Putting an array of solar panels on your roof to power your home is still an expensive proposition. But portable solar chargers are getting more and more affordable all the time — and now a Kickstarter campaign is aimed at raising money for a portable charging solution called the SunVolt. The SunVolt is a messenger […]
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SolarKindle case for the Kindle Touch coming April 15th
The SolarKindle is a case for Kindle eBook readers which features a solar-panel and battery for charging your eReader, as well as a solar-powered booklight. Solar Focus started shipping a SolarKindle case for the Kindle 4 in February. Now the company is taking pre-orders for a SolarKindle for the Kindle Touch. It’s expected to start […]
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Intel to demo solar powered processors, chips with built-in WiFi
Intel is bringing a couple of interesting prototypes to the International Solid State Circuits Conference this week, including new processors with integrated WiFi capabilities and a low-power chip that can be powered by a solar cell. Solar powered (or just really low power) processors Both chips are just experimental prototypes at the moment, but they […]
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SolarKindle solar-powered Kindle case now shipping
The SolarKindle is a case for the Kindle eBook reader with a built-in booklight, a battery, and a solar panel. Just set the case out in the sunlight when you’re not using it and it will collect some rays and charge the battery. When you connect your Kindle to the case, the backup battery will […]
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OLPC’s ARM-based tablet, laptop can run on solar power alone
Modern computers aren’t just a lot faster than the PCs you probably used ten or fifteen years ago — they also use a lot less power. But most computers designed to run desktop operating systems still use enough energy that they can’t, say, run directly off the power generated by a small solar panel. But […]
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Hands-on with the SolarKindle solar-powered Kindle case (video)
The SolarKindle is a solar-powered case for Amazon Kindle readers. Sure, most cases don’t actually need power, but this one has a built-in battery which you can use to charge your eReader — even when there’s no sunlight around. SolarFocus announced the product this week and plans to start shipping it around January 15th for $79.99. […]
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SolarKindle case charges your eReader… with sunlight
There are two really cool thinks about eBook Readers with E Ink displays. First, their high contrast displays are easily readable outdoors in direct sunlight. Second, they use so little power that they can run for weeks, or even months at a time without charging. A company called SolarFocus has decided to make the most […]
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Voltaic launches solar-powered, laptop-charging backpack
Voltaic Systems has been making backpacks and laptop cases with built-in solar chargers since 2004. But so far most of the company’s backpacks have only generated enough electricity to charge small items such as phones, cameras, or tablets. Now Voltaic has introduced a new 10W backpack called the Array which can charge a laptop computer. […]
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Samsung NC215 solar netbook now shipping for $392 and up
The Samsung NC215 netbook is the first 10 inch laptop to ship with a solar panel on the lid. In direct sunlight you can charge the netbook for two hours to get about one hour of run time. Samsung first announced the NC215 netbook a few months ago at an event in Kenya. It’s a […]
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OLPC tablet could feature solar panels, satellite internet access
The folks at One Laptop Per Child have been promising to offer a $100 tablet for the past few years, and now founder Nicholas Negroponte says it could be available early next year. Of course, cheap tablets are nothing new. We’ve seen dozens, if not hundreds, of inexpensive Android tablets come out of China in the […]