The SP300 is a slim 3-in-1 Bluetooth hands free car kit. The sleek and slim speakerphone is supplied with attachments to allow you to mount it onto your windscreen, sun visor or even seat-belt. The windscreen mount allows you to charge the Bluetooth kit through solar energy due to the solar panel on its rear.

The SP300 Bluetooth Car Kit allows you to use your mobile while in the car safely. The hands free kit uses a digital signal processor (DSP) which allows it to filter the surrounding noise and helps to reduce the echo that can be caused by your own voice. The full duplex mode is able to enhance the quality of the sound for clearer communication for both sides of the conversation.

The windscreen mount is simple to attach to any car and can be quickly and easily removed when necessary. The two suction cups secure the mount to the screen, the solar panel on the rear of the mount is then exposed to any sunlight that is hitting that area of screen. The internal 650mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery requires 3 hours to be fully charged through the USB to car charger/cigarette lighter cable and can be charged fully from solar energy in around 18 hours.

By using the windscreen mount you can prolong the use time of the hands free kit while allowing you to use the device without any wires infringing on your view or getting in the way of you driving.  The hands free kit can provide you with up to 14 hours of talk time and up to 1250 hours of standby time on a full charge without any solar boost. The Bluetooth kit has an operational distance of up to 10 meters. The SP300 provides you with a Bluetooth hands free kit for your mobile phone that can be powered solely by eco-friendly energy or use this energy to elongate the time between charges helping to provide you with a kit you can rely on to be ready for use whenever you require it.

The Super Slim Solar-Powered Bluetooth Car Kit costs just £29.95 plus delivery.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the SP300 – Super Slim Solar-Powered Bluetooth Car Kit article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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The IllumiCharger is a concept that aims to allow everyone the freedom of charging their portable electronic devices from home from eco-friendly electricity. The charger is meant to charge through the day from the ambient light in a room. This electricity is then used to provide a decent nights charge through a USB port to a wide range of devices.

The IllumiCharger concept aims to help people use eco-friendly electricity at home for their portable electronic devices. The charger is designed to be placed onto a wall, much like a traditional power socket. The ambient illumination of the room, be it from daylight or artificial light sources (fluorescent, compact fluorescent, halogen, or incandescent lighting), is used by the solar panel to charge the internal battery. This battery then charges your devices through either of the two USB ports.

The aim of this concept device is to provide a charger that can charge slowly through the day to provide a charge over night, or when required. There is some skepticism to whether the ambient light in a room would provide enough power for devices, however the charger could be positioned near a window to gain a higher amount of sunlight charging, or even used as a portable solar charger left out in a sunny spot if there was a problem. The charger is intended to be constructed from materials that are as environmentally friendly as possible. Recycled plastic and cornstarch based plastic alternatives are meant to be used to form the charger itself and recycled cardboard and cornstarch based plastic alternatives are to be used to form the packaging.

The IllumiCharger hopes to provide charge to any device that can be charged through a USB cable. The charger should be able to provide devices with eco-friendly electricity from a 9600 mAh battery at a rate of around 500 mAh. The charger could mean an end to people charging from their laptops, computers or even from mains supplied wall chargers when at home. The IllumiCharger would store electricity continually without any need to plan for when it would be required fully charged ready for use.

Source: IllumiCharger

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the The IllumiCharger – Light-Powered USB Wall Outlet Concept article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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1. Juicebar – Pocket Solar Charger
2. Solio Mag – Solar Powered Charger
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The iSol Plus is a solar powered charger designed to allow you to charge your portable electronic products from environmentally friendly electricity. The charger’s size allows you to take the device anywhere with you, the solar panel ensures you can regain charge even when away from mains electricity.

The iSol Plus by iSol can be used to charge a wide range of portable electronic devices. The charger is suitable to charge MP3/MP4 players, PDAs, iPhones, iPods, Blackberrys, mobile phones, and many other such devices. The charger has the ability to be set to three different DC settings to allow it greater flexibility, 5.5v, 7.5v and 9.5v. The charger is supplied with the adapters for both Samsung and Motorola phones, the device though should work with any portable electronic device that has a USB adapter.

The iSol Plus measures 11.43 cm x 6.35 cm x 1.52 cm(4.5 in x 2.5 in x 0.6 in) which allows it to be easily taken with you wherever you wish to go, to provide your devices with power whenever they require it. The charger has an internal rechargeable lithium battery that requires anything between 10 and 20 hours to charge through the solar panel, depending on the brightness of the sunlight available. The battery can also be charged through a USB port,  it takes 2-4 hours to charge the device via this method. The charger has both charging and discharging indicators to allow you to easily see when the charger is working. The iSol Plus helps to make your portable electronics truly portable. It allows you to be able to charge you devices anywhere, all you require is sunlight.

