We rely a lot on our smartphones to do just about everything. It’s not just about phone calls. We listen to music, we play games, we watch videos, we update Facebook… and all of these drain our batteries like there’s no tomorrow. Literally, because most smartphone batteries barely make it through the day.

That’s why there are so many chargers and backup battery solutions these days and one of the best could be the ReVIVE Solar ReStore XL. It’s got a solar panel and a whopping 4000mAh of internal juice, giving you enough to recharge most smartphones two times over. Better yet, it’s on sale for 60% off the regular retail price.

At 6.7″ x 3.6″ x 0.8″ and 8 ounces, the ReVIVE Solar ReStore XL is roughly the same size as your cell phone, making it easily portable for wherever your day may take you. The solar panel has a 300mA charging rate in direct sunlight, getting enough energy “to charge most phones after only 4-6 hours.” You can also recharge it via USB, checking on its charge level via the 4-level LED indicator.

Pick up this solar portable battery pack on Amazon for $44.99, including free super saver shipping.

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Keeping all your various portable gadgets charged on the go can be quite the challenge, especially when you can’t be tethered to a wall for hours at a time. So, the Quirky community has come up with a product called the Ray and this solar powered charger looks to be pretty useful.

The Ray Solar Charger certainly isn’t the first solar charger on the market, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less useful. If you have a window, you can stick the Ray to it using hte silicone suction cup. Sitting at a desk? Use the tilting kickstand and charge up that way. All you need is some sun.

Power comes out through the USB port and the internal battery can store enough energy for a full phone charge. I can’t seem to find the mAh rating, so take that how you will. The original idea for Ray came by way of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania’s Brandon Craven. It was then tweaked by 988 “influencers” on Quirky.

In any case, you can hit up the presale now for $39.99. As I write this, they’ve hit 524 of the 2000 required commitments.

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The Amp is a small square solar pack, meant for a mobile portable in your hands solution.  The Fuse is a bit larger, will strap on to an existing backpack and give you the same amount of power as the Switch, which is the same size as the Fuse, just adds a bit more storage space.

Specifications

• Two high-efficiency solar panels that together generate up to 4 Watts of power
• 3,000 mAh, 11 Watt-hour Lithium Polymer battery with integrated USB port
• 9 common adapters for easy connection to most phones and other handheld electronics
• USB Charging Cable for devices and Charging Cable for Voltaic Battery
• Switchable solar output Voltage between 6 and 12 Volts, providing ability to charge DSLR camera, video camera and other devices with 7.4 Volt batteries directly from solar power.

Voltaic Systems

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It’s easy to win, just head on over to this post and answer our question to readers in the comments.  This contest is open to the US and Canada only.  We will announce a winner on Monday, August 9th on this page.

[Enter Contest, Novothink]

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Kiwi U-Powered Solar Charger

How many times have you been on the go, out the door, and then found that your cell phone battery is at one bar? Or on a ride only to realize you forgot to charge your iPod or any other mobile device? It’s happened to the best of us at the worst of times. Of course you could always use a car charger, but what if you were on a bike? On a hike? In the forest with nothing but a backpack, a cellphone, your iPod and a can of bear mace? Your best bet is going to be a solar charger. The company KiwiChoice has a new charger that may be right for you.

The Kiwi U-Powered charger is a compact device with it’s own built in lithium polymer 2000 mAh battery that is good for more than one thousand charges. The economically priced charger folds out from a central pivot revealing three solar panels, when closed the device fits in the palm of your hand. The back side of the unit has a magnet so it can be stuck to metal objects, if you have no metal it can be hung from a backpack, maybe put on a hat (direct rays!), or lay out on the grass while you and that special someone enjoy a picnic or play a PSP game in the sun. The device also has a USB port and car charger function, so the battery can be charged prior to an outing then tapped as needed.

According to the website the built in battery takes about seventeen hours to charge in fairly decent sunlight, much longer under moderate cloud cover and probably would never charge on a real gloomy day. To those who need power but have no access to an outlet this solar feature still brings hope. And of course the solar energy is completely “green”.

