Nah, ICP Solar isn't trying to help create the next solar-powered automobile (at least not with this initiative). Instead, it's looking to all but eliminate the hassle of returning to a vehicle with a dead battery. Said outfit has just entered into a sales agreement with both the European and North American branches of Nissan for OEM solar chargers, which would essentially juice up one's main battery while the sun beams down in a grocery store parking lot. Curiously, there's no mention of what vehicles this will be integrated into, so we'll just throw caution to the wind and expect to see 'em on every last motorcar it produces in 2009.

[Via CNET]

Motorola so had this down pat last year, but we suppose O2 is just showcasing its pedal-powered charging system now that such devices are all the rage. Just days after we had a look at two unorthodox chargers from Orange, along comes rival O2 with a bicycle-related alternative. Reportedly, the eco-friendly device will be demonstrated at the O2 Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park, but unfortunately, each of the demo bikes will be stationary. Still no word on whether O2 has a mind to take this thing commercial, but for cyclists the world over, here's to hoping it does.

[Thanks, Adam]

For those fortunate enough to be planning a trip to this year's Glastonbury, you can rest assured that forgetting your mobile charger won't be the worst thing that could possibly happen. Reportedly, Orange will erect a seven-meter high recharge Pod tent in which patrons can stop by and reinvigorate their winded handset. Said tent will boast 500-watt solar panels and a 500-watt wind turbine in order to generate electricity for the lifeless phones, and Orange is hoping to juice up 100 devices per hour. If only such conveniences were everywhere...

[Thanks, Adam]

Oh sure, there's a plethora of portable USB chargers out there to keep most every cellphone around juiced up for one last call, but those handling a Palm handset with the polarizing Multi-Connector have long been shut out cold -- until now. Tech Center Labs has just come to the rescue with its Tiny Emergency FuelCell, which holds a single AA and enables power to be passed along to Centros and any other Palm / Treo device with the proprietary connector. Best of all, the pocket-friendly device is just $9.95 (or $10.95 with a bundled battery). Not a bad way to spend a Hamilton if you're a Palm lover.

[Via Palm InfoCenter]

Oh yeah, we've seen dedicated battery pack extenders for a plethora of the most popular gizmos, but IOGEAR's looking out for the run-of-the-mill crowd with its GearJuice Rescue Charger. Essentially, the wee device accepts any 'ole AA cell, and upon plugging it into your mini-USB-equipped PDA / mobile / DAP / fish tank, it provides an infinitesimally small boost of power. Okay, so it's said to give you an extra 15 minutes of talk time, but we'd probably go in with even lower expectations just to be safe. It's available now for $11.99 (battery not included).

[Via Gearlog]

Sure, there are already a handful of options out there for extending the life of your iPhone / iPod battery, but since when have we been ones to gripe about a little competition? Kensington has just introduced a standard and miniature version of its Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone / iPod, which unsurprisingly provides juice to your device's internal battery and can be recharged simultaneously. As you could likely guess, the only differences between the two contraptions are the size, price and battery life; the 0.22-pound standard model extends play time to up to 100 hours (music) / 6 hours (talk), while the even tinier mini version livens things up for another 30 hours (music) / 3 hours (talk). Each is available now for $69.99 / $49.99.

We know, it's tiresome scouring the streets for an AC outlet when you've got oodles of sunshine surrounding you. That's where Devotec Industries' Solar Charger comes in. The smallest (and freshest) addition to the company's line weighs in at under 80-grams and measures just 95- x 43- x 10-millimeters, and packed within you'll find an 1800mAh battery. Of note, users can also juice up the device via USB or AC for when cloudy days swoop in, and it comes bundled with a slew of tips to handle the most popular handsets out there. Yeah, it does take a full day of sun (12-hours, to be precise) to get this thing fully charged (or 4-hours by AC / USB), but then again, it'll only set you back £19.99 ($40).

We've seen self-healing materials and artificial arms, but a team of researchers hailing from UCLA have taken two fabulous ideas and wed them together to create "an artificial muscle that heals itself and generates electricity." Put simply, the contracting / expanding of the material can generate a small electric current, which can be "captured and used to power another expansion or stored in a battery." The scientists have relied on carbon nanotubes as electrodes rather than metal-based films that typically fail after extended usage, and in an ideal world, the research could eventually lead to (more) walking robots and highly advanced prosthetics. Integrate an AC adapter in there and we're sold.

