I like gadgets that are functional in one aspect and then can do something completely unexpected as well. Such is the case with the sOccket. It looks like your average soccer ball and then it has a completely unexpected use — powering a small LED light.

The sOccket soccer ball has some sort of tech inside the normal looking ball that is able to generate electricity from the force of kids kicking it around and store that power for later use. This is important because many kids in countries like Africa don’t have power.

Green gadgets to keep your phone and other electronic devices charged are common today. A new green charger has debuted called the Kiwi U-Powered. The device has three solar panels and an internal battery.

The internal battery is a lithium polymer unit with 2000mAh of power. The device outputs 600mA maximum and the battery can also be charged from a USB port. Kiwi ships the charger with 11 tips that cover most gadgets from the iPhone to other major mobile phones.

I am more of an indoors type. I’m not really into camping and while I do go outside with the kids a lot, we don’t stray too far from an outlet. However, a while back when a hurricane came through the power was out for hours and I would have paid dearly for a gadget like the Eton Scorpion.

The device is a power generator for USB charging gadgets that has both a solar panel and a hand crank to generate charging power. The gadget also has a number of other features inside.

There are many ways for geeks to go green. You can get a surge protector that lets you turn your gear off when not in use to prevent vampire power for instance. You can also move to LED backlit monitors and notebooks.

One thing that you can do in your entire home is go to LED light bulbs. LED bulbs consumer a lot less power, but they are typically really expensive. I have seen some that are $50 or more each. Home Depot has a new line of LED bulbs that fit normal fixtures called EcoSmart.

I wish I were rich; I would buy any car/gadget/cool item that tickled my fancy. I would need a second house just for all the gadgets I would end up with and a massive garage full of cars and other toys. What I don’t think I would spend money on is an electric bike.

A company called M55 has a sweet electric bike that anyone into that sort of thing might be interested in. The bike is called the EVO-001 and is handmade with a single piece of aluminum for a frame. The electric motor is placed for stability.

If you are the green type that likes to give gifts that help make the world a better place or you are shopping for a green type, Smarthome has a great gift for you. The device is called the Blue Line PowerCost Monitor and it is a wireless device that helps track energy usage through the entire home.

The system includes a wireless monitor that connects to certain types of meters outside the home without needing an electrician to install. The wireless sensor sends data on energy usage to a wireless LCD screen.

I don’t know what it is about flashlights and kids. My daughter has every toy a 4-year-old could want and as is the way of the world, she would rather play with a box or my flashlight than all the toys in her room. That means that every time I need my flashlight I have to search her room for it and when I find it, the batteries are usually dead.

A new green flashlight called the Hybrid Solar Light uses solar cells to keep the battery charged. The battery is able to store energy for a claimed three years. Light output from Hybrid solar Light is not that strong at 40 lumens, but it will work in a blackout or to look under the couch for your remote. Water resistance to 80 feet is promised as well.