Source: World Of Green

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the iSol Plus – Portable Solar Charger article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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The Juicebar Pocket Solar iPhone Charger allows you to provide an environmentally friendly boost of electricity to your iPhone or iPod. This small solar charger can produce a significant boost to these products quickly, its size making it convenient to be taken wherever you go to allow you an emergency top up anywhere.

This Juicebar Pocket Solar iPhone Charger like its larger sibling, the Juicebar, is an efficient charger than can top up your iPhone and iPod quickly when you require it. The compact charger’s solar panel charges the internal rechargeable 550 mAh Li-Polymer battery.

The Pocket Juicebar battery requires around 12 – 15 hours of sunlight to be fully charged. It can be charged through a USB if required, the battery will be fully charged in around 2 hours when recharged in this manner. The charger can top up your electronic device in around 2 hours, when fully charged the charger will supply the device enough electricity to provide you with up to 4 hours of talk time or 17 hours of music.

The charger comes with a foldaway stand that can allow it to be best positioned to take full advantage of any sunlight available. When the stand is folded the charger measures 4.15 cm x 5.4 cm x 1.45 cm (1.63 in x 2.13 in x .57 in) and weighs only 42g. This allows the charger to be portable enough to be taken with you wherever you go to ensure you always have the ability to top up your charge anywhere.

The Juicebar Pocket Solar iPhone Charger is yours for just £12.95.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Juicebar Pocket Solar-Powered iPhone and iPod Charger article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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The Bicycle Charger Kit is an easy to install kit that allows you to turn your pedaling power into an eco- friendly method of charging your mobile. This kit allows you to charge you phone while you are on the go, or listen to music while cycling without fear of draining your phone’s battery.

The Bicycle Charger Kit by Nokia comprises of 3 parts, a bottle (side wall) dynamo, a charger and a phone holder. The bottle dynamo requires placement onto the front of the bicycle, on the fork, using a mounting bracket that is provided. This component converts the kinetic energy of the wheel turning as you pedal into electrical energy that can be used to charge your phone.

The phone holder and charger require mounting onto the handle bars with a bracket that is included. The phone holder allows you to have your phone right in front of you as you cycle, great for listening to music on the go or to watch its charging progress. The holder protects the phone from any bumps and vibrations from the cycling due to its rubberized secure design, the holder also comes with a clear bag to help protect your phone from things such as dirt. The phone takes the electrical power it requires through a 2mm Nokia charging pin that is attached to the charger, this pin can be converted using a Nokia charger adapter (CA-146C) to allow it to charge microUSB charger devices, such as the Nokia N97.

The speed at which you pedal effects the amount of electricity produced to charge you phone. The faster you pedal the quicker your phone will charge. Exact charging times depend both on the speed at which you cycle and on the model of phone you are charging, Nokia predict that with only 20 minutes of cycling at roughly 10 km (6 miles) per hour you can provide enough charge to give a Nokia 1202 about 1 hour of talk time or 74 hours of standby time. Nokia recommend maintaining a speed of roughly 6km (4 miles) per hour for the charger to provide sufficiently effective charging. The charger will function between speeds of 6-50 km per hour.

Source: Nokia

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Bicycle Charger Kit By Nokia article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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Solar Sound 2 - via Bluetooth to iPhone

Devotec Industries have been kind enough to send me their latest creation to review – namely the Devotec Solar Sound 2, which is a solar-powered speaker that plays music from your computer or phone via Bluetooth.

The quality of sound from the speakers is exceptionally good, despite the relatively small size of the speakers. What’s more, is if you receive a call on your mobile phone whilst using the speakers, you can use the speakers as a handsfree kit too!

What’s comes in the box?

Solar Sound 2 - What's in the Box

In the box, there are the speakers (measuring 165mm x 58mm 58mm), a retracting male 3.5mm stereo plug to male 3.5mm stereo plug, a retracting mini male USB plug to standard male USB plug, a protective case for the speakers, a mains adapter for the USB cable, plus full instructions.

The instructions I was particularly impressed with, as they’re really detailed and explain how all of the features of the speakers work (rather than letting you guess like some instruction manuals). I was up and running within just a couple of minutes.

The speaker case

Solar Sound 2 Speaker Case

The speaker case is a fabric case with a zip for the speakers. There’s also a little pocket on the side for one of the cables. It’s a shame that only one of the retracting cables can fit into the case, it would have been nice if both could fit. The case will protect the speakers from getting scratched. Perhaps something for the future is a molded case that protects the speakers from knocks too.

