I've seen it all now. I am sure it is of legitimate use to someone but that would raise a laught if someone came out for the weekend with this bad boy.
In reply to TMM:
It looks like the sort of thing that would be very useful for long term living in forested country, for someone who wants to have an electronic luxury or two (ie. phone or camera). Not so useful for mountaineering however--just how many twigs are you likely to find on the average Scottish mountain?!
In reply to nniff:
Actually just looked at their 'home stove' version, and it looks like a brilliant idea for developing countries where people cook on open wood fires and have no mains electricity.
Was surprised this won gadget of the year or something off the outdoor writers's guild last month, it looks crap. At nearly 1 kilo you'd just take something else to charge your iPod.
In reply to TMM: Saw a news pic of a bunch of these on a table on a street in New Jersey recharging people's phones who have been without power for the last five days from the storm. Looked pretty useful in that situation!
Didn't know what they were then, but I'm certain it was this thing.
Traditionally thermocouples have been paired with radioisotopes to provide long term electrical sources, though it's understandably hard and expensive to procure one.