FRYS.com. Home Automation, X10, Remote Control, Lighting, Wireless Security. THEY RULE. Adventures in Rechargeable Batteries. Tap into the phone company's current... if you dare. Ever wonder if you could tap the electrical current on your phone company's landlines (does anyone still use those anymore?) To supply low-powered household gadgets with juice in an emergency (or financial pinch)?
Turns out that apparently it ain't too hard to get between 40 and 70 volts (no word on wattage) with a few components and a little time spent soldering. Now comes the second, more PSA-style half of this post. How ridiculously guilty might you feel if a power outage occurred and people couldn't call for help because enough nerds trying to save a buck by charging their gadgets via landline took out the phone company. Sure, it's a dramatic scenario, but we're just saying it's also potentially dangerous, so use this technique wisely. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in, via Instructables] Comments.