Most of us have a daily ritual for charging our phones: we plug them in by our beds when we go to sleep, or set them on a desk charger when we get to work in the morning. But for digital nomads who are always on the go, that ritual can be a little harder to find.

Zurich University of Arts student designer Ramon Marc Zolliker designed a portable, human-powered charger that can create a whole new charging routine. It’s based on the very human ritual of creating fire – the activity which separated us from other mammals.

The IMTI consists of an outer shell with a hole in the top and a cord running out of its bottom along with a stick-like object that fits into the hole. The user holds the outer piece steady and twirls the stick between the palms to create energy which is transmitted through the charging cable to the phone.

The concept is certainly more hands-on than our regular method of plug-and-wait. Zolliker feels that performing this sort of ritual will help digital nomads feel more connected to daily life in some way. It’s kind of a physically demanding ritual, but it seems very satisfying on a primitive level.

The post Primitive Ritual: Charging Your Phone Goes Prehistoric first appeared on Gajitz.

As much as we’d like to believe we are strapping outdoors enthusiasts, just the thought of chopping a big pile of firewood makes our biceps quiver. Finnish inventor Heikki Kärnä has come to the rescue of everyone who has ever wanted to chop their own firewood but just couldn’t physically make it happen. His Vipukirves Leveraxe is a patented, smarter take on the traditional axe.

The Vipukirves Leveraxe uses kinetic energy to not only cut the wood, but to segment the pieces neatly and efficiently. Vipukirves actually translates to “lever axe,” an appropriate name given that it functions as a cutting tool and then a lever. The business end of the axe features a sharp edge, and a piece that protrudes to the side to change the axe head’s center of gravity.

Thanks to this slight shift, the axe head sinks into the wood and then, without any additional effort, moves slightly to the side. This gesture splits the wood into pieces that are the perfect size for burning in a fireplace or fire pit. The shift of balance also prevents the axe head from getting stuck in the wood, allowing you to swing again without dislodging the head from the log first.

The lever axe’s demonstration video is enough to make a believer out of just about anyone. It’s satisfying and kind of hypnotic to watch the inventor swing the axe over and over and see the little wedges of wood split off almost effortlessly.

The post Sharp Thinking: Kinetic Energy Axe Does Smarter Cutting first appeared on Gajitz.

This conceptual design would reward you with a charged-up phone battery for doing something you’re doing already anyway: using the touchscreen. Designer Chin-Po Tsai came up with a thin film that goes over a touchscreen to generate energy for the device.

Simply by moving your finger around after installing the Energy Touch you are charging your cell phone. The film has a wire conductor that connects to your phone’s USB port, using a micro nanometer layer to generate power. If it’s ever produced, it would come in a variety of sizes to fit most of your touchscreen devices.

The designer doesn’t share many details about exactly how the technology would work, but his idea is an exciting one. If it isn’t possible with today’s technology, we could definitely see it becoming a reality in the near future. How cool would it be to notice that after playing your favorite game, you’ve managed to charge your phone rather than kill the battery?

The post Touchscreen Protector Uses Your Finger as a Phone Charger 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.