Battery manufacturers know there's no new magic to be discovered that will instantly double battery capacity. The operating principles of the chemical systems that make batteries work are well understood and have been for decades. The issue for the industry is refinement. The last great development in chemistry, the lithium polymer cell, after ten years remains an unfulfilled promise because neither computer-makers nor battery-makers have yet fully exploited its potential for squeezing extra power into odd shapes.

If any breakthrough looms on the horizon, it's the battery-like power system that's not really a battery -- the fuel cell. For decades, fuel cells have percolated on the edges of awareness for engineers and scientists. They were mere curiosities that created power via chemical methods more efficiently than any other means. But they were too exotic and expensive (and big) to be considered for consumer applications. In the next few years, however, several manufacturers hope to have you toting fuel cell-power computers and cell phones that will run all day -- or several days -- without recharging or attention.