Just in time for Durban – new green technology promises big fuel savings, lower emissions

Does it cure acne? Or warts? I know, I know, it will eliminate the need for Viagra!

Oddly enough, that thing looks as obscene as the claims about it.

It’s a delusional thought generator in portable form. What will UEA think of next?

It’s really a wireless digital 100 mph carburetor in disguise isn’t it?
REPLY: yeah with Bluetooth, everything is better with Bluetooth – Anthony

I’ve been unemployed for two months now and haven’t driven my truck at all. I suppose I’m the unsuspecting victim of our administration’s “green policy”, “comprehensive health care”, and “post-normal Keynesian economics” (although nobody even bothers to defend it as “Keynesian” anymore). I’d like to try out this little blue dongle, but I’m past my “tipping point”.
(Maybe there’s more than one way to get us back to circa-1800’s carbon output; if you can’t legislate climate stupidity, there’s always the more insidious (un)economic alternative.)

Just think what could be done with private jets.
I have a 12v converter for one of my DVD players????????????????????????????
🙂

No doubt, Al gore and David Suzuki endorses this product.

At first I thought it was a butt plug. Wait……

“REPLY: …and the story tag says “satire”. Of course its a scam! – Anthony”
Anthony! At least the face slap moment invigorates the blood flow around the face!
No good to me though, it has not got flashy lights that change colour!

P.T.Barnum was right….

Hey, we’re saved, that must be the “130 mi/gal. battery” advancement from the Energy Dept. Obama referred to! “For only another $500 million + $69.95 + S&H.! A must buy, because it’s commerce!” And you can charge up another capacitor while you drive by shaking up one of those magneto flashlights to replace all your housing needs, or by braking frequently. Also soon to come to Obamacare’s fitness and wt. loss panacea.

I offer, as a consolation prize for those who had hoped that the headline was true, or for those that are not as amused as I was, a truly functional device that might save you energy.
It is a new creation from the creator of the iPod, Tony Fadell.
I won’t spoil the surprise, check it out here:
http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2011/10/25/nest-the-ipod-of-thermostats/
And an article on how it came to be, at wired:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/10/nest_thermostat/all/1

Wow! Totally coincidentally I heard about this today: http://wot.motortrend.com/mazdas-capacitor-based-i-eloop-regenerative-braking-system-139535.html
From Mazda, it is actually a (presumably properly designed and implemented) system that on the surface looks a lot like what NeoSocket claims to be. Turns the alternator into a brake to slow your car down when you take your foot off the gas. This charges a largish capacitor. That is then used to power the cars electronics.
Overall this means that you save a small amount of fuel that would have been used to keep the alternator turning over to provide the same power.
Cool design that can be easily adapted to most modern cars (non electric or hybrid.) We’ll also note that modern cars have a reasonably large number of electronic devices so anything that helps reduce their load on the engine helps reduce gas consumption.
I do rather doubt that the NeoSocket works very well though. But its likely that the Mazda design will be cost effective (as in pay for itself over the life of the vehicle.) Even if it doesn’t achieve 20% reductions. 🙂

Reminds me of my youth. Charge up a capacitor to a thousand volts or so and leave in lying on the workbench. There is always someone who will come along and pick it up. 🙂

You might all laugh but the late Peter Brock, a well known racing driver in Australia who had a special arrangement with GM to produce factory specials blew his entire career apart by insisting that the road and race cars were to be fitted with an ‘Energy Polariser’ which made similar types of outlandish claims. The idea with this one was to ‘align the molecules’ of the fuel or the car or something – it was never clear, but the principle active agents were crystals and magnets, which should explain enough.
GM had to dump him over the adverse publicity, a move which put a huge dent in his otherwise supremely successful career. To compare, it would be like Fernando Alonso insisting a ‘NeoSocket’ be fitted to every Ferrari F1 and road car, and Ferrari being forced to dump him as a result. While Brock is rightly considered the Australia racing legend to this day, he never really recovered from the setback, and GM Holden formed a relationship with Tom Walkinshaw racing in the form of Holden Special Vehicles, which still exists to this day.
A fascinating story of how even supposedly smart people can get taken in by this type of thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Brock#Other_activities

