Device Turns Your Sneaker into a Portable Cell Phone Charger
harmonica pete/CC BY-SA 2.0  We write a lot about solar powered
gadgets and chargers, but the reality is there is also a ton of
power to harness from our own bodies. Piezoelectric chargers pop
up every now and then but this one seems especially promising.
At the first ever Kenyan Science Technology and Innovation Week,
24-year-old inventor Anthony Mutua showed off a technology that
uses your shoe to charge your cell phone or other gadgets while
you walk. We most often hear of kinetic energy harvesters
embedded in sidewalks, floors or revolving doors, but this idea
lets you take that energy harvesting wherever you go.  As CNET
reports, Mutua inserted a very thin "crystal chip" in a sneaker
that generates energy as the sole bends. The device connects to
your phone via a long cable so you can charge your phone in your
pocket while you stroll, or alternatively, the device can store
power for charging your phone when you arrive at your
destination. It