Charge your cell phone and exercise at the same time!

Daily Giz Wiz, Monday January 18^th, 2010, Netcast 1006

CES had a lot of “green products” on display. The YoGen by Easy Energy was one of them. It’s a slim pocket-sized, hand powered electric charger that the company says produces a previously unmatched level of charging power when driven by the repeated pulling of a cord. A spokesman at the booth said it generated 5 watts of charging power, which is pretty much the same as your AC charger at home produces. The “Yo” part of the name came about because the way you use the device is sort of like using a Yo-Yo. The “Gen” part of course is for generator. Once again, quoting the company: The YoGen represents a major break-though in hand-powered chargers in that it offers an industry leading ratio of power output to input effort and that its ergonomic design allows for extended charging effort with minimal operator fatigue. When the user repeatedly pulls the YoGen’s T-handle, an internal alternator spins continuously, generating power to recharge the batteries of your cell phone or any other like-sized portable electronic device.  (Back to me.) There are several versions available depending on what you want to charge. The YoGen device is the same but you should order a package that includes the proper tip for your phone or iPod. Each package includes tips for four devices. It also comes in various colors, but I like the clear plastic model so you can see the inner workings. There’s a green LED that glows when you are sending charing power to your device. The only switch on the YouGen is one that lets you custom tailor the output of the YoGen to the gizmo you’re charging. You try either the "up" or "down" position to see which appears to be generating more power. $39.99.

Gadegt: http://www.easy-energy.biz/yogen.html

Hear this Netcast: www.twit.tv/dgw1006