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CES: Tiny Fuel Cell is Supposed to Charge a Cell Phone for Two Weeks (Video)

Posted by Roblimo on from the maybe-a-whole-bunch-of-these-could-power-your-house dept.

Many of us have plug-in external batteries of one sort to recharge our smart phones when we're away from power outlets. Or we have gigantic aftermarket batteries that make our phones so fat they barely fit in our pockets. So there is this company, Lilliputian Power Systems, that is just starting to market a tiny, butane-powered fuel cell they call the Nectar that plugs into your cell phone (or whatever) through a USB port and supposedly charges it for up to two weeks. That's a lot better than an add-on battery. It looks expensive, although the power "pods" aren't too pricey at $19.99 for two. But wait a minute: Why aren't fuel cells, not internal combustion engines, the "range extenders" in plug-in hybrid cars? A decade back, fuel cells were going to revolutionize our power delivery and consumption systems. A cell phone charger is cute, but is that really all we can get fuel cells to do?

4 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Smartphone? by nospam007 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Many of us have plug-in external batteries of one sort to recharge our smart phones when we're away from power outlets."

    You mean your iPhones not Smartphones.
    We with real Smartphones just switch the internal battery with one of our dozen full ones.

    1. Re:Smartphone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      We with real Smartphones just switch the internal battery with one of our dozen full ones.

      Not always. At my company we've got our web server (with online shop) running on a Nokia N900. The idea was to lower our electricity costs by having employees charge the phone at libraries and bus stations, where we'd just look like ordinary people and no one would suspect business use. Anyway, turning the phone off to change the battery would result in downtime that we can't afford. An external battery pack has proved a lifesaver in cases where we couldn't find a free outlet in time.

    2. Re:Smartphone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Typical slashdot. Baths are supposed to be intentional, and frequent, not accidental.

  2. Bloody hell.... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Funny

    "A dead battery means important missed calls and emails, no GPS when you’re lost, no e-reader on your train ride, no communication in an emergency, and an overall feeling of dread and anxiety."

    Yes, they actually say that. May I be the first to recommend spending less on fancing charging gadgets and more on anxiolytic lifestyle aids, like benzodiazepines or heavy drinking?