Very Exclusive Gadgets & Gizmos

the FieldCam has a battery which is topped up by a solar panel. Every hour it powers up, checks the battery level and if that is ok (over 12v), flips a relay to provide power to a mobile internet router and a camera. The camera in turn is set to take a photo and send it to an email address (through the router) some time later. Then it all switches off and hopefully charges up a bit and the cycle starts again.

Amid all the global warming talks, we as consumers are confronted with lifestyle decisions that can impact our environment, however, the fantasy to drift off to a faraway port is overwhelming as we evolve toward a sustainable future. This is precisely what the ARKKI boat suggests with its ecological combination of a house and boat with all possible luxuries. Offering 153 square meter of interior space and 100 square meter of deck space, the ARKKI boat is equipped with solar panels to supply uninterrupted power at the cruising speed 6-8 knots.

With warm weather, those pesky mosquitoes are buzzing. Now the Solar Powered Mosquito Blocker can help keep them from biting. It’s not quite as impressive as the mosquito-shooting laser, but it blocks the mosquito’s ability to track a human scent. It uses Linalool, a patented chemical developed in cooperation with the USDA. It’s supposed to be twice as effective as DEET and a lot better than Citronella, blocking mosquitoes up to 100 feet away. Best of all, it’s a bargain for ~US$10

This teeny 9mm Solar Sensor is probably the smallest self-powered computer in the world, and it’s totally amazing. The thing contains a full ARM processor, solar cells and a tiny battery, and consumes less power in sleep mode than people generate when they blink their eyes.

It’s been four years in the making but a prototype of the Solar Impulse, the HB-SIA, completed its first test run in Zurich in December. A fascinating venture to promote solar energy as a means of alternative energy-based transpiration, the Chairman of Sun Impulse and co-founder of this project Bertrand Piccard (yes, that’s really his name) hopes the craft will circle the globe in 20 days by the year 2012. To do so, it will require approximately 12000 solar cells that will need to be attached to the plane’s wings and fuselage, allowing it to store at least 14 hours of energy.

Pave Guard – a new bridge deck heating system that uses solar power to keep bridges ice free – will be installed on two bridges in Missouri this summer. Patterned after the idea of radiant floor heating, this new technology will eliminate the need for corrosive pavement clearing materials during times of ice and snow. The system will automatically activate when the temperature reaches 38°F, sending heated water flowing through its tubing and preventing the concrete from freezing.

The Suntrica SolarStrap is an unobtrusive auxiliary solar recharger. It looks like a simple luggage identification strap but it’s actually a solar panel and battery in an-easy-to-hang design. Attach it to your bag or any strap that sees the sun and do whatever you were doing before. The battery provides 5.5V at 800mAh which is plenty to recharge most mobile phones. If there isn’t enough sun, you can also recharge it using an AC adapter or USB. The strap is weather resistant and weighs a measly 60g (2 oz). US$40

Solar power is pretty big, and as time progresses, research has pushed the technology even further forward with a greater degree of efficiency for its solar panels. After all, using renewable energy sources that are environmentally friendly as well is the way to go considering the non-stop explosive global population that might just stress the planet too much that it can no longer sustain itself due to rapid industrialization across the globe.

Buying rechargable batteries is always far better than purchasing the disposable ones. However, it’s still not a perfect method. It helps so that you’re throwing away less batteries, but at the same time you’re still plugging something into the wall and using your electricity to charge the batteries. Instead of plugging a battery charger into the wall, this ReNEW would allow for your rechargable batteries to become even more eco-friendly.

Every once in a while, a “tech-first” is reached, and i.Tech has recently announced that their SolarVoice 908 is the first solar-powered Bluetooth headset.

I had a chance to try it out, and it paired effortlessly with my cellular phone. Oddly enough, it charged quite quickly. I can’t help but wonder if it was already charged by facing the sun.

As it is, it has five hours worth of talk time, and standby time of 140 hours. That is without sunlight, it can supposedly have infinite standby time provided it has some sun. A flashing green light indicates that it is solar charging.