WIND UP YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING EARLY

Back to Article Index
WIND UP YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING EARLY
by JANE BOGNER
SUNDAY, November 02, 2003

Halloween has become a big shopping holiday. Shelves filled with orange and black merchandise have delayed the onslaught of Thanksgiving and Christmas items. Halloween is now over and newspapers are filled with ads for items we need to buy for family and friends. So I will join the pre-season frenzy with some unusual gadgets.

Power outages have become common place. Californians endured rolling blackouts, the Northeast suffered from a massive power grid failure, and a tree fell in Switzerland which knocked out power in Italy. People now buy portable power generators to keep their homes running.

There is some good energy news. Less-expensive solar panels will be on the market soon. They will produce less energy but be more affordable to the public.

On my return from London via Washington, D.C. I picked up a copy of the Washington Post and read an article about a human form of energy.

Hand-cranked devices are powered by humans. With each turn of a external crank, gears rotate inside the device which amplify the amount of energy generated by its human source. The Freeplay Energy Group reported, every 100 revolutions of the crank can produce 1000 revolutions within the gearbox. A motor then translates the energy into a low-level current, which is stored in rechargeable batteries. The bigger the handle, the more energy produced.

The original intent of these hand-operated devices was for gadgets that foreign travelers could us in developing countries. The Freeplay radio was one of the first items on the market along with hand-powered flashlights. The Eton Grundig AM/FM shortwave emergency radio can operate for one hour with just one minute of cranking.

GSI Outdoors’ hand-powered blender is a big hit at tailgate parties, patio parties and among RV owners. The electricity-free unit boasts an ergonomic crank, a 1.5-liter pitcher and two speeds: high for use as a food processor and low for ice crushing.

Hammacher Schlemmer offers a hand-cranked cell phone charger for about $25. The device is about the size and weight of a match box and can power six minutes of talk time with two minutes of cranking. It has a feature that allows one to talk and crank at the same time.

Sustainable Village of Boulder Colorado sells the Aladdin Hand-powered Generator. Rather that turning a crank, consumers repeatedly squeeze a handle. The generator can recharge cell phones, batteries and CD players.

Coleman Company of Wichita, Kansas, has a line of hand-operated radios and flashlights designed for outdoor use. Urbanites are picking them up for their reliability, sleek design and bright colors.

Hand-cranked electrical devices are finding a place on shelves at major retailers including Restoration Hardware, Ace Hardware and RadioShack. Top electronic companies such as Aiwa, Philips and Sony are also producing hand-operated gadgets.

RECYCLING REWARDS

November 15 is the deadline to enter to win one year of free garbage service. Pick up a postcard at City Hall or VALCORE and send it in. Your job is to put all the correct recyclable materials in your blue bins, not in the trash. One entry will be selected and Vallejo’s recycling coordinator will conduct a surprise visit to that address on garbage day. If you have followed the rules, you will be the winner. Businesses and apartments are also eligible for this Recycling Reward. For more information call 648-5346.

VALCORE Recycling Vice President Jane Bogner's "A Sorted Affair" is published every other week in the Times-Herald, Community Outlook Section. For recycling information call Genie Kaggerud, VALCORE Recycling manager at 645-8258 or visit www.VALCORErecycling.org.