More interesting news from the electronic book reader department: shortly after Barnes & Noble announced plans to unveil the first color eReader, it looks like LG is vying to put out the first solar-powered digital book reader.

The reader from LG Display will be equipped with a solar cell developed in-house, allowing the device to charge about a day’s worth of reading time with 4 to 5 hours of exposure to sunlight.

The 6-inch display panel will employ a thin-film solar cell that is both lightweight and small enough to avoid adding extra bulk to the eReader at a mere 0.7mm thick (about the width of a credit card). The solar LG reader could help stave off the worry about running out of battery life in the middle of an engrossing reading session.

Because the energy requirements of E-Ink based eReaders are already fairly low, however — with power generally required only to refresh a page — LG’s solar reader might not end up being quite the game changer they’re probably hoping for. And with Amazon aggressively trying to keep the Kindle in the lead with its recent price cut and international version, LG will have to hustle to find a class of very heavy readers (or very environmentally-conscious folks) to market this to.

Still, a solar-powered eReader might be just the ticket for frequent travelers and researchers or others who have a tendency to be off the grid for long stretches of time. Would you consider picking up a solar-powered reader over the currently-available slate of eReaders, and if so what price point would it have to be to make it worth your while?

[via Inhabitat]

The solar shade is made of thin film technology, which uses other compounds, not silicon.  It is not quite as efficient as silicon, but can be made to fit flexible surfaces, which provides a lot of applications.  The cost of thin film can still be a litle expensive as the technology contains to advance..

I love seeing innovation in the solar space like this product.  Can’t begin to imagine how solar will shape our lives over the coming years as the price continues to drop and application makes its way through all types of materials and uses..

The solar plant is expected to come online in early 2010 and offset 10% of Crayola’s electricity.

Crayola has already taken many steps to go green and reduce it’s dependence, by decreasing its consumption of natural gas by 19%, electrical usage by 11% and waste by 40%.  In fact, Crayola recycles roughly 70% of its waste currently.

Another benefit is the temperature reduction.  Most standard type solar cells degrade in efficiency if the solar cells get really hot.  Unlike conventional solare panels, the solar panels from Green Sun only utilize visible and ultraviolet light and don’t concentrate heat.

These solar panels capture light and direct it to the edges, which contain the silicon cells that convert light into electricity.  This design also allows the solar panels to produce electricity even if sunlight isn’t falling directly on the solar panels, such as during cloudy days.

Check out this video on How they work

Nothing can be more irritating than having a phone going to have a drained-out battery when you have an important call to make. In fact, this can be a hassle for many folks, including business folks as they rely on iphones and PDA’s to stay plugged in. How would the idea of charging all the batteries of your electrical components with the help of some solar system roll in your minds? This may seem to be quite impossible for you but as a matter of fact, this has become quite possible due to the recent advancements. USB solar chargers have been developed to change that. Now there is no need to worry about charging the batteries of your electrical items because you have USB solar chargers to help.

The best part of these USB solar chargers is that they are very portable. If you are going to have some picnic or any other scouting or camping then these solar chargers are best for you. Moreover, there are many cheap chargers available in the market and you have plenty of choices to make.

Here are few solar chargers mentioned which can be of great help if you are planning to buy a solar charger soon.

1. Sun drive – This is indeed a great USB solar charger launched by ZyRUS. This charger really sent a rave around the world. This was specially targeted for those who want to charge their MP3 players, mobiles or IPods.  Moreover, the price is also very low. One charge by it would provide you to give 100 minutes of talk time. The site is in Japanese, but when you arrive, just click on the top link to convert to English…then look under Products for “Sun Drive”.
   
2. Kodak Solar Charger KS100-C+2 – This is a revolutionary product from Kodak. This is a fantastic charger which can fulfill all of your needs of charging Ipods, mobiles and MP3 players. It can be charged easily with the help of computer. This charger is bit expensive as compared to the above two chargers.
3. Solar Hybrid Chargers Available in many vivacious colors and shapes, these chargers are very robust and they are extremely portable. You can charge them with the help of sunlight and this makes your job much easier. This is the reason that many people love to keep these chargers while getting out from homes.
4. Kinesis K3 – Another fantastic addition in the league of solar chargers. This charger can be helpful in charging many devices such as mobiles, PDA’s, cameras and MP3 players. These chargers are also very portable and light-weight.
5. SolarMonkey – Numerous features, it can be charged with the help of sunlight as well as any other incandescent light. This is also very portable and you can keep it in your luggage bags.
6. Thanko – Cost effective and very cheap solar charger…can easily charge your cameras and mobiles.  This site is in Japanese and I don’t believe it’s translated to English.
   
