Emergency Solar Charger - Charging iPhone

As the name suggests, the Emergency Solar Charger for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch is a compact little solar-powered battery and charger, which can be used to charge up your iPod Touch or iPhone in an emergency. The charger contains a battery which is charged up via the solar panel. When you need the extra power, you just connect the charger to the iPhone. The charger will automatically charge the iPhone, giving it roughly 20% of charge.

Charging the Solar Charger

How It Works

You can charge up the charger using solar energy (so leaving it out on a sunny dashboard or windowsill) or you can charge it up via USB using the Apple USB cable (which could be via the PC, mains adapter, or via a car adapter). For the purposes of testing, I typically used the USB cable, as the charger was charged within just 2 hours. It takes a couple of days to charge the charger in sunlight, so really, you want to place the charger in strong sunlight when you’re not using it. That ensures you always have the emergency charge when you need it.

Once the charger is charged up, you just connect it to an iPhone or iPod Charger and it starts charging straight away. It takes about 20 minutes to charge up the iPhone or iPod to about 20%. If your device is completely dead when you start charging, then the charger charges the device up to around 16 to 18% (due to the power consumption when first switching on the iPod Touch or iPhone).

Emergency Solar Charger - on it's own

Feature Suggestions

The charger is very simple, it does exactly what it says on the tin. However, there are a couple of things that I suggest as minor improvements. Firstly, sometimes you need to wiggle the plug on the charger to get it to be recognised by the iPhone or iPod. I suspect there’s a microscopic difference in the connectors which means the charger is not always recognised as a charging device.

Secondly, it’d be good if there was an indicator to show how fully charged the charger is. Just a few small LEDs or a small LCD display to show if the charger is empty, half-full or fully charged. Currently, there’s no way to know how charged the charger is. Some attention here would be appreciated.

Conclusion

The Emergency Solar Charger for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch is a genuinely useful little gadget. I can imagine that it’s going to come in very useful when out and about with no power source! And costing just $5.51, it’s not going to break the bank either! Thanks to Budget Gadgets for sending me the charger to review.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Emergency Solar Charger for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2011 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 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 2011 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 2011 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
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3. Emergency Solar Charger for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch

Today I have the privilege of reviewing a stunning piece of eco-friendly gadgetry, namely the Infinit IV2.1 Solar Charger Backpack.

The backpack features a large 2.4W solar panel, neatly integrated on the front of the bag. The solar panel is used to charge up an internal battery, which can then be used to charge up your mobile phone, GPS navigation gadgets, the iPhone, the iPod, and devices that charge up via a mini USB socket.

Initial Impressions

When I opened the box, my first impression was, “wow, this looks really nice”! I was pleasantly surprised at just how big the solar panel is, which is about the size of a paper-back book. The fabric of the backpack is a high quality and tough material, and you can just tell that the whole product is well made.

What’s Included?

Infinit Rucksack IV2.1 with Accessories

After hunting around the internal pockets in the bag, these are all the accessories that come with the bag.

• The backpack itself
• An elasticated waterproof sack to cover your bag
• A removable rechargeable battery (2200mAh capacity)
• 8 adaptors (for charging different gadgets)
• A retractable USB cable
• An AC adaptor plug (for charging up the battery)
• An instruction booklet

Basic Construction

Straps and Back Support

The bag is roughly the size of a standard rucksack, with padded shoulder straps, a padded handle, padded back support and a reinforced base. With all this padding, the bag is very comfortable to wear for a few hours. There are lots of little pockets within the bag, which are fantastic for organising your stuff. There’s a small pocket on the front of the bag behind the solar panel, which is large enough for a mobile phone or MP3 player.

Main Section - Laptop Pocket (Before)

Laptop Pocket with Laptop Secured

Then there’s a middle section which houses the battery and accessories, covered by a protective red netting. Most of the small pockets are in the middle section of the bag. Finally, there’s the main section of the bag, which is by far the largest area for storing your stuff. There’s a large flexible pocket inside the main section which is perfect for holding your laptop securely. I’d expect the back can handle up to a 15″ display without any difficulty.

At the top of the main section, there’s a small elasticated pocket that’s designed to hold an MP3 player or other music player. You can thread through your headphones using the headphone port and keep your MP3 player out of sight and completely dry.

