It was a cold winter evening. I was stuck in the bus terminal with my baggage, cell phone and a few extra quarters. This story is set during those days when people did not know other peoples telephone numbers; just their names in their cell phone address book. My battery is dead and so I cannot use the pay phone even though I have the change because I can’t for the life of me recall any number. And that’s when it struck me. What if my cell phone had a feature where there was a reserve battery life which was restricted primarily to access the cell phone address book? It would not allow me to make a call, or for people to call me (ringer plus talking are power hoggers) but on the other hand if in case someone did call me it would flash his/her name and number and let me access my address book (which I hope uses seller batter life than talking). The good thing is that it’s after 9:00 PM so even if I don’t have the change I can scroll my address book...note a number… Walk up to a friendly stranger and ask if I can use his phone and call my friend to pick me up.-- nomadic_wonderer, Feb 03 2004 Store all address book features on the network http://www.halfbake...ne_20address_20book [jonthegeologist, Oct 04 2004] Windup chargers for cell phones http://www.azcentra...h/0115motorola.html [theircompetitor, Oct 04 2004] clip-on PIM works with Motorola Startac phones http://www.pdastree...astreet-phones.htmlUses a separate battery,worked well while I used Startac [theircompetitor, Oct 04 2004] Talk and exercise http://www.aiyafitn...-wrist-exercise.htm [kbecker, Oct 04 2004] i think its a good idea, but sooner or later all power to your mobile/cellular phone will die and you'll not even have access to the address book. I have an idea to fix this .... see link.-- jonthegeologist, Feb 03 2004 haven't u already put up a post for an auxillary battery before?-- scratchpost, Feb 03 2004 nomadic_wonderer: what you really need is the windup charger -- see link-- theircompetitor, Feb 03 2004 [theircompetitor] or maybe all I need is this feature without the addition of any cumbersome addition-- nomadic_wonderer, Feb 03 2004 Build your cell phone into one of the lovely devices in the link. Replace spring with generator and charge as you exercise. -- "Must be a heavy talker, just look at those hands."
For the frustrated office worker a stress relief rubber ball could be used instead, but that may require some Piezo-electric magic.-- kbecker, Feb 03 2004 good idea except one point
most of the power is used by the cell phone signialing to the cell phone tower
you should make it start up with not "cell" features at all just the lcd and the phone book
that couldnt reqire much energy at all-- crash893, Aug 25 2004 Why don't you just re-route auxiliary power though the secondary phase transducer of a phaser or tricorder?-- mecotterill, Feb 12 2009 random, halfbakery