Charge your USB gadgets by breathing

USB devices do everything these days, including charge your gadgets with only the power provided by your breathing: specifically, the act of moving one's chest in and out. Just in case you thought this required sticking a gadget down your throat, see the image above and note that it's attached to the outside of the model's chest. The instructions for building your own breathing powered USB charger are over at instructables, and the kit only requires simple equipment like a spare CD drive, some elastic bands, and an electric circuit. You've got all that lying around, ain't ya? Well then, stick it all together and get breathing. Unfortunately, it only produces around 5 volts, so you'll have to breath a lot whole lot to get any meaningful charging time from this invention. And don't even think about attaching it to the cat.

[Via Gadgets-Weblog]

[Will @ Nov 4th 2007 8:28PM]

Could you power the USB vacuum with it?

[Kurt MacD @ Nov 5th 2007 12:19AM]

You probably could, but with that much huffing and puffing you'd be better off just sticking your lips to your keyboard and sucking like a snuffleuphagus.

[imacmatt09 @ Nov 4th 2007 8:33PM]

http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/17/breath-powered-usb-generator-does-charging-on-the-go/

Darrin kinda posted this a while ago...

[joey @ Nov 4th 2007 9:01PM]

Yep, I remember that

[Ipaq3115 @ Nov 4th 2007 9:32PM]

thought that looked familiar

[bboyskidz @ Nov 5th 2007 7:57PM]

fail

[USMCGuy @ Nov 5th 2007 5:37PM]

Yea, This is Old news, why is it JUST being posted again. Even the reference site is posting it as a new topic. Sounds like a case of someone having nothing to write about.

[Jim @ Nov 4th 2007 8:39PM]

Don't wear this out and about or else the over-reacting policia will arrest you and charge you with being a terrorist - especially if you make it look like a Mooninite.

[Zach @ Nov 4th 2007 8:43PM]

yay for the instructables tee

[Andrew @ Nov 4th 2007 8:45PM]

"You've got all that lying around, ain't ya?"

'nuff said.

[Homeboy @ Nov 4th 2007 8:48PM]

Perfect to put on a dog if you're outdoors with running, and your Zune run out of juice.

[m @ Nov 4th 2007 8:48PM]

this is going to be a big hit with the ladies.

[ryan @ Nov 4th 2007 8:57PM]

"Unfortunately, it only produces around 5 volts, so you'll have to breath a lot whole lot to get any meaningful charging time from this invention"

Ugh. Come on, Engadget, you should know voltage doesn't tell us anything about the power output of this device. I thought you guys were nerds or something, what happened?

[joey @ Nov 4th 2007 9:05PM]

this in not an electrical engineer site, you read about gadgets, here sorry.

[ryan @ Nov 4th 2007 9:09PM]

Joey,

Giving the voltage as a power output is like trying to give a car's gas mileage by saying how big its gas tank is.

[thethirdmoose @ Nov 4th 2007 10:13PM]

Yes, in fact, I would be worried if this produced more than 5 volts, seeing as this would fry my precious electronics o_O

[cmonkey @ Nov 4th 2007 10:21PM]

ryan: I've had to make the same comment at least 3-4 times on Engadget.

The accuracy of posts here would improve a good amount if all the editors got together for a basic lesson in electronics.

[ryan @ Nov 4th 2007 10:24PM]

cmonkey,

Agreed. It's not even 'electrical engineering', this is high school stuff (or should be).

[pyro @ Nov 5th 2007 1:13AM]

Only 5 volts? 5 volts is the power usb uses. They should be telling us the amps.

[Shuffle @ Nov 5th 2007 1:14AM]

Really, I don't know anything about electronics, but my quad-core CPU only runs at 1.2 volts. :P

[Greg Baz @ Nov 5th 2007 3:28PM]

From the first article about this the output is 50 mW.
Knowing WATTS divided by VOLTS = AMPS
0.50/5=0.1 Amp or 100 mAh. Assuming the average cell phone battery is 700 mAh and 100% charging efficiency it would take 7 hours to charge the phone. Most phones while charge draw >100 mAh just for house keeping (keeping back light on, cell radio ect). There for this device would likely take much more the 7 hours to charge a cell phone battery if at all.

[Mick @ Nov 4th 2007 9:20PM]

Just remember not to where that to an Airport 8)

[paul34 @ Nov 4th 2007 10:41PM]

Naa, just in Boston.

[John Doe @ Nov 4th 2007 9:31PM]

So basically all one needs to do to recharge all their devices all at once is to get laid. Cool :-)

[John Doe @ Nov 4th 2007 9:33PM]

PS- On the plus side if she's into bondage you are all set. :-D

[TNP @ Nov 4th 2007 9:49PM]

Ahhh, the old Breathe / Breath screwup; only third behind too / to and the top of tops: Your / You're.

/English is hard.

[Natedog @ Nov 5th 2007 12:26AM]

Don't forget their/there/they're!

[Neebs @ Nov 4th 2007 10:16PM]

Am I the only one who thought the design on the shirt was part of the thing at first?

[Lt. Ladle @ Nov 4th 2007 11:15PM]

yes

[Matt @ Nov 4th 2007 11:32PM]

No, I also thought that

[Phoenixfury @ Nov 4th 2007 10:32PM]

Ok I won't attach it to the cat. Besides the dog is a hurricane of bad breath that can be put the good use. ;)

[o29 @ Nov 4th 2007 10:42PM]

Finally, a machine that promotes obesity. Heavy breathing FTW!

[derX @ Nov 4th 2007 10:45PM]

Finally, a use for those rambunctious little kids.

When they said the next generation of kids would solve our energy crisis, they had no idea how right they were.

[Wei Jia @ Nov 4th 2007 11:22PM]

Remember how that one MIT student got arrested at the airport for wearing something crazy looking on her chest?

That is [i]very, very[/i] crazy looking.

[SUSHI @ Nov 4th 2007 11:23PM]

This should come with a warning label.......

Caution!!! Dont wear it on the Airport!

Wonder how many idiots will get arrested because for this crap.

[derX @ Nov 4th 2007 11:38PM]

If someone is dumb enough to wear this to the airport, he deserves it and the burly "friend" he'll "make" in the holding cell.

[Djskizo @ Nov 5th 2007 1:58AM]

this would be great for camping. dont ever really plane to use somthing like this in airport or anywhere else were security is an issue( im sure there are wall outlets somewhere right?

but it sure beats those tiny solar panels. put this in in sleeping bag when i go to sleep or when i hike/bike aournd, keep that music flowing

[BlazeEagle @ Nov 5th 2007 6:51AM]

Tech never ceases to amaze me.

[mark wright @ Nov 5th 2007 8:44AM]

Could you be a few more months late on this?