By Andrew Liszewski , a senior reporter who's been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2011, but has loved all things electron

This portable wind turbine can charge your phone with just a breeze

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2024-09-19 19:30:10

By Andrew Liszewski , a senior reporter who's been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2011, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.

Unlike solar panels that can only generate power while the sun’s shining, Aurea Technologies’ new Shine 2.0 portable wind turbine can potentially work all day long. That is, as long as the weather cooperates and provides an 8mph breeze needed to keep the turbine’s blades spinning.

Now available for preorder through a Kickstarter campaign offering discounts on its full $571 retail pricing for early backers, the Shine 2.0 is an improved version of the company’s first portable wind turbine that arrives with several welcome upgrades.

The Shine 2.0, and an included three-foot-tall support with stability cables, all fold up into a three-pound package that looks like an elongated football. The company compares its size to a water bottle, and while it’s a bit larger than that, the turbine is still portable enough to be carried in a backpack.

The Shine 2.0 generates power in wind speeds ranging from eight to 28mph, and at max speed, it can produce up to 50W of power, which is enough to fully charge a laptop in about two hours. With wind speeds at the bare minimum of 8mph, charging speeds will be well below 5W, and the company estimates it would take over 11 hours to just charge a smartphone in a “slight breeze.”