The Goat

My friend bought some walkie-talkies from Wal-Mart before a two-car roadtrip with the intent of using them for two weeks and returning them. The signal was so weak that we would have to tailgate or pull up next to each other to use them. At that point you could pretty much read the person’s lips to see that they had to stop to use the bathroom. So I’m skeptical that a hand crank would produce enough energy to power a two-way radio that supposedly has a 5-mile range. According to the product copy, the 2-Way Emergency Crank Radio will run for an hour off “a few smooth cranks,” and the radio can only communicate with other Two-Way Crank Radios. At $150 apiece, batteries look like a more reliable option.

via Coolest Gadgets