EVERYBODY needs a USB charging cooking pot, don't they?
We’ve seen USB ports on pretty much everything by now; from desk fans to little portable vacuum cleaners. But this is definitely one of the more bizarre items to have the ubiquitous port on it.
The humble cooking pot gets a 21st century makeover, using a USB connection and a thermoelectric material developed by TES NewEnergy Corp to turn excess heat into juice for your gadgets. It’s a phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect, and uses uses the difference in temperature between the heat source (~ 550 ° C) and water boiling (~ 100 ° C) to create an electrical current of around 200 ~ 250 mA.
That much power would charge a smartphone in about 4 hours though, so be prepared for some very tender stewed meat or soggy vegetables if you want your iPhone fully powered.
USB Cooking pot Hatsuden-Nabe is available in Japan now for around the $280 mark.
