Zune 2.0 to feature a fuel cell recharger?

Read that headline carefully, it says fuel-cell recharger, not battery. Unfortunately, this promising, refillable battery replacement technology is still far too bulky to squeeze into ultra slim portable electronics. Still, New York-based Medis Technologies was caught boasting about their sale of Microsoft-branded fuel-cell rechargers. Unfortunately, CEO Robert Lifton declined to comment on how many of their 24/7 Power Packs were purchased by Microsoft or how they would be used. The device itself, however will recharge or provide (unspecified) extended use for portable electronics -- you know, like the Zune. So don't be surprised to find this ugly duck offered as an accessory later in the year... in brown of course, perhaps with watermelon trim.

[Via Yahoo, thanks Mike]

[a ham sandwich @ Apr 16th 2007 9:18AM]

uh, im sorry, but thats the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard

[Cupajo @ Apr 16th 2007 9:50AM]

Ahh, Engadget (or should I say eNgadget). You iPod fanboys amuse me. If I need my daily dose of snide, all I have to do is load up your hame page and do a search for "Zune".

[Dolomite @ Apr 16th 2007 11:02AM]

Maybe they should concentrate on making a music player that doesnt totally suck? All three Zune owners would probably be happy with that.

[Cupajo @ Apr 16th 2007 11:07AM]

"all three Zune owners"...LOL, there's an oft-repeated joke that never seems to get stale (or funny). Thing is, I personally know two Zune owners. Both very happy with it and both former iPod owners (as am I). Anecdotal evidence, true. But it does sort of blow this "three Zune owners" cliche out of the water, unless all three of the people you are referring to live within 5 minutes of each other.

[mikey @ Apr 16th 2007 11:19AM]

They probally do...

[Chris George @ Apr 16th 2007 12:03PM]

All of the iPod fanboys just don't want to think that SOMETHING could be as good as their mp3 player.
The zune is a great player, and I prefer it to the iPod. I had both and gave my 30 GB iPod video to my brother.

[michael @ Apr 16th 2007 12:29PM]

hey guys. ease off. ipod, zune, who gives a crap? it is not a way of life; it is just an mp3 player.

[gfar @ Apr 16th 2007 12:25PM]

I want to know why so many people "upgrade" their mp3 player. I bought an ipod mini several years ago. Does it suck now? Of course it does, but why the hell would I buy a new one? I'm not spending hundreds more dollars so that i have a color screen, or so I can see a thumbnail of the album cover, or because it's 1/8" thinner...end result is the same, it plays mp3s.

[obiwan @ Apr 16th 2007 3:35PM]

blasphemy!

[Naris @ Apr 16th 2007 2:20PM]

Why is it that there are 8 comments, but none mention the fuel cell charger directly? Geez... it seems like a decent idea... though it sounds more cool than practical.

[blop @ Apr 17th 2007 5:38AM]

How will it work? Is there any info on that? I'm waiting for the fuel-cell you could you "recharge" by filling it up with water when on the go/backpacking.

On fanboysim, anti-fanboys and fanboys are two sides of the same coin. Lately I have mostly noticed non-iPod fans adding flame bait comments... It's like news: when there aren't any around you go out and find them. Not really making them up per se but you pour just enough fuel on it to bust into flames by "itself" and then you go: "look, what did I tell you" in your newspublication.

Me? Mac owner/lover - check, iPod owner - check. I wouldn't mind a Zune at all since it's audio quality seems to be much ahead of the iPod (discussions on head-fi.org for ex) and I quite like the interface as well. Two things make me wait for the next version, though, and that is it's size and non-Mac compability (I'm running an old PPC iBook). Even if the wireless mode doesn't seem that useful at the moment it's a step in the right direction.

[sir chickenfunker @ Apr 18th 2007 6:11PM]

Mac/Ipod are of dumb people... lol