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Portable chargers

OmnutiaOmnutia
edited March 2009 in Technology
Does anyone know of something I can keep in my bag and use to charge my DS, iPod and Phone (a Nokia 6630, uses standard Nokia power connector) in case they run out of battery while I'm out of the house?
Preferably one that uses AAs instead of an internal battery as I have a bunch of rechargeable lying around I can swap in without having to worry about the charger's battery as well.
I've tried the Mintyboost and it just isn't working. Any other suggestions?

Comments

  • AndrewAndrew
    I wonder if anyone has thought of a pedometer that uses a linear generator for use as a device charger. That shit would be hot, especially if you walk a lot.
  • StarfoxStarfox
    How much power do you generate walking? It can't be more than a trickle.
    That shit would be hot, especially if you walk a lot.
    Literally. You'd have heat to deal with too.
  • ......
    edited March 2009
    There was a tube-thingmabob at CES this year. You can just put that in your bag or something and it will generate electricity as you just walk around. Let me see if I can find that link again.

    EDIT: Found it: nPower PEG.
    Post edited by ... on
  • MrRobotoMrRoboto
    There are solar panel backpacks like these that have all the connection things on it.
  • AndrewAndrew
    EDIT: Found it:nPower PEG.
    That is exactly what I was thinking of. Why can't I come up with these ideas earlier and make the mad moneys?
  • ......
    That is exactly what I was thinking of. Why can't I come up with these ideas earlier and make the mad moneys?
    I don't think the problem is having the ideas, the problem is money, time, and someone to actually get of his ass and do it, and of course the need. One first needs to have portable devices, use them a lot, and travel a lot before one would need an easier on-the-go way of charging those devices.

    Either way, that PEG plus those solar power bags = requirement for zombie apocalypse.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Anything that just uses batteries and doesn't cost an awful lot of money?

    Also, how quickly would one of those things charge?

    In the event of a zombie apocalypse, knowing how to rig car batteries to cigarette lighter attachments to things like phones would probably be easier. The solar might help if you were running away from cities.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited March 2009
    Let's pretend I've got this power peg in my bag, and that it actually can charge things with reasonable efficiency. Well, how much energy did it take to make this power peg thing in the first place? How much energy did it take to ship it to me? How much extra food will I eat because of the extra energy I am expending charging this thing, and how much energy did it take to make that food?

    You add up all those numbers, and you figure out when you will reach the break even point on a device like this. I don't know for certain if the math adds up on these things, so I'm not saying either way. However, I would be very skeptical of anyone who says it does. In the future it might, but right now, probably not.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited March 2009
    But that's a bad point because energy is cheap and readily available, the problem is, it isn't convenient to carry around.
    Can we please find a short term emergency energy thing before going all metaphorical?
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • AprecheApreche
    But that's a bad point because energy is cheap and readily available, the problem is, it isn't convenient to carry around.
    Can we please find a short term emergency energy thing before going all metaphorical.
    It's really easy to carry energy around. The problem, as we've said many times, is fundamental physics. If you want to have a battery that lasts a long time, and that you can carry around, you need to put more energy in a smaller space. Greater energy density = greater danger. It's possible to make very energy dense batteries that are safe, but that assumes people use them properly. It will be very easy for someone to use them for dangerous purposes. Thus, we don't get better batteries. If you can find some way to get a lot of energy into a small space while also making it so that nobody can use it in a dangerous way, then prepare to be rich.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    I just need something with two AA batteries in it to charge my phone and stuff.. sheesh ~_Q
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    Omnutia, don't mind Scott. He is obviously spoiling for a debate/argument so that he can win it and feel superior (or just get others to argue and feel superior). The forum has been a bit argument free of late, so he may be poking around for one. I wonder, if we forumites deny him and refuse to debate/argue with him or each-other if he will start making stupid claims (such as gravity not existing) just to start a flamewar.
  • StarfoxStarfox
    Let's pretend I've got this power peg in my bag, and that it actually can charge things with reasonable efficiency. Well, how much energy did it take to make this power peg thing in the first place? How much energy did it take to ship it to me? How much extra food will I eat because of the extra energy I am expending charging this thing, and how much energy did it take to make that food?
    It weighs nine ounces. How much hungrier are you going to be because you had an extra half pound in your backpack?
    You add up all those numbers, and you figure out when you will reach the break even point on a device like this.
    You can't. The laws of thermodynamics prevent it. It's akin to a perpetual motion machine. You'll always have some friction, and you'll always lose some energy as heat.
    I don't know for certain if the math adds up on these things, so I'm not saying either way. However, I would be very skeptical of anyone who says it does. In the future it might, but right now, probably not.
    It never will. If anyone says it does, they're one of those crackpots that thinks they have a free energy device.
  • AprecheApreche
    It never will. If anyone says it does, they're one of those crackpots that thinks they have a free energy device.
    Um, I think you are misunderstanding what I'm asking. It's not a perpetual motion problem. It's just an efficiency issue.

