direct quote from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0908_050908_backpack_2.html

"The researchers also learned that the self-powering backpack weighs only slightly more than a conventional pack—equivalent to carrying around an extra candy bar."


so there you have it. the entire power generating contraption adds hardly any weight to the backpack so if this backpack allows me to bring only two high power battery packs with me instead of five to keep my gadgets running during a long hike I'd GLADLY wear it.

Besides, judging from the video of the guy wearing this backpack this backpack looked extremely comfortable to wear.
There was some movement when he walked but when he was running there was hardly ANY movement on the pack at all! Anyone here that has actually jogged with a 60+ pounds heavy backpack will tell you that that it is a pain to do, no matter how hard and tight you strap the pack down it will move around so why not put that movement into good use and get added comfort as a bonus?

This backpack must be a dream to wear, and anyone else objecting to it should be shot..

"Engadget's Back to School Giveaway (Part 1) (the "Giveaway") is open only to individuals who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia) and Canada "

And once again us Europeans, and the rest of the world for that matter, draw the short end of the stick.



Hey Engadget! We're over here!

*silence*

Do you really hate us this much?

I'll take one!
seriously, I will, if I can find a store that sells this computer online.

I won't be impressed until it can deal a deck of cards and cheat while playing poker with its human slaves


There, I fixed it for you.

Do Want! NOW!


It's about bloody time we get HD webcams. I'm sick and tired of all the low quality 320x200 cap cams out there. Why have the manufacturers spent so much time coming up with a HD camera???

Why ain't I surprised to hear this following phrase?
"This competitions would not be possible without the support of the United States Navy"

Seriously, the first thing I thought of when I read the headline was tiny autonomous robot submarines blowing things up with torpedoes at their own discretion!

We're one step closer to become cyborgs.
Man and machine, fused together into a super being.
Borg! Here I come!

Imagine a future like the one portrayed in the Ghost in the Shell comic books and Anime's where regular people can get cyborg brain implants that permanently jack their brains to the internet or go partly cyborg replacing limbs or go full out cyborg where the only living part of you is your own brain and the rest is machine..

I guess it's not a question of if that will be possible one day, but when it is feasible for the masses.

So once again, the European markup has been applied.

I just don't get it!
WHY do we Europeans have to pay a hefty premium for soft & hardware sold in Europe? It's not like we earn more money over here, we're not. so why this markup?


I mean, this thing has a MSRP of 240€, 220£ & $250

240€ = 340.878 USD
220£ = 362.237 USD
$250 = 250 USD

Those on mainland Britain have to pay $112.237 MORE than a US citizen
And for all the other EU countries have to pay $90.878 MORE than a US citizen.

WHY?

The listed price was at $4000, so the first bidder didn't push up the price that much. He only pushed it up by $500..

@Derek, you should make a after market device that does exactly that!
Sign me up for one!