Solar Battery Charger For Your Gadgets? Let's Try Air.

Source: Inhabitat.com

Scientists always look for ways to make charging your portable electronic devices more efficient. We’ve seen iPhone cases with built-in solar battery chargers. But this new concept called the Aire Mask, seen on CNET and several other tech blogs, takes strange alternative energy to a whole new level. Inspired by wind turbine technology, Joao Paulo Lammoglia created this device that creates power by air movement. And we’re not talking about wind here. We’re talking about your own breathing. That’s right: you attach this thing to your face and your breath spins tiny wind turbines in the mask that convert your breathing into renewable electricity.

Now, this all sounds fine and dandy so far. It is essentially free energy except for the initial cost of the device. But, just look at it. Look really closely. Would anyone be caught dead wearing that mask in public? I do not think so, for you might just end up dead when people think that Hannibal Lector is approaching them from behind. It is just scary and hideous looking. This mask will only see the light of day in the confines of one’s own home.

The idea is cool, I must admit. But, no one will ever buy the Aire Mask. I would much rather just plug my iPhone into the wall or into one of hundreds of USB ports I have around my apartment. Charging an iPhone just does not consume nearly enough electricity to warrant subjecting yourself to this kind of treatment.