Or is it? Before all our environmentally minded tech brothers start hugging each other, or trees, let’s not over look the estimate that the average solar panel needs about seven years of continuous use to generate as much power as was used to manufacture it. When all is said and done, even if the panel was used as a primary charging device for several years your carbon dioxide footprint would still be larger than if you just charged your phone or other portable device from the wall. Not to mention the amount of gasoline burned, energy used and carbon dioxide released driving to and from the electronics store to buy the gadget.

Still back on the bright side, no pun intended, the Kiwi U-Powered charger is affordable being listed on it’s website for $49.99, convenient, and probably a lot of fun.  It’s quite similar to the first generation of Soldius solar chargers we took a look at a couple years back, just a tad more affordable.  Eco friendly or just plain friendly, this device is worth checking out if you often pull yourself away from a conventional power source, but still can’t pull yourself away from the mobile devices you love.  Keep in mind it’s far from revolutionary,

The post Kiwi U-Powered charger provides greenish solar power appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Arctic C1 Solar USB Charger

Arctic cooling today unveiled their latest device to keep us powered up and ready to go, the Arctic C1 Mobile USB Charger with Solar Panel. It’s a USB powered unit that packs solar energy in to a 4400 mWh lithium-ion rechargeable battery which can also be charged via your notebook’s USB port by reversing the included cable.

The whole thing measures only 4.3 x 1.7 x 0.4-inches, weighs 52g, and ships with adapters for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and Motorola phones.  The neat thing about it is that it does have a USB port, so you can use your regular USB charging cable from your iPhone or iPod to power your gadgets and not worry about any adapters at all.

It will sell for a mere $24.60 USD, but no word on when it will be available just yet.

The post Arctic C1 mobile USB solar charger is so hot it’s cool appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Joos Orange Solar Power Appliance

Joos Orange is not a new flavor of OJ out of California, it’s a “personal solar appliance” meant to deliver 2.5 hours of cell phone talk time for each hour it basks in the sun.  The company Solar Components, claims their appliance is capable of converting the sun’s rays into 20 times the power that current personal solar power charging products are capable of delivering, and for only $100.

With Joos Orange originating from California where the sun is stronger and more direct for a longer portion of the day, how much efficiency will be lost in other areas of the world?  It’s quite difficult to accurately estimate solar charging times since the sun is never the same intensity in different geographical locations.

What  the Joos Orange does have though, is  the highest efficiency mono-crystalline solar cells available on the market today.  This guarantees the highest solar efficiency wherever you may be charging, and with “state-of-the-art electronics” it will stay on the maximum power point  in any light, even starting off from a completely dead battery.  Other design features allow for charging via USB from the internal 20 watt hour Lithium-ion polymer battery.  It’s also rugged and waterproof, using a polycarbonate case encapsulated in urethane to last for many years of outdoor use, and with a non-yellowing urethane instead of an epoxy-based coating, it won’t turn yellow in the sun after.

Shipping in June 2010 for $99, the Joos “juice” Orange measures 5.8 x 8.6 x 0.8-inches, it will come with a miniUSB connector and 2-6 different adaptors (depending upon configuration). A free application will allow users to view what Joos Orange is doing on their computer so there’s no mystery.

"Microprocessor-based maximum power point capability, LED status lights for power production and battery status, along with a low light and a dead battery circuit, and can also be recharged by any USB power source."

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I live where solar chargers are not always a practical solution, since most days spent under gloomy-gray cloud conditions.  Well, you’re in for a treat with this little device.  The Solar Egg, designed to work with only medium levels of natural sunlight for more power demanding devices.  The Egg has an internal 500mAh battery (which might be the yolk) can reach a 90% battery charge with just 4 hours of moderate sunlight using XPAL’s battery expertise and Intivation’s SunBoost solar conversion technology.

XPAL has been working with Energizer for almost a year now, they produce all kinds of rechargeable power packs and emergency charger products for all types of mobile electronic devices. Paul Naastepad, CEO for Intivation, said in a statement that, “For years, people have been struggling to use solar chargers in the Western world with several issues. Either they simply don’t work with lower levels of sunlight, or they charge so slowly that it’s not worth it.”

The Solar Egg was built to power a variety of devices, from phones to MP3 players, it should be available in March for “select areas” then released globally later on in 2010.

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