Powertrekk, taking hydrogen fuel cells on tour a potential game changer?

from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20031841-1.html

BEGIN QUOTE/
With the increasing number of tech gadgets we carry around, even on
hiking trips, having a reliable power source is a serious
consideration. While solar-powered battery packs have been around for
a while, the reliance on a consistent sunlight source is a big concern
in some regions.

The pocket-size PowerTrekk Fuel Cell charger out of Sweden offers two
solutions to the personal energy crisis. Besides an internal battery
pack that can be charged from the mains, the device also utilizes
disposable fuel cell packs. The device splits water to create hydrogen
that goes through the fuel cell to create an electric current, which
can be used to either power up USB-connected devices or charge the
internal battery pack.

The PowerTrekk is being demonstrated at the Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona, Spain. While it's one of the first hydrogen fuel packs for
phones and mobile devices to hit the market, others, like Horizon's
HydroFill, operate on a similar principle.

Details on pricing and availability for the PowerTrekk are not
provided at this time, as the company is still sourcing for
distributors. In the meantime, see how the PowerTrekk works in the
video below.
/QUOTE

Bottom line, put in water, get power.

>From what I've read on it elsewhere it's not there, I see absolutely
no specifications anywhere on how much power you can get out of the
"disposable fuel cell packs".  Apparently it only puts out about 2.5
watts from hydrogen power, but this is supplemented by the lithium ion
battery which once charged can put out 5 watts of power which should
be well capable of charging a USB device. Inversely the internal
battery can also be charged off USB as well.

The idea is a potential game changer if not now in the near future.
To be able to take devices with proprietary batteries like the
majority of cell phones, mp3 players, GPS, and digital cameras into
the backcountry would change the game considerably.  For example I
could get a nice DSLR like a cannon Mark IV and take it on remote
trips, say a trip around the world, without having to worry about how
I'm going to charge it.

All that said... it's so futuristic the realities of such a technology
might never materialize, at least not in the form one might take on a
biking trip.

-Mike
blog.mmeiser.com
flickr.com/photos/mmeiser2