Medis 24-7 Power Pack fuel cell tested and reviewed: not too shabby

We know what you're thinking: "I'm totally not going to buy this." After all, who really wants a kludgy recharger that isn't reusable without buying an extra fill pack? For those still willing to give this idea a chance, you may want to point your attention to smartplanet's review of the Medis 24-7 Power Pack, which utilizes liquid fuel cell technology to output one-watt for charging small handheld devices. In testing, it took around an hour to bring a halfway charged iPod touch to full capacity, which is pretty much right in line with estimates. Unfortunately, we're still not digging the "recycle or refill" approach, though we are appreciative that Medis is pushing the former. Give the linked writeup a look -- maybe you'll fall strangely in love, after all.

[BigD145 @ Sep 12th 2008 10:18PM]

Plastic is not recycling.

[JerseyBricklayer @ Sep 12th 2008 10:24PM]

*yawn*

[iEye @ Sep 12th 2008 10:36PM]

This is the last straw, Engadget using an iProduct to demonstrate another product...

I have finally keeled over in iExhaustion from badmouthing Apple... you win! but there will be more like me to avenge my fall!

[dramamoose @ Sep 12th 2008 10:45PM]

OMFGURRIGHT!!!!

Except for the fact that Engadget didn't do the review.....

[totoro @ Sep 12th 2008 11:42PM]

Smartplanet charged the Touch with it, not Engadget.
Maybe instead of wasting your time "badmouthing" Apple, you could support products you enjoy using?

[iPhone @ Sep 13th 2008 12:28AM]

@totoro

he doesnt know how to not bash apple. he thinks it will get hima girlfriend

[DWells55 @ Sep 13th 2008 1:00AM]

I seriously don't see why this troll wasn't banned months ago.

[iPhone @ Sep 13th 2008 1:19AM]

I don't see why he wasn't banned either. :/ I guess we will have to live with him.

Btw, my girlfriend has a blackberry :)
She says that old tech and hard-to-use does not go well together :/

[ybd @ Sep 13th 2008 7:38AM]

Yeah, this is just disgusting now. What the hell is this? Why the hell is an iPhone/iPod Touch covering half the pic of the Power Pack?

[fischju @ Sep 12th 2008 10:40PM]

What do people have against the current solutions? Arrays of NiHM batteries with an inverter that output 20w from USB and a standard outlet, that also recharges from a standard outlet (like the $10 Black & Decker Pocket Power Portable Battery Backup http://www.autobarn.net/pocket-power.html )

[mrpoo @ Sep 13th 2008 3:08PM]

You get what you pay for. The B&D device weighs a pound. The Medis device is less than half that. This makes a difference when you are throwing these things into a laptop bag for an international flight. You also better hope you charged the B&D device recently before heading out of town. The Medis device lasts for many months prior to activation.

[AnarchAngel @ Sep 12th 2008 10:45PM]

Or you could check dans data and see that it has been reviewed and tested by people who actually know something about electricty, and that it's utter crap.

[LA Smog @ Sep 13th 2008 4:06AM]

Actually Dan has two postings about this:

http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/08/23/another-forgettable-fuel-cell/

And..

http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/09/09/news-flash-fuel-cell-even-more-forgettable-than-i-thought/

Both of which point out how useless this is as a functional device.

[dramamoose @ Sep 12th 2008 10:46PM]

How many recharges would this be good for? Just one, or are we talking a dozen? Two dozen? I need to know how long I'm going to have to have between swapping out fuel cells.

[ThatSauceGuy @ Sep 12th 2008 10:57PM]

It would be ideal if it could be carried on an airplane--but that is a major question due to the security vs. liquids questions today.

No would be a major non-seller for me.

[avester @ Sep 13th 2008 4:01AM]

Since we live half of our lifes in airplanes.

[ScOObyDoo @ Sep 13th 2008 9:19AM]

It comes with a DoT approval on the box and on the unit, so yes; it can safely and legally be carried on a plane.

