solar-powered
Latest
Scosche unveils solar-powered solCHAT Bluetooth speakerphone
If you happened to snag one of those Iqua Sun solar-powered Bluetooth headsets a few years back, you'll probably have no need whatsoever for this. For everyone else, listen up. The Scosche solCHAT Bluetooth speakerphone boasts an integrated solar panel and rechargeable Li-ion, and when installed within one's vehicle, it simply pairs up with BT-enabled handsets when in range in order to give drivers the ability to talk handsfree. The simply styled unit has just three visible buttons -- volume up, volume down and the all-important answer / hang-up key -- and it can be yours right now for $99.99. Oh, and just in case you live in some shadowy place like Seattle, a USB charging cable is also throw in -- just don't tell Mother Earth, alright?
IKEA starts selling totally hip SOLIG solar lighting devices
We've heard the excuse a gazillion times: "Yo, I want to go solar, but like, where do you even buy this stuff? Oh snap, 0 percent financing on a Hummer H2!" Finally, you can have a solid answer to that very quip (the first part, at least), as household megastore IKEA has begun stocking (in store; online is coming soon) a new series of solar-powered lighting supplies. The SOLIG series contains a handful of solar light sticks, orbs, garden lights, chain globes and even posts, all of which will surely brighten your outdoor patio, flower bed or Earth-friendly RV. Now, if only it were simple to relocate your life to southern Arizona in order to enjoy these more effectively...[Via Inhabitat]
MIT team develops solar car, boldly calls it Eleanor
When you name a custom built vehicle Eleanor, it better be good. It better be really good. But in fairness, the machine concocted by MIT's Solar Electric Vehicle Team is actually one of the more stellar creations we've seen on wheels. The newest iteration is a touch taller than prior versions and should be more comfortable to operate. Additionally, designers managed to increase the frontal area by 30 percent, all while keeping the drag area exactly the same. The juice comes from six square meters of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, and reportedly, the car can run all day long (providing the sun shines brightly the entire time) at a steady speed of 55 miles per hour. Eleanor will be competing later this year in the World Solar Challenge in Australia, and in preparation, the team is hoping to drive it across America this summer. So yeah, if you've ever wanted a summer to try hitchhiking, this would be it.[Via Wired]
SunCat batteries boast built-in solar charging wrappers
Solar chargers are a dime a dozen, but who honestly feels like carrying around rechargeable cells and a recharger? Guru Knut Karlsen has conjured up a far superior idea, and rather than just working up a few drawings and making us all feel dumb for not thinking of this first, he went out and proved that solar-charging batteries are definitely ready for production. In essence, he wrapped four C size NiMH rechargeable batteries with a few samples of flexible solar cells; by using a conductive silver pen and some flat wires from a broken Canon lens, he made a connection solid enough for trickle charging to occur. Moving forward, he'd like to install a capacity gauge as well as a method for faster charging, but we'd say this ain't half bad for a first attempt.[Via Inhabitat, thanks Sarvesh]
Samsung's Blue Earth is saving the world from behind glass
The entirety of civilization seems fairly well and dedicated to one-upping each other in the "green" department, and Samsung is looking to up the ante once again by stating that "blue is the new green" and putting out the new Blue Earth solar phone to prove it. Sadly, the Blue Earth isn't quite ready to go -- currently it's only to be seen in non-working mockup form, though the hardware is certainly looking good. Samsung's showing off its eco-packaging and built-in energy-saving functionality, including an "Eco Walk" function to let you know how many trees you save by walking places. The phone itself is built from castor bean extract and recycled plastic, and Samsung claims the integrated solar panel saves up to 34.6% of the battery's energy. They're also showing off a hand-crank generator, external solar chargers, and even a solar-charged stereo headset. It's clear that Samsung isn't just playing lip service to green (or blue, as the case may be) but at this point in time this technology is likely to act more as a gimmick and promise of things to come than a truly life-changing device.%Gallery-45170%
No charger required for the solar-powered DS 'Light'
If you're an environmentally conscious DS Lite owner with a proclivity for modding, you may want to check out a recent Instructable that shows how to craft a solar-powered DS "Light" using relatively inexpensive components. By attaching solar panels to the top and bottom of the system, you can get a sun-fueled trickle-charge which should keep you from ever needing to plug in your Gore-approved handheld ever again.Unfortunately, you have to leave your system lying on its easily blemished belly for a bit in order to get an adequate amount of power, but such is the cost of Earth's climatological salvation.[Via Engadget]
Toyota is definitely maybe developing solar-powered car
Around half a year ago, we heard that Toyota was engineering a Prius that would get part of its energy from the sun; now, we're seeing an eerily similar story from Japan suggesting that the plan is still on. In a rather odd report, it's noted that the automaker is "secretly (oh, is it now?) developing a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy," though it's also working on a partially solar-powered whip that'll come out long before the pure solar alternative. Regrettably, details beyond that are few and far between, though the premise here is completely reasonable given the current economy and the desire for automobiles that run on anything other than petroleum. Guess we'll check back in six months for yet another elusive report on the so-called progress.