    Let's pretend that it takes 10 units of energy to make one of these devices. How long will you have to use the device before it generates 10 units of energy? If it takes 10 years for the device to make 10 units of energy, then spending those 10 units to make the device was a bad idea.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    Ack! Someone gave Scott a snack... how will we ever find out if becomes crazed when starved?
  • ......
    How much hungrier are you going to be because you had an extra half pound in your backpack?
    how will we ever find out if becomes crazed when starved?
    He's already crazed, it can't get much worse, right?
  • MrRobotoMrRoboto
    It never will. If anyone says it does, they're one of those crackpots that thinks they have a free energy device.
    Um, I think you are misunderstanding what I'm asking. It's not a perpetual motion problem. It's just an efficiency issue.

    Let's pretend that it takes 10 units of energy to make one of these devices. How long will you have to use the device before it generates 10 units of energy? If it takes 10 years for the device to make 10 units of energy, then spending those 10 units to make the device was a bad idea.
    Well, you'd have to add the value of being able to charge your stuff without having to be in the electrical grid, you can go hiking with your iPod and never run out of battery, the "units of energy" only comes into consideration if you are doing it to be more "green" and if so, then compare it to batteries or using the grid for charging your iPod.
  • DkongDkong
    Scott, I think you're thinking more of green issues on this one. From what I can infer, Omnutia really isn't. He's simply just looking for something to put in his bag and charge stuff.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    how will we ever find out if becomes crazed when starved?
    He's already crazed, it can't get much worse, right?
    The first conversation I had with him that was more than an introduction he actually said that gravity didn't exist. He didn't even believe it, he just said it to instigate an argument. Scott trolls in real life.
  • BronzdragonBronzdragon
    how will we ever find out if becomes crazed when starved?
    He's already crazed, it can't get much worse, right?
    The first conversation I had with him that was more than an introduction he actually said that gravity didn't exist. He didn't even believe it, he just said it to instigate an argument. Scott trolls in real life.
    Well, gravity IS a theory. It's not proven beyond doubt.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited March 2009
    You add up all those numbers, and you figure out when you will reach the break even point on a device like this.
    You can't. The laws of thermodynamics prevent it. It's akin to a perpetual motion machine. You'll always have some friction, and you'll always lose some energy as heat.
    I don't know for certain if the math adds up on these things, so I'm not saying either way. However, I would be very skeptical of anyone who says it does. In the future it might, but right now, probably not.
    It never will. If anyone says it does, they're one of those crackpots that thinks they have a free energy device.
    That is not entirely true. Though this device doesn't seem to do so, it is possible to harness energy that would otherwise be wasted in order for such a device to provide a net energy surplus. For an analogous idea, look at combined cycle technology - heat that would otherwise be wasted is used to increase the energy output.

    Ultimately, we would be better off making our own bodies more energy-efficient, but otherwise there is plenty of waste energy. While it seems that this portable charger device does not in fact harness such waste energy, we cannot say that it is impossible to do so.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    how will we ever find out if becomes crazed when starved?
    He's already crazed, it can't get much worse, right?
    The first conversation I had with him that was more than an introduction he actually said that gravity didn't exist. He didn't even believe it, he just said it to instigate an argument. Scott trolls in real life.
    Well, gravity IS a theory. It's not proven beyond doubt.
    But he later said he didn't even mean it, that he was just instigating argument. He was trolling.
  • StarfoxStarfox
    That is not entirely true.
    Yes it is. The energy you get out has to be less than the energy you put in. Unless you have a perfect machine, but those don't exist.
  • RymRym
    it is possible to harness energy that would otherwise be wasted in order for such a device to provide a net energy surplus
    Nothing can ever provide a net energy surplus. Nothing. Ever.

    This can only be true if we ignore the cost of storing the energy in the first place. A battery has a net energy surplus if you ignore the fact that it took more energy to charge the battery than the power you can get back out of it. Nothing can ever break even, let alone win, when it comes to energy.
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited March 2009
    I was talking about usable energy. It is possible to get more energy out of something than you, personally, put in, because some of the energy came from somewhere else. One of the best sources is energy that is otherwise just waste, most commonly waste heat, or solar radiation. If you use this energy to do useful work, then from your own perspective, you've gained energy. Sure, this doesn't apply from a global reference frame, but that's not what Scott was talking about (I'd hope), and that's not what I was talking about.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • StarfoxStarfox
    It is possible to get more energy out of something than you,personally, put in, because some of the energy came from somewhere else.
    Where else does this power peg thing get any energy?
  • lackofcheeselackofcheese
    edited March 2009
    Though this device doesn't seem to do so, it is possible to harness energy that would otherwise be wasted in order for such a device to provide a net surplus of usable energy
    I didn't say this device did -- I said it was possible to make a device that did so.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
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