Machine Condenses Drinking Water Out of Thin Air 438
longacre writes "A new $1,200 machine that uses the same amount of power as three light bulbs promises to condense drinkable water out of the air. On display at Wired Magazine's annual tech showcase, the WaterMill 'looks like a giant golf ball that has been chopped in half: it is about 3ft in diameter, made of white plastic, and is attached to the wall. It works by drawing air through filters to remove dust and particles, then cooling it to just below the temperature at which dew forms. The condensed water is passed through a self-sterilising chamber that uses microbe-busting UV light to eradicate any possibility of Legionnaires' disease or other infections. Finally, it is filtered and passed through a pipe to the owner's fridge or kitchen tap.'"
Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
...the dehumidifier!
Seems kind of silly (Score:5, Funny)
They would get much better results using one of these things in thick, humid air rather than insisting on using thin air.
Who spends $1200 for a pimped dehumidifier... (Score:5, Funny)
Just Vaporware (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
No, it's called a Vaporator, and it was invented by George Lucas in the 70's: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/Luke-Treadwell_close_large.jpg [wikimedia.org]
Hmm. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The balance may remain.. (Score:4, Funny)
getting your water through the air, or wireless (sic) if you will
How about "tubeless"?
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
...the dehumidifier!
Don't be a smartass. It's a dehumdifier with a filter. Big difference.
This is great! (Score:5, Funny)
Both of them.
Combine with the car that runs on water... (Score:2, Funny)
...and we have unlimited source of power!
Mechas anyone?
Re:Minerals? (Score:3, Funny)
In very large doses, everything eventually collapses and forms a black hole, and black holes, as we all know, are dangerous. Therefore, everything is dangerous in large doses.
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
Now all we need is a droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators.
Re:Just Vaporware (Score:5, Funny)
Solid liquid, eh? Exactly what phases of matter do you have over there?
Re:Uncle Owen? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:4, Funny)
You mean George Lucas stole it from the designs of the Fremen windtraps in Dune, just like he stole everything else in Star Wars.
Re:Send this to the third world (Score:5, Funny)
> And after cranking that thing to produce 300W (about three light bulbs, and I'm guessing
> it means old-style, power inefficient, ones), you're going to need more than a glass of
> water.
But you may sweat enough to drive the humidity up to 30% so that the thing will begin to work.
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:My refrigerator does this already (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Just Vaporware (Score:3, Funny)
So it might make Duke Nukem real?
It might, although doing so would likely tear a hole in the space time continuum. Even if you accept the many-universes interpretation of quantum mechanics, a universe in which DNF exists as a playable game is just too improbable.
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, but to compensate he added muppets.
Re:Hmmmm. The arid west (Score:5, Funny)
Fixed that for you.
Just complete the circuit . . . (Score:3, Funny)
. . . the machine produces water, and water can be used to produce hydroelectric power . . . which can be used to produce even more water . . . and then again more electricity!
Can this be scaled to power an electric car? The static electricity would be the turbocharger.
Re:Hmm. (Score:3, Funny)
Just install emacs, it has syntax highlighting for over six million dialects of lisp.
Re:Or Star Wars (Score:5, Funny)
I don't know - coming to slashdot and getting you're/your wrong... *sigh*
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Uncle Owen? (Score:2, Funny)
I bought one last week for $135. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
Damn, that was you? I remember reading that article in 8th Grade Science Weekly. Mindblowing dude, mindblowing. If I recall correctly, it was right next to an article about a new field of geological theory based on the observation of baking soda volcanoes. That reminds me, better go renew my subscription!
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
WHO?
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:3, Funny)
On journalistic units (Score:3, Funny)
It's a simple measure - enough to clearly illuminate a volkswagen but not enough to light up a football feild and only a fraction of what you would need for the library of congress.
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:5, Funny)
Or where our water supply is hijacked by a multinational illuminati-esque superpower spending multiple billions of dollars drilling and building super secret underground dams restricting the flow of ground water in a coordinated attempt with the CIA and other world powers to make millions by raising the price of water, which still rains in large quantities.
Also, did you know water vapor is the biggest contributor to the greenhouse effect? This should help stop that.
Cap. Kirk, is that you? (Score:3, Funny)
Kirk .... Are ... you ... back ? ... or ... ar ... you... his .... evil ... twin?
Re:Amazing! They've invented... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Because bottled water probably sucks (Score:3, Funny)
Really, most bottled water is just tap water, a plastic bottle, and marketing. I put my tap water through a tabletop filter pitcher before drinking it. Yeah, I'm a little bit paranoid about what might be in tap water.
Flouride is in your tap water, poisoning your vital essences.
Re:Because bottled water probably sucks (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, why can't they use regular units we all understand? What does it draw in kiloergs per fortnight?