Top 7 Solar-Powered Gadgets

The Solar Guru
Yes, your dream of having a cell phone that doesn't die on you halfway through the day can actually come true -- if you live in India. Samsung India's Solar Guru, the first solar phone on the market, takes 40 hours to get a full charge, but a hour of charging yields a useful 5 to 10 minutes of talk time. At $60, the price is right, too.

Solar Surge iPod and iPhone Cases
Novothink's Solar Surge iPod and iPhone cases are aimed squarely at the developed world, with official Apple certification and the ability to extend 3G talk time by 4 hours and audio playback by 20 hours at full charge. Thin-film solar cells emblazoned on the case capture sunlight, a lithium-ion battery stores energy for later use, and a set of LEDs offer the device's charging status. Novothink is currently selling the devices for $79.95 (iPhone) and $69.96 (iPod Touch).



Solar Camera Strap
Geek factor aside, this solar-powered camera strap from designer Weng Jie would be incredibly useful for making sure you never miss a shot. The strap charges your camera directly by feeding power into the battery port. That makes it impossible to stash a battery as a backup power supply, but the strap could be a handy backup in case the battery dies. No word on a potential release date, unfortunately.

The Solar Pebble
Plus Minus Solar's "Solar Pebble" is designed to replace the toxic and dangerous kerosene lamps that many people in the developing world use at night. This elegant solar lamp releases light for up to 12 hours and can juice up cell phones to boot. The Pebble is small enough to clip on a bike or carry around, but it packs enough punch to act as a light for camping or reading. Stay tuned -- the Pebble is set to be released this summer.



The Voltaic Generator Bag
It's hard to beat the Voltaic Generator laptop bag for all-purpose solar-powered charging. Previous Voltaic bags have only carried enough juice to power small gadgets, but the Generator can gather up to 14.7 watts of power -- enough to charge a laptop. It's pricey -- $600, to be exact -- but can you really put a price on freedom from outlets?

Solar LED Bulb
This ultra-durable, rainproof solar LED light bulb from Nokero keeps the lights on even when the power grid isn't up. The light, which measures 5 inches long and comes with 4 solar panels and 5 LEDs, gives off 4 hours worth of light when fully charged. Each bulb costs $15, but Nokero eventually hopes to lower the price to $6 to serve the 1.6 billion people that still use kerosene lamps.


The BoGo Light
The BoGo light is a solar-powered flashlight with a twist -- for every flashlight bought, one is donated to inhabitants of developing countries to replace those dangerious/toxic kerosene lamps that we mentioned above. And at just $25 for a mini BoGo, there's little reason not to buy one -- especially since BoGo lets you choose where your donation goes.

What's the most interesting thing you power with solar energy? Let us know below!

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