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"Gadgets that are charged (or help you charge other gadgets) from the energy of the Sun have been around for quite a while, but they often have two drawbacks: they're too large, too clunky or too ugly, or they simply don't provide enough power to charge your device of choice. Design doesn't matter too much when you're in the middle of a desert, but many potential users are inhabiting the urban jungle, and are merely looking for some more juice for their iPhone so they can keep Twittering and Facebooking a little while longer. \nLately, however, we've seen some solar-powered gear that, besides being useful when all other power sources are dry, also looks pretty good. Here's our choice of gadgets that'll help you keep that power hungry mobile phone and laptop operational in all situations. \n1. The Stylish Solar Power Bluetooth Headset\n\n\nThe name really says it all. If there's one thing I keep forgetting to buy batteries for and/or charge, it's my Bluetooth headset, an essential gadget for those long, lonely drives. This one promises to have infinite standby time under sunlight, and it can also be charged via USB. When it comes to style, we agree: as far as Bluetooth handsets go, it doesn't look too shabby.  \n2. Voltaic Solar Backpack\n\n\nWe admit it: we're picky about backpacks. You don't want to carry some unsightly chunk of plastic on your back, and Voltaic's solar-powered backpack passes that test with flying colors. Choose between one of four colors for the solar panel (we prefer black), and charge your gadgetry with its 4 watts of power. Another one to look at is the much stronger Voltaic Generator Solar Laptop Charger. It's worth mentioning that Zipcar currently has a promotion that shaves 25% off the price for Voltaic bags. \n3. Surge for iPod Touch and iPhone\n\n\nWe've recently written about Surge, the officially recognized solar charger for the iPod Touch and the iPhone. It looks decent (it's available in colors other than green, check it out), it costs $70, and it helps you keep that iPhone juiced even when you're heavy on 3G/WiFi/GPS, which is nearly always in my case. \n4. SolarGorilla\n\n\nSome people have so many gadgets that they can't use a specific solar charger for each one of them. This is where SolarGorilla shines, as it comes with a 15 connectors pack that'll make sure you can connect it to nearly every mobile phone or laptop in existence. It outputs 500 mAh at 20V and 500 mAh at 5V, it's water resistant, and it's Macbook compatible, but it's not cheap: $239.85. \n5. Solio Magnesium Edition\n\n\nSolio is a universal charger with a futuristic look that opens up to reveal three solar panels, and works with a wide range of gadgets including mobile phones, MP3 players, cameras and the like. The manufacturer promises 25 minutes of additional talk time on most cell phones, or enough juice to keep that iPod running for an extra hour from one hour of charging in the sun. It offers a respectable 9 Watts of power, which is good enough for most gadgets, except laptops. Its compact design makes it a winner for travelers: simply throw it into your backpack and forget about it - until you need it, that is. \nSee also: Top 10 Gadgets for Social Media Addicts\nImage courtesy of iStockphoto, danielschoenen"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2009/09/21/solar-gadgets/>