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Medis Technologies is partnering with Kensington Technology, a maker and distributor of computer accessories, to bring fuel cells to mobile devices such as cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, handheld gaming devices, PDAs and smartphones.

The fuel cell is an electro-chemical device that converts the chemical energy of a fuel, such as hydrogen, ethanol or methanol, into electrical energy and water. This is a much cleaner technology than what's found in current batteries, and it also promises to greatly increase the amount of power available to users.

While a variety of fuel cells focusing on larger-scale uses such as automobiles and stationary power generation are in the works, Medis fuel cells are aimed at small scale applications, such as those listed in the first paragraph. The company's first fuel cell product is an auxiliary power source for mobile devices called the Power Pack.

When a device’s battery is running low or is discharged, Medis said Power Pack allows the continued use of the mobile device while at the same time charging the battery. The company claims it can repeat this process a number of times with each fueling, and refueling can be accomplished in seconds. Medis anticipates the size, 3.2 x 2.2 x 1.2 inches, and weight, 4.2 ounces, of Power Pack to make it compact and light enough to be attractive to mobile users.

As part of their agreement, Kensington plans to market and distribute Medis' Power Packs worldwide under the Kensington brand name. Don't expect to see Power Packs anytime soon, however, as Medis doesn't expect to equip Kensington's sales people with the fuel cells till later this year. After which, Kensington can start demonstrating the product to retailers.