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A new fuel cell for notebook PCs, more compact and powerful than competing technologies, could be on the market in early 2006 at a price of around $90, its Japanese inventors claim.
Materials and Energy Research Institute Tokyo (Merit) is betting on direct borohydride fuel cell technology, which it sees as cheaper and more compact than the direct methanol fuel cell technology other Japanese companies are developing.
Fuel cells generate an electrical current from a chemical reaction between a hydrogen-containin g fuel and oxygen. How much current a cell produces depends on a number of factors, including the exact chemical reaction involved and the area of the membrane which separates the fuel from the oxygen. The length of time which the cell can produce power varies with the nature of the particular reaction and the amount of fuel stored in a reservoir.
The technology developed by Merit is similar to the DMFC types, but has several significant advantages, said Seiji Suda, president of Merit.
As with DMFCs, Merit's fuel cell has an anode, a cathode, and a membrane, but instead of using methanol as fuel, it uses a solution of sodium borohydride. Merit's fuel cells develop about four times more power for the same area of membrane than DMFCs, Suda said.
"With DBFC, the anode is nickel alloy, which is very cheap, and
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Based on AMD technology, the PIC has been developed as part of AMD's global "50x15" initiative of providing Internet and computing capabilities to 50 percent of the world's population by the year 2015. To help accomplish this goal, AMD has created a global ecosystem of participating companies to develop technologies and make them easily accessible for people in global, high-growth markets to enhance communications and education opportunities. The device is based on Microsoft Windows and AMD see it as able to to help fulfill the communication, education and entertainment needs of people in high-growth markets.
The device provides managed Internet connectivity and basic computing and Internet capabilities such as a browser, e-mail, productivity tools (word processing and spreadsheet), and the ability to view images, multimedia files and standard format documents. Other companies playing an integral role in the development and manufacturing of the PIC include Solectron, Seagate, Samsung and Macromedia. The company says the PIC is designed to be a high-quality, easy-to-use, robust consumer device that meets users' needs while being able to withstand the potentially harsh environmental demands of high-growth markets, which can include inconsistent power voltage, dust and dirt. The PIC is a sealed device, operates without a fan a
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Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. announced today that their new handheld, the PSP (Playstation Portable), would be released in Japan on December 12 at a recommended price of 19,800 yen excluding tax (20,790 yen including tax). The PSP features an integrated high output lithium-ion battery which allows for play times between four and six hours for game titles and four and five hours for movie titles.(1) There will be a total of 21 launch titles across genres.
Quite a few accesories for the PSP were announced for launch alongside the Playstation Portable (PSP-1000). The Memory Stick Duo (PSP-M32) will be priced at 2,800 yen (2,940 yen tax inclusive). The Memory Stick will be 32MB in size and will use Sony's Magicgate copyright protection technology. The AC adaptor (PSP-100) can be used to power and/or charge the PSP's internal rechargeable battery. The cost of the adapter will be 3,500 yen (3,675 yen tax inclusive). The Battery pack (PSP-110) will be priced at 4,800 yen (5,040 yen tax inclusive) while its life (until charge is needed) has not been announced. The Headphone with remote control (PSP-140(W)) will be priced at 2,800 yen (2,940 yen tax inclusive) and will be white in color. The remote control portion will be capable of controlling the following features: Play/Pause, Fast Forward, Fast Rewind, Volume +/-, Hold. The s
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Diebold's Dave Barker knows October is World Blindness Awareness Month. But he doesn't need the global observance to appreciate the needs of people who are blind. That's because Barker has spent every day for the last 15 years working to make Diebold products more accessible for people with disabilities.
Barker is a principal strategist specializing in human factors for Diebold, one of the world's largest manufacturers of automated teller machines (ATMs). As a member of Diebold's industrial design team, Barker's role is to ensure Diebold products are accessible to people of all abilities.
"Many people don't realize industrial design focuses as much on the usability of products as it does on the appearance of those products," Barker said. "Our industrial design team works to make sure all people, regardless of their abilities, can easily use Diebold products. That's why we pay so much attention to human factors and accessibility."
Before Diebold launched its new Opteva family of ATMs in 2003, Barker and the entire design team worked closely with representatives from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). The goal of the collaboration was to ensure that people who are blind would be able to easily and comfortably use the machines. Barker said organizations like the NFB are crucial to design decisions.
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"It's great to be recognized on behalf of our technology," said Rachelle Robin, project director of Fidelity Investments' Automated Deposit Machine. The ADM won the KioskCom 2004 Interactive Kiosk Excellence Award in the category of Best Financial Services Kiosk Application. The kiosk is a previous KioskCom award winner in the same category.
Robin explained that the idea for the ADM grew out of Fidelity's focus on its customers. The mutual fund company is headquartered in Boston, with eight regional operations centers and 98 investor centers across the country. Most branches operate during traditional business hours, with two operating 24 hours a day.
In the past, customers would come to a Fidelity office, fill out a deposit slip and give the funds and the slip to a teller. Fidelity wanted to offer its customers a choice when it came to depositing funds into their investment accounts. The ADM was developed by Fidelity to offer 24-hour deposit convenience.
The ADMs do not dispense cash; they only accept deposits. Customers deposit checks using their Social Security number or a customer ID number for additional security. No envelopes or paperwork are required since the ADM receipt is an image of the deposited check. Checks are now processed more frequently at a centralized location, further improving customer service.
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