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Methanol Fuel-Cell Battery For Your Laptop?

Posted by timothy on from the yes-please dept.

Nick writes: "I ran across this accidentally when I was researching fuel cell cars. They have come out with a little methanol fuel-cell battery they hope will be more powerful than lithium ion batteries, at competitive prices too! (well, in five years maybe) Also check out howstuffworks for a great article on fuel cells in general." Beating Li-Ion batteries by a factor of ten is a very worthy goal.

9 of 179 comments (clear)

  1. Sweeet by GuntherAEPi · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does this mean gas pumps at CompUSA?

  2. Just remember: by mrpotato · · Score: 4, Funny

    don't drink the batteries: methanol will get you blind, ethanol will get you drunk.

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    cheers
  3. Moron by purduephotog · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hope you were kidding about that... Methanol is highly toxic and leads to blindness and kidney failure.

    Then again, I haven't read a good Darwin award lately....

  4. I'll get one as soon as it comes out. by Typingsux · · Score: 3, Funny
    That way, instead of having to keep a dog and blame it for my farting, I can say it was the laptop again.

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    The above post is an editorial, the poster cannot and will not be held responsible for all or in part for it's contents
  5. Why methanol? by Manuka · · Score: 3, Funny

    Someone needs to come up with an ethanol fuel cell, and when you run out, just fill it back up with cheap vodka.

  6. Re:it remains to be seen... by ncc74656 · · Score: 3, Funny
    It remains to be seen how people will react to having to 'refill' their laptops. It won't take too many methanol spills on the carpeting for somebody to bail on the whole idea.
    At least it wouldn't raise the questions that an ethanol fuel cell would raise. "Honestly, boss, the Everclear is for my computer!"
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    20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
  7. Uh Oh! by BoarderPhreak · · Score: 3, Funny

    With a fuel cell, I guess Apple's problem of self-igniting PowerBooks should be REAL interesting soon...

  8. Chemistry Lesson by sterno · · Score: 4, Funny

    Okay folks:

    Ethanol - the alcohol that makes beer, wine, and liquor much more fun.

    Methanol - the alcohol that, if you drink it, will at the very least blind you and probably do a bunch of other damage to your organs.

    Methane - the end result of having chili for lunch

    It is not fart powered, and you can't run it on Stoli, okay?

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    This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
  9. The real question is: by aengblom · · Score: 2, Funny

    The real question is would Laptop/Cellphone "battery life" actually go up or would manufacturers just add "instant, always on, hot dog cooking functions."

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