Anthony,
If this is something like the Fuel Doctor, and I bet it is, please see what the following review had to say:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/fuel-saving-devices-debunked-dynamic-ionizer-fuel-doctor-fd-47-hot-inazma-eco-moletech-fuel-saver-fuel-boss-magnetic-fuel-saver-gearbox
Post-test, we cracked open the FD-47 to find a simple circuit board for the LED lights. Even if you could “condition” the ECU through the lighter socket, it’s unlikely  the Fuel Doctor is doing so. On the upside, it might help prevent you from smoking in your car.

“But if you call now, within the next 20 minutes, because you know we can’t do this all day, we’ll give you a second neosocket.”
(It’s plug not a socket. They don’t seem to know their goesintas from their goesontas….)

Thanks for this, Anthony. The perfect Christmas gift for my unreconstructed AGW believing friends and family.
Just hoping they throw in a set of steak knives for multiple purchases.

Dodgy Geezer says:
Can it go on the British NHS?
or maybe… ObamaCare???

thinkinglazy: Given that you believe in CAGW completely explains your faith that stating such nonsense makes any impact at all on a science blog such as this one.
And BTW, regarding:

this will never happen as long as these huge non-renewable energy companies can help it

Explain why Pew is accepting money from Royal Dutch Shell? Does the price of oil go up or down when the market is artificially limited by government and tell us who benefits from that? (hint, record profits = record tax revenue on those profits)

Don’t laugh. There’s probably already a “Climate Ethics” bill, with a mandatory Magic Green Climate Ethics Plug for every vehicle, which the carmaker will install for you for only an extra $4000 per vehicle – proceeds to be paid to victims of unethical climate.

What the device conceals is the latest development in “cold fusion”.
It quietly generates electricity and then inputs it into the cars system, therefore taking the load off the generator.
When not being used it quietly regenerates its “consumables” from the vehicles power supply and the atmosphere (it helps if the vehicles atmosphere contains trace methane….eat beans)

Those of us who were of driving age in the early ’70’s are very familiar with this kind of gadget and others which made all kinds of outlandish claims. Same old, same old.

They say you can only buy it online, but I’m sure I saw one of these at the Hustler store.
(What? I was doing green research!)

It also helps you stop smoking, or at least lighting up. well worth the money!

“helps reduce carcinogenic emissions that are responsible for Global Climate Changes ”
CO2 is carcinogenic? Who knew?

@Mango Chutney–
Is it just me or does the Amazon photo give a more accurate impression of how this product works?
Anthony-You really should write “satire”in really big letters ’cause you know darn well there is somebody in the US government writing a mandate that all cars incorporate this device by 2013!
It’s “green” don’t you know, doesn’t need actual proof that it works and there is an Obama campaign cash bundler heavily invested in it! All the requirements for government “investment”!

Fyredawg says: Now all you need is a DVD Rewinder

I don’t need one, my 8-track rewinder seems to work just as well for DVDs. Odd huh?

I hear it also cures baldness and smelly feet. ;->

DARPA’s been working on this inertia-less drive component for years. It induces coherence in the aetheric vibrations surrounding the vehicle. The resulting Casimir effect moves your vehicle into and out of the 4th dimension in a manner that is normally undetectable, although the ~20% reduction in 3 dimensional mass of the vehicle does result in fuel savings.
ingenious, really.

