4 ms·

Worlds smallest microwave plugs into USB

8 points by ravindra1982 17y ago

wmf 17y ago
An interesting debunking: http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001434.html http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001434.html http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001435.html http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001435.html
- jodrellblank 17y ago
  It's not really a debunking - it is the worlds smallest microwave, and it does plug in to a computer by USB, just as claimed. Nowhere does it claim to be USB powered.
  - Retric 17y ago
    A 1000 Watt microwave it takes 1 minute to boil 1 cup of water. (2 cups 1000W * 1 min / cup) / (60m/h))/ 2.5= 13 and 1/3 hours So, it could be USB powered if you only used it for ~2 cups a day.
  - pmjordan 17y ago
    http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/beanzawave-worlds-smallest-microwave http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainabilit...: The Beanzawave, which measures just 7.4 inches tall by 6.2 inches wide and 5.9 inches deep, doesn't even need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. The device contains a USB port, so mid-afternoon snacks can be heated up at the computer without expending excess power.
pmjordan 17y ago
I don't understand how this is supposed to work with the 2.5W you're allowed to draw from USB, does it contain batteries and charging over a few hours? I mean, those "snap pots" look like they can hold about 100ml of food. (assuming 5x5x4cm) The specific heat of water is over 4000 J/kg/K, if you need to heat it from 20°C to about 40°C that's a total of 8000 Joules, which at 2.5W takes about 3200 seconds, or almost an hour, even if it ran at 100% efficiency. Since it's not available "yet" it's quite possibly vapourware intended to generate buzz. They even leave it open whether the device will ever be released - "if customer feedback is positive": http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/beanzawave-worlds-smallest-microwave http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainabilit...? Edit: looks like others have noticed this, too.
- SlowOnTheUptake 17y ago
  It's unlikely that even positive "customer feedback" can overcome the laws of physics.
jodrellblank 17y ago
"Turquoise plastic tat sold by association with one-piece-machined-aluminium stylish computer" "If you don't have time to buy a sandwich to eat at your desk, you wont have time to buy a pot of beans and a spoon, but we hope you've bought this before you realise"
sown 17y ago
I wonder what kind of parts are inside...although I know that microwave dissasembly is supposed to be dangerous (lethal occasionally).
vinutheraj 17y ago
Haha ... I am laughing now thinking of the 30 Rock episode when the guy played by Alec Baldwin thinks up the smallest microwave ever, and that was like a funny thing. And now its a reality, :) ( by the way the microwave showed in that episode was bigger than this one )

8 points by ravindra1982 17y ago

wmf 17y ago

An interesting debunking: http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001434.html http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001434.html http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001435.html http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/001435.html

jodrellblank 17y ago
It's not really a debunking - it is the worlds smallest microwave, and it does plug in to a computer by USB, just as claimed. Nowhere does it claim to be USB powered.
- Retric 17y ago
  A 1000 Watt microwave it takes 1 minute to boil 1 cup of water. (2 cups 1000W * 1 min / cup) / (60m/h))/ 2.5= 13 and 1/3 hours So, it could be USB powered if you only used it for ~2 cups a day.
- pmjordan 17y ago
  http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/beanzawave-worlds-smallest-microwave http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainabilit...: The Beanzawave, which measures just 7.4 inches tall by 6.2 inches wide and 5.9 inches deep, doesn't even need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. The device contains a USB port, so mid-afternoon snacks can be heated up at the computer without expending excess power.

pmjordan 17y ago

I don't understand how this is supposed to work with the 2.5W you're allowed to draw from USB, does it contain batteries and charging over a few hours? I mean, those "snap pots" look like they can hold about 100ml of food. (assuming 5x5x4cm) The specific heat of water is over 4000 J/kg/K, if you need to heat it from 20°C to about 40°C that's a total of 8000 Joules, which at 2.5W takes about 3200 seconds, or almost an hour, even if it ran at 100% efficiency. Since it's not available "yet" it's quite possibly vapourware intended to generate buzz. They even leave it open whether the device will ever be released - "if customer feedback is positive": http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/beanzawave-worlds-smallest-microwave http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainabilit...? Edit: looks like others have noticed this, too.

SlowOnTheUptake 17y ago
It's unlikely that even positive "customer feedback" can overcome the laws of physics.

jodrellblank 17y ago

"Turquoise plastic tat sold by association with one-piece-machined-aluminium stylish computer" "If you don't have time to buy a sandwich to eat at your desk, you wont have time to buy a pot of beans and a spoon, but we hope you've bought this before you realise"

sown 17y ago

I wonder what kind of parts are inside...although I know that microwave dissasembly is supposed to be dangerous (lethal occasionally).

vinutheraj 17y ago

Haha ... I am laughing now thinking of the 30 Rock episode when the guy played by Alec Baldwin thinks up the smallest microwave ever, and that was like a funny thing. And now its a reality, :) ( by the way the microwave showed in that episode was bigger than this one )