Samsung plans to sell fuel cell for laptops this year

January 2, 2007 The major drawback of the laptop computer at this point in its short history is battery life and with battery technology the subject of massive global R&D, and the promise of fuel cell technology for laptops in the short to medium term, we are drawing ever closer to being able to survive off-the-grid indefinitely. Accordingly, it was heartening to see Samsung’s announcement last week that it intends to commercialise its fuel cell technology for laptops before the end of 2007. The announcement was in Korean, and some tech blogs (notably Playfuls, engadget and akihabaranews) have had a go at translating it, so if you want the original guff, maybe try it yourself with machine translation from Google, Babelfish or WorldLingo. The pictured Samsung is using a fuel cell dock which will apparently run a laptop for a month, though a smaller version is planned for commercialisation.

(c) www.gizmag.com

An elevator for your computer

The elevator, wait for it, elevates laptops off the desktop providing the thing that we tend to loose most, desk space. Griffin has designed Elevator as a substantial realization of a simple design. Elevator uses a 1/2-inch-thick crossbar to hold two 1/4-inch-thick aluminum standards, positioning the laptop’s screen at an ideal height for viewing when seated.

Crystal-clear polycarbonate and aircraft-grade aluminum with a matte silver finish meet in Elevator’s minimalist design to create a desktop accessory that looks as good holding the laptop as it does sitting empty, waiting patiently to be of service.

What to do with that newly created space under your laptop? Most users will find it handy for tucking keyboard and mouse away when not in use. The extra-resourceful among you will discover that the space also makes an ideal hideaway for that oft-stolen stapler, or the bowl of sunflower seeds that the guy from Marketing plunders when you’re not looking.

Griffin’s Elevator desktop stand accommodates all laptops 10 inches wide and wider for $39.99.

(c) www.gadgetell.com

Build your own laptop water cooling rig

While most people's response to an overheating laptop would naturally be to send it in for repairs, Instructables member "Jack Ruby" decided to do things a little differently and take matters into his own hands, creating a water cooling system that is at once highly impractical and oh so right. As Mr. Ruby himself says, however, mixing water and electronics isn't always the best of ideas, so this strictly a proceed at your own risk deal. That said, if you're brave enough to risk electrocution and an even more damaged laptop, you can build the entire rig for far less than the repair bill would cost, and lay claim to the only computer mod that makes use of a gerbil hydration unit. Just don't blame us when you get "delayed" on you next visit to the airport.

Full instruction: http://www.instructables.com/id/EDZO09MXA3EV2Z4CFS/?ALLSTEPS

[source: www.engadget.com]