Gizmodo: hand crank

Crank This Battery To Charge Up

Rosa Golijan — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:20:00 EDT

The Wind Up Battery is a rechargeable battery with a little pop-out hand-crank to power up using some good ol' fashioned elbow grease. I'd probably looks like an idiot using it, but better than suffering without a AA.

Designed by Qian Jiang, the concept is actually rather brilliant since it wouldn't require an additional gadget to recharge your batteries and depending on how many recharges it would allow for, it might be a rather good deal too. Since this battery is still a concept, we're a bit skeptical about the claim that it could be fully charged in 20 minutes, but that would be fast enough for most of us. Those of us who haven't got the arm muscles of a noodle that is. [Yanko Design]

HydroStar SUB Flashlight With Dynamo-Powered LEDs, Lasers Lightning Review

Sean Fallon — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

The Gadget: The HydroStar SUB flashlight is billed as an ideal emergency tool or a handy device to take on your outdoor adventures. The dynamo-powered flashlight features single, dual and strobe LED modes along with a "snake eyes" laser pointer (it can even charge your USB gadgets). Plus, the SUB is shock resistant and submersible up to 30 feet—so it should be rugged enough to handle the elements.

The Price: $40

The Verdict: The HydroStar SUB is one of the most supremely useful flashlights I have ever seen. The hand-crank means that it will never need batteries, and it can hold a charge surprisingly well despite having several modes. About a minute of cranking at a forearm-busting pace will generate about 45 minutes to an hour of usable light from the 1/2 watt center LED, and nearly two hours from the side LEDs and the strobe. The laser pointer, on the other hand, will only get about 5 to 10 minutes. Still, I would not recommend detaching the hand crank because every once in a while you will need to give it another hit to keep it functionally bright.

The USB charging option is also a handy feature, although your arm would probably fall off before you fully charged an iPod. In an emergency though, you could probably stand the pain long enough to juice up a basic cellphone to make a quick call. The whole package is fairly rugged too, so you don't have to worry about dropping it or getting it wet. Under most situations, the SUB should come away unscathed.

The bottom line is that if you are looking for a solid, utility or emergency flashlight, the HydroStar SUB would be a great choice. It packs in far more functionality than standard flashlights, and it is maintenance-free to boot. [Seattle Sports]

Cranky Benches Roll Off Water After It Rains

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:50:04 EST

Anybody who likes to go to the park after a good rainstorm knows the butt-soaking hazard of still-wet bench. Some design gurus in Korea decided to solve the system with a simple crank: give it a couple of turns, and the soggy slats at the top roll to the bottom while the dry slats below revolve back on top. This "rolling bench" innovation solves the problem of water, which will definitely evaporate or just drip off, but it doesn't solve the problem of other park-bench friendly substances, say the blue puke of a kid who's gorged himself on cotton candy. What do you got for that, O Mighty Design Gods? [Yanko]

Hand-Crank Lighting For African Homes

Sean Fallon — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:20:08 EDT

With all of the emphasis on saving energy and eco-friendliness these days, hand-crank technology has seen increased use in devices ranging from cellphone chargers to the OLPC. If the Freeplay Foundation's LifeLight Project has its way, this old school technology may soon be used to illuminate the homes of Africa's poor. According to estimates, as many as 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity, resorting instead to kerosene lamps, battery powered lights, and wood fires to generate light. Prototypes are now being developed for future testing in Kenya, and designs have been drawn up for a base unit that would be used to recharge multiple detachable lights that can be distributed around the home. [BBC News]

Hand-Crank Cellphone Charger

Travis Hudson — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:20:56 EDT

You know, the apocalypse doesn't seem so bad nowadays. With my complete arsenal of disposable battery chargers and hand-crank everything it seems that in a powerless future a little elbow grease is all that will be needed to live a happy, powered life. This hand-crank cellphone charger can be added to all of the other survivalist cellphone accessories. Seriously people, just charge your phone up before going on that daring adventure that may leave you stranded without power for days. –Travis Hudson

Hand crank for cell phones lets you call when you're powerless [SCI FI]

DIY Hand-Crank Cellphone Charger

Travis Hudson — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:31:34 EST

You know those hand-crank flashlights that seemed to be all the gift-giving rage this past holiday season? Surprisingly, these hand-cranks can be modded to charge a cellphone and it seems to be really easy to do so. Open up the flashlight casing, cut the cord on an old cellphone charger and solder the wires into the flashlight. It is an easy, good and environmental friendly way to get some extra juice out of the phone in emergency situations. Be noted that the erratic charging may not be the best for the cellphone, though. –Travis Hudson

Modded handcrank flashlight powers phone [MAKE]

Hand-Crank Radio Also Charges Cellphone

Travis Hudson — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:22:47 EDT

This could be the ultimate gadget for the outdoor type who still likes to stay connected. Hand-crank radios are already pretty popular, but this one adds a little more. It can also charge a cellphone battery. The radio includes five adapaters for a variety of cellphones and it even includes a small LED flashlight. The day hell freezes over and I go camping, I'll be sure and take this $50 gadget with me. – Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via Ubergizmo]