Stylish Gadgets Run On Solar Power

Danny Seo Offers Some Cool Solar-Powered Products

(CBS)  Always running low on those pesky AA batteries? Soon they may be a thing of the past.

The Early Show environmental lifestyle contributor Danny Seo (www.dannyseo.com)looked at solar gadgets and gear that power themselves or help charge up your personal electronics in the final installment of a three-part series on solar energy.

The solar panels that you see on gadgets — including those inexpensive, light-powered calculators — use a photovoltaic cell that converts sunlight into electricity. The more direct sunlight it gets, the better the charge.

Most solar gadgets have built-in rechargeable batteries that store the power. rechargeable items such as cell phones and laptops need to be plugged into a solar battery in order to recharge their own battery. Smaller items, such as a calculator or a wristwatch, are charged and powered by their own photovoltaic cell.

Types of solar gadgets:

Solar calculators: One of the first consumer-friendly products using solar technology was personal calculators. First introduced in 1981 by Texas Instruments, almost all calculators are solar-powered today.

Light-powered watches: EcoDrive ($195, www.citizenwatch.com), by Citizen Watch Co., uses a built-in solar conversion panel that powers a fuel cell that runs the watch. Although there is no battery, it is designed to last for a lifetime of use.

Just wearing the watch on a regular basis is enough to power up the watch. It charges in both solar and artificial light. Because watch batteries contain a small amount of mercury, this solar watch is a green and non-toxic choice.

Hybrid chargers: Hybrid chargers are new to the market because they can accept power from either the traditional wall socket or solar power to store energy within the charger's internal rechargeable battery. They can be used for emergency situations to recharge cell phones and communication devices away from home. On the road, the fold-out solar panels in the charger can help re-power the charger.

Red Cross volunteers actually used Solio ($99.95, www.solio.com) devices to recharge cell phones during Hurricane Katrina when phone and power lines were down. A Solio device can recharge a cell phone up to two times when fully charged. And a fully-charged device will hold the charge for up to a year.

Solio is also launching a second-generation model that is compatible to all personal electronic adapters, so there won't be the need to find special plugs for specific items.

Foldable solar charger: The SunLing 25 Watt Foldable Solar Charger ($399.95, www.globalsolar.com) will charge up personal electronics quickly. This includes cell phones, iPods, digital cameras and camcorders. Because it is extremely flexible, it can be folded up and stashed in a backpack for easy transport. That makes it a practical choice for campers and hikers who travel with electronic equipment but may not have access to a power supply.

Emergency items: Solar-powered items can be handy during emergencies with power outages. Invest in a solar-powered emergency radio/flashlight combo from Foerever Flashlight Radio ($29.99, www.bedbathbeyond.com). This gadget uses both solar and "cranking" power. If there isn't any sunlight, you can use a built-in crank to generate power. It can also be powered by three "C" batteries.

Solar-powered batteries: Because batteries often wear out and need to be replaced, a good eco-friendly option is a rechargeable battery, which can be recharged and used up to 1,000 times. Sanyo's Eneloop solar charger recharges four AA rechargeable batteries. It also features a built-in USB port in the back, so you can plug in an iPod, cell phone or PDA at the same time as the batteries.

Gadgets for students: Harness the power of the sun with a messenger bag that can charge your cell phone or personal electronics. The Solar Flare messenger bag ($129.95, www.eclipsesolargear.com) has the style and functionality of a normal messenger bag with the addition of a solar charging module.

Wearable solar gear: Ermenegildo Zegna has designed the Solar JKT, an interactive wear jacket that has built-in solar modules around the collar of the jacket that pass energy through the conducting textile to a 6-volt built-in battery. You can plug in your cell phone and stash it in the pocket. A built-in LED display even gives the wearer status updates on the level of solar charging.

[ralan40]

Solar power will develop at the rate it is economically feesable to do. The prices seem high but as the mass market kicks in, it should improve.

[pegbundyii]

I bought small lantern style solar lights for my yard and garden back in 2001. They were $19.95 for four at the time. My husband, a Union Electrician, balked at the idea and told me that I wasted my money. They are still functioning perfectly today and he has eaten his words. The sun is free and we have loads of it here in Florida. My front gate and gardens are all lit up nicely at night. I am now going to look into the security lights shown on the Early Show. Great story!

[citizenusa-2009]

Wow! When my kids get old enough to study history and physics, I'm going to put them on my knee and relate the heartwarming tale of the true inception of Solar power. I'll leave out the reference to Kool-Aid, because that's all they drink and I don't want them having nightmares. I will however, tell them in detail about the degrees of highness that Daniel Baldwin experiences...they will definitely agree that is cool!

[titoplenty]

I think your mistaken CitizenUSA. I agree that , while high, he developed the concept for solar power and that he was infact on his way to his lawyers office to get it patented. This is where i think you have it wrong. He was not arrested, he just got even higher and forgot about solar power altogether. After stumbling around in a daze for several hours he got even higher still. That led to his rediscovering the concept for solar power. Again while on his way to his lawyers office to patent this idea he reached the apex of highness where he turned his attention to a lawsuit against Kool-Aid because "it's me whos cool, not some fat red jug. If that fat *** comes crashin through my wall when im high, ill show him whos COOL!" It was ultimately his lawyer who sifted through the crying , shaking ramblings about a fat red sunuvabitch powered by the sun that would get his *** kicked for killing Danny Baldwins buzz that patented the concept for solar power.

But you were close CitizenUSA

[citizenusa-2009]

While Daniel Baldwin was high, I believe he developed the concept of Solar Power. Before he could get to his attorney's office to have it patented, he was arrested. Shucks!

[my2centss]

We are years behind on solar. I read recently that a Chinese man has a company that perfected solar panels for heating. It said that for about $200 it could heat a house and hot water even in the coldest days of winter. The price in the US for comparable is much more.

[gmcnally2]

They do have cars that run on solar. Still getting the energy to make them comparable to today's gas burners is difficult. Right now, everywhere we go we take along 1-2 tons of steel with us. Need to lower the energy consumed and increase the energy available to make it viable, but it is not a pipe dream, we have had the technology for decades.

http://www.gizmag.com/go/6240/

[rushman71]

Now if they could start producing cars that would run on solar energy, then we won't have to deal with the oil and gas issues. I know that was a topic about 10 to 15 years ago, and I do recall seeing some being shown off, but it never clicked. Well, with the prices at the pump nowadays, don't ya think we should give this a shot. Oh yeah, I forgot, that would hurt the big oil companies. Ahhh, shucks!!!

[ibagman5]

Solar power generation seems to be a big trend this year. Many companies offering solar enabled clothing and bags, backpacks. A good overview on what is available is posted on http://www.talk2myshirt.com/blog/