Weird And Wonderful Phone Chargers

We could probably all do with some more phone-free time, what with today's always-connected society, not to mention the cancer scares. But sometimes it's handy to have a functional phone even when you're trying to get away from it all.

Music festivals are a prime example: you're out in a paddock enjoying music all day and when the speakers fall silent you need to call your friends to find your tent. So, UK phone company Orange teamed up with renewable energy experts gotwind to develop some new ideas for Glastonbury this year: wellies with thermocouples that harness the funky heat of your feet after throwing shapes all day, and a shirt that charges your phone by converting soundwaves into electricity.

And if you're getting back to nature by going camping, you might just need that phone to make a call if something goes wrong... or to post a photo of what a great time you're having away from all your facebook friends. Japan's TES New Energy have come up with what is basically a cooking pot with a power cord, so that you can harness the extra heat from boiling the billy to charge your smart phone.

[via PSFK]