CES 2013: Lenovo 27" Tablet and Nectar Fuel Cell iPhone Charger

vartanarsen · Jan 8, 2013

iTable!!!

))

The fuel cell...couldnt they make a Solar-Powered Brick? Covered on all sides with panels, and then a USB port out?

Would be nice...

unplugme71 · Jan 8, 2013

D.T. said:
Here's my prototype iPhone charger with a replenishable fuel supply:

Image

MEH, we have this bad boy. Came in handy during Superstorm Sandy.

Renzatic · Jan 8, 2013

Hmm...

(and yes, the screen can be swiveled up at an angle)

For schools, studios, and architectural firms, I could see this thing selling a boatload. It's practically tailor built for the education and design markets.

For average consumer use? Eeehhhh....I could use some more convincing. It's got some good ideas going on, but it's lacking that one must have feature that'll push it over from neat novelty item, to absolutely must have for home users.

Liquorpuki · Jan 8, 2013

swagi said:
Nope - in a perfect world I'd have my residue in the State of California (where there is sunlight in abundance) and would get my electricity from photovoltaic.

It's funny. I was just thinking those solar panel phone chargers they sell at Costco are a better solution than this.

I've always thought hydrogen electrolysis was a little redundant though, esp when used for electricity gen

IE electricity --> water --> hydrogen --> fuel cell --> electricity --> phone
vs
electricity --> phone

sshambles · Jan 8, 2013

That charger is the ugliest thing I've seen since Moe Sizlack.

Eric E. Schmidt · Jan 8, 2013

$299 + $10 cannisters when $69 give you this solar charged battery pack?

In most parts of the world you'll never run out of daylight.

hamkor04 · Jan 8, 2013

MultiMediaWill said:
Whats the point of the nectar fuel thing if it costs $9.99 per 10 charges?

I don't see any advantages for users in normal, everyday life.
Unless, you cross country cycling or camping (yeah you can get solar panel, but this is more reliable)

Liquorpuki · Jan 8, 2013

nick_elt said:
Butane is pretty easy to get tho

So are rechargeable chemical batteries

That thing is pretty much a glorified battery system, except the energy source is butane, the batteries are $10 a pop and you can't recharge them

Now if that thing doubled as a cigarette lighter, then they'd have something

bnp · Jan 8, 2013

Fuel Cell

Given that the pods hold energy so long this might be a great back up for those living in areas with frequent power outages or crisis workers traveling to distressed areas.
Doesn't seem practical - yet- for the average person

Don't panic · Jan 8, 2013

knemonic said:
Exactly. Playing the expansion packs, 6 players, it is work to reset the board. Plus with a big screen, the amount of players would be limited to its size not pieces. This could change the game entirely.

The only thing I would prefer still physical is resource and development cards. I am sure there would be a way to do that. Maybe provide them but the computer would take a take a pic of them using the camera when used?

there are many games cropping up that integrate physical objects with the iPhone/iPad.
so that could also be a mix, with some part on the scren and other physical on the board. cards could have an integrated chip/touch signature that is read by the game when you get it or play it

willcapellaro · Jan 8, 2013

SmokyD said:
If a tablet like that had a 4k IGZO or good IPS screen and a good battery, I could see it being of interest to artists or even schools. The screen would have to be amazing to make this worth the trouble.

With a 3840x2160 screen, good battery, and desktop PC power, this would be an interesting AIO.

It doesn't have Wacom's pen input but it seems to be everything a cintiq is not - especially in that it is much more affordable.

Just wonder what it it feels like to lug around.

IlluminatedSage · Jan 8, 2013

D.T. said:
Here's my prototype iPhone charger with a replenishable fuel supply:

Image

Awesome! very funny.

Only thing is that i would consider one of those cell chargers with a nice supply of the backup cartridges for power emergencies. I am sure lots of people in Manhattan would have loved one of those after Sandy and no power. a way to charge your ipad or iphone? hell yeah.

thekev · Jan 8, 2013

arn said:
It can carry on a plane. From http://www.nectarpower.com

The problem would be carry on size limits.

