Forget Batteries —Get Ready for Fuel Cells

We still have to turn them off, but it's not clear why: Nick Bilton

(NEWSER) - C'mon FAA, it's time to rethink the overly strict rules governing the use of electronic devices aboard planes, writes Nick Bilton in the Disruptions blog at the New York Times. There's just no evidence to suggest that somebody with an ebook or video game will endanger a takeoff or landing. Banning phone calls during those times is fine, but why not let people shift their devices into "airplane mode" to block radio signals and let them stay on? More»

Pocket-sized charger could be boon in developing world

(NEWSER) - A Swedish company has produced a pocket-sized hydrogen fuel cell, which will allow users to charge cell phones and other devices using just water and a little hydrogen fuel. The H³ charger will be released by myFC in Scandinavia in December, globally in 2011, and will cost about $45. The cell merely requires a few tea-bag-sized packets containing hydrogen and a small amount of water and will product electricity for immediate use or storage in a lithium-ion battery. More»

Serious gamers will appreciate latest model, writes Katherine Boehret

(NEWSER) - Not everybody's going to want a 3D laptop, but two new models offer an extra dimension to two different kinds of computer users, writes Katherine Boehret. The $770 Acer Aspire is aimed at the mainstream market. It's designed mainly as a trusty all-round laptop and uses a "slightly clumsy" third-party program to convert videos and pictures into 3D, Boehret writes for the Wall Street Journal. More»

(NEWSER) - Microsoft has changed at least one of its highly successful "Laptop Hunter" ads after Apple called to complain about it, Advertising Age reports. In the original, a law student shopping for a laptop observes: "This Mac is $2,000, and that's before adding anything." Her mother adds, "Why would you pay twice the price?" But Apple's lawyer called to say the ad was out of date, and Mac prices had gone down. So the shopper now says only: "It seems like you're paying a lot for the brand." She still rejects a Mac in favor of a $972 Dell PC. More»

Sales slowdown hides fact that low-cost laptops are taking over

(NEWSER) - You may not be able to buy a "netbook" in the not-too-distant future, but a new generation of low-power, low-priced laptops descended from the netbook are poised to conquer much of the PC market, experts tell Wired. Sales of the netbook—one of last year's hottest gadgets—haven't met expectations so far this year, but manufacturers are turning their attention to new categories like "consumer ultralow-voltage notebooks." More»