[mrpoo @ Sep 13th 2008 2:56PM]

In May this year, the US DOT approved transport of methanol fuel cartridges on commercial aircraft. The ruling takes effect in a month, and they expect airlines will adopt it early next year. Japan, China, the UK and others have allowed this since early 2007. Devices will need to be approved (like UL listing). The Medis device is already approved. Methanol is toxic, sure, but I don't recomend eating a Li-ion battery if I were you. Proposed methanol-based fuel cells will use such dilute concentrations (about 85% water), and be closed system devices (you will insert a cartridge not refill like a butane lighter), flammability is a non-issue. These devices are far safer than Li-ion batteries, which liberate oxygen when burning and are nearly impossible to extinguish. Ironically, Li-ion transport regulations have tightened while those for fuel cells have relaxed. Medis uses sodium borohydride as opposed to methanol, but it is as safe or safer than methanol.

[Barry @ Sep 12th 2008 11:29PM]

It would be ideal if you could refill it with vodka. Or everclear!

[Dakota (.Mac) @ Sep 13th 2008 12:35AM]

Seems practical enough - now if they'd make something that could, say, charge a typical laptop.

On an unrelated note, is it me or is it that comment text is getting greyer and greyer?

[vbtrash @ Sep 13th 2008 2:56AM]

these words will fade

[Mark Anderson @ Sep 13th 2008 7:48AM]

Or you could jut get a product with a replaceable battery that fits in your wallet.

[mrpoo @ Sep 13th 2008 3:11PM]

If you're sitting on a rechargeable Li-ion battery in your wallet, you're taking a serious gamble on fried ass. You also must have a seriously fat wallet, I have yet to see a Li-ion battery that would legitimately fit in a wallet. Also, check the price of replacement batteries, you're at least in $20 territory for off-brands, north of $50 for original manufacturer packs. Even then, you have the equivalent of 1 charge. For what this device does, it does it fairly well, which is to provide several full charges in a reasonably light and compact form-factor with no access to an electrical outlet required.

Wow, there's a lot of misconceptions about fuel cells on engadget. I'm tired of posting to this thread.

[Mark Anderson @ Sep 13th 2008 4:58PM]

You what?

The Nokia N-Series batteries all fit my wallet's front pocket as does the Samsung Omnia's. And fried ass? No. Just... no.

Seriously.

[mrpoo @ Sep 13th 2008 3:03PM]

I have one, and it is a fuel cell. It's not a zinc-air battery. Do you have one? The tab on the device is not to block air, like needed for a zinc-air battery, it's to prevent compressing the two halves to mix the sodium borohydride and water reservoirs which activate the device. A fuel cell does not need to run on liquid methanol to be called a "fuel cell," there's no conspiracy here. That link you cite is the garbage, he has an update buried in the text that corrects his baseless claims of the Medis device being a zinc-air battery, but he doesn't change the rest of the text to reflect this.

Techskeptics reviews are based on old Medis devices. I'm not an apologist for them, these things might really stink, but I'm just starting a month of testing to see if I can charge my Blackberry exclusive with one of these things, I'll reserve judgment until then, or until someone independent with meaningful qualifications and no axe to grind tests these. Techskeptic doesn't fall into that category.

[Bill @ Sep 13th 2008 6:52PM]

I had the same problem with these units as this guy did for several units purchased a few months ago:

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dhnk7t47_8dnxvtkcv

After only a few minutes, they'd stop charging the connected device (I tried different brands of cellphones) unless you unplugged them and then re-connected the device to the fuel cell.

Something was or still is very wrong with the logic control circuitry in these devices.

[Alienskin @ Oct 4th 2008 10:29AM]

We've seen the specs for this thing and considering its large size and tiny power output, anyone can do better by stuffing a couple dozen AA Duracells into a plastic box. Heck, perhaps that's what you'll find if you open the thing.