SmileyBlast! said:
In the future we are all going to need more hand sanitizer. Or they are going to have to develop antibacterial germ free surfaces for these screens that everyone will be sharing.

It will be like an episode of Monk.

SmokyD said:
If a tablet like that had a 4k IGZO or good IPS screen and a good battery, I could see it being of interest to artists or even schools. The screen would have to be amazing to make this worth the trouble.

With a 3840x2160 screen, good battery, and desktop PC power, this would be an interesting AIO.

Wacom did something like that with the Cintiq 24HD. Their QA isn't always that great. I'd like to see alternatives. If you want to paint on something like this, it really needs a good stand that can angle somewhat. If you're sitting, it's much more comfortable to draw with some amount of angling than it is to stretch your arm way forward. Otherwise it's hard to maintain accuracy.

apple-win said:
If Lenovo table top PC supports Wacom pen input with gesture off, I think it is very practical for art applications, e.g. drawing, painting ... I don't think table top PC is absurd.

I don't either. They could sell pens with wacom drivers. I'm sure they're considering their current business model at the moment.

Carouser said:
Nobody actually working in R&D cares about having a tabletop screen for 2+ ppl to stand around and jab at simultaneously.

It would make for a good montage

.

swagi · Jan 8, 2013

Liquorpuki said:
It's funny. I was just thinking those solar panel phone chargers they sell at Costco are a better solution than this.

I've always thought hydrogen electrolysis was a little redundant though, esp when used for electricity gen

IE electricity --> water --> hydrogen --> fuel cell --> electricity --> phone
vs
electricity --> phone

Yep.

Thing is I'd rather build up a hydrogen infrastructure, i.e. using hydrogen for electricity is not the only purpose. I mean you could cook or heat with it, too. Problem with going solar is saving the produced energy - hydrogen could be a (though terribly ineffcient) solution to that.

Nevertheless if I'd hate to vote for a gas to carry around and generate enrgy from I'd rather use hydrogen than butane.

OTOH for going on longer expeditions I'd take the combination of solar panel and old school battery pack.

jayducharme · Jan 8, 2013

Carouser said:
I'll wait for the day when having a bunch of people leaning over and sharing a screen is better than any of:
1) having one large whiteboard

You can't share digital content on a whiteboard.

2) having content delivered to individual tablets in real-time, so everyone has ample space to see and interact

Now that could really be cool -- a room full of individual tablets that can access each other and share content!

3) all the other ways people work together simultaneously on a single project that have existed since forever

Right. I don't know why people bother with computers; paper and pencil have existed forever.

shardey · Jan 8, 2013

Chupa Chupa said:
I think we can safely say, while maybe Apple doesn't try hard enough with it's product revs, Samsung (did you see their new fugly and unfunctional TV shape?) and Lenovo try too hard. Ultimately, its still the "a piece is missing" Apple device we all still want because it's designed for the way conventional people live.

Yeah Samsung must be an idiot for an "unfunctional" tv shape... oh wait have you ever went to a movie theater? Crazy how they don't have flat screens.

Mousse · Jan 8, 2013

tctony said:
Giant tablet seems really future like. Would probably take a while before a lot of developers got on board, but that would have a ton of potential as a coffee table replacement

So long as it does NOT replace my desktop machine at work. It's bad enough huge helping of stress by the end of the day. Last thing I need is a side order of sore arms to go with it.

I wouldn't mind playing angry bird of that big screen. I could use a protractor to get accurate trajectory on my birds.

rendevouspoo · Jan 8, 2013

Unggoy Murderer said:
Pictures like this are now justified.

Image

Pictures like that haven't been justified since the iPad came out.

mabhatter · Jan 8, 2013

barkomatic said:
The 27 inch tablet would be fun as group gaming device. Playing "air" hockey or monopoly would be awesome on it -- but I can't see much beyond that. The fuel cell is interesting, but only for those travelling to parts of the world without reliable power.

The big purpose would be Engineering and Graphic layout. Engineers need readable drawings to share... 27" is maybe size "C" paper prints. Graphic Layout teams would love this for full size representation of what's going to the printers.