Solar panel-packin' sunglasses power your gizmos, make Kanye inordinately envious
Before you get all "Oh, that comment was so heartless" on us, we will say that the spectacles you're peeping above are still a concept for now, though we wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that Kanye himself eventually funds their commercialization. At any rate, designers Hyun-Joong Kim and Kwang-Seok Jeong should be mighty proud of their concoction, which integrates dye solar cells into fashion-forward sunglasses in order to power your pocketable gadgets. Put simply, the SIG (Self-Energy Converting Sunglasses) convert the sunlight that they'll obviously see into usable energy, though it should be understood that these could give the impression that you're rockin' a head-mounted display. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?[Via Engadget Polska]
Energizer's Rechargeable Solar Charger gets detailed, pictured
You don't usually equate CES with big time Energizer introductions, but this year is going to be different. While our fingers are still crossed that a 50-foot drum-toting bunny is seen storming around in the Vegas heat, we do know that said outfit will be bringing along its minty fresh Zinc Air Prismatic batteries, not to mention the newly unveiled Rechargeable Solar Charger. The above pictured device will boast a USB port to power an assortment of devices, and it can also be charged from an AC outlet if you just can't seem to locate the sun. Better still, its weatherproof nature should make it suitable for argonauts, and it'll only run $49.99 with a pair of rechargeable cells when it lands next summer.
Solar Arcadia deals solar iPhone cases
Until Apple pumps out the next-gen iPhone with integrated solar cells, we suppose Solar Arcadia's solar-powered cases are your next best option. Available in both SideFlip and Leather Flip models, the cases not only offer relatively stout protection for your handset, but they also include a solar panel in order to give your mobile a few more minutes of life while you're out and about in the sun. Each one is constructed from ABS sheepskin and is available in either red, white or black (Leather Flip is black only) motifs; not too shabby for $45.95 -- just don't expect this thing to dramatically increase your time of use.[Via TUAW]
Solar-powered Voltaic Generator laptop bag gets reviewed
Voltaic's Generator solar bag first hit the scene at CES 2008, and it has just now begun to filter out to deep-pocketed, environmentally-friendly laptop owners. The crew over at Laptop Mag was able to take it for a spin, and overall, they seemed a bit perturbed by the whole thing. It was not particularly ergonomic, it always fell over on itself when sitting idly on the floor and it was just too heavy to be lugged around with any level of comfort. Furthermore, there aren't enough options for laptop connectivity, meaning that lots of people will probably be left in the cold due to the limited support for notebook models. Reviewers felt that $499 was simply too much to ask for such a cumbersome device, and if two hours of extra life is worth that much to you, you're probably better off buying another battery and donating the rest to a green cause.
