This New Gadget Charges Your Devices Using Your Bare Hands

If there's one thing that smartphone users have in common, it's the perpetual battle with a low battery. There's nothing more frustrating than having your device die mid-text, mid-song, mid-whatever-it-is-you're-doing, especially if you're not near an outlet (travelers and outdoorsy types, we see you). But what if it was possible to juice up your phone, GoPro, or speakers, simply by holding a ball, and generating clean electricity in the palm of your own hand?

Enter HandEnergy: a Kickstarter-spawned, self-described "pocket electricity generator" that you can take on the go. It looks like a ball, sure, but it houses a magnetic rotor that produces an electric current that, when you hold the ball and rotate your wrist to generate motion, charges its own built-in batteries. That current is transmitted through a USB cord linked to your dead device -- smartphones, GoPros, tablets, smart watches, speakers, e-readers, and more -- and charges it. Science is cool, right?

The hand motion you have to make to get the energy flowing might make you look, well, slightly crazy. But aside from your fleeting self-consciousness, the gadget will only cost you $79 (+shipping) -- a small price to pay for all the off-the-grid adventures you could potentially have while staying connected to the real world. If you're into it, you can pre-order the HandEnergy here. 

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.