Hurricane Sandy caused billions of dollars in damage and left millions of people without power and communication for extended periods of time. Many people used cellphones to keep in touch with family, friends and rescue workers, but as the power outages went beyond the 24 hour mark several of those people went off the grid as their devices lost power. This problem was a major issue for people that used smartphones because these devices tend to use up more battery then feature phones.
A new hand cranked cell-phone charger has come into the spotlight as an essential disaster tool given the loss of communication experienced during Sandy. The manufacturers of the device, Etón, specialize in creating licensed emergency equipment that is branded alongside the American Red Cross. The charger is called the BoostTurbine and can charge smartphones so that a person in a disaster area can communicate and stay in touch with the outside world.
The BoostTurbine has a simple hand-crank, an internal battery and a USB jack. According to the creators of the device a person can spin the hand crank for one minute to get almost 30 seconds of talk time or enough charge to send out several text messages. The device allows users to make a 911 call or get disaster related information through their SMS service.
The BoostTurbine is ready for pre-order and the starting price is $50 and a colored version called the BoostTurbine2000 will be an extra $10.
Source: Fast Company Design
Photo: Fast Company Design
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