Miniature fuel cells are being developed as an alternative way to power portable devices. But they're not ready yet, as Kurt Kleiner reports. For years manufacturers have flirted with the idea of using fuel cells to drive portable electronic equipment. Their engineers envisage power sources that can, with just a few cubic centimetres of fuel, run a laptop all day- or a phone for a week. The most recent step forward came in May, when Samsung announced that it would invest in MTI Micro, a company basedin Albany, New York. The South Korean firm wants MTI to help it develop a fuel cell for a mobile phone, and it's not alone. Toshiba, Sanyo, Panasonic and others have all been researching fuel cells for some time. But it is not yet apparent when these fuel cells will come to market - or even whether they will make a real impact.
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