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Cebit: Tosh says fuel-cells are set to fly
It is rather a large Bluetooth headset but it is a special one... the first to run off a fuel cell. The 15x18.5x 3.7cm battery pack lasts ten hours, according to the man on Toshiba's stand at Cebit. 
Also shown was 5.5x12x2.5 cm cell (right)that packs enough for two mobile phone chargers.
The cells can be top up by a bottle of methanol about the size of a tin a lighter fuel. The Toshiba man said Americans had asked for a system where they could by methanol by the gallon; but Toshiba believes a closed system is safer because methanol is both flammable and poisonous.
The company showed laptop with a built-in fual cell said to last five hours between top-ups. The laptop was rather thicker than usual and weighed 2.5Kg with the cell.
The Toshiba man said the fuell cells had been approved by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICOA) for use on aircraft. They would be launch "soon" in Japan but he could not give a date for Europe.
Interesting news on the Tosh laptop fuel cell. Was the FC inside the laptop? Where? Is the fuel tank also outside, where? I hear a lot of talk about instant recharging using fuel cells so you don't have to shutdown (as would be the case to change battery). Anyone have more news on this product or other electronics firms versions? Thanks, Stephen
Posted by Stephen | March 28, 2007 12:59 PM