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nPower PEG kinetic phone charger generates power, and awkward glances

The need for a power boost on the move can lead a man to do many desperate things. But is anyone desperate enough to publicly charge up the nPower PEG?

Ian Morris

Running out of battery power when you're on the move is undeniably a pain. But the question you have to ask is this: "Is my pain so great that I'm willing to use the nPower PEG in public?" For this motion-charged, portable power source for handheld devices could prove rather embarrassing.

The PEG (Personal Energy Generator) can be charged up via USB or by normal movement in a bag as you go about your daily business. The problem comes when you need to recharge it quickly. In such a situation, you'll have to vigorously shake the cylindrical device in such a manner as to suggest to passers-by that you either don't think much of them, or are openly engaging in the most private of activities.

Dodgy hand manoeuvres aside, we're actually pretty stoked about the PEG -- we really hate running out of juice on the road. The PEG has a built-in 1,000mAh battery, which is where your electricity is stored once it's generated. By our reckoning, the battery, when full, should provide enough juice to give most modern phones half a charge. It'll certainly provide enough power to make that all-important phone call when you're in a bind.

UK pricing and availability is yet to be announced, but the PEG is expected to go on sale in the US for $160 (£105) at some point this year.