Cable clutter is majorly irritating, but even more so when it’s in a heavily used area like the kitchen. Designer Mike Charles set out to invent an iPhone charger that would hide the cables but also look like it belongs in a kitchen. Thus the Foaster (phone + toaster) was born.

According to Charles, the kitchen is one of the most popular overnight charging areas for iPhones. People come home, throw the phones on the charger, cook dinner and then leave them overnight to juice up. (We prefer to charge them next to the bed because we can’t live without technology ALL NIGHT LONG.)

The Foaster allows you to charge with just one hand: drop your phone into one of the dual slots and it’s instantly connected to the internal Lightning cables and USB cables. The Foaster is pretty stylish and comes in a number of finishes, so it will fit right in with the rest of your kitchen decor. Unfortunately, it doesn’t let you push down on the sliding button to lower your iPhone and it doesn’t pop up when it’s done charging.

However, it does let you see any alerts that come in on your screen, which is handy when you want to glance over and see who just texted you without picking up your phone. Mike Charles took his idea to Kickstarter to get the product’s all-American production underway. A pledge of $79 gets you an advance version of the super-slick charger.

The post Best Thing Since Sliced Bread? Toaster-Like iPhone Charger first appeared on Gajitz.

Soon the subtle ‘thunk’ you hear as you pass over a manhole won’t make you wonder if your tire is intact. You’ll know it’s better for the environment. The team that created Hevo Power managed to do something as little as taking away some of your daily frustration – and something much bigger.

For those Six Sigma fans out there, Hevo is short for Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Optimization. To the layperson, it’s a charging station for electric cars to be integrated with manholes around New York City. Once your vehicle is situated over designated areas, a receiver on the battery absorbs the transmitted energy, eliminating the need of a charging cord.

The current model transmits more than 10kW, with a convenient smartphone app to notify the driver where to park and how much power was received. Hevo is branching out their technology, and titans such as Walgreens and Pepsico have shown interest. It’s yet another example of how green power can increase efficiency.

The post E-Car Charging Stations Disguised As City Manhole Covers first appeared on Gajitz.

Lots of people bike for exercise, but other than the physical benefits they receive it seems that these workouts could be doing more good. The Levitation Bike from design team DEzien is a concept that would incorporate exercise, electricity generation and a mobile hotspot.

The bike is a futuristic concept that would be made from Hi-Macs, a moldable solid material that would let the bikes be rapidly and inexpensively produced. But of course, the fact that the bike levitates would be its stand-out feature. It uses magnetic levitation to keep it just above the ground as you coast along, avoiding pebbles and uneven terrain. At slower speeds, it rides along the ground just like a regular bike.

But as you pedal, you also generate energy that is stored in high-capacity batteries. You can detach the batteries later to charge your gadgets, or you can plug it right into your home’s electric system to feed power back into the grid. If you prefer to charge on the go, you can plug in your USB-charged gadgets as you’re cycling.

An LED touch screen lets you keep track of your workout information and how much energy you have generated. Levitation creates its own mobile wi-fi hotspot as you pedal, letting you stay connected as you’re on the go. Of course, Levitation is only a concept (and, to be honest, a kind of uncomfortable-looking one at that) but its purpose is to bet people thinking about alternative means of energy generation. With its gorgeous looks and unique concept, it seems to do that quite well.

The post Almost-Hoverbike Levitates and Generates Electricity + Wi-Fi first appeared on Gajitz.

If you’ve been reading Gajitz for a while, you know that there is no shortage of kinetic phone chargers that give you battery power in exchange for your own muscle power. But the Siva Cycle Atom is a bit different: it attaches to your bike, and it’s compact enough to be thought of as unobtrusive.

The generator mounts onto just about any bicycle in a matter of minutes. When you start cycling, the kinetic energy you generate is harnessed in the lightweight gadget to either directly power your gadget or to be stored in a detachable battery pack. You can charge just about any device that is powered by USB – even attachments used by the bike itself. Charge while you’re riding, or take the detachable battery pack with you to charge your gadgets when you get to where you’re going.

The Siva is perfect for people who want to bike to work or school more often but miss the convenience of charging their device in the car on the way to their destination. The team behind the gadget is dedicated to the cause of renewable energy, so for every ten Atoms sold they’ll donate one to someone in need.

The post Power to the Pedal! Charger Harvests Bikes’ Kinetic Energy first appeared on Gajitz.

Charging your various USB devices has become kind of a nightmare, what with the seemingly endless different types in use. The USB Utility Charge Tool is here to help you navigate the wilds of the USB jungle by giving you three of the most common chargers to keep all of your stuff powered up.

The charger folds out Swiss Army knife-style: a mini USB, micro USB and Apple 30-pin connector. The standard USB plug gets popped into a free port on your computer and whatever devices are attached to the other ends start sucking power.

Usually we might be a little critical of a flimsy-looking plastic novelty like this, but the USB Utility Charge Tool could actually be very useful. It’s small enough to carry in your pocket, so you’d never have to worry about grabbing the right cable before you leave the house. Its initial retail price is set at $24, which we consider a pretty sweet deal.

The post Flipping Out on Power: Swiss Army Knife-Like Multi Charger first appeared on Gajitz.