Freeplay DEVO Wind-Up Portable DAB Radio
Okay, so this isn’t actually an MP3 player. I’m only covering it because I’ve a weakness for all things wind-up. It’s portable at least, so we’re in the same ballpark.
We’re all eco-friendly these days and there’s no burning of fossil fuels when you wind up your radio. I’m a little bit sceptical about things like this, however. The DEVO (is it a ‘the’?) can run on mains power or a conventionally charged battery. Could the wind-up mechanism merely be a gimmick?
Yes and no. The press release is honest enough to give some indication of how effective a minute’s worth of winding will be in charging the battery. A minute’s worth of winding is probably more punishing than you envision, by the way. I’ve got a wind-up torch and a solid minute of winding works the biceps something chronic.
A 60 second wind gives you three to five minutes of digital radio. This is rubbish. It’s nowhere near worthwhile. However, that same amount of winding will give you an hour of FM radio, which is also an option. That’s more than acceptable. It also puts into perspective just how energy-hungry DAB is.
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