How to build battery-powered USB charger

You might have noticed by now that whenever you really need your iPod, it is always out of juice. A computer or a wall charger may not be around either, especially if you are travelling. Why not build your own portable battery powered USB charger? It’s easy.

Components required: An Altoids tin or any other metal container of the same size. A 9-volt battery. A voltage regulator (available at any electrical/hardware shop). A female USB port (available at any local computer shop).

Make a hole on one end of the tin using a cutter and fit the USB port into it. Use tape to hold them together. Place the battery in the tin. Solder its wires to the regulator and the USB port using the following diagram. Be careful. Use double-sided tape and make sure the battery and the regulator are secured in the tin. Connect one end of your USB cord to the female USB port and the other end to your iPod and you are done. This charger can be used with any USB enabled device.