[DC LoCo] hank crank recharger for new ubuntu tablet

[Phil Shapiro]

hi ubuntistas,

     after sending info last week about that upcoming ubuntu tablet  
that uses eight AA batteries i got to thinking about cool ways of  
recharging those AA batteries. so on a whim i searched the web for  
"hacking a hand crank flashlight" and came across this excellent video.

http://tinyurl.com/o76qf2

   then i went looking for a vendor for a hand crank flashlight and found this

http://www.jr.com/mark-feldstein---associate/pe/MFA_ETO100C/

     which looks a lot like the flashlight shown in the above video.

      is anyone on this list good with a soldering iron? this might be  
a fun project for the dc loco to take on and create a video about. the  
big question is -- how many minutes of tablet usage do you get for  
each minute cranking the crank? my prediction is that it might be in  
the 10 to 15 minutes range of tablet usage for each minute of cranking  
the tablet.

       a bicycle battery recharger would harness human muscle power  
better, but the hand charger is cheaper to build and more portable.  
and if you have three hand crank chargers then you have more  
recharging going on.

       coincidentally, i know a nice woman in takoma park who is going  
back to mali, africa, to build a second school in the village where  
she grew up. this village does not have electricity. it would be ideal  
for testing out a hand crank ubuntu tablet.

        here is a web site i helped her set up that shows some photos  
and videos from her village.   http://tinyurl.com/ycmaxvk

           phil

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"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates
"Learning happens thru gentleness."