Your house plant could soon charge your phone

When Mother Nature came up with photosynthesis, she likely wasn’t expecting any USB cords to be involved. Alas, there’s no stopping progress.

A European startup company is currently developing an intriguing gizmo that will let you charge your phone with your potted plant. The system, called Bioo Lite, harnesses the power of photosynthesis and generates electricity using only water, soil and any common house plant. (We might have suggested the name Power Plant, but hey — nobody asked us.)

Power output from the Bioo Lite system is equivalent to a USB charge from a laptop or desktop computer, designers say, and can deliver up to three complete recharges in 24 hours to most smart phones or tablets. Read more...