Toshiba's DMFC "internet viewer" prototypes are truly next-gen

It's not every day you walk past something quite as striking as Toshiba's new DMFC internet viewer prototypes. Sure, folks like Toshiba and Samsung have been chatting up DMFC (Direct Methanol Fuel Cell) power technology for ages, but to see it live and in person -- and powering a truly unique form factor -- is quite a treat. Word is these things can last for a week of typical use on one methanol refill, and are running regular old Windows XP. Unfortunately, there's no word on what processing and storage is under the hood or when these will hit the market, or for how much. Basically, Windows 7 is much more likely the OS we'll be seeing on them by the time they're ready to go -- if that ever happens at all, DMFC doesn't have the best track record of actually breaking through the productization stage. Video is after the break, and the gallery includes a couple other Toshiba prototypes.

Gallery: Toshiba's DMFC "internet viewer" prototypes are truly next-gen

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[blueangel00100 @ Jan 11th 2009 8:44PM]

I

[the happiest mac @ Jan 11th 2009 8:56PM]

u

[idiot @ Jan 11th 2009 9:11PM]

k

[LordFarkward @ Jan 11th 2009 9:37PM]

e

[Like_A_Glove @ Jan 11th 2009 9:52PM]

t

a

r

d

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 11th 2009 10:15PM]

q

z

what?

[Game_playa @ Jan 12th 2009 12:17AM]

C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!!

[Matthew C @ Jan 11th 2009 8:48PM]

Wait - so do we just pour in some methanol and it runs for a week?!?!

You would never need to plug it in

Thats awesome - and its soo tiny!

Toshiba - Is it too much to ask to get this out the door by the end of the Year?? I want one!

[KAIKAI @ Jan 11th 2009 8:51PM]

dude just hope it doesnt go the way of the hd dvd :(
my player just sits in the corner...sad...without love...:(

[the happiest mac @ Jan 11th 2009 8:55PM]

the end of the year?!?!i want one today!!!

[Dave Chappelle @ Jan 11th 2009 10:57PM]

it is exiting apparently they are giving out free HD DVD players in celebration.

[Dave Chappelle @ Jan 11th 2009 10:58PM]

it is exciting apparently they are giving out free HD DVD players in celebration.

[nikster @ Jan 12th 2009 4:29AM]

It's awesome that it runs for a week. But I don't see us all keeping small bottles of methanol around in the future. And then refilling some tiny device with it. Using a syringe, perhaps?

"Mom, where's the methanol? The photo frame ran out....". Um, no. Not gonna happen.

We'll have wireless charging and/or power way before that...

[Jon Doe. @ Jan 12th 2009 12:20PM]

Meh. I still play all my HD DVD's. Got about two dozen from various sales sitting along side my Blu Ray player that I broke down and bought. The only limiting factor with HD DVD is portability. The thing works fine alongside a BR player. I'll replace the disks in 5 years when I can get everything in the bargain bin in BR.

[Coleman Foley @ Jan 11th 2009 9:43PM]

that form factor is perfect

[Giga @ Jan 11th 2009 8:50PM]

I could lie and say that it looks disgusting, but in reality, it looks pretty damn awesome.

[Evan @ Jan 11th 2009 9:05PM]

I fail to understand your thought process (or more likely, lack thereof).

[Hugh @ Jan 11th 2009 9:40PM]

perhaps he has a grudge against toshiba. that's probably the only way that comment would make sense.

[ccutlip @ Jan 11th 2009 8:52PM]

So you can't type numbers, capital letters, or punctuation-marks? How do you "view the internet" without being able to type ".com"?

[the happiest mac @ Jan 11th 2009 8:54PM]

mayber they are on the letter keys and you have to hit alt, or there could be an onscreen keyboard for special letters,like a cellphone.

[tristank @ Jan 11th 2009 9:58PM]

Bottom left, isn't that a big . ?

[BeniRose @ Jan 11th 2009 10:43PM]

"It's just a demo!" ~ Denny "Blazin" Hazen

[BeniRose @ Jan 11th 2009 10:45PM]

Oh yeah, and there's punctuation as alt keys on the whole keyboard, not sure how you missed that. And a shift key.

F'real.

[Neil @ Jan 11th 2009 8:52PM]

this loooks reeeeaaaalllly cooool.

[Neil @ Jan 11th 2009 9:32PM]

but wait, where do you put the "fart"? haha.

[the happiest mac @ Jan 11th 2009 8:53PM]

at first i thought it was a tablet half rotated but then i looked closer and realized that the screen and keyboard aren't connected.anyway doesn't it look like there are too few keys?

