Solar energy and electronics

Hi Gadgetress!
My question is: Are big companies, such as Apple, considering the use of solar energy to replace the batteries for their new products? Products such as Ipods. Thank you.

- Juan Manuel Suárez

Hi Juan!
I'm sure there's someone at Apple wondering about solar energy. But right now, computer companies most likely doing something about alternative energy are the companies that spend money on research and development. Toshiba, for example, makes laptop computers. But is also builds hard drives, DVD drives, Wi-Fi cards, flash storage products and processors for the computer. It even has an energy division, though this is for industrial uses. Toshiba is very involved in the hunt for alternative energy for electronics. Until such companies develop the next battery, companies like Apple will just plod along.

But there are a number of solar-powered devices out there, if you search for them. Some that I found online:

Solio Solar Powered iPod Battery Charger. See a review

The Voltaic Messenger, which has solar panels on the side to collect solar energy to charge cell phones, satellite phones, PDAs, GPSs, iPods, cameras, etc. Read a review from Treehugger.com that calls it an "instant boy magnet."

A phone charger that requires human effort to charge? Cool. The Sidewinder Portable Cell Phone Charger... Read the review by The Travel Insider.