Monday, 22 August 2016

Gadgets from my TRE Talk Radio Europe August 2016 conversation

My August 2016 gadget conversation with Dave Hodgson for Talk Radio Europe included the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the Xbox One S, the Andromium Superbook and this - the AMPware dynamo-powered iPhone case.

This is being called the world’s first dynamo-powered iPhone case.

The basic premise of a dynamo is effectively the opposite of an electric motor: you turn it and it generates electricity. AMPware have taken a dynamo and squashed it into an iPhone case – and I mean squashed, because although it’s obviously bulkier than a conventional case it’s not stupidly big.

There’s a handle that flips out: ten minutes of winding the handle will give you something in the region of two hours of mobile phone use. Perfect if you’re camping, perfect if you can’t keep your hands off your iPhone. And because it’s a chunky case, it gives your phone a fair amount of protection as well.

I’ll be honest about the size: it adds a couple of centimetres to the depth of your phone, so it'll spoil the line of your suit and it’s no good for tight jeans... but is fine if you’re wearing combat trousers or keep your phone in your bag. It weighs around 4 ounces, which means it’s not much less than an iPhone. But this isn’t about being slim – it’s about staying connected.

If you want to stay connected with the AMPWare Power Generating iPhone Case you’ll need either an Apple iPhone 6 and 6S – that’s all it works with at the moment – and something in the region of £69.99 [around €80].