In an effort to help spread the adoption and further the development of the hydrogen fuel cell technology the company developed for its FCV concept vehicle—now known as the Mirai—Toyota has announced that it's making approximately 5,680 fuel cell patents available for royalty-free use.
Battery life on modern gadgets sucks—so why not power your mobile devices with something a little more potent like, err, jet fuel? That's the idea of researchers from the University of Utah, who think that fuel cells could efficiently be made to run using the same fuel as fighter jets.
A team of scientists in Denmark just invented a crystalline material that can absorb oxygen with astounding efficiency. How astounding? Well, a single spoonful of the stuff can suck all of the oxygen out of a room. The best part is that it can release it again with just a little bit of heat. Say goodbye to bulky…
Electric-only cars might be envogue right now, but Toyota is pursuing another eco-friendly alternative to gasoline engines with its FCV concept. The company is now claiming the vehicle will be available sometime in 2015—at least if you live in California where (hopefully) hydrogen refill stations will be plentiful by…
Data centers are some of the most power-hungry pieces of infrastructure that exist today, but Microsoft has plans to make them a little greener—by powering its racks with built-in fuel cells.
Plugging your phone into the main is for suckers. What you really need is one of a new breed of microbial fuel cells to drive your phone—so you can power it with pee.
The Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAAP) in Middletown, Iowa has an overabundance of two things: corn waste and excess energetics—leftover explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics and such. But using a new ethanol-based fuel cell developed by nanoMaterials Discovery Corp (nMDC) will transform these waste materials into…
Fuel-cell-powered vehicles are still a long ways off. But fuel cell-powered toys? That's an awesome reality that's about to get even better with Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies new H-Rover, which includes a wireless camera streaming live video to your smartphone/remote.
One day fuel cells may very well be a cheap source of power for all of our electronics. But that day isn't here yet, and from the looks of things, isn't arriving anytime soon. A company called Lilliputian Systems has hooked up with Brookstone to create another fuel cell charger called the Nectar that promises to fully…
The biggest question for would-be cyborgs is: How are you going to power all those brain implants? And now it looks like some MIT engineers may have stumbled upon the answer. They have developed a fuel cell that can run on your brain's own glucose — a breakthrough that could result in powerful neural prosthetics that…
The limited capabilities of batteries are the bane of all gadgets, but they're particularly problematic for devices designed to be implanted into humans where simply plugging in a charging cable is impractical. So MIT researchers have nearly perfected a new type of fuel cell that's powered by glucose instead.
We've been promised an exciting future with gadgets perpetually powered by magical fuel cells, and a company called Lilliputian Systems is taking the first steps towards tomorrow with its fuel cell-based USB charger that will soon be available from Brookstone.
Microbial fuel cells may well be the next black (or at least brown) gold. But to tap those anaerobic reserves, we'll need a power station that can run on carbon-rich gas. Something like the DFC-3000 fuel cell—it turns biogas into power 2200 for homes and their hydrogen cars.
Microbial fuel cells are notoriously inefficient. Electrodialysis systems are notoriously expensive. However if you combine the two and add some poo, they can turn waste water into a viable power source. The future of green energy is brown.
Scientists have pinpointed two types of stratospheric bacteria and transformed it into a slimy film that doubles the efficiency of fuel cells that run on microbes. It could mean power for underdeveloped locales that currently don't have electricity.
We've been waiting nearly a year to get our hands on the Powertrekk portable charger—you know, the water-powered one. Well that wait is nearly over according the company. It has announced pricing and availability (sorta).
The latest patent application to come out of Cupertino could allow for new Macbooks that are slimmer, lighter, greener and could provide power for days without a charge. What's the magic ingredient? Fuel cells!
Dangerously, PowerTrekk hasn't revealed the price of its portable fuel cell/battery back combo charger, but if it's fair I might just have to scoop one up for my next camping trip. Let's hope I never get into the difficult quandary of deciding what to do with my last tablespoon of water—power my gadgets up, or drink…
Apple has been granted its first patent related to Liquidmetal, that futuristic metal with awesome plastic qualities. But the patent says that Apple won't be using Liquidmetal in iPhone and iPad casing, but rather as an internal component for fuel cells.
The Signa bike runs on fuel cells. But instead of making you carry hydrogen next to your butt, it uses a new, clever, safer method: It runs on cells full of a sand-like powder. You just have to add water.
