Green gadgets take center stage at energy-guzzling trade show

by Kim Hart - 01/10/10 7:56 PM ET

an employee of MiniWiz shows off a wind and solar charger for your cellphone. You can plug the solar panel into your cellphone and charge it in a bright place. With the wind charger, you can hook it up to the handle-bars of your bike or hang it out the window of your car to capture the breeze, which then powers your cellphone’s battery. It comes with a manual crank you can use as a charger, in case you’re in a dark, windless environment.

It’s unclear if consumers are willing to go through the extra work to use these products. But members of Congress can take this cue to encourage their constituents to at least think about it.

alt