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Measuring 22 x 56 x 4.5mm, the system is targeted at small portable devices such as an MP3 player. Toshiba claims its version - which is still a prototype - could power an iPod for as long as 20 hours. This would be based on a single 2cc charge of highly concentrated methanol.

As long as users top up its integrated fuel tank, the DMFC can output 100 milliwatts of power.

David Hawksett, science and technology judge at Guinness World Records, welcomed Toshiba's development of fuel cell technology. 'Today's gadgets, with their color screens and powerful processors, are pushing battery technology

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to its limits,' he said. 'This portable power station will allow us all to use our mobile technology without having to stay within a few miles of a mains socket!'

'We are really honoured and delighted that an organization as respected as Guinness World Records has certified our fuel cell as the world's smallest DMFC,' said Kazunori Fukuma, Managing Director of Toshiba's Display Devices & Components Control Centre. 'We will continue to develop even more compact, more efficient DMFC that can power the smallest portable devices on the market.'

The compact DMFC was developed back in June 2004 - Toshiba charges compact batteries for iPod-style devices - building on existing DMFC work for powering larger-scale devices such as laptops.

'This development is evidence of Toshiba's commitment to innovative energy solutions with emphasis on mobility and extended power life,' said Sean Collins, business development director for Toshiba's Display Devices and Components Business Unit. 'We understand that commercialisation has many challenges but we are working with the appropriate bodies to ensure a timely and cost effective market adoption.'