Motorola Inc. (Schaumberg, IL) has teamed with Freeplay Energy Group (UK) to develop the FreeCharge, a hand-crank mobile-phone power source. The FreeCharge power source would grant three to six minutes of talk time for any Motorola-made mobile phone after 45 seconds of hand-crank charging. It can also take a charge from an electrical outlet, storing the power in an internal battery. Applications include laptop computers, handhelds, PDAs and MP3 players.
The FreeCharge power source weighs 8oz, can be stored anywhere, is expected to sell for about $65, and will be available from retailers by the end of the quarter.
