Microsoft Denies it Will Sell Fuel Cells

Microsoft says it won't resell the fuel-cell battery rechargers it is buying from Medis Technologies.

Microsoft Corp. won't resell the fuel-cell battery rechargers it is buying from Medis Technologies Ltd., the company said Tuesday.

Medis, which is developing fuel cells for consumer electronics devices, told IDG News Service on Monday that it has started commercial production of a Microsoft-branded recharger. This type of device, which produces energy through a chemical reaction involving an alkaline fuel, could be used to recharge a handheld device.

However, Microsoft simply ordered a small number of the Medis rechargers to give away at events, according to a representative at the software company's public relations firm, Waggener Edstrom. Neither company has commented on the size of the order, although Medis CEO Robert Lifton said it is the company's first commercial sale and what he believes is the first sale of quantity for the industry.

On Friday, Medis started making its 24/7 Power Pack on a production line that will have a capacity of 20,000 to 30,000 devices per month, the New York company said Monday.

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