Tag: Solar Power

SparkFun Electronics came up with a neat idea for a set and forget file server. The Rogue Router can power itself using one of SparkFun’s new solar panels, so you can place it even in remote locations.

I’m sure there is an elegant way to turn a jacket into a garment that collects energy from some source, be it solar, kinetic, auditory or what have you, and dispenses it to your devices.This is not that jacket.

Last week in the California desert, a $2.2 billion solar plant opened that creates electricity by harnessing solar energy. Rather than using traditional solar panels, this facility has hundreds of mirror-like reflectors that shoot the sunlight at a tower filled with water in the center of the mirror arrays.

You probably don’t give much thought about the artificial light that’s available around you. But hundreds of millions of people don’t have access to electricity;  many of these people use kerosene lamps at night, which are not only costly but harmful.

Redditor anders202 built a boombox that’s perfect for summer parties. It’s called the Boominator, a solar-powered boombox that was designed by diyAudio member Saturnus back in 2007. Unlike its battery-devouring ancestors, the Boominator not only runs on free energy, it also gathers and converts enough solar power to charge mobile devices.

Canadian telecommunications company WeWi will soon be launching a solar-powered notebook called the SOL Laptop. While it’s not the first of its kind, it has at least one impressive feature that makes it one to watch: WeWi claims that the built-in solar panels can charge the laptop in just 2 hours.

Signal Snowboards has invented one of the most fun ways to charge a gadget: juicing up while snowboarding. The company made a one-of-a-kind snowboard that’s topped with solar panels (and most likely a battery), letting it act as a solar charger even while being used.

If you’ve used a consumer-grade portable solar charger, then you know that it takes them a considerable time to do their job. That’s why Don Cayelli invented SunVolt, which he claims can recharge gadgets at “outlet-like” speeds.

If you have an abundance of mobile devices and sunlight, then you’ll find a solar charger handy. Admittedly, this one from Brando isn’t the prettiest charger – or ornament – you’ll see, but it does make up for it in versatility and price.

If you’re in the market for a Bluetooth wireless speaker, then check out the Rukus Solar from Eton. The whole device is solar-powered, and connects to smartphones and other devices via Bluetooth or cables.

I would love one day for solar panels to be efficient enough that they could power electric vehicles, and maybe save me some money on my house electric bill in the Texas summer heat with solar power.

While it’s not as lazy user-friendly as the Roomba, the Solar-Charged Remote Control Electric Lawn Mower invented by coder/tinkerer/not The Cure frontman Robert Smith is still more convenient than using traditional lawn mowers, and is most likely not as expensive as the ride-on mowers either.

The winner of this year’s James Dyson Award may not be a high-tech smartphone or some other exciting consumer product, but it is innovative and most importantly very practical. Invented by Edward Linnacre, a student at the Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, the AirDrop Irrigation system condenses water vapor from the surrounding air and turns it into water.

Real bonsai can be very beautiful and relaxing, but they also require much skill, care and effort. Vivien Muller’s plastic bonsai on the other hand is easy to use and actually takes care of you. Or at least your gadgets.

Just like Superman, Samsung’s new NC215S is powered by the Sun. Will it make it the ultimate go to laptop for people on the road? It makes perfect sense to integrate a solar panel into the lid of a laptop, because you can charge it quite easily when you’re not using it.

When the sun comes out, it’s time to play. At least, that’s what we’ve all been singing about ever since we were wee little children with Rain, Rain, Go Away. I love to hit the beach when the weather’s perfect and it’s just the right kind of sunny.