Since the bottom of the main section of the bag has a reinforced base (a firm bit of padding basically), then you’ll notice that heavy books or laptops don’t poke out of the bottom of the bag. This helps the bag to retain it’s structure and will definitely reduce the strain on your back.

Charging up a gadget

Battery Charging an iPod Touch

The battery is removable from the bag, since the solar panel has a standard mini USB cable that just plugs into the battery when you want to charge it up. Being able to take out the battery is very useful, as it gives you some freedom of where and when you charge up your gadgets.

The battery features some intelligent electronics which handles all of the charging stuff for you. Using the iPod adaptor and the retractable cable, I just plugged the battery into my iPod Touch, and the battery automatically started charging up my iPod for me! The iPod was at around 66% when I started charging it up, and it took about 30 minutes to charge the iPod to 100%. Of course, that will vary from gadget to gadget.

During the charging phase, the four blue LED lights on the battery indicate what charge remains in the battery. Each LED corresponds to roughly 25% of energy remaining in the battery. Once the battery had finished charging my iPod Touch, only 2 LEDs were lighting up, which indicates that battery capacity was between 20% and 50%.

Charging up the battery again

Charging up the battery with the solar panel

Charging up the battery again is very simple. You just connect the battery to the solar panel, and leave the solar panel in direct sunlight. When the battery is flat, it takes up to 10 hours for the battery to charge to full capacity again. Therefore you might want to use the AC charger if you need a full battery quickly. The blue LEDs on the battery will all light up when the battery is fully charged, so there’s no need to guess when the battery is ready.

Conclusions

The bag is very well designed and constructed, and it has clearly been created to be practical as well as desirable. The automatic charger within the battery pack takes all of the hassle out of figuring out how to charge your gadgets, it’s really a matter of just plugging in your gadgets and the battery handles the rest.

My only concern is that the bag looks slightly conspicuous with the solar panel on the front. That means it might get some unwanted attention from opportunistic thieves, who might work out that there are likely to be some valuable gadgets inside. My suggestion is that you don’t let the bag out of your sight!

However, that aside, this is a bag that I am proud to own and one that’s practical from a gadget charging perspective. For me, the real winning feature of the bag is the sturdy construction for carrying a laptop safely. Back strain is not fun, but this bag makes it a real pleasure to carry a laptop.

Thank you to Infinit for giving me the opportunity to review such a top class product!

Product Page: Infinit IV2.1 Backpack, priced at £89.99 including VAT (UK taxes)

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Infinit IV2.1 Solar Charger Backpack Review article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2011 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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Personal solar panels are finally becoming more portable and functional – making alternative sources of energy like solar power a reality for many consumers and gadget fans. Regen’s ReNu is an example of an emerging breed of solar products that promise to bring solar energy to the masses. Regen’s ReNu packages a solar panel in a sleek and innovative design that fits seamlessly into the modern lifestyle, and makes charging many of your existing devices a snap.

Weighing in at 1.1 pounds (498g), the 9-by 9-inch portable tablet can easily be hung in a window with a suction cup, attached to a window frame, or placed on a table with its built-in stand. When placed in direct light, the ReNu’s built-in solar cells collect the sun’s energy to charge its internal lithium ion battery.

When fully charged, the device can then be docked into one of Regen’s several docking extensions (a phone charging system, a personal audio system, or a task lighting system), or can be used to deliver stored solar energy directly to many of your existing electronics gadgets via its built-in USB socket. Devices that can be charged include many mobile phones, portable navigation devices, backup batteries, and portable lights.

The amount of power that the ReNu solar panel can generate is entirely dependent on its location, outside weather, duration of time, and intensity of the solar energy it is exposed to. The manufacturer claims however that with direct exposure, the ReNu’s battery recharges in roughly four hours, and once charged is capable of powering or recharging your gadgets in roughly the same time as a standard wall outlet.

Priced at US$199, the ReNu is not inexpensive. For those who can afford it, it will provide over 500 charges of solar energy for your gadgets. The Regen ReNu will start shipping February 2010. You can place your preorders now and save $25.

