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MiniWIZ debuts solar-powered Solarbulb lamp / bottle cover
We haven't heard a whole lot from MiniWIZ since it introduced its Hymini wind / solar charger quite a while back, but the company looks to have rolled into CES with at least one new offering: the seemingly 2001-inspired Solarbulb lamp. To complete the device, however, you'll have to supply your own bottle, which attaches to the bottom and can be filled with water to provide a sturdy base and some sure to be soothing lighting. The lamp itself is supposedly fully weatherproof and apparently charges in just 3-4 hours of daylight, with it able to store enough energy to provide about six hours of continuous night lighting. Unfortunately, there's no word on a price or release date just yet, though the replacement bulbs will apparently set you back between $23 and $25 apiece.[Via Inhabitat]
HYmini alternative power source specs and pricing revealed
Upstart MINIWIZ managed to attract our attention with its HYmini alternative power source last fall, but it unfortunately didn't have all the specs we could have asked for or, more importantly, a price. In case you missed it, the HYmini device itself makes use of wind power to recharge the integrated battery, which in turn can be used to charge your various gadgets. If wind's not an option, however, you can also make use of the optional solar panel, or simply plug it into an outlet and power it up the old fashioned way. As MINIWIZ has now revealed, the device also comes with five different connectors to accommodate most anything in your gadget bag, and you'll be able to snag a bike or armband kit to make full use of that wind power. If that sounds like what you've been waiting for, you can grab the basic HYmini package now for $50, with the solar panel running an extra $25 and the bike and armband kits demanding $9 and $15, respectively.[Via SlashGear]
Innovative Hymini charges gadgets using sun, wind, AC, or USB
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]
