Gizmodo: Oxygen

Much Cheaper Fuel Cells On The Way With New Prototype

Elaine Chow — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Australian researchers have developed a new fuel cell prototype that could lead to much cheaper, more efficient fuel cell vehicles in the near future. Scientists at Monash University in Melbourne created a new cathode that could bypass the need for expensive platinum nanoparticles, which adds about $3500 to $4000 to the sticker price of current fuel cells.

The team says its new cathode, made of a conductive plastic called PEDOT, could be manufactured for just several hundred dollars. Even better, PEDOT is much more stable than platinum and doesn't have platinum's pesky clumping problems or aversion to carbon monoxide.

The researchers are now planning on building fuel cells with the cathode in 3D, to maximize the surface area available to generate a current. With this new breakthrough and the solar-charged process engineered by MIT scientists a few days ago, it's been kind of an awesome week for fuel cell science. [ABC via Treehugger]

Oxygen Dog House: An O2 Buzz for You and Your Pooch

Sean Fallon — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:30:00 EDT

We have heard about the potential health benefits of inhaling pure oxygen since the 90's—but in Japan this fad is still going strong. In fact, they are getting their dogs involved with products like this new O2 Doghouse. Marketed as a "dog hospital" of sorts, the O2 Doghouse will deliver 100% pure oxygen to your sick pooch while he rests inside. And the best part is that you can hit the generator as well—so both you and your dog can relax side by side. Now that is what I call bonding. [Trends in Japan via DVICE]

Poseidon Mk IV Discovery Oxygen Tank Recycles Your Exhaust, Lets You Dive Stealthily

Jason Chen — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:32:27 EDT

Diving is fun until your oxygen tank runs out and you die, but this Poseidon Mk IV Discovery tank actually extends the time you can be underwater by recycling your carbon dioxide exhaust and turning it into breathable oxygen. The tank works its magic with its C02 scrubbers and oxygen cells, which is powered by a lithium-ion battery. And because it takes in the air you breathe out, you'll be able to dive stealthily without your bubbles alerting people to your presence. Community pool, watch out! [Poseidon via Pop Sci via DVice via Geekologie]

O Domestic Breathing Machine: No O Face, But Fresh Air Aplenty

Charlie White — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:54:51 EST

O is not just the best Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas or an orgasmic exclamation—now it's a design concept for a domestic breathing machine that automatically generates oxygen.

It contains a vat full of Spirulina Platensis (known to the rest of us as green slime), a microorganism that's capable of cranking out oodles of oxygen, controlled by an oximetric probe that figures out when oxygen levels are low and kicks on the thing's really bright grow light.

The idea is that in some deadly cities, oxygen levels are "90% lower than those required by our bodies under optimal conditions." Cities like New York? Wouldn't we be dead? Hooey. There must be some explanation for this, right?

Maybe designer Mathieu Lehanneur is onto something important here. According to his website, NASA thinks so, too, and he explains that the space agency is "carrying out very detailed studies on the subject, in connection with long term trips for its astronauts."

This O thing makes sense from a marketing standpoint as well, considering that billions have been made selling another readily available substance on the planet: water. Might as well sell some hot air, too. – Charlie White

Designer Site [Mathieu Lehanneur, via Yanko Design]

HTC's 2006 Roadmap

Jason Chen — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:45:14 EDT

Our favorite amateur softcore pornographer BengalBoy got his hands on HTC's 2006 roadmap. HTC, in case you forgot, makes Windows Mobile 5-based smartphones for other manufacturers like QTek and Dopod to sell with their own branding.

First up, HTC has changed their slogan to HTC Smart Mobility from their old HTC Engineering Mobility and HTC Innovation. They've also renamed their phones with letters instead of words, like the HTC TyTN and the HTC MTeoR.

So what's due in '06? The TyTN and the MTeoR, which have just been released in Europe. Then there's the HTC Artemis and the HTC Excalibur, the latter of which is a Motorola Q-like smartphone. There's also thee phones we haven't heard much about, the HTC Melody, the HTC Trinity and the HTC OxyGen.

Take a look at the specs for those three phone after the jump. – Jason Chen

BengalBoy Exposes the HTC "Road Map"... Photos of the UpComing HTC Devices with Specifications!! [BengalBoy via Slashphone]

OGO: The Breathing Water

Charlie White — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 13:14:45 EDT

The marketing of water continues, and now OGO tries to convince us that if we drink this special magical oxygen water, we'll get a burst of energy from all of the oxygen we've consumed. First, we're immediately suspicious of a product with a bottle this pretty. Next, get a load of this breathless marketspeak:

Every cell in your body needs oxygen. And the more oxygen you take in the healthier you feel. That's why there's so much of it in OGO. We squeeze up to 200mg of oxygen into every liter. That's 35 times more than you'll find in regular water. No wonder it's called "the breathing water".

Now wait. We're certain there are scientists in our reading audience who can help us out with this. Isn't this impossible? Oxygen is O2, and water is still H2O, right? If you swallow liquid oxygen, which we were under the impression must be at a very cold temperature to be a liquid, then do you digest the oxygen before it turns you into a human popsicle? Have the laws of physics been altered to create this magnificent product? Do tell. – Charlie White

Product Page [Ogolife, via popgadget]

Canned Oxygen For Sale, Suckas

Charlie White — Mon, 15 May 2006 10:29:19 EDT

You must have seen this coming: now they want to sell you some hot air. Seven-Eleven Japan has announced it will be selling cans of oxygen in its stores beginning May 24. Each can contains enough oxygen for 35 two-second inhalations, and the company says this will last a week if it's used five or six times a day.

Taking a look at the runaway success of selling water to people for hundreds of times what it costs, it's no surprise that marketers have now identified a whole new category of suckers to exploit. This time, as the gullible public sucks oxygen out of cans, their money is sucked out of their pockets—further proof that there is nothing like the good old placebo effect to separate fools from their money. The sales price of the oxygen cans wasn't revealed.

Sales of canned oxygen to create fresh market for Seven-Eleven Japan [RapidNewsWire]