[greggo @ Jan 11th 2009 9:25PM]

so i fart on it?

[brett @ Jan 11th 2009 11:49PM]

methane != methanol

...the more you know...

[ananimus3 @ Jan 12th 2009 3:50AM]

@brett: True. But I'd still swear there're times I nearly fart methanol. Depends on your diet (or lack thereof) m'thinks.

[Neep @ Jan 12th 2009 9:58AM]

I fart in it's general direction

[TareX @ Jan 11th 2009 9:45PM]

Insane battery life....

Put this technology + Tegra and u cud do whatever u want....

[Kevin Fox @ Jan 11th 2009 9:58PM]

the keyboard looks like its perfect for jerry yang

that is to say someone who never uses punctuation when they write emails

[Justin @ Jan 12th 2009 3:43AM]

I wonder if the FAA is going to allow them on an airplane... Last I checked Methanol in any form is a combustable gas, they won't let you take a zippo or bic lighter onboard, so a gas based laptop with 30 times (guess-stimate) the storage capacity of a zippo/bic?

And lets be realistic, the only reason to require so much battery life is so that you can watch movies on an international flight to Amsterdam...

Still a cool concept though

[mrpoo @ Jan 12th 2009 10:25AM]

The FAA has approved methanol cartridges up to 250ml for carriage on aircraft. They did this early last year.

Methanol is a flammable liquid, not gas. Most DMFC prototypes shown to date use dilute methanol with water, as opposed to neat methanol. You would never fill these things with a refill like a butane lighter, fuel would instead come in a tamper-proof cartridge that would more replaceable battery.

[Kevin Fox @ Jan 12th 2009 12:49PM]

But would the TSA allow it? They don't allow *fluids* in containers more than 3 oz, and 250ml is over 8 oz. And it's, you know, an explosive...

[m-p{3} @ Jan 11th 2009 10:48PM]

First, I hope it can be used as a tablet PC, or be at least touch sensitive.
And second, why not put the keyboard behind the screen, and type with your fingers while holding it? That could save some space, and make it even more portable.

[MrWorf @ Jan 11th 2009 10:55PM]

Does it come with a hemi?

Has anyone seen those hydrogen fuel cell batteries? They use them for video cameras and get about 12 hours of use out of one charge. That may be a better alternative than using methanol. I see some serious supply problems with methanol on the horizon.

[mrpoo @ Jan 12th 2009 10:26AM]

Where will we get the hydrogen?

[Ken @ Jan 12th 2009 7:17PM]

http://www.ultracellpower.com/sp.php?xx25

[dark star @ Jan 11th 2009 11:31PM]

sweet!!!!
finally the kind of tablet i've been looking for! like an ipod touch but much bigger and prolly with bt so i can use a kb for serious typing.

[Tankyu @ Jan 11th 2009 11:33PM]

I'm sure they'll be running Windows 8 by the time they're on the shelf.

[superhobo @ Jan 12th 2009 12:25AM]

I lost my laptop's screen :-/

[Shinigami @ Jan 12th 2009 12:52AM]

I want to believe...
But I don't. Whats methanol? Can I pour in anything that is like methanol and it will still run or does it require distilled methanol? Where do I get methanol? How much does methanol cost? How much per charge? How much for charging such a device same amount of power from power outlet?

If methanol is like 10 times more expensive than charging from the wall socket, why do people droll over it so much? because 90% of population don't have a wall socket near them? Really?

[Jeffie @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:14PM]

The appeal is not availability - it is sustainability. Methanol is a much cleaner fuel than electricity, since most of electricity is produced by coal.

[Dave @ Jan 12th 2009 1:20AM]

So I just plug it into the methanol outlet in my house? Oh wait, my house doesn't have a methanol outlet. Thank you toshiba for making technology so convenient. I've always wanted to charge my electronics with a funnel.

[Sam hitch @ Jan 12th 2009 2:43AM]

this is sooooooooooooooooo cooooooooooooooooool

[Oli D @ Jan 12th 2009 2:47AM]

Do they have an exhaust pipe?

[Comms @ Jan 12th 2009 9:58AM]

The thing's gotta have a tailpipe.

[Jeffie @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:19PM]

I assume that the methanol will be transferred into water, and the fuel cell will have an "exhaust" compartment you can empty when you refill the methanol.

[Nate @ Jan 12th 2009 12:47PM]

yeah, sorry, but if I can't plug it into the wall to recharge (preferably in any random house, coffee shop, or airport), then we're effectively back to disposable batteries, and we all know how much we hate those.