This article was written by David Rodrigues who writes about Tips for Greener Living, Green Product Reviews and Green Events at JustLiveGreener.com. You can also find JustLiveGreener.com on Facebook.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Regen’s ReNu Solar-Powered Docking Station Charger article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2011 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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We have so many electronic gadgets these days, but truly portable solar charger system are not particularly common yet. However, the GoBe solar charger kit supports a range of devices, and comes with a handy briefcase for the solar panels, and a portable solar pack for the battery and charger electronics. The solar panel is rated at 10.5 Watts, and the power pack is fitted with DC, AC and USB power outlets.

The GoBe PowerHub can give you 3-6 hours of extra life from your laptop battery, which is impressive as most other solar chargers cannot handle the power demands of a laptop. The powerpack can also run a portable DVD player for 7-14 hrs, a 60 Watt fluorescent bulb for about 10 hours, as well as charging all of your iPods, mobile phones, and other portable gadgets.

The solar panel suitcase can fully charge the powerpack in 10 hours, or you can use mains power to charge the powerpack in just 1 hour. The powerpack weighs around 4.3kg, and the suitcase weights around 6kg. The GoBe Power Hub will last around 500-1000 charges.

The GoBe powerpack and suitcase are available for around $350 directly from GoBe.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Gobe Solar-Panel Suitcase and Powerpack article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2011 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 Mini Kin Personal Wind Turbine Charger is a mini wind turbine that contains a 1500mAh lithium polymer battery to charge up your various gadgets whilst being green at the same time. The MiniKin charger comes with a number of holders so that you can catch the wind while on your bike, boat or out running.

The charger is able to charge the vast majority of devices, such as mobile phones, the iPhone, iPods, MP3 chargers and any other device that accepts standard or mini USB plugs. In general, it has enough battery capacity to charge your mobile phone twice over. The handy accessories include a stand, an arm strap, bicycle clamp and a window sucker to allow you to best position the charger.

It’s currently available for the bargain price of just £9.99 from Maplin, as its normal retail price is £39.99.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Mini Kin Personal Wind Turbine Charger article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2011 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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As part of their phone charger innovation work, Orange has come up with a compact mobile phone charger in the form of a foot pump gadget. Created by GotWind, the foot pump drives an air turbine which then charges your mobile phone. Orange will be showcasing the gadget at Glastonbury 2009, which is being held at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, from 24th – 28th June.

The Orange Power Pump measures just 154mm x 129mm x 47mm, and is really lightweight. Considering it doesn’t need any wind or sun energy to charge your phone, it’s perfectly suited to camping in the UK when the weather is less than predictable. You get around 5 minutes of talk time from about a minutes worth of pumping.

Source: Orange Newsroom

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Orange Power Pump Charger for Glastonbury 2009 article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2011 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 Gramo Speakers are the creation of Pekka Salokannel. The speakers fold out into a gramaphone-styled speaker that you can connect to your music player. The top three panels of the speaker contain solar panels which are used to top up the battery on your MP3 player or iPod.

Since the speaker can pack flat, it takes up much less space in your luggage and also reduces the chance that it would get damaged. The speaker is roughly the size of your hand, opening up a little like an origami flower. I can’t see if there’s any speaker element inside the gadget, so the acoustic performance might not be that great compared to a traditional cone-and-magnet speaker. Funky idea though!

Source: Cloroflot

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Gramo Speakers – Solar-Powered Speakers article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2011 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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With all the solar chargers hitting the market, the powermonkey eXplorer is a very full-featured charger gadget that easily beats the competition when it comes to features. Essentially the charger will charge up every phone, games console, MP3 player, etc that you throw at it. The edge is that it has an LCD display giving you the charging status, and it also acts as a travel charger.

If you’re out and about in remote areas, then you can just use the solar panel part of the charger as you’d expect. However, if you’re just in another country (but not in a remote region), the charger features a special power transformer to suit virtually any mains input voltage. So if you’re in the UK or US, you can still charge up your gadgets with just the one power adaptor. This feature alone makes the powermonkey eXplorer perfect for any type of travelling.

The powermonkey eXplorer charger is available in grey, blue or pink. However, with all the extra features, it is a little more expensive at £59.99.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the One-size-fits-all powermonkey eXplorer Solar Charger article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

© 2008 to 2011 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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