If I hear the name Ben Heck, I always think of cool mods to game consoles to make them portable like the PS3 and other stuff Heck has made. The modder isn’t all about making portable game consoles though. The latest episode of Heck’s show on Element14 has outlined the making of a kinetic charger for an Android phone.
The charger uses wind up motion to generate power and help you keep your smartphone powered up on the go. Ben used two already available items to craft his charger. The device uses a wind-up flashlight and a microUSB battery adapter. The end result is a wide up charger that lets you power up on the go.
I wonder how much winding it takes to get enough power to play Angry Birds or make a call. “Have you ever noticed that there never seems to be a charger around when you need one – I sure have,” said Ben Heck. “In this latest episode, I look at kinetic motion to create a portable cell phone battery charger in the event you’re ever lost on a deserted island and need to call for help to get rescued.”
What a great concept from Ben Heck. I hope this will be out in the market as many people will surely need this device.
Hey, I beat Ben Heck to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI1nxHOmZJY Maybe I should start my own show!
I just have some spare batteries…
Wait, I just caught this – is this supposed to be something “new” – they’ve been selling hand-crank USB chargers for years.
This is just another, typical, “I will spend 7 hours making something I can buy at Target for $10…”
Here is a Good Pricey one at $15.00
http://www.ambientweather.com/etarccr100r.html
And there are the cheap $5.00 ones out there..that probaby will only charge ya one before the handle breaks..