In these times of heightened interest in green matters, and people leaving their cars behind for other forms of transport such as cycling or walking, it was only natural that someone would come up with a battery for MP3 players and iPods that was charged by the motion of walking. So instead of plugging your iPod into the wall, or into your computer via USB, simply go for a walk!

The new power source is called M2E Power, and means you won’t need to plug your MP3 player or mobile phone into the wall if it’s running a little low. It saves energy and money, which is good for the environment, it helps to keep you fit and it’s more convenient. How many times has your MP3 player gone dead in the middle of a track, or your mobile run out of power in the middle of a call? No more, not with the M2E Power, it’ll recharge with every step.

Still in the concept stage, the M2E Power gets charged by kinetic energy as you walk. It doesn’t generate huge amounts of power, just enough for a MP3 player, iPod or a PDA.

The makers of M2E have high hopes too, as they say it will create anything from 300% to 700% more energy than any current kinetic energy power on the market today.

It’ll be a few years before we see this on the high street though, but the military are expected to receive it very soon.