nihil, OT RE: Quirky Investments (less than $1)
FYI and for a Happy New Year
dailynews.yahoo.com
Thursday December 31 12:18 AM ET
U.S. Research Firm Says Cell Phone Can Run On Alcohol
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (Reuters) - A New Mexico research firm said Wednesday it has come up with a prototype miniature power pack for cell phones that runs on alcohol -- including hard liquor.
Manhattan Scientifics Inc. (OTC BB:MHTX - news) said it has come up with a ''pre-prototype'' micro fuel cell that could be used to power a cell phone. Fuel cells generate power through a chemical process without combustion.
''It can run on ethanol -- which is vodka. It will run longer on something strong, but we are using a water/ethanol mix that is equivalent to windshield wiper fluid,'' Robert Hockaday, the company's
chief fuel cell scientist, told Reuters.
''You could screw the fuel cell into one of those little shot bottles, but then we would have a liability problem -- people would be trying to drink their phones,'' he added.
Hockaday is aiming to solve the convenience problem of having to constantly recharge cell phone batteries.
Rather than plugging the phone or its battery into an electric outlet, his fuel cell system would allow cell phone users to recharge by injecting a small alcohol-filled cartridge.
Hockaday's prototype cell can run for about two weeks on an ample of fuel, but the company's ultimate objective is six months of uninterrupted usage. A commercial version of the miniature fuel
cell could be available in about a year and a half, the scientist said.
Manhattan Scientific's stock, listed on the over-the-counter bulletin board, was up 25 cents at 52 cents a share in late trading Wednesday. |