How I tested the Solar Sound 2

I tested the speakers with both a mobile phone and my laptop to test the audio quality. So if you don’t want to use Bluetooth, then you can just use the 3.5mm extension lead (although you can’t use the handsfree function if using the audio cable). These are the combinations I tried:

• Speakers to iPhone – via Bluetooth
• Speakers to iPhone – via 3.5mm extension lead (in headphone socket)
• Speakers to Mac Powerbook – via Bluetooth (as Headphones)
• Speakers to Mac Powerbook – via Bluetooth (as a Headset)
• Speakers to Mac Powerbook – via 3.5mm extension lead (in headphone socket)

Audio Quality

Solar Sound 2 - via Bluetooth to iPhone

Overall, the quality of the sound is excellent. The speakers don’t sound particularly ‘tinny’, although at higher volumes, you did start to notice a lack of bass. The Bluetooth range is very impressive, and I achieved pretty much 10 metres indoors from one side of the house to the other.

I did notice that when connected to a Mac Powerbook, the sounds was muffled in ‘Headset’ mode, presumably for saving bandwidth for the microphone aspect. However, when connected in ‘Headphone’ mode, the quality sounded identical to what I got when I connected the audio cable. With the iPhone, using Bluetooth and the cable sounded equal in audio quality to me.

I tested the speakers with Spotify, iTunes and internet radio. The quality was excellent with all of them. Essentially, if your phone or laptop chucks out any sound, then the speakers will work!

When receiving a call, the speakers automatically fades out the music, and you hear your ringtone on the speakers. When you answer the call, you can speak into the microphone on the front of the speakers, just as you would with any other handsfree speaker kit. A very useful feature, just in case a call does come in!

Using the Speakers

The speakers themselves are pretty solid and feel really well made. The on/off switch is a latching push button switch, so it’s easy to check if the speaker is switched on or not. On the front panel, the volume up/down and mute/unmute buttons light up when they are touched. Interestingly, the front buttons are capacitive, which means they work just like an iPhone touch screen – using touch rather than pressure.

Holding the volume buttons for more than 2 seconds is meant to skip a track when you use Bluetooth. However, when I tried this, nothing happened. The volume controls work absolutely fine when adjusting volume though. However, this is a feature I’d never use anyway.

When I wasn’t using the speakers, I just left them on a sunlit windowsill to charge up. I’ve not managed to drain the batteries yet, even with several hours usage. The specifications say that the speakers should work for between 5 to 20 hours depending on how you use it. The speaker is designed to be powered from solar power, so the speakers will switch over power source automatically depending on sunlight.

Solar Sound 2 - Rear Connections

If you want to charge up the speakers relatively quickly, you can charge them using the USB cable and the mains adapter which should take up to 5 hours. You can also charge up the speakers using a computer via the USB port. The logo on the front of the speakers change from a red light to a green light when it’s fully charged.

Conclusion

In summary, the Solar Sound 2 offers a practical solution for wireless music. This gadget is perfect for listening to music on the beach, outside when dining al-fresco, on picnics, or even in the bathroom! The speakers are really simple to use, even when using Bluetooth. I was up and running within a few minutes, with music blasting out of the speakers whist I was sat downstairs, with the music being played upstairs! So it’s easy-to-use, practical, delivers on all counts of it’s specification (apart from the skip track buttons), and constructed to a very high standard.

In my opinion, it’s a top-notch gadget. Well worth buying if you love your music outdoors! Thanks again to Devotec Industries for giving me the opportunity to review the Solar Sound 2.

The Devotec Solar Sound 2 is yours for just £73.98 including delivery if you’re in the UK, just $105.98 including shipping in the US, and €89.98 including shipping anywhere in Europe.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Devotec Solar Sound 2 – Solar-powered Bluetooth Speakers article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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So you’ve probably heard about the iPhone 4 reception problems? Well, Fotolum, the makers of the After-Lite Glow Strips and After-Light Lightbulb Fitting, are offering free glow-in-the-dark strips to help fix the iPhone 4 reception problems.

Fotolum are specialists in high visibility safety equipment, and are world-leaders in photoluminescent materials. The Fotolum iPhone solution consists of two strips of high-grade photo luminescent vinyl, backed with 3M adhesive and designed to be applied where the thumb and fingers naturally fall when holding the iPhone. The superior thickness of the Fotolum vinyl will insulate the user’s hand from the antenna, the most common theory for the iPhone’s reception problems.

