
Granted it's still in prototype stage, but Sony's latest micro-sized hybrid fuel cell nevertheless offers a sneak peek at what to expect of batteries in mobile devices in the coming years. The tiny fuel cell measures a handy 50 x 30mm, thanks to its combination of a Lithium-polymer battery, fuel cell and control circuit, with methanol as the fuel. A pump regulates the fuel supply to cater to the device's power needs.
According to the Japanese company, 10ml of methanol can provide almost 14 hours of 1seg TV viewing on mobile phones, which is pretty impressive for such a small fuel cell unit. 1seg is a digital audio-video broadcasting technology used for mobile devices such as cell phones and the PlayStation Portable in Japan.
But given how slowly fuel cell-powered devices are trickling into the market, we reckon it'll be some time before a commercial version of Sony's hybrid fuel cell is even introduced.
Via TechOn Nikkei
Photo credit: TechOn Nikkei
About the author
A Back to the Future fan, Reuben Lee secretly hopes the flux capacitor works so he can go back in time to tell the younger him to invest in Google shares. This former engineering graduate stumbled from varsity straight into games and tech writing just for the fun at CNET Asia. He found it so much fun, he stayed on for the next 11 years. You can also catch this Senior Editor for chats on all things Japan, the manga One Piece, Star Wars, Liverpool and football, and racing games.
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