Freeloader Pico Solar Charger

An irritated groan escapes your lips as a familiar beep followed by a pop-up reminds you that your iPhone is running out of juice. Fortunately, with the Freeloader Pico Solar charger ( priced at $39.99 ), charging up your iPhone and going green at the same time is definitely not a problem.

At the first glance, the Freeloader solar charger is a light and compact device that allows its users to lug it around in their pockets. Besides that, the Freeloader acts as a portable battery, allowing the Freeloader to transfer energy to the connected device in fairly short time – around 30 minutes to fully charge up an iPhone.

The difference is that, when this battery is exhausted, it can be recharged through a means of solar energy – charging under direct sunlight will take 10 hours to achieve maximum capacity though. In addition to that, the device also comes with extension tips for several portable devices such as Nokia, Samsung and so on.

Using the Freloader Pico Solar Charger, however, can be quite confusing at the beginning. If you take a closer look at the device, you’ll notice that there are four LED lights beside the word “Pico”. These lights indicate a function. For example, if the second light is lit, it indicates that the battery is currently charged by solar or USB. When it is fully charged, the light turns off. If a device is being charged, all lights will be used and each fades away as the connected device charges to maximum capacity.

Available: ThinkGeek

Price: $29.99

Solio Magnesium: Solar Powered Charger

This latest product by Solio is a charger with a difference. Not only can it be recharged by plugging it into an electrical socket but it is also able to be recharged via the sun (solar energy). Featuring energy efficient solar cells this device is able to provide a powerful battery which can retain its charge for up to a year. It is claimed a 30 minute exposure to the sun can recharge the battery to play an mp3 player/iPod/phone for up to 1 hour.

Solio Magnesium Solar Power Charger Includes

• Charging Cable for iGo® tip system
• Female USB Cable (powers iPhone, iPod, MP3s)
• Coupon for a free iGo tip
• Pencil
• Solio Bag
• Universal Wall Adapter

The Solio Mobile Phone Charger is a useful gadget for frequent travelers and people on the go.

Available: Amazon

Price: $99