yourself to the tips and the tools by clicking on the links above.
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