The main problem of making a good one is resolution. Give me outdoor readable e-ink (engineers would be happy with hi-res in just a few colors for markup) or it has to be "Retina" resolution... "Over 9000!" To be comparable to iPad. I don't see these being practical until we have rollable e-ink or panels that can have Zero-bezel on one side for a seamless fold.

KdParker · Jan 8, 2013

TallManNY said:
Remember this quote. Something like this will be standard in many houses in a few years. You have tables now, right? A nice coffee table costs $500, say. Well a coffee table that does this might be $500 in the not too distant future. Why not have a whole bunch of the surfaces in your house have this function once the price gets dropped far enough?

I can't believe this thing is only $1700 right now. So let's say it drops by half every three years, so in less than a decade you could add something like this to any table without really adding that much to the price of the table. Sign me up!

I will remember this statement.

An integrated house with multiple surfaces that work together is something totally different that one individual table with a giant screen.

Now...a fully integrated house with wall displays that can be moved all around with me. Sure...I could get behind that.

----------

iGrip said:
It is a much better laptop replacement for home use than the iPad ever was.

Not sure this would be a replacement for a laptop since it is so big.

wackymacky · Jan 8, 2013

HobeSoundDarryl said:
I know where to get butane. Where can I get hydrogen for a comparably cheap price?

And I've heard- but don't know for sure- that it cost's more to capture the hydrogen for fuel cells than you can get out of it in fuel cell energy. Is that true or false?

----------

Unlikely.

True but it is not a very cheap price of 10 dollars such a small tine of butane.

It consider buying one of these if I could rig it top run off my standard portable camping butane tanks to charge my ipad when I've gone bush.

gursis11 · Jan 8, 2013

Why can't any company bring a decent solar charger or case that only needs a one-off payment, plus it's green energy so it'll be free. Many don't want anything that's disposable or needs additional things every couple of week/months.

Morshu9001 · Jan 8, 2013

Am I the only one who read the title as "CES 2013: Lenovo 27" Tablet and Nuclear Fuel Cell iPhone Charger"?

a0me · Jan 8, 2013

MacRumors said:
Lenovo 27" Table PC

Image
It seems absurd when you first hear about it -- a 27" Table PC from Lenovo -- essentially a 27" tablet that you place on your tabletop. It runs Windows 8 and can also stand up to be used as a more traditional computer.

It doesn't sound particularly practical, but standing in front of it at CES, I was intrigued. When we saw Jeff Han's first multi-touch demos in 2006 or Microsoft's Surface Table for $10,000, our first reaction was that these multi-touch tables were the future, and we wanted one for our house. Now, you will be able to get one for approximately $1699 this summer.

It may sounds "absurd" if you think of it as a "tablet" with the same use scenario as an iPad, but when you look at it as the natural evolution of the Surface Table into consumer products that most of us can actually afford, you should see this as something to get excited about.

Given the relatively high costs of ownership, it's hard to imagine that this will grow beyond a niche product. As a result, it's also hard to believe that Apple would be ever interested in pursuing this market themselves.

This device costs less than a 27" iMac or a MacBook Pro, not exactly "high cost of ownership" products. Sure there maybe a few things that will need to be tweaked, but this looks like the natural evolution of personal computers into consumer electronics items.

MrDc2 · Jan 8, 2013

unagimiyagi said:
the 27" tablet is a prime example of throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what sticks--only you didn't need to actually ship a product to know that this would not stick.

There is zero business value in this product. The max addressable market would be < 100 million, which is chump change for Lenovo. So why even bother? A company that larget would hopefully be smart enough to know that making a product like this would not move their needle or stock price at all.

So they must feel like they will get some R&D value or supply chain value or publicity value or first mover advantage that will pay for itself in the future? No idea what they are thinking. This product is better off in a specialty market and not better off being shown at CES. Restaurants? Arcades like Dave & Busters? Sporting events? Newsrooms? Hotels? But not my living room.

I disagree.

I'd bet the farm that it will be common to have touchscreen coffee tables in the next ten years. Heck, I want one.

CES 2013: Lenovo 27" Tablet and Nectar Fuel Cell iPhone Charger

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