What Lies Beyond Batteries for Power?

Sept. 24, 2004 -- In this week's Cybershake, we take a look at what could be providing power to tomorrow's high-tech portables. Plus, we note a new game that will have Star Wars fans itching for a fight.

Beyond the Battery

Cell phones, digital music players, laptops, handheld computers, camcorders, portable DVD players and digital cameras are just some of the portable wonders many people can't seem to do without now. But the one thing all those — and future — mobile devices can't live without? Power.

And unfortunately, current battery technology seems unable to keep up with the growing demands of new electronic gear.

"Battery life just isn't really going up at the same rate that our rate of innovation on the electronic side is going up," says Eric Hagerman, senior editor at Popular Science magazine.

The power factor has really put a cramp on how electronic consumer goods are designed by product makers now.

"The engineers have to figure out [power loads] first," says Hagerman. "[They] get a number and then they can work backwards from that and figure out how [many features] they can pack into a device."

And the power factor sometimes means that certain cool gizmos just don't get invented.

"We have the technology to make a handheld satellite radio device," says Hagerman. "But it would only get one hour of battery life."

But many companies and university researchers are looking into new ways to provide juice for power hungry portables. The most popular ideas involve so-called micro fuel cells.

Much like larger systems developed for space craft and "green cars," fuel cells create energy by chemically combining hydrogen and oxygen. The only byproducts are carbon dioxide and water.

While such tiny power sources would be environmentally friendly, there are still a few problems the power industry needs to work out.

"You have to refill a fuel cell some how and they haven't quite figured out what's the best way to do that," says Hagerman.