Winding Up: Crank-Operated Gadgets
When it comes to environmentally-friendly living, we need more cranks.
We’re talking about the hand-mechanical energy generation technique that is making it socially unacceptable to use batteries in certain products. (Unless you recharged your batteries with a crank recharger, of course.)
It’s a praiseworthy fad that is only a few mainstream years old, and designers and engineers are just beginning to play with the possibilities. The main constraint is the amount of power produced: don’t expect to wind a crank for 10 minutes and get an evening’s output from your 40-inch Plasma screen.
For this reason, it’s the small, handy appliances that are getting the crank treatment ““ things you carry in the back of your car, rather than display on your coffee-table. Take the American Red Cross FR400 radio (70% proceeds to the worthy cause in question). Or if DAB radio is your style, why not try the Grundig FR200? No, not particularly stylish ““ no crank-powered BeoCenter 6 anytime soon, I suspect. How about cranked-up TV? Well”¦.black & white, sure.
What else could you charge? The above items will charge up your cell phone ““ inestimably handy for those long trips. What about charging your iPod? Er…it’s possible to do it yourself, as GeekTechnique report here, but it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. Maybe this is a better option.
The big crank success story is the flashlight, like this Tri-LED Dynamo. These aren’t just useful ““ they’re potentially lifesaving.
And if winding a handle isn’t your thing? Shake it, baby.
Image: atanas
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