TrulyObscure - article - gadgeteer - trulyrandom - Solio: Portable Solar Power

It happens to everyone: lost in a desert, no maps or directions, all out of batteries. And you really want to listen to your iPod… and maybe use your cell phone.

There’s a solution, it’s affordable, and for better or worse it doesn’t demand any MacGuyver techniques or Tesla-like command of electricity. It’s the Solio, a clever device with a variety of adapters, made to attach to and power your whole array of portables.

PDAs. Gameboys and PSPs and digital cameras. All powered by the same device. Sure, you might need to carry an extra adapter or cable for some of the devices- because you could have to use the standard go-between, the cigarette lighter plug. This may seem like a hassle, but it works easily enough.

Also, don’t forget- solar power takes time! The rays of the sun are unfortunately not powerful enough to charge your devices in minutes, and a full charge can take 10 hours or more. Of course, pray for clear skies, because rain, clouds, and even haze can really effect the charging time. Our tests showed that it can take a full day of indirect or muted sunlight to reach a full charge. The Solio works as a portable battery though, so it’s handy even simply as a backup power source.

For a device that weighs only 6 ounces, and folds up nicely to about the size of a paperback book, this gadget is pretty darn swell. Maybe in a few years we will all be wearing solar clothing and staying in solar hotels and living in solar harmony. Until then, the Solio ($99) is my top recommendation as a clean, environmentally friendly, easy to use device that the people on that island in Lost would die for.