No Outlet, No Problem: Ben Heck Creates a Kinetic Battery Charger for Android
Quick quiz: what do you get when you combine a wind-up flashlight, microUSB charger, and Android smartphone? If you said the world’s first flashlight app hardware peripheral you win no prizes today. If you guessed a kinetically-powered battery charger for your Android device, however, kudos to you. That’s exactly what hardware hacker Ben Heck created on the latest episode of his web series featured on Revision3 (which, btw, you can watch right on your Android smartphone using the Revision3 app).
The problem is obvious: how do you power a smartphone when there is not an outlet or hardwired charging source to be found? The solution is slightly ingenious with the deployment of an already established self-winding technology hacked onto a microUSB charger. Simply plug the mashed-up kinetic charger into your Android smartphone’s charging port and the motion of your body or some quick shaking of the hand will charge that bad boy right up. Not saying it’s the most efficient method of charging, but god-forbid you were ever stranded in the wild without access to wired electricity, this is one accessory that you wouldn’t want to be without. See the full episode over at the source link below.
[via Revision13]