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Motorola Makes Gasoline Powered Cell Phones

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the fill-er-up dept.

Wister285 writes "Well, now that PDAs are integrated with cell phones, you'll need some extra juice to power that thing. Motorola seems to think that the next generation of cell phones needs to be powered by gas (fuel cells). Supposedly these cell phones can last for a whole month without needing to be recharged. Batteries are not being eliminated since the "power plant" of the phone is located on the user's belt. Seems interesting. Gives a whole new meaning to "Fill 'er up!""

5 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. Methane Power == Hot Air? by Atomizer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Maybe the next version can run off your "hot air". After all, it is methane powered, but I don't think I would like to get that intimate with my cell phone just to make a call. But maybe they could run them off pig farts like they cook meals on woks in some remote parts of China. (I saw it on the Discovery channel.)

  2. Re:Wrong Solution by ergo98 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Methane isn't just a natural resource and can easily be synthesized, hence you can view it purely as a very clean chemical battery: Expend some energy creating a CH4 molecule, and then extract the energy catalyzing with oxygen (or whatever).

  3. Re:correction by Ghengis · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One, maybe two problems. If you forget your charger enough to want this as a solution, you'll probably forget the fuel cell. Wouldn't it just be easier to buy a car charger and be done with it? I mean a charger is a charger is a charger...

    --

    "The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley..." - ROBERT BURNS

  4. Re:Stupid idea. by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I neither need, use, or want a cell phone, but most of the people I know who do have them could use more talk time and less size/weight. The "absent minded professor" type is pretty forgettful about getting the phone on the charger at night, and thus is prone to running out of power mid-conversation. Additionally, if you travel for business, a FC powered phone would also mean that you wouldn't have to carry a charger with you on trips. Lastly, FC's don't have moving parts (but I certainly agree that initially they would be more complicated than current technology).

  5. Background Information by gunnk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This technology appears to be some I've read about previously (as far back as 98). You can see the Los Alamos press release or an ABC News article (with a pic). Both give a little more background and tech info on the cells.

    --
    Life is short: void the warranty.