HydroFILL
Latest
Horizon's Minipak, Hydrofill and Hydrostik fuel cell devices go up for pre-order
We first learned of Horizon's most recent fuel cell-powered aspirations back at CES, but the company has been radio silent ever since. Well, until today. As of this very moment in time, a trio of alternative energy charging solutions are up for pre-order on the company's site, and while they promised that the family would be available by the end of 2010, it seems as if the first shipments will head out as early as next month. The Minipak -- described as a charging device that integrates a passive air-breathing fuel cell and a 'solid-state' hydrogen storage unit -- is up for pre-order at $99.99, while the monstrous Hydrofill water-to-hydrogen-to-power converter can also be claimed for $499.99. Last (but certainly not least), the Hydrostik can be reserved for a penny under a Hamilton. Go on, give that source link a look -- your angered AAs will peter out before they're able to take up arms, anyway. [Thanks, Mitchell]
Horizon MiniPak personal fuel cell charger hands-on (video)
Our dreams of a personal fuel cell that can charge our gadgets on the go are coming closer to fruition, and if the people at Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies continue what they're doing, our dreams might come true sooner rather than later. A handheld box a bit larger than an iPhone, the MiniPak handheld fuel cell charger uses Hydrostik cartridges filled with solid hydrogen particles to keep your gadgets juiced. It comes with one Hydrostik, which can be refilled with the companion product, the HydroFILL. The HydroFILL gets filled up with water, and when connected to a power source, it breaks the water down to hydrogen and oxygen, filling up the cartridges. We'll admit that we're not exactly up on our molecular chemistry, so check out the video after the break to see a Horizon rep explaining it more clearly. %Gallery-82318%
Horizon's Hydrofill converts water to hydrogen, hydrogen into juice for your gadgets
Could 2010 finally be the year of the fuel cell? Horizon thinks it will be. The company has been teasing us with products for years, and while this latest one is also just a promise at this point, Horizon says it will be for sale by the end of the year. Hydrofill is a "personal hydrogen station" capable of converting water into hydrogen gas, which then gets stored in small cartridges called Hydrostik -- apparently in a crystalline structure to prevent your fanny pack doing a Hindenburg. Those cartridges will be usable in rechargers, like the Minipak, which provides USB output to recharge smaller gadgets on the go. It'll surely be a little more powerful than the toy kit Horizon released back in 2008, but we're bummed this one won't run on vodka like that one did. We tend to have plenty of that lying around this time of the year.
