Tags Science

Toshiba unveils a fuel-cell based MP3 player.

It's only a prototype now, and the real product will get to the shelves in 2007, but I think it's an amazing move forward. The methanol-powered fuel cell will allow a flash-based device to play 35 hours on 3.5 ml of methanol.

3.5 ml is 3.5 cubic centimeters, or about the size of an AA battery. Methanol costs about $0.8 / liter, which means you can refill that MP3 player 300 times for about $1 (for a total playing time of 10000 hours - a year and a half of non-stop music).

Good stuff