Phone Dead? Just Add Water

A Swedish company has produced a pocket-sized hydrogen fuel cell, which will allow users to charge cell phones and other devices using just water and a little hydrogen fuel. The H³ charger will be released by myFC in Scandinavia in December, globally in 2011, and will cost about $45. The cell merely requires a few tea-bag-sized packets containing hydrogen and a small amount of water and will product electricity for immediate use or storage in a lithium-ion battery.

While the use of the H³ for hikers and others in the wilderness is obvious, the device could also have a much more far-reaching effect in providing cell service in the developing world. “To our knowledge, there are about 1 billion people in developing countries that actually have cell coverage, and if they had a cell phone they could use it,” myFC's CEO tells LiveScience. It's a lack of reliable electricity prevents these people from using phones—and the H³ could fill that gap.
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