GadgetMadness: We find the coolest gadgets first

I have one more review for you guys, and this one is just plain cool. It's the Sidewinder cell phone charger. Basically it powers your cell phone device by someone hand cranking the device. Two minutes of hand cranking gets you about 6 minutes of talk time or 30 minutes of standbye time. Read on for the full Gadgetmadness review.

What's in the Box?

Inside the box is everything you need to start charging. It includes the Sidewinder charger, a wrist strap for the charger, a cord which can either be used for charging Nokia's or for using the other adapters, Motorola adapter, Ericsson adapter, Audiovox adapter, Kyocera/Samsung adapter, and a little pouch to hold it all.

What's Good About It?

This device is just plain cool. Now whenever I'm running out of battery life, I can take out this baby and get cranking.

I tested the device out on an old Nokia phone which had no battery life, and within seconds the charging icon popped on the screen and started flashing! After about a minute of cranking, I was able to turn on the device. I was shocked at how well the device worked. This device will be going with me on all my trips now, just in case.

Another handy thing is that when an adapter is not plugged in the device, cranking the unit powers an LED on the top of the unit. After just 30 seconds of cranking, the light is powered for 5 minutes. This could also be very handy.

What Could Be Improved?

While the device worked as advertised, it did seem a bit loud. Thinking of the sound of a coffee grinder might give you an idea of how the device will sound (though it is a bit quieter than a grinder). Other than that the device serves its purpose well. Hopefully in future versions this might be improved, as this is one of the few flaws of the product.

GadgetMadness Verdict: In case of phone emergency, please crank

Like I said before, this device sure will come in handy. Its compact and light, so I'm definitly going to bring this with me on trips. Cranking the unit is pretty easy to do, so charging a phone won't be to much of a hassle if you have to. This device is perfect if you have to recharge when your away from other power sources.

Go to www.sidewindercharger.com for more information, or visit the product page by clicking here.