This may only work with one specific brand of mobile, but the Nokia 6150e spins perfectly on a flat surface. It would surely be possible to convert that motion to electricity to recharge the batteries (in a simmilar way that kinetic watches work). Other phone manufacturers could be encouraged to copy the same curved battery design. Now you don't have to carry a phone charger around with your phone - for when you forget to plug it in the night before. And you could spend your time in boring sales demonstrations and useless marketing presentations gainfully employed spinning your phone with a purpose.-- mcscotland, Jan 17 2002 6210 owners beware http://news.bbc.co....1762000/1762298.stmYou can be crashed via SMS [angel, Jan 17 2002] logical enough conclusion to the evolution of wind up phones-- thumbwax, Jan 17 2002 Nokia 6210 spins easily on a flat surface too. Also, I have one of the Seiko Kinetic watches you mention (with a little window in the back so you can see the winding action) and it works wonderully (I doubt if the power you could get from it would work a mobile phonefor more than a few seconds though...).-- hippo, Jan 17 2002 Well - watches wind themselves while you carry out your daily activities - mcscotland's idea would work as well on a mobile phone - it gets moved around a lot in it's daily life AND has a greater area to contain the 'self-winding' mechanism. My 6210 doesn't spin since I fitted a dual SIM sled, but now I can type with just a finger when the phone's flat on the table without it scooting away.-- gadgetear, Jan 17 2002 You need to attend more dull meetings in rooms with shiny-surfaced desks. Then your phone will be in near constant motion.-- mcscotland, Jan 17 2002 There are only three ways that I can think of that a spinning phone could generate power, all of which would require impractical attachments. First, having the phone spin about a stationary axis to which an internal generator is attached. Second, having the phone spin within a cylinder as part of an external generating mechanism. Third would be to have weights attached to the ends which, under centrifugal force, would pull really long spools of string which turned generators.
However, there is a flashlight on the market which contains a much more practical mechanism which generates power when shaken. Inside is a weight that slides back and forth, and its action produces electricity. The power generated is stored in a rechargable battery, also inside the flashlight.
Self-powered and self-winding watches work on a similar principle, that of using a pendulum to do work, as do pedometers.
A battery pack which recharged itself like this, when holstered on my calf, might keep the phone powered forever, as I have "restless legs", and am constantly bouncing them.-- Guncrazy, Jan 17 2002 'Constantly bouncing legs'. Sounds horribly familiar.-- angel, Jan 17 2002 Nokias aren't the only phones that spin nicely on their battery. My StarTac spins very well on a flat surface.-- mwburden, Jan 17 2002 random, halfbakery