The Mac Observer

Skip navigational links

Choose text size: Select small text. Select medium text. Select large text.

DealsOnTheWeb Daily Deal: OneCall's Weekend Sale - 20 Great Items at Great Prices All Weekend Long

TMO at MWSF - Power Your iPod With Solar Power

by , 12:45 PM EST, January 10th, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Better Energy Systems announced Monday Solio, a solar power charging solution for iPods and other portable devices. Consisting of a collapsible array of three solar panels that fits in your pocket, the device connects to your iPod with a cable (see image below). The company said it will be introducing the products at this week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.

"The concept of taking free energy from the sun to power your iPod simply makes sense, whether one intends to spend a long weekend at the beach or simply requires mobile power for that long commute, with Solio you are free to keep your iPod playing or your cell phone charged," said Better Energy Systems' CEO Christopher Hornor in a statement.

Solio weighs 5.8 ounces, is weatherproof, and Better Energy Systems describes it as the size of an average cell phone. Included are adapters to allow Solio to be used with portable devices other than the iPod.

The device uses an internal battery, which powers your portable device, and the solar panels directly charge that battery. It also comes with a power adapter so that it can be plugged directly into a wall socket for charging when there is no sunlight.


Solio, from Better Energy Systems

Solio is priced at US$119, and is available through the company's Web site. Better Energy System said it will be moving the product through US retail channels "soon."

Better Energy Systems

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:KitsuneStudios Posts: 2467 Joined: 25 Oct 2001
Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:50 pm Subject:

By coincidence, the Edmonton Journal today reported that the University of Toronto has announced a breakthrough in photovolatic cells. The new cells use a conductive polymer impregnated with 'Quantum Dots", nanoparticle crystals, which allow the plastic to absorb energy from the infrared spectrum as well as that of visible light. The new polymer is not olny highly versatile, but also potentially much less expensive and 5x more efficient than current plastic photovoltaic cells.

A potential application suggested by the article included coating the iPod in this plastic to make it completely self-powered.

Related technology from the same group is being considered create optical network switches which could potentially speed up the internet by nearly 100 times.

Ain't science cool?


Reply | Quote
View Name:Guest
Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:15 am Subject: Major Obstacle
View Name:Guest
Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:16 am Subject: Major Obstacle
Close Name:awcabot Posts: 1405 Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:21 am Subject: Re: Major Obstacle

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
I want to charge my G3 with solar....


Very easy. Just buy a 12V car charger for your iBook and a generic solar charger that comes with a 12V plug. This way you can not only charge your iBook, but also cellphones (using their respective car chargers).

If you would like to charge MacBook, you are stuck. You can NOT use the power inverters, such as the one sold on the Apple Store, because inverters are too inefficient at the low power given out by a solar panel to trickle charge the MacBooks.


 Reply | Quote
Comment on this Article

Show:   comments per page.   Save Settings
Guest Posts Hidden. View Them.
Back to top  Page 1 of 1    

You cannot edit your comments.   You cannot delete your comments.
Log in | Register | Having Problems? Reset TMO Cookies & Try Again
Username:   Password:   Log me on automatically each visit   

You are not logged in, and this post will appear as "Guest." Log in with your username and password from the TMO forums. If you do not have a username, you can register here.
Please note that guests are limited to including a maximum of two URLs per post.

Post A Comment
  Subject


  Your Comments



Please enter the word exactly as you see it in the image above. Registered users aren't prompted for this. Having trouble reading the image get a new one.

Recent Headlines - Updated Friday, July 18th, 2008

Fri., 4:30 PM
iPO Apple Store Spotlight - Bloomberg LP - Financial Information on Your iPhone
2:50 PM
iPO Just a Thought - Seven Days (and Counting) Trying to Get an iPhone
2:15 PM
AAPL Drops 3% in Afternoon Trading, Deferred Revenue Accounting Earning Attention
12:05 PM
iPO Review - Jensen JiMS-525i
11:05 AM
Apple in Art
10:40 AM
iPO Free on iTunes - AtomTV, Black In America, Strange Days on Planet Earth, & More
9:15 AM
TMO's DealsOnTheWeb.com - JBL On Stage II Speaker System w/RF Remote Control: $67.99 Delivered
8:20 AM
StrangeCharm - Particle Debris and a New iPhone (2G)
7:30 AM
TMO Quick Tip - Build Your Own Twitter Client
 

The Mac Observer Reader Specials
  • Special Report: WWDC 2008
  • Special Report: iPhone
  • __________
  • Help TMO Grow
  • Podcast: Mac Geek Gab
  • Podcast: Apple Weekly Report
  • TMO on Twitter!
  • New Media Expo 2008

Apple Stock Quote

  • AAPL: $165.15. Change Today: -6.66.
  • (Prices delayed up to 20 minutes.)
  • Discuss in our Apple Finance Board

Hot Topics

What's the buzz? These articles have TMO readers talking.

Top Deals From DealsOnTheWeb