This isn’t the first time we’ve told you about fuel cell technology in laptops. Back in July Lenovo was trying their hand at a prototype laptop using fuel cells. But Panasonic’s latest fuel cell breakthrough is the world’s smallest designed for notebooks. At 270cc, it’s about the same size as the existing lithiums. The key is that they use highly concentrated methanol, similar to what the military uses. Just 200cc will give you 20 hours of power. The prototype weighs just 320 grams.

If you prefer to charge your gadgets by fuel cell, they have a paperback-sized device that will get the job done. The company is expecting both to be available in 2012. Don’t worry, we shouldn’t need to carry around tanks of methanol.

[Crunchgear]