When power outages happen, what is your first concern? Is it the fact that you can’t use appliances like coffee maker, dishwasher, blender, or even television sets? Of course not! We’re pretty sure almost everyone’s first reaction would be “Crap, I didn’t charge my smartphone!”. But even if you did charge your phone, the battery would eventually drain. And solar chargers will become useless at night. Hand crank generators (yes they exist) can only produce minimal power. A new Kickstarter project called Candle Charger will only require you to have water and a candle so you can charge your smartphone.
The Candle Charger says it is the first indoor generator that is specifically designed to power up not any other appliance except your smartphone. And even though it does use a little bit of flame, the makers assure us that it is a “safe, compact, and effective miniature power plant”. No need for cranking or batteries, just any USB powered device and you’re good to go.
5 ounces of water plus candle flame from a shower candle (which lasts for six hours), and you get 2.5w of USB charge, enough to power two smartphones. Once the water has been poured and the candle has been lit, you simply plug in your smartphone, and voila, you are charging like magic. And after you’ve finished charging and you feel up for a nice cup of coffee or tea, you can use the Candle Charger as well to boil and sterilize water.
The Kickstarter campaign still has 43 days to go, and so even though they’re still far off their goal of $30,000, they may eventually get there. You just need to pledge as low as $65, which is pretty great compared to the retail price which will be $99.
SOURCE: Kickstarter
This is a crowdfunded project, and as such may not deliver what its creators initially promise. Most crowdfunding sites, like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, have policies about what happens to your money if the project fails to deliver on its goals, but choosing to back a project is inevitably a risk. Android Community’s reporting on crowdfunded projects should in no way be seen as an endorsement, unless specifically stated, and we recommend closely examining the terms and conditions to understand your individual rights as a backer before making a pledge.
