It's the dream: Bill Gates chucks cash at WEE-IN-YOUR-PHONE project

Bill Gates' charitable foundation has handed British boffins a wodge of cash to help produce a urine-powered battery which can charge a mobile phone. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has named a team at the University of the West of England, Bristol, among the five winners of Phase II of its Grand Challenges Explorations …

[Steve Davies 3]

Mandatory: Is he taking the Piss?

Ok, I'm going out and (given the current weather) I may be some time...

[Anonymous Coward]

He'd sell more of them if they came with a compartment for sugary and high fat snack. If he combined this with a pee powered battery that could check for blood sugar levels the device would be a massive hit with Fat people.

As the obesity crisis continues they would sell like hot cakes.

[Anonymous Coward]

"that could check for blood sugar levels the device would be a massive hit with Fat people."

No it wouldn't.

It's society's fault / availability of junk food / lack of labelling / big bones / bad genes.

Never the fact they eat to much and move to little.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Lost all faith...

Oooh look....you got a downvote. I'll wager there's a hambeast lumbering around this forum - c'mon, who's the salad dodger?.

Which is a real problem with life online, you can't look over your shoulder and see who might take offence before you spout forth.

[Anonymous Coward]

I wonder if the phone will be in the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners?

[John Smith 19]

Neat

I'd buy one.

Consider the more you drink, the lower your electricity bill.

And what's the best thing to promote urination?

[ItsNotMe]

Re: Neat

"Consider the more you drink, the lower your electricity bill."

Except...that if a high alcohol content will damage the battery(s)...or you're a "bad aim" when snockered.

[Albert Hall]

Re: Neat

That'd be beer.

[Khaptain]

Nature Selfies

We might not yet get to know about the bears but now we will get to see the tribal people shitting in the desert/savana.

[Dan 55]

Wee in your phone

Well it can only improve WP8.

[hplasm]

Re: Wee in your phone

What a U turn! Makes a change from taking the piss out of Gate's products...

Tramp smells of latent energy ---

[Chairo]

Financial crisis coming?

... can convert human waste into fuel

I wonder how they are going to tax the resulting fuel... Pay per shit?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Financial crisis coming?

Pay per shit?

That may be problematic after all the efforts to clean up dirty money...

[Phil O'Sophical]

Re: Financial crisis coming?

Pay per shit?

Or maybe Pay As You Go?

[Ragarath]

Ahh so many scenarios for cruelty...

Child: "Dad I really need a wee, I am desperate!"

Dad: "Hold on to it Son, I have an important call in 10 minutes and the phone needs more juice."

or from another angle.

Dad: "Come on Son I really need another 5 minutes on this call."

Child: "I'm sorry Dad, I cannot possibly squeeze any more out."

[Elmer Phud]

Home Sweet Home

Considering that for many males the usual docking station is a urinal then MS may be on to something here.

Also an excuse for any caught by the plods while busy with a Golden Shower game.

[Pen-y-gors]

But seriously though...

The more I read about the good uses that Gates is finding for his billions, the less angry I get about the money I've paid Micro$oft over the years.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: But seriously though...

You're falling for his PR charity routine.

Why is he still the worlds richest man if he's giving away sooo much money.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: But seriously though...

It's interesting how many American billionaires are spending their accumulated wealth for the betterment of the human race, in ways that governments can't or won't. I wonder if it's a cultural thing that encourages them to do that, rather than what seems to happen with Russian and Middle-Eastern billionaires who buy footballists and boats made out of gold and unicorn tears.

[mitch 2]

Can I charge my wii with my wee?

<cough> sorry.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wasn't it BIll that recently said developing nations needed food and other things before technology?

[Tromos]

2.5 billion people practice open defecation

With all that practice, some must be pretty good at it by now.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: 2.5 billion people practice open defecation

No, they have to practice a lot because otherwise it becomes a PITA.

[Swarthy]

Re: 2.5 billion people practice open defecation

Nah, they are still practicing 'cause they're a bit shit.

[Adam JC]

Been done before?

I'm pretty sure this has been looked at before, in depth.

In my opinion, they're pissing in the wind with this one.

[Zot]

More foreign investment.

Oh well I don't blame them. Good luck with the piss-batt, let's hope it becomes something great.

[Anonymous Coward]

p-Dock for i-Devices

Apple could develop a proprietary pee interface/connector for wee-charging and thereby bypass the EU common (USB) charge connector directive. Of course, the p-Docks would have to be gender specific, unless they come up with a unisex design.

Though, only a matter of time before the EU start poking their fingers into that

[Why Not?]

Re: p-Dock for i-Devices

has to be iWee shirley?

[BrentRBrian]

Win8 phone

Creative. Wow. So that's how he is going to explain all the Win8 phones sent back to Microsoft that have been pissed on ...