Summary
Representatives from NTT DoCoMo and KDDI, Japan's No. 1 and No. 2 mobile communications carriers, recently announced they had neared completion of development of a hydrogen fuel cell battery for cell phones and laptops, which should be available by 2007, PC World reports.
Original source:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,121816,00.asp
Details
For years, DMFCs (direct methanol fuel cells), which typically work by mixing methanol with air and water to produce electrical power, have been promoted as an alternative to the lithium ion batteries used in notebook PCs and other portable electronics gear.
DMFCs are useful because power can be obtained instantly by inserting a fuel cartridge recharger, developers say.
Japan's mobile phone vendors spent years trying to get the battery life of third-generation mobile phones to match that of the country's second-generation digital phones.
In DoCoMo's case, the company has a prototype charger on display at Wireless Japan.
The device, which DoCoMo is developing in association with Fujitsu Laboratories, will appeal to members of the carrier's base of nearly 50 million subscribers who are looking for a quick power fix, said Kazuhiko Takeno, a manager at the company's Technical Support Group.
The recharger, which has a cradle design, is still a bit bulky at 5.9 inches by 2.2 inches by 1 inch, and it weighs 6.7 ounces.
That's because, despite being about the same size and volume as the older model (which is marginally thinner), the new prototype has enough power to recharge a mobile phone battery three times, which is much nearer to being worthwhile for customers, he said.
Fuel-cell technology is also looking viable for KDDI's customers, according to Youichi Iriuchijima, an assistant manager at the company's IT Development Division.
At last October's Ceatec Japan 2004 exhibition, Iriuchijima showed prototype rechargers from Hitachi and Toshiba, saying that improved versions would be on the market in 2006.
The Hitachi version is 4.8 inches by 3 inches by 3 inches, weighs about 6 ounces and offers two recharging options.
The Toshiba version is bigger, at 4.5 inches by 4.4 inches by 1 inch, and the prototype weighs 8.8 ounces, about twice the weight of a typical Japanese-model third-generation
mobile phone.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Email this article to a friend
Share
this article on: 
