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There seems to be an arms race in the computer industry to see who can build notebook batteries that last the longest. It’s not uncommon to find netbooks that can run for 7 hour more hours on a charge, and some models even get 10 hours or more of battery life.

But there’s another approach. Instead of building batteries that last longer and machines that use less power, you can just provide your own power. No, I’m not talking about one of those portable solar chargers that generally can’t pump out enough electricity to run a laptop. I’m talking about kinetic energy, the kind you generate by riding a bicycle or pumping your foot against a pedal.

The YoGen Max is a new product that can provide up to 50 to 60 watts of power, generated through a portable foot pedal.

The pedal is 6.7″ x 7.2″ x 1.9″ when folded up, and it gets a bit bigger when you unfold it for use. So it’s not really the most portable accessory since it’s almost as large as a netbook. But if you expect to be away from a wall outlet for a really long period, or if you just like the idea of reducing your carbon footprint by using your feet, it might be worth checking out.

The YoGen Max isn’t available to the public yet, but the company is shopping it around to distributors. It’s also available in a configuration that stores up to 12 rechargeable AA batteries so that you can generate some power and store it until you need it.

You can check out a brief video of the pedal in action after the break.

via The Gadgeter