Longer-lasting solution for power cell phone batteries

Cell phones and other portable devices are ideal for on-the-go and emergency situations—unless the battery's dead. In the growing field of battery alternatives, including fuel cells and solar cells, a tiny, longer-lasting solution is on its way, reports Ziff Davis Media.

Engineers at MIT and the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing a microengine that is essentially a fuel tank. About the size of two dimes, it could potentially deliver enough juice to power a notebook.

For anyone who stresses over the dead cell-phone scenario, the researchers are brainstorming a fix for that too, and it's not as high-tech as it sounds.

"It would involve compressed air that you could blow through some blades to turn the magnet," Arnold says. "You could turn a crank in emergency situations."

emily | 4:30 PM | Technology |
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