Sony shows off stylish Hana-Akari solar-powered lamp prototype
We've seen a few attempts to turn solar cells into something a tad more fashionable, but this new so-called Hana-Akari prototype from Sony goes quite a bit further than most, with it employing a newfangled "dye-sensitized" technique to spruce up the otherwise drab solar cells. Apparently, Sony not only sees those being used to power the lamp itself (which appears to use LED lights), but other devices as well, although it seems to be keeping expectations somewhat in check by only showing it with a small fan. As you might have guessed, there's no indication of a release date for any actual products just yet, or a price for that matter, but Sony says that the dye-sensitized process itself is both cheap and effective.[Via BoingBoing Gadgets]
Solar Vertical Lamp: one more reason to close the blinds
Could everyone just dole out a round of golf claps for Yoon-Hui Kim and Eun-Kyung Kim? Swell, thanks. These two designers have conjured up something that any second-rate hotelier (we kid... kind of) would love, as the Solar Vertical Lamp provides an eco-friendly (and eye-catching) alternative to those drab lamps from the 1980s. With the blinds open, you'll hardly notice anything unusual, but all the while tiny solar pads are being charged up; when time comes to shut these very blinds, a lighting instrument appears to brighten the otherwise darkened room. Brilliant, right?[Via Inhabitat]
Helios solar concept car is bird-like in that it evolved from lizards, has wings
We'd stick out if we were to drive the Helios concept car down the Long Island Expressway or the 405, but almost every other solar-powered car we've seen looked like an old Trabant cursed with further ugliness by a wicked witch, so considering the circumstances we're impressed. The sadly-only-on-paper vehicle netted designer Kim Gu-Han the Best Use of Technology award at the 2008 Interior Motives Design Awards for its frill-neck lizard-inspired solar fan, which unfolds when the car is immobile. If the renders are any indication, though, it's meant only for Martians -- please tell Marvin we're jealous, cause the eco-friendly cars we get now generally look like they were designed by someone with all the exuberance and colorful panache of Al Gore.
Husqvarna's solar-powered Automower headed to the US
Husqvarna's plain old battery-powered Automowers have been available in the US for some time now, but it looks like the company's solar-powered hybrid model is now finally making the trip across the pond as well. From the looks of it, the model is the same one we caught sight of back in March, with the 22-pound mower promising to handle lawns up to half an acre in size and not emit a single emission whilst it does its business. As with the regular models, it'll also return to its base to speed up the charging process when it gets low on juice. Unfortunately, there's no word on a price or release date just yet, though we wouldn't expect it to sell for too much less (if any) than the £2,000 (or just over $3,000) it sold for in the UK. Husqvarna will apparently have more to say about that at the Green Industry and Equipment Expo that's now getting underway in Louisville, Kentucky.[Via The Raw Feed]
New solar generator system from Solyndra is totally tubular
We all know the internet is not a big truck, and the rolling blackouts in California not that long ago showed our power grid isn't either. Part of the solution could be a series of tubes, a new type of solar generator from a company called Solyndra that replaces the usual square solar roof panels with something that would make Senator Stevens proud. The company's photovoltaic rods are able to catch rays from any direction, meaning they don't need to be tilted to point at the sun. Also, since they're not shaped like a silicon kite, they don't need the same big, beefy installation brackets. This cuts installation costs in half and has helped to drive $1.2 billion in orders from eager would-be customers of this three-year-old startup. Want to see 'em for yourself? Head on down to the Solar Power International Expo next week in sunny San Diego.[Via Make]
Sharp shows off 52-inch solar-powered LCD TV at CEATEC
We've seen some fairly fascinating things at CEATEC this year, but this one could be the biggest game-changer of 'em all, if you'll allow us just one buzzword. The LED-backlit 52-incher you see above comes attached to a not-at-all convenient solar floor panel which presumably provides at least some of the energy required to power this thing. We've no clue how close the design is to being viable for the commercial realm, but we'd say Sharp's definitely headed in the right direction here.
KDDI au concept phones explained and pictured
We got the low-down (well, at much of a low-down as one can get from thematic designers) on KDDI's latest au concept phones here at CEATEC, and the themes are -- are you sitting down? -- space and soup atomic elements. No, we didn't make that up. If you're still with us, hit the break for some pictures and explanations.
Japanese firms to partially propel cargo ship via solar panels
First things first -- when we say "partially" propel, we mean partially. Nippon Yusen and energy distributor Nippon Oil are teaming up to spend around $1.37 million in order to equip a car-hauling cargo ship with 328 solar panels. Rather than just provide energy for the crew's on board entertainment system, it will be the first solar installation to actually produce a smidgen of power for the boat's engine. If successful, the panels would provide 0.2% of the ship's energy consumption for propulsion, and they're hoping to raise that to a whopping 1% by 2010. Gives a whole new meaning to "baby steps," huh?
Oregon begins building first "solar highway" project
Just over a year ago, we passed off a far-out proposal that would turn highways into wind farms. Now, however, the state of Oregon is proving that such feats are actually within reach as it breaks ground on the first so-called "solar highway" demonstration project. The project will be installed at the Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 interchange in Tualatin, where it will cover around 8,000 square feet and produce 112,000 kilowatt hours per year. The total cost for the 104-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system is $1.3 million, and believe it or not, it should be completed and operational in December of this year.[Via Digg]
