It must be International Day of Joint Development Announcements or something, because KDDI, Hitachi, and Toshiba announced that they would be jointly developing fuel cells aimed for use in cellular phones.

KDDI has announced that they will cooperate with Hitachi Production and Toshiba to launch the development of fuel cells for use in mobile phones.

Currently, the lithium ion batteries used in cellular phones are showing a trend to offer shorter idle times and talk times because of the multi-functionality of today's units. Although each maker has ways of lowering power consumption in parts and getting a longer life out of their batteries, fuel cells are regarded as the prominent source of power for futuristic mobile devices.

While Hitachi and Toshiba are saying that "detailed specifications are yet to be," according to KDDI, the development of the technology between KDDI and Hitachi, as well as KDDI and Toshiba, is scheduled to begin in the middle part of July.

There may be different systems of fuel cell batteries, the companies plan o­n choosing the system that will provide the most convenience to users. 2007, when carrying Methanol inside of an airplane will be legal, is when the companies are aiming for commercialization.

Inspired by:
http://k-tai.impress.co.jp/cda/article/news_toppage/19699.html

KDDI Homepage:
http://www.kddi.com/

Hitachi Homepage:
http://www.hitachi.co.jp/

Toshiba Homepage:
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/