Sci/Tech

As the UK Telegraph reports, according to patent applications submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office, Apple plans to power its devices with hydrogen fuel cells, in roder to solve one of the most draining problems to plague smartphones, tablets and laptops: battery life.

The change could mean computers and smartphones would last for weeks without being recharged.

A hydrogen fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into water and electrical energy.

“Our country's continuing reliance on fossil fuels has forced our government to maintain complicated political and military relationships with unstable governments in the Middle East, and has also exposed our coastlines and our citizens to the associated hazards of offshore drilling,” Apple says in its patent filings.

“These problems have led to an increasing awareness and desire on the part of consumers to promote and use renewable energy sources.”

The Telegraph reports that the two patents, Fuel Cell System to Power a Portable Computing Device and Fuel Cell System Coupled to a Portable Computing Device, follow two similar applications Apple submitted in October.

It also adds that the idea of hydrogen fuel technology isn't new, but this is the clearest indication of exactly what the company intends to do to improve users experiences with the iPod or iPhone.