The group is comprised of industry leading technology companies with expertise in notebook design and an understanding of the components that consume and manage power, including the screen, graphics, hard-disk drives, the operating system, the microprocessor and chipset, and wireless devices. Enabling users to 'cut the AC cord' requires a concerted industry effort to set standards for new power-friendly mobile PC technologies and importantly efficient power sources for mobile PC design.

Innovations in mobile PC design combined with the increasing availability of wireless network access through Wi-Fi and other wireless networks have allowed users to access their mobile PCs from 'anywhere, anytime'. This 'anywhere, anytime' computing has led to an increasing importance on extending battery life in mobile PCs. "Advances in power source technologies are needed to satisfy this need for longer battery life," said Dan Rosen, Ph.D. Chairman of Neah Power Systems. "We will not be truly wireless as long as we have to worry about plugging in to the nearest power outlet. New technology solutions, such as fuel cell technology, may allow us to be truly wireless and independent from the power grid."

The EBL WG released its fuel cell design recommendations guidelines for mobile PCs to help direct the resources and efforts of the fuel cell developers. The fuel-cell guidelines cover size and power issues as well as electrical, mechanical, control, thermal, environmental and regulatory aspects of fuel-cell designs for mobile PCs, including those made for use inside a device, and external fuel cells.

Dr. Rosen continued, "We at Neah are proud to be among the companies worldwide that are working on various fuel cell designs for portable power applications. This competitive landscape, in combination with the EBL WG guidelines, is a positive stimulus for the whole fuel cell industry to develop standardized portable fuel cells that meet the mobile users' needs for all day 'anywhere, anytime' computing. We are pleased to have joined the EBL WG and be among a list of companies focused on delivering power-friendly mobile PC technologies to the market."

"I welcome Neah Power Systems to the EBL WG and look forward to their prototype fuel cell development guided by the working group's fuel cell design recommendations guidelines," said Kamal Shah, Chairman of the Extended Battery Life Working Group.

Prototypes of the Neah's patented porous silicon-based fuel are currently being developed, and if successful, have the potential to increase the operating time of portable electronic devices multiple times beyond that of conventional batteries. Neah's first prototype will incorporate all components necessary to prove functionality and capabilities. While the first prototype will be focused on military applications, Neah plans to follow this with products for the PC market.

About Mobile PC EBL-WG

The Mobile PC Extended Battery Life Working Group (EBL-WG) is a worldwide, industry-wide group of companies working together to extend the battery life of mobile PCs. For more information about the EBL-WG, visit the EBL-WG web site at http://www.eblwg.org/.