Get your free strips…

Fotolum is offering this solution free to anyone who mails a self addressed, stamped envelope to their corporate offices:

Fotolum Free iPhone Strips
11936 W 119th Street, #158
Overland Park, KS 66213

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Free reception fix for iPhone 4 offered by Fotolum article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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The Juicebar is a portable solar charger that is small enough to travel with you wherever you go while being powerful enough to charge your portable electronic devices effectively.

The Juicebar is supplied with an array of adapters to allow it to charge just about any portable electronic device you can think of. The 12 different adapters allow it to charge devices such as mobile phones, MP3/MP4 players, iPhones, iPods, even some hand held gaming consoles. The charger has a powerful internal rechargeable Li-ion 1500 mAh battery that allows it to provide a decent charge to any devices running out of power.

The battery can be used to provide your devices with charge when it is sufficiently full, or you can use the electricity provided by the solar panel directly. The battery can take around 12 – 15 hours to charge fully from exposure to sunlight, and can also be charged through a USB port on a laptop or computer in around 4 – 6 hours.  When the Juicebar is charging its internal battery a red LED light turns on, this light turns off again once the battery is fully charged. When you plug your portable electronic device into the charger, a green LED light indicates that it is being charged.

The Juicebar is designed to very portable, to allow it to be taken anywhere you take your portable electronics. Measuring 1.1 cm x 4 cm x 9.3 cm (0.4 in x 1.6 in x 3.7 in) and weighing about 2 ounces the charger is around the same size and weight as most mobile phones. The charger can provide you with emergency charge for your electronics, whether you are out away from mains electricity or if you simply wish to use eco-friendly energy as much as possible. Some thought must be given to ensure the charger has opportunity to charge its internal battery so it is ready for use even on a cloudy day.

The Juicebar is yours for only £19.95.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Juicebar – Pocket Solar Charger article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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Proporta were kind enough to send me a Recycled Leather Eco iPhone Case, designed for the latest iPhone 3GS model. The case uses completely sustainable materials, and includes a natural hessian lining in addition to the recycled leather for the outer casing.

The iPhone clips into the case into the two plastic arms on either side of the case. I found that these were sufficient to hold the phone in place. The added lip at the bottom of the case is just to stop the iPhone from slipping out at the bottom.

iPhone Case with Bamboo Panel

Interestingly, part of the case is a small panel of laser-cut bamboo, which slides into the front pocket of the case to provide your case with a very study screen protector. The bamboo will help protect the screen from impact when in your bag or pocket.

Closed iPhone Case

Once the bamboo panel has been inserted into the pocket, the case just flaps down. In the photo, you’ll see that it hovers over the phone a little. I imagine with a little wear, the flap of the case will fit snugly over the iPhone anyway.

There’s nothing to hold the flap of the case down, which is ideal for someone like me where I don’t want to faff about with taking the phone out of its case when I want to use it. However, I did find that the flap was a little odd when making a call, therefore it made more sense to take the phone out of the case when making a call.

The Recycled Leather Eco iPhone Case is available for £29.95 directly from Proporta, plus a small delivery fee. It’s a very nice case, and definitely feels well-made, especially given it’s eco-credentials. However, for nearly £30, I feel that the case is a little expensive. I’d expect the price to be £15 or so for something like this.

Thanks to Proporta for sending me the sample!

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Proporta Hessian and Recycled Leather Eco-Friendly iPhone 3GS Case article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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iPhone 3GS Case Hessian Pouch

This is the 2nd iPhone case by Proporta that I’m reviewing (see the 1st review – a Recycled Leather and Hessian iPhone Case), which is a mobile phone pouch for the iPhone 3GS made from hessian fibre. Your iPhone just slides into the case like a little sock. Simple, but effective.

Hessian Pouch iPhone Case with Bamboo Insert

This case also comes with a laser-cut bamboo sheet that’s designed to protect the screen of the iPhone by slipping into the pocket of the pouch. The bamboo doesn’t add any weight to the case really, but the case does feel appreciably more robust once the bamboo sheet is installed. You just need to slip the phone out of the case when you want to use the phone.

So in terms of being eco-friendly, the case is made from sustainable hessian fibre (fibre from a vegetable plant) as well as sustainable bamboo for the screen protector. The only slightly negative aspect was that the case came in a plastic bag, although it was recyclable! It’s a really nice case, and is my favourite out of the two cases that I reviewed.

The case is available directly from Proporta for £19.95 plus delivery. Again, I felt that this was a little expensive, and I would have expected the case to cost around £14 to £16.

Thanks again to Proporta for the sample to review.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Proporta Hessian iPhone 3GS Pouch Case article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2010 EnviroGadget.com. You can now keep up with the latest eco-gadgets on the EnviroGadget Facebook page. Why not help us to spread the word?

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