Power to the people: Wind-up charger by Eton.

Some tended to see the invention of wind-up radios as cute, and useful for developing countries where the electricity supply was unreliable, and people could not afford batteries. But relatively few in the West bought one for their own home. Today, with the threat of power outages in developed countries seemingly on the increase, carbon pollution an ever greater cause for concern, and “energy security” entering the popular vocabulary, it seems that the wind-up gadget is an idea whose time has come! Understanding that nobody is going to buy a smartphone with a handle sticking out from the back, Eton, the maker of the Boost Turbine 2000, have made a hand-powered generator that most smart devices can plug-in to when they need a boost. With its own on-board Li-Lon battery, that can be pre-charge at your own convenience you will not have to talk and turn at the same time! A one minute wind-up can, it is reported, charge your phone for a 30 second conversation. The device comes in a sleek aluminium case in one of four colours.