"Retailer Brookstone will sell a portable fuel cell able to charge smartphones a dozen times before running out.
Fuel cell maker Lilliputian Systems today announced that Brookstone will be the first retailer to carry its portable USB power source, which will be sold under Brookstone's brand. The fuel cell device is about the size of a thick smartphone, and the lighter fluid-filled cartridges are about the same size as a cigarette lighter.
It's a big step forward both for Lilliputian Systems, a 10-year-old spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and for portable fuel cell technology in general. Several fuel cell companies have developed portable power systems, but a number have failed.
The new fuel cell will charge any device that has a USB cable.
Pricing for the Brookstone fuel cell itself was not disclosed but the cartridges themselves, which are made of plastic and hold butane, will cost a few dollars, or "about the same as coffee from Starbucks," said Mouli Ramani, vice president of business development at Lilliputian Systems. The product will be tested with users this year and the company expects to announce specific dates on availability later this year, he said."
(More)
The golden bit is back!
2012-05-10, 10:16
