Solar Technology’s Freeloader saps power from USB, the Sun

By Paul Miller | February 19, 2007

While it won’t do your laptop any good, this new Freeloader gig from Solar Technology should be able to provide juice to just about every other gadget in your repertoire. The device contains its own li-ion rechargeable battery, which it can fill up from your laptop or desktop’s power via USB, or using its 120mA crystalline solar cells. From there you’ve got a master cable and eleven adaptors to get the electricity into your phone, camera, PDA, GPS, gaming handheld or DAP. Solar Technology seems to have most of the big brands covered, and claims it can fuel an iPod for 18 hours, a mobile phone for 44 hours, PSP for 2.5 hours and a PDA for 22 hours — not too shabby for the 6.5 ounce unit. Sure, we’ve seen plenty of similar chargers before, but the combination of device compatibility and relatively low price (£30, about $59 US) makes this a decent option for those sun-drenched road warriors out there.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time