Hand Recharged iPod Shuffle

randomErr writes "In one for the first article on the new O'Reilly MAKE magizine we see how to recharge your iPod with a crank. The "Torronesque" project was based on the idea of coming up with a project and buiding it even if it has no immediate purpose. Imagine getting a little power charge every time you press a key or open your phone or laptop."

Comments

Done before, but still cool

[StratoChief66]

I know its been done before, but I've never seen a laptop with click powering, I would find this useful as the mashing of the keyboard I do when the battery runs out would actually be productive. :) Plus, this is especially cool in the case of an iPod. Think about it, fill it and its good, forever. No pluggin in for power, just a little crank once in a while and shes good! I would be more impressed with movement power, like those expensive watches. Don't even need to remember to crank, just to stay alive! I didn't RTFA, but these are my thoughts.

Re:Done before, but still cool

[fbjon]

But the shake/use ratio for those flashlights is quite low, and might be worse for an iPod. However, a Shuffle for jogging might be a good idea. How about a pedometer combined with a iPod shuffle?

Makezine is fast becoming

[BillsPetMonkey]

a subscription-based slashdot without the herd mentality and GNAA trolls.

Seriously, between the BBC news site and Makezine there's nearly everything slashdot story contributors deep link to.

Bag of liquid?

[chendo]

Instead of a crank, why doesn't someone get two balloon-like objects, fill one up with liquid, then stick them together with a turbine thing in the part that connects the two? Then, to generate power, simply squeeze the balloon containing the liquid, then repeat for the other one. Combined with a capacitator of some sort, it should be a faster way to generate power...

Or so I think.

Motorola Freecharge

[maidhc]

Is it anything like this: http://www.forbes.com/2002/01/03/0103tentech.html.

Re:What about ergometers and crosstrainers?

[RenaissanceGeek]

The Minnesota Science Museum has a hands-on section that, when I was a kid, included an exercise-bike that was connected to an electric generator that generated more electricity the faster that you pedaled. In front of the bike was a series of electrical loads: a light bulb, a radio, a black-and-white TV and a color TV; that each turned on in turn as the person pedaling reached the necessary output to drive the device in question. The black-and-white TV was a workout, but the color TV could only be turned on by a few of the most athletic students in my class (of 20), and then only for less than a minute at a time. (and this was only a 13" TV!)

Re:Old idea

[drinkypoo]

Is there a patent on a piezoelectric version, too? It's pretty obvious, but so is generating power by pressing keys on a keyboard. It's also fairly useless, or someone would be doing it. Piezoelectric generation, on the other hand, could actually be useful and not have the serious downsides involved with packing a keyboard with magnets.