Orange leading the charge at Glastonbury

ALREADY GETTING INTO the Glastonbury spirit, Orange today unveiled a mobile phone charger prototype, which it claims is powered by dance energy.

The Orange Dance Charge, as its being dubbed, is apparently the fruit of many months of research by Orange and renewable energy specialists, GotWind, into alternate, sustainable energy sources to power mobile phones.

Although the kinetic energy portable phone charger is the product of ongoing research, fully functioning prototypes have been especially built, just in time for this weekend’s Glastonbury Festival

Weighing in at 180grams (about the same as a mobile phone) and measuring four and a quarter inches by two and a half inches (about the same size as a deck of cards), the Dance Charge prototype purportedly comes with an elasticated, velcro strap. It is apparently supposed to be worn in much the same way joggers wear their MP3’s around their biceps, except, instead of running around a lake at six am pretending to be fit and sporty, but really looking like a twonk, the dance charger requires wearers to wave their arms to the music. Which, admittedly, also has the potential of making someone look like a twonk.

Using weights and magnets, similar to those used in kinetic energy watches, electrical current builds up as ravers and revelers frantically throw their limbs around to the music. This electrical current is then stored to top-up dying batteries.

To show off its new prototype to muddy festival goers, the Orange PR team are sending in what they call “an interactive Dance Charging Man”, who they claim will top up your phone in exchange for just a few minutes of bump and grind with him.

Talk about charging a ridiculous fee. µ