Toshiba Develops Tiny Fuel Cell

By Agence France-Presse Japanese electronics giant Toshiba Corp. said it has developed the world's smallest methanol fuel cell for use in wireless headsets and other wearable electronics devices. The prototype direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is roughly thumb size, measuring 22 millimeters by 45 millimeters and weighs 8.5 grams (0.29 ounces). It is "small enough for integration into a wireless headset for mobile phones but still efficient enough to power an MP3 music player for as long as 20 hours on a single two-CCs charge of highly concentrated methanol," the firm said. Toshiba expects to commercialize DMFC for handheld devices in 2005 at yet-to-be-set retail prices. DMFCs, which generate water and carbon dioxide as byproducts, could do away with the need for recharging batteries. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2004