In a move right out of Iron Man, it has been reported that the British military is funding research into outfitting soldiers with wearable solar cells. Now solar power isn’t exactly new, but this is certainly a new use for the tech.
These solar powered outfits are intended to cut down on the weight soldiers have to lug around hostile terrain. Current word has this tech being able to cut that weight down by as much as one half. Not bad. Every bit helps right? These outfits are also designed to absorb energy, which reduces the risk of being spotted by infrared technology.
A prototype will be unveiled in 2013 and there is no word as to when they will go into production. Too bad it’s not in time for the ..read more
Posted in: Concept Design, Solar Power, Wearable Tech
Voltaic Systems is the king of solar powered wearable tech, so it comes as no surprise that they would extend their energetic arm to the world of iPads. But, not just Apple’s tablet baby. The Spark Tablet Case also powers other tablets, including the iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
The product offers a 1:1 energy ratio, and promises 1 hour of power for your favorite tablet with one hour of solar charging. No more hunting out there in the wild for a power outlet. Now you can go out there and hunt for the sun, which is considerably easier. Unless, of course, you live in Greenland or the dark side of the moon.
The case offers some soft padding so your pad won’t get dinged up by all of that energy. ..read more
Posted in: Accessories, Green, Solar Power, Voltaic, iPod Integration
Designer Adam Hammerman created this nifty concept design he calls the Uplink Audio Strap. It connects to a variety of MP3 players and acts as a surrogate for headphones. It features four ultrasound speakers, meaning you are the only person who can hear the music.
The device also has flexible solar panels. This means it requires no power or batteries. You just gotta run out in the open air, with the sun shining down on you, and you are set.
Of course, like a lot of neat tech, this is a concept design for now. We’ll keep you updated on when and if the design will enter retail outlets.
Posted in: Accessories, Solar Power
Picture this. You are in the Yucatan rainforest with your camera, trying to snap some sweet pics. Then you run out of juice! You are screwed right? Not necessarily, especially if you’ve got your hands on this camera strap concept that uses the power of the sun to charge your beloved spirit capturer.
This attractively designed strap is designed to extract the sun’s vital juices and inject them right into your camera. It works and it looks great to boot. The downside? It’s only a concept for now. Our advice? Avoid the Yucatan until it starts showing up on store shelves.
Posted in: Accessories, Camera, Solar Power
Casio is doing a lot of cool things in their watch division lately. Their latest conquest? The solar-powered Pathfinder watch. How green can you go! Apparently, very green indeed. Not only is the inherent use of this watch green, but the color is green too. Double green madness!
The Casio Pathfinder PRG110C- 3 uses a tiny solar cell built into its face. Also, this thing is not just a watch. It’s perfect for you explorers out there, as it also includes an altimeter, barometer, thermometer and a digital compass. Just think. You can be the next Amerigo Vespucci. Or at least, his assistant.
The company hasn’t announced when this watch will be available but all bets are on soon. It will cost you around $250 and, at first, it will be available exclusively ..read more
Posted in: Casio, Solar Power, Watches
About 9 months ago, Voltaic announced that they would be creating a solar bag that would be able to generate enough juice to power a notebook. It seems like this ambitious project might be coming to fruition.
The lofty ambitions of Voltaic would make this the most powerful solar bag on the market. A tall 17w of power generation comes from cutting edge solar cells that are super efficient. So far the Voltaic shop says coming soon but the MoMA store shows it for $598 and available August 30th!
We sit impatiently to see if this bag can deliver on the promise it made. If in fact it does perform as advertised, this would be a huge step in solar tech. We are rooting for you Voltaic!
Posted in: Bags, Green, Solar Fashion, Solar Power, Voltaic
The ILLUM cycling jacket is the brain child of Goose Design and PDD, a creative design and product design agency respectively. This is the coolest concept cycling jacket that we have seen to date. Not only is it sharp but it uses tech clothing to bring style and safety to cycling.
The ILLUM jacket is a photovoltaic, aka solar powered, garment that uses electroluminescent ink to provide safety and sharp looks for today’s cutting edge cyclist. The design spans 360 degrees around the upper body of the cyclist and uses red lights to illuminate the back of the jacket while using white light to illuminate the front. These elements are sewn into ergo designed panels in the jacket. Also incorporated into the design are the solar charging elements located in ..read more
Posted in: Concept Design, Goose Design, Jacket, Light Emmiting Fabric, PDD, Safety, Solar Fashion, Solar Power, Sports, Sportswear
Mobilefun brings us a useful iPhone case. This case has solar panels to charge your thirsty iPhone on the go. The efficient glass solar cell is mated with a 1500mAh battery to charge the iPhone fully and can charge with inside light as well. There is also a USB attachment for direct charging. In two colors, black and white, for $54.00 this can be a useful purchase.
Posted in: Mobilefun, Solar Fashion, Solar Power, iPod Fashion
Noon Solar is back with the new Sawyer line of solar bags. This messanger style bag has plenty of storage and pockets.
The bags come with power bank, all the essential standard cable and cable plugs specific for our devices which you have to indicate during checkout. With these bags you are ready to start saving the planet and benefit from free electricity. They are made of Bavarian, chrome-free, vegetable tanned and dyed, full-grain cowhide leather, hand dyed hemp/cotton fabric with natural pigments, and organic hemp/cotton lining. The greenest fashion bag you will get in the market. It will run you a cool $377.00 or $479.00 for the all black.
Posted in: Bags, Noon Solar, Solar Fashion, Solar Power
Noon Solar is back with the new Augusta line of solar bags. This bag comes in Ivory, Midnight and Rust colors. The Augusta model has a two sided design allowing the solar panel to face the sun or your body. It comes with a front pocket that tabs down with collar studs, one 10″ divider pocket, 2 interior zipper pockets – 1 for lithium-ion storage battery and electronics, and antiqued brass hardware.
The bags come with power bank, all the essential standard cable and cable plugs specific for our devices which you have to indicate during checkout. With these bags you are ready to start saving the planet and benefit from free electricity. They are made of Bavarian, chrome-free, vegetable tanned and dyed, full-grain cowhide leather, hand dyed hemp/cotton fabric with ..read more
Posted in: Bags, Noon Solar, Solar Fashion, Solar Power, Textiles
