Millions of people use mobile devices so charging them with solar power is a welcome development.
One of the latest products to hit the market is SoliCharger by SolLight, a lightweight Lithium-polymer solar-charger/battery combo that can be slipped on any iPhone 3G or 3Gs – it also works on iPhone 4. It can provide power for several hours to an iPhone or iPod, with no need for cords or adapters.
Features
Besides harnessing solar power to mobile devices – it takes eight hours of sunshine to give it a ‘good boost’, or 24 hours to fully charge it on solar power, SoliCharger can be plugged in to an iPhone charging chord.
The product is also adaptable to other makes and can be used to charge several types of small digital cameras, GPS units and other MP3 players. Basically, anything that requires a 5v charging source from USB.
Other products
Solicharger is an addition to a growing market of solar chargers for mobile devices. Earlier this year, the Novothink Solar Surge received warm reviews when it was launched. It can provide 30 minutes of talk time on a 3G network with two hours of direct solar exposure, or 60 minutes on a 2G network. It also features a USB connection to give users more options.
Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.