John Marshall says:
December 1, 2011 at 4:02 am
“More MPG! More Power!
You cannot have both at the same time. Extra power needs more fuel.”
Not if you burn and use the fuel more efficiently. Just compare the fuel economy and performance of any typical car today with a similar one built 20 years ago…

Some years back I wrote for a local journal:
Almost as pernicious as CO2 is methane, building up even faster in relative terms, a rise which is “clearly” due to humans – you ride cars, don’t you?
Now methane used to be known as “marsh gas,” the stuff which comes bubbling up when you disturb the bottom of a stagnant pool. It is formed not only when you process oil, but also whenever there is anaerobic digestion of organic matter. One anaerobic digestion system is that of man’s symbiont, the cow. Cows rumble, gurgle and give forth methane – 100 million tons per annum, according to a German professor. That is 20% of the annual buildup of the stuff in the atmosphere, and it is the largest single known source.
Far be it from me to suggest that red-blooded males should stick to chicken barbeques, or that millions of Hindus should put down the sacred beasts.
The great mind has pondered, and has the Final Solution (Pat Pending). This is the Bovine After-Burner, a small piece of electrically heated platinum, supported close to, but not touching, the point of emission. A further support keeps the tail of the animal from interfering with the BAB, while shutters activated by a small accelerometer placed in the flight path protect it from damage during solids fallout.
The whole is microprocessor controlled, and guaranteed to reduce methane emissions by at least 80% while operating. In mass production, it is estimated to cost less than $50.00 provided the local platinum industry agrees to make scrap platinum available at a nominal charge, which it should do as a public gesture in view of the success of its other catalytic after-burners.
Those who really care about our environment and its protection are invited to send $50.00 to me as part of my “equip-a-cow” scheme. In return, they will receive a signed photograph of the cow which they have adopted, fitted with a BAB. Don’t delay!
I received (and returned) three $50 checks!

Sea Monkeys, X-Ray Glasses and now Neosocket!! Just in time for Christmas!
Why don’t I ever think of these things?? Guess I’m just a bit too honest….

It also cures wrinkles, alleviates the hearbreak of psoriasis, reduces the duration of a cold from 7 days to 1 week, cures halitosis, stops food from sticking to the pan, improves your serve by 20%, suppresses cough and runny nose, is new and improved, improves traction on ice with micropumps, improves tire performance almost as much as filling tires with nitrogen gas, helps reduce weight without exercising, etc. I suspect that more than half of our economy is made up of the trade in useless or fraudulent items. Who needs the FDA when we have natural selection? One of the marvels of perpetual economic growth is, apparently, that it doesn’t have be rational or useful. I am going to buy one of these right away. Long live the snake oil salesman. (PS. I hope it doesn’t contain melamine, but then I am sure that while it is likey made overseas, it is made to highest American standards- no worries). (PPS, I wonder if supermagnets will make it perform even better).

Even has a ‘scratch and dent’ deal $14.99 + s&h at $4.99
http://ezfuelsaver.com/order2.htm
The returns of the initials at $50, I presume.

Question: I have a double adapter on my cigarette lighter socket. Can I plug in 2 Neo Sockets and get 40% reduction?
Hey, if this is working I will get 6, and have the car makes fuel as I go. I can sell the gas to the suckers who haven’t bought Neo Socekt!

According to http://trust-e-reviews.com/neosocket/ it is merely a capacitor. Sucks electricity (energy) from your battery and that store of energy (right, some ‘store’) is then available under demand.
Hmmm… it sucks energy and can then supply the energy but must re-suck more energy to recharge… is not the net energy zero minus leakage? Seems to me.
If your gullible to ever try one of these just don’t leave it plugged in for days on end or the ‘tiny’ leakage will ruin your battery, believe me. Son-in-law gave me a solar battery charger to ‘help me’ keep my battery charged since my driving is rather spotty. Four days of solar ‘charging’ through the lighter socket and I had a totally dead battery that battery never really recovered. Buy new battery. Lesson learned.

So if I put in six cigarette lighters/Neo Sockets, the power company has to buy my excess power right? Wow, if they give volume discounts, I’m buying 50!

Now that technology has saved the planet, can the holidaymakers at the Durban climate-fest jamboree go back home please?

If we all use one of these AND properly inflate our tires, we’d save more oil than produced on the entire north slope and ANWR.

they say they use a capacitor to “maintain the optimum battery voltage” which results in stronger sparks from the plugs. However, all that’s going to do is prevent misfiring. Also there are much bigger capacitors than the one in that in your radio.

Any improvement that contributes to the preservation of nature is good and should be encouraged.