The concept of a radio powered by a hand-crank and a dynamo might seem pure madness nowadays with so much important develops in the industry, but it was actually achieved.



The best thing about it is that it would keep working even in emergency situations, when power outages occur. Its size, of around 130 x 77 x 52 mm, allows convenient placing around the house.



The only thing that's really special about this product is the fact that it's manufactured by Sony. The giant company that has been involved lately in all sorts of different fields, other than hand-cranked radios, that is. Thus, the ICF-B01 from Sony Japan is also a AM/FM radio, which has a LED and a mobile phone charger. The LED itself offers both flashlight and softlight options. In fact, the radio works by turning the steering wheel, just like when using one of the traditional musical boxes, so it somehow combines the modern looks with the traditional use.



But hey, it works on batteries also, but when it runs out of juice, the user can charge the included battery by simply cranking the radio, at no great effort, since 1 minute of cranking will give it up to 60 minutes of AM listening and 40 mins of FM listening, as well as 5 minutes talking time on the mobile phone.



The the cracking built-in power generator provides 15 minutes of light, as it features an integrated flashlight. Not to mention the design is said to be water resistant, so it's even useful when boating or else. It also has an earphone jack for 3.5mm earphone set, which is not included in the package, and an integrated 1-7/16 inch speaker for public listening.



Sony ICF-B01 measures 130×52×77mm, weighs 285 grams and will be available in Orange, White and Black, for about 55 dollars, quite a low price considering it's usefulness in an emergency situation.