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Toshiba To Show Laptop Fuel Cells at CeBit

Posted by timothy on from the yes-please dept.

war3rd writes "According to The Register, Toshiba has finally been able to build a fuel cell for laptops that they will unveil at CeBit next week. The fuel cells are expected to last approximately 5 hours and are compatible with existing lithium-ion batteries. Form factor remains the only issue. The trick is that they use the water by-product from the cell to dilute the methanol source as it enters the reformer, and are therefore able to store higher concentrations of methanol in the cell. My only concern is how quickly can they get this to market?"

3 of 292 comments (clear)

  1. All we need now... by swordboy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It'd be nice if the component makers would establish an "open laptop" form factor. We've alreadt got mini-ITX. We just need a chassis/monitor and DC power specification.

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    Life is the leading cause of death in America.
  2. but how long will they last? by Pompatus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    My question is, how long will the battery hold up? I don't mean a single charge, I mean how long will the battery be usuable. Also, it states at the end of the article it will take 2-3 years to get to market. It's amazing that the poster of this story can't even read the article

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    Squirrel ... It's not just for breakfast anymore
  3. Usefulness? by mr_zorg · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Let's see. Now I can have a batter with a moderately longer runtime, but refilling it is much more difficult than simply plugging it in. Who's going to go for that? OK, it's cool. OK, it's environmentally friendly, but is that enough to overcome the convenience factor?