i escape

The 5.11 shines at 90 lumens for 90 minutes per charge—and the manufacturers claim that it is rated for 50,000 recharges (or once per day for the next 135 years). In other words, the flashlight is rugged and produces a bright light for a practical amount of time. But the best part is that recharging only takes 90 seconds thanks to its fancy ultracapacitor energy storage system. It even has a backup 12V DC automotive charger in case the power goes out. If it works as advertised, could very well be the last flashlight you will ever need (or, at least for the 10 year maintenance-free window). Whether it will pay for its $170 price tag in battery savings over that time remains to be seen

[gizmodo]

Sharp and KDDI to release solar-powered and waterproof phone in June. You need to put the phone under sunlight as long as 10 minutes to power the phone for 1 minute talktime or 2hrs standby mode. Can we charge this phone under water? probably not.

[trendygadget]

This so-called solarcat is actually a solar battery. Oh, no, it is not the traditionally solar battery; instead, it is a solar powered rechargeable battery.

In order to charge the rechargeable battery, we usually have to buy an additional charger, but this one can charge itself without any extra device. Thanks to the flexible solar panels skin, this solarcat can be recharged just by bathing in the sunglight.

[inewidea]

The Samsung Blue Earth phone is an amazing piece of technology that brings solar charging to mobile phones. However, the Korean company has bigger plans than simply fusing solar panels to the back of a handset. It intends to create an ecosystem of "green communication" with a range of accessories.

Recognizing that not every country has ready access to sunlight, a dynamo-powered charge is available to convert kinetic energy to electricity. The popular Bluetooth headset has also been given a solar makeover, though we do not know how long it takes to charge the device using the sun. These are currently concept models whose availability remains unknown at this time.

[crave]

The sleek solar-powered Xof1 car recently rolled into Victoria, Canada to break the world’s record for the longest distance travelled in a solar vehicle! Appearing for all the world like a silvery flying saucer, the single-seat vehicle completed a 15,000 kilometer journey that took pilot Marcelo da Luz all the way across Canada and beyond the Arctic circle.

Weighing in at 660 pounds (with driver included), the Xof1 is propelled by a 96 volt DC motor and powered by a 3.8 kW lithium ion battery. It is capable of traveling from 0-60mph in 6 seconds, boasts a top speed of 75mph, and will run for 125 miles on a single charge. Marcelo invested around half a million dollars into the vehicle and constructed it without any corporate sponsorship - his website offers tips on how the car was assembled. Marcelo plans to continue his trek for as long as his funds last, citing Seattle as his next destination. We wish Marcelo congratulations and the best of luck in his incredible endeavor!

[inhabitat]

The Take Anywhere Electrical Power Source is interesting as it does away with the need for a travel adapter, featuring a rechargeable 10-amp battery that has more than enough juice to power a laptop for three hours, a cell phone for another 15 hours of non-stop talking, or an iPod nano (not sure which generation they're referring to) several times. This device is smaller than the average briefcase and comes with a couple of AC outlets, one DC outlet, a USB port, and even an LED to help you find your way through low light conditions. The internal battery is able to hold a charge for up to three months even if it is not used, making it one highly desirable gadget for those who do plenty of traveling. The Take Anywhere Electrical Power Source will retail for $199.95 a pop.

[ubergizmo]

Never heard of Fresno-Yosemite International? Thanks to this low-key airport now housing the largest solar installation of any airport in the entire United States, you have now. Arriving passengers will notice the panels a half-mile out, as they cover about seven football fields worth of land and will eventually result in taxpayer savings of $11 million. The 2-megawatt farm has been churning out clean energy for the past month, and electricity from the installation helps to run "everything from airport lighting to tower communications." FYI's aviation director even noted that it would "produce about 40% of its annual electrical requirement." If you're worried that other locales won't follow suit, don't be -- a similar, albeit smaller system is already in the works at DEN.

[engadget]

General Motors and Clairvoyant Energy, Veolia Environmental and the Government of Aragon will install the World’s Largest rooftop solar array on General Motors’ Zaragosa assembly plant in Spain. The array will be 12MW that will cover 2 million square feet with its 85,000 panels. The company also operates two of its California warehouses that are installed with solar panels, which provides up to 50% of the electricity usage in these facilities

[techfresh]

The Delft University of Technology has developed the first solar powered mouse. It only charges on actual sunlight, so there is question as to whether the mouse can be implemented in real world work environments.

Solar Powered Mouse [core77]