So-called direct methanol fuel cells are considered one of the best ways to extend the operating life of these multifunctional devices, which crave more power every year. Business people, for example, can't work on their laptops for the duration of long flights where a power outlet isn't available. The lithium-ion batteries of today simply don't cut it.

But it appears DMFCs, or "micro fuel cells," may take longer than expected to hit the market. Earlier this month Finnish cell-phone giant Nokia Corp. said it was dropping — or at the very least delaying — its plans because this cleaner alternative to batteries had a number of hurdles to overcome. Other electronics manufacturers have also hinted at delays.

One big issue is safety. DMFCs, as I'll explain below, use highly flammable methanol fuel, which is generally prohibited on commercial airline flights. Until the regulations are changed, it's difficult to see business users — the most obvious target market — migrating to micro fuel cells.

The technology was first invented at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Southern California. An electrochemical process converts methanol into electricity when it's exposed to oxygen. It is envisioned that methanol cartridges that plug into the fuel cells can be used like conventional throwaway batteries, but with fewer environmental concerns over end-of-life disposal.

Methanol, the main ingredient in windshield washer fluid, is relatively inexpensive and companies such as Vancouver-based Methanex Corp., the largest producer in the world, say they can guarantee ample supply.

Depending on the concentration of methanol in the cartridges and other components, micro fuel cells are expected to deliver up to 10 times longer life than existing options, which is why firms like Toshiba, NEC and Sharp have been keen on pushing forward on development.

"The products are already being shown at trade shows," says Diana Barkley, a spokesperson for Methanex, which says it is playing a "stewardship" role with the technology. "The devices are there, they're running, and they're working."

ABI Research, an Oyster Bay, N.Y., technology consultancy, predicts that micro fuel cells will power nearly 15 per cent of the world's laptop computers by 2012. Some manufacturers, such as Toshiba, have boldly said that DMFC-powered handhelds could come to market by the end of this year. That optimistic view seems to contradict Nokia's position.

James Balcom, the Canadian-born president and chief executive of Mountain View, Calif.-based PolyFuel Inc., doesn't believe we'll see a commercial launch of micro fuel cells until 2007, perhaps a year earlier in Asian countries that have a more advanced gadget culture. Video-playing mobile phones, for example, are already catching on in Japan, but a conventional lithium-ion battery can be sucked dry by streaming a single half-hour TV show.

PolyFuel makes nano-engineered fuel cell membranes, with the "membrane" being a core component of any micro fuel cell. The company, which competes against MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc. and dozens of other organizations working in the field, is in talks with what it considers the leading 15 companies that are likely to bring DMFCs to market. This group includes household brands Bic and Duracell, which are busy behind the scenes coming up with methanol cartridge designs.

"They're similar to a Bic lighter with a liquid fuel inside, but safer because there's no combustion ignition source," says Balcom. "These companies feel it won't be that difficult to put the fuel-cell cartridge infrastructure in place."

The regulatory issues are moving along, and they must be resolved before any cartridge infrastructure emerges. The United Nations has agreed to fast-track new regulations, and civil aviation authorities — including the International Air Transport Association — are working through the issues.

"The expectation is that by January 2007 worldwide regulation would be in place for fuel cell cartridges to be used everywhere and anywhere," says Balcom.

Between now and then the industry has a chance to overcome two more major obstacles: size and cartridge standards. Consumers won't want to carry around a micro fuel cell like a peripheral that must be attached to a device. The fuel cell itself will need to be built into the body of laptops or mobile phones, meaning more work needs to be done on shrinking the technology.

Another issue is whether the methanol cartridges themselves will be standardized like off-the-shelf batteries we buy today — for example, AA, AAA, C and D. With this model, devices will be designed around one of those standards and it will be easier for consumers to find their battery and for retailers to merchandize them.

But Balcom says there are some in the industry who want to go with the more annoying (my adjective) printer-cartridge model, where the cartridge is unique to a manufacturer's product or line of products. I think this would be suicidal because it would completely turn off consumers. Nobody likes going into Future Shop or Business Depot and spending a half hour sorting through a wall of printer cartridge types.

All of this said, it should be pointed out that there are many critics of micro fuel cells who aren't convinced they'll succeed in the market, assuming they do come to market. Jon Hykawy, an alternative energy analyst with Fraser Mackenzie Ltd. in Toronto, says the hype around new technologies often make people forget about advances in existing technologies.

For example, he says there is much work going on to improve the recharge times of lithium-ion batteries.

"So it might take my laptop two hours to discharge, but only ten minutes to recharge. Maybe your cell phone only takes two minutes to recharge," says Hykawy. "That means that as long as I can find an outlet for a few minutes, I'm okay. No need for anything fancier than that."

It may ultimately come down to whether consumers want batteries that last longer, or ones that recharge more quickly. Of course, it would always be nice to have both.