MTI Micro's portable fuel cell charger (photos)

The Mobion Fuel Cell Generator is the most compact fuel cell engine of its type and can be used to charge portable devices via a USB port.

The device has a fuel cell engine that combines neat methanol and oxygen to generate electricity, with vapor as a byproduct. This prototype also has a built-in rechargeable battery that works as a "buffer," which can also be charged via a regular power source. The fuel cell engine can be turned or of, much like that of a car.

This is the methanol cartridge to be used with the charger. It contains slightly less than 1 ounce of methanol and has about 25 watt-hours of power, enough to offer five or six full charges to the iPhone 4.

The charger's cartridge bay hosts the methanol cartridge.

The cartridge can be inserted into the bay, just like we put batteries into a device.

The cartridge is all the way in.

An iPhone 4 being charged using the Mobion Fuel Cell Generator.

The charger comes with an adapter for the iPhone/iPod and a few other popular handheld devices.

Apart from the charger, MTI's fuel cell engine is small and flexible enough to be used as embedded applications, such as in this prototype from Samsung. Applications like this will make the portable devices completely wireless, as there's no need to plug them into the wall at all.