When you talk fuel cell technology, you generally think cars. Well, fuel cell technology could end up under the hood of your laptop in just a few short years. Maybe sooner.

A company based in California named PolyFuel has been working on an interesting prototype that converts methanol fuel to electricity to power a laptop. The Lenovo T40 ThinkPad is being used as PolyFuel’s prototype. The fuel cell is about the size of a standard deck of cards. Running at full capacity, it will supposedly have 10 times the power of similar Lithium Ion batteries. That translates to three times the battery life, which is about 10 hours. Refillable cartridges can be carried and switched on the go, making it super easy and convenient.

The REVOLUTE would certainly get you some attention riding around in your neighborhood. It even has a remote that can reconfigure the wheelbase depending on how you want to ride it.

If you have something to say to your fellow humans, personalized messages can be flashed from the display along the entire cockpit!. Harsha Vardhan made the vehicle out of high tech materials like lexan, carbon fiber, etc. The seats inside swivel. Looks like a comfy little vehicle to get crushed in.

Apparently, Angstrom Power is not just working on fuel cells for MOTOSLVR L7 prototypes. The company is also touting its G2 portable fuel cell power source that will keep a whole wide range of gadgets charged. It looks like an mp3 player from a mirror universe, but I digress. This one has eight V60 Fuel Cell Modules that all together provide two watts of power. That can be used to top off any device that charges with a USB connection.

Angstrom says that the G2 itself can also be replenished “in minutes,” by using an Angstrom P2 Portable Refueling Cartridge or an R1 Refueling Station, and it can withstand “several charges” before it needs to be refueled. No word on pricing or availability, but it will likely show up before those fuel cell-powered cellphones, which seem to be on track for a release around 2010.

I am really looking forward to the day when my laptop will run for a month thanks to a fuel cell and I can forget to charge my phone for weeks without it going dead on me. Basically if I never had to buy another battery that would be great. Fuel cells tease us with these possibilities, but they are slow to come to market.

MTI MicroFuel Cells is showing off a new handheld GPS device prototype that uses its Mobion embedded fuel cell for power. A typical GPS powered by AA batteries can last for days of use. MTI says that its Mobion powered GPS device can run for weeks. The fuel cell provides enough power for 60 hours of continuous use.