7. Do It Yourself Solar Charger – If you want to make your own solar charger then it is also possible because there are many recommended guides available on internet. So start following any good guide and make your own portable solar charger to help you out.

Solar Powered USB Charger – Cheap And Easy To Make! – The best bloopers are a click away

The use of solar panels and the cost savings they produce continues to impact our everyday lives…

Woohoo, Go Ohio!

The new Solar Powered Bluetooth Car Kit will be an important accessory for your vehicle. The kit comes with a Caller ID LCD display and the Bluetooth 2.0 wireless technology. The handsfree Bluetooth car device allows the drivers to use their mobile phones without having to engage one hand to hold the phone while driving.

The handsfree device can be clipped onto the vehicle’s sun visor or the windshield as per your comfort. The device makes use of the solar energy to charge itself. In case the sun is not all that bright, the device charges itself using the built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery.

The device comes with a reversible display and is meant to provide people with a safe drive. The user friendly device comes with a LCD display that shows the incoming number and the name of the caller.

The device allows you to perform various actions like rejecting calls, answering calls, dialing numbers with maximum ease. The device also features a Phonebook support with the callback option so that you do not miss important calls.

Certified by CE and FCC, the device has a frequency range of 2.4 spectrum and can be operated at a temperature between -10c to 55 c.

The kit provides complete safety to busy drivers and the installation and setup of the kit is as easy as ABC. The device comes with a full Duplex System with DSP Technology, Noise Suppression and Echo Cancellation and Backlit Display to allow users to use the device in the night.

The Kit contains:

• Model CVSB-CS05 Solar Powered Bluetooth Car Kit
• Transparent device stand/cradle
• Transparent device mount
• Car charger with USB connection
• USB to DC 5V power cable
• 2x Plastic suction cups for windshield attachment
• Instruction booklet – English

With dimensions reading 104mm x 55m x 16mm (L x W x H), the device is extremely portable and easy to carry. The device encapsulates buttons/inputs for the following purposes:

- Power on/off
- Volume adjustment
- Multi-function Button
- USB port to update software and charge the device
- LCM Display

Source: http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.php/pName/solar-powered-bluetooth-car-kit-caller-id-lcd-display/

Chances are that you saw the term ‘Sole Power Tiles’ online recently. They were launched earlier this year at the American Institute of Architects 2009 National Convention and Design and has been a major topic of conversation since. The Sole Power Tiles were designed by SRS Energy and is the first building-integrated photovoltaic roofing product. It has been specially designed for curved roofing systems.

SRS Energy in unison with the American recyclable tile manufacturing company, US Tile came up with the Sole Power Tiles in the first month of 2009. The products made by the two companies come in various attractive styles and are made of materials that blend perfectly with curved roofing tiles. These tiles are fantastic replacements for the old solar panels that you might have been using for a long time. Sole Power tiles ride high on style and save you a lot of money. They generate electricity by making use of the solar energy much more effectively than any solar panel in the past.

The tiles make use of flexible solar-cell by Uni-Solar to generate as much as 500 watts of electricity per 100 square feet when used on 25% of the roof area. Sole power tiles come installed with traditional clay tile products and the tiles are lighter as compared to the orthodox ceramic tiles.

The failure of one solar tile does not mean that all solar tiles would fail to function. Other tiles continue to function even if one particular tile stops functioning. Dimensions of the tiles are 33 by 18 inches and these tiles come with a full warranty. Currently the tiles are available in blue color but you can expect a wide range of colors to hit the stores in the near future.

Similarly Lumenta’s Solar S tiles are being manufactured for profiled tile roof systems. The Solar flat tiles form a great mélange with the traditional clay and concrete products and are manufactured for flat roofs.

Source: http://www.solarfeeds.com/energy-boom/8756-stylish-roof-solar-panels-are-coming.html

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