With the right cord connecting the Power Charger cartridge to a PDA or cell phone, the device activates zinc fuel inside the cartridge by drawing oxygen from the air through holes in the cartridge case.

Priced at US$20 for PDAs, $15 for cell phones and $10 for replacement cartridges, the Instant Power Charger also allows users to continue talking or working while the device is being charged, according to Electric Fuel.

The Delaware-based company, which said the device can be a lifesaver by offering continued use of cell phones and PDAs even on dead batteries, donated more than 500 of the chargers and Electric Fuel cell phone batteries to rescue workers at the World Trade Center following September's terrorist attacks.

Fuel Cell Power

Each Instant Power Charger cartridge contains four zinc fuel cells that are powered by the chemical reaction of oxygen and zinc, transferring power instantaneously to a PDA or cell phone, Electric Fuel said.

"The energy travels up through the power cord into the device, allowing for instant power without electricity," Electric Fuel spokeswoman Roxanne Pascente told TechExtreme.

She said the cartridge provides three to four full charges for devices, taking about an hour-and-a-half per charge, depending on such factors as model, climate and usage.

Work While Charging

Compatible with a number of PDAs from Palm, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, Casio, Sony and Novatel, and with cell phone models from Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, Audiovox, Mitsubishi, Panasonic and Philips, among others, the charger allows device use on a dead battery while charging.

Pascente said the device will provide a full charge to a PDA while in use, but cell phones must be turned off to receive a full charge.

"However, if your cell phone is dead and you need to make a call, plugging the Instant Power Charger into your cell phone will allow you to use the phone instantly without electricity," she said.

Laptop Chargers Coming

While the company makes batteries for cell phones that it claims offer the longest talk and standby times of any batteries, Electric Fuel recently announced back-up batteries for digital cameras and camcorders as well.

The company also offers a 2-in-1 charger that works via a car cigarette lighter or the fuel cell cartridge, and it showed off a fuel cell bus at Comdex in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this month.

Pascente told TechExtreme that a charging device for laptop computers will be available in about a year.

The Electric Fuel products are available for sale online and at retail stores.