By Evan Ackerman

We’ve been hearing for a long long long long loooooooong time now about how fuel cells are going to be the batteries of the future, since they’re instantly rechargeable with a shot of booze. But like so many promises (::cough:: ::cough::) they haven’t quite materialized yet. Toshiba, though, has just released an actual fuel cell charger in Japan. Unlike the Medis fuel cell charger that we reviewed back in February, Toshiba’s Dynario charger can be topped of with concentrated methanol, which is the whole point of fuel cells… You can just keep refilling them. In about 20 seconds, 50 mL of methanol reacts with oxygen in the air to charge a battery in the device with enough juice to recharge two mobile phones via USB.

As cool as the Dynario is, it’s still very much a first stab at commercializing this kind of technology, nowhere near Samsung’s fantastical 160 hour laptop fuel cell. Only 3000 Dynario units are for sale, and so far, they’re only available in Japan… Toshiba will see how well they work out before committing to further distribution. If you want one, you can find them online at Toshiba’s Shop1048 for $328, plus another $34 for 5 cartridges. Is the neatness worth the cost and inefficiency? No, but for the sake of the technology, I hope these sell like hotcakes. Hotcakes filled with concentrated alcohol. Mmmmmm…

[ Press Release ] VIA [ Engadget ]

By Evan Ackerman

No matter how many branches you pile on the floor of your living room, you’re not likely to make yourself a comfy chair. As it turns out, the reason for this is simply that you’re not using big enough branches… If you use a branch big enough that you can see its individual cells, and you carve it into a block, and then use magic to make it squishy, you end up with what looks to be a spectacularly comfortable chair.

Yu-Ying Wu’s “Breathing Chair” is, indeed, based on plant cells. The bigger cells are more flexible than the smaller cells, so when you sit in it, the carefully calculated network naturally forms an arm chair. It’s made out of a 100% environmentally friendly foam plastic that’s sproingy enough to give you a little boost as you stand up, too. The chair received a Red Dot Design Award earlier this year, which could mean that someone’s going to pick it up for production.

VIA [ Core77 ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Well it’s officially official. The whole Wii accessories fiasco can now be upgraded to an epidemic with the release of the special edition of Baby and Me which comes with an actual doll. With the Wiimote strapped to the little plastic bundle of joy gamers will be able to interact with the baby’s on-screen counterpart in a variety of different ways including:

Your baby reacts by giggling, gurgling or crying through the Wii remote
Ten Baby Mode games including feed baby & send baby to sleep
Eight Play Mode games including rattle, catch, clap & balloons
Balance Board support: rock baby to sleep, burp baby, teach baby to walk
Customise baby with new clothes, accessories and playrooms

And if you can’t find the special edition, since they’ll no doubt be flying off the shelves, the standard version of the game includes a holster so you can strap a Wiimote to an existing doll of your choice.

[ Aussie-Nintendo - Baby and Me special edition puts everything else to shame ] VIA [ GoNintendo ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If internet radio is your thing, and you often find yourself befuddled by buttons, dials and knobs, design and development firm Cambridge Consultants has just the thing for you! Their recently unveiled Q2 Cube Internet Radio features no visible controls, but instead relies on gravity to change its settings. To select from one of four preset stations, you just turn the cube onto one of its four sides, and to adjust the volume up or down, you just tilt it forwards or backwards. At the moment pricing info hasn’t been revealed, but the company expects to at least have the Cube Radio available in the U.K. in time for Christmas.

[ Wired Gadget Lab - Q2 Cube Internet Radio ] VIA [ Core77 ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m all for the pros when it comes to compact fluorescent lighting, but most people don’t realize just how dangerous mercury vapor can be when a bulb breaks. Not the people at ClearLite though. They’ve created a new CFL bulb called the ArmorLite (SRP $7.99) that features a silicone safety shell preventing broken glass and mercury from escaping if the bulb breaks. Unfortunately while it’s a clever solution to the problem, it’s not a perfect one. The silicone shell will require extra steps when it comes to disposal, and it will no doubt have an adverse affect on the lumen rating and color temperature of each bulb. But it’s a step in the right direction.

[ ClearLite ArmorLite CFL Bulbs ] VIA [ Crave ]