A notebook that can run for 10 hours--or longer--before it needs rejuicing? That's the promise of a new battery technology called direct methanol fuel cells. A potential successor to the rechargeable and disposable batteries that power many of today's mobile digital devices, DMFCs generate power by mixing methanol with air and water.
One catch: Most companies are still figuring out how to maximize the power DMFCs provide. Inside the fuel cell, water and methanol must be separated from the catalyst by a membrane. The higher the ratio of methanol to water is, the more powerful the DMFC (and the smaller it becomes). Also undecided: whether to make the new DMFCs disposable or rechargeable.
News source: PCWorld.com