[Via CNET]

Sure, setting out for a trek around the globe sounds like fun and games at first, but when you plop down in that Welsh hotel and realize your US power adapter is worthless, terror can quickly ensue. Fret not, fellow argonauts, as the Universal Travel Adapter with USB Port has arrived to clear your mind of worry and ensure that your wares can be juiced up from almost anywhere. For $17, you'll get plugs for the US, UK, Europe and Australia, but it seems you're on your own if heading to another galaxy.

We were already fans of the Rotaliana MultiPot, which disguised a device-charging station and a lamp as a flowerpot, but we tend to charge our devices in the bedroom -- which means the company's new MultiBook is even more useful. Appearing at first to be just another hardcover book, the MultiBook opens to reveal several plug outlets and a lamp, and also features an alarm clock with a concealed display on the spine. That pretty much covers all the bedside bases -- but given the surprising violence with which we greet our alarm clock every morning, it might be best to keep all this stuff separate. Only available in a 220V version right now for €152 ($222), no word on when it might come stateside.

[Via Oh Gizmo]

USB devices do everything these days, including charge your gadgets with only the power provided by your breathing: specifically, the act of moving one's chest in and out. Just in case you thought this required sticking a gadget down your throat, see the image above and note that it's attached to the outside of the model's chest. The instructions for building your own breathing powered USB charger are over at instructables, and the kit only requires simple equipment like a spare CD drive, some elastic bands, and an electric circuit. You've got all that lying around, ain't ya? Well then, stick it all together and get breathing. Unfortunately, it only produces around 5 volts, so you'll have to breath a lot whole lot to get any meaningful charging time from this invention. And don't even think about attaching it to the cat.

[Via Gadgets-Weblog]

There's no shortage of green solar- or wind-powered ways to juice up your gadgets these days, but rarely do we see a charger that employs both together -- along with the reliable old power grid -- for sweet, sweet redundancy. The Hymini from startup MINIWIZ was first conceived by founder Arthur Huang in an MIT business class, and combines a micro turbine generator with a 1200mA/h lithium ion rechargeable battery that can also be filled via USB, AC, or an optional array of up to four miniSOLAR solar panels. According to published specs, the device -- which has yet to be priced or released -- will operate at wind speeds between 9mph and 40mph, with a 20-minute session in 19mph winds providing enough power for between four minutes of talk time (cellphone) and forty minutes of music playback (flash-based DAP). Very promising indeed, yet of limited utility until we find a gadget that ensures we don't leave all these handy supplemental charging products in the bottom drawer of our desk when we actually need them.

[Via Crave]

Relying on the sun to juice up your gadgetry is nothing new, but Brando has deviated from its cockamamie ways a bit and actually cranked out a product that is remarkably useful. The Universal Solar Charger was designed to fit neatly in your knapsack whilst traveling and provide power to any number of mobile devices via the use of adapters. Users can rely on sunlight or default to an AC outlet if stuck indoors, and most notably, the switchable voltage function allows you to handle a vast array of devices without damaging any circuitry. Unfortunately, the status quo of sub-$30 or so for a Brando gizmo has been shattered by this one, but if you're a worldwide traveler looking for portable (and renewable) power, $69 still ain't too bad.

While Ermenegildo Zegna made the plunge into high-end, electronic savvy outerwear last Fall, its newest piece ups the ante by allowing gadgetry that you keep on your person to be charged up whilst out and about -- sans batteries. The Solar JKT is based around Interactive Wear AG's iSolarX technology, and sports a number of solar modules around the neoprene collar that can pass energy through conducting textile leads for storage in a buffer battery or to charge a connected device directly. The jacket can even be switched from 5V to 6V in order to handle a more diverse group of gizmos, and integrated LEDs enable you to quickly view the state of the charge. Sadly, there's no mention of an expected pricetag for this uber-useful garb, but it will likely cater specifically to the affluent set when it hits the market as part of the 2008 Spring / Summer collection.

Judging solely by the shots available, it's not hard to agree with the sect that firmly believes Apple's first-party iPhone dock won't reserve a charging spot for its Bluetooth headset. But hey, that's what Chinese knockoffs are for, right? A full seven days before the iPhone's launch, 4Ustuff purportedly has an iPhone USB cradle for sale that undoubtedly provides the means to dock / charge your BT earpiece. Whether or not it'll actually work with Apple's products (or ship, for that matter), remains to be seen.

[Via Pocket-Lint]