Plans for Fuel Cell Players

Toshiba has developed two small fuel cell prototypes that can dramatically increase the playing time for mobile music players. A fuel cell unit the size of a pack of chewing gum can power a flash-memory-based player for about 35 hours on a single charge, using highly concentrated methanol as its fuel. For a hard disc drive system, a fuel cell unit the size of a person’s palm could let the player run for 60 hours on a single charge. Toshiba hopes to introduce the products commercially in 2007