Solar-powered toothbrush eliminates toothpaste |
This next evolution in the toothbrush will undoubtedly cause much hatred within the Crest and Colgate companies. A Japanese company called Shiken has made a prototype solar-powered toothbrush that would eliminate the need to squeeze out a bit of toothpaste every time you brush your teeth. The Soladey-J3X is a toothbrush that holds a titanium dioxide rod in the brush tip underneath the bristles. When you put the brush into your mouth you get the bristles wet, which also wets the rod which then releases electrons. The electrons then react to the mouth’s natural acid which breaks down the plaque that accumulates from the natural bacteria found inside that hole at the front of your face.
Just as the automobile manufacturers are thinking about the next generation of cleaner, more efficient automobiles so too are the boat makers. This concept design for a future boat is called the Volitan and it comes from a Turkish architectural design company called Designnobis Studio. Made with lightweight materials the Volitan does away with traditional billowy sails in favor of two solar collector columns that gather light from the sun and also utilize wind power. It kind of looks like an X-Wing floating on the water and just like Luke Skywalker’s spaceship from “Star Wars” the Volitan’s solar wings can raise up and down but also go one step better and turn around to better collect the energy and/or wind power. Two small stabilizer wings are affixed to the lower side of the Volitan’s body which help it stay afloat even in storms that blow up to 60 knots. Small rudders in the stabilizers can allow the captain to turn the craft on a dime. 
Everyone is thinking of new ways to reduce our energy consumption needs with renewable sources of power. Solar technology is one of the cleanest of these new forms of energy since all of the power comes from sunlight and there are zero emissions. Who complains about the sun being too noisy or creating smog? There has been solar powered cars, homes, ships and even flashlights but until now there has never been a solar powered mobile phone headset.
Here’s something that every emergency kit shouldn’t be without. The Capsuli is a concept design for a tiny rechargeable solar powered LED light that produces a great amount of light. Eight Capsulis are housed on a package that has a solar cell strip so they are powered up when needed. When you pop out a Capsuli you give the LED a slight twist and it turns on, immediately providing a burst of white light bright enough to see your surroundings. How many hours of light long would each Capsuli give off? A good question to be certain and one that isn’t answered on the 
Of course it’s the fall and the days of summer are fast falling behind us but before you pack up the pool equipment there is one final thingy we want to show you. This is the Medusa pool light, a solar autonomous floating lamp for swimming pools. Toss one of these organic looking devices into your backyard pool and it will light up the water for your nighttime swims. The tentacles look to be made from fiber optics and gently twist and turn around in the current. The great thing about it is that since it gets all of its energy from the sun you never need to charge it up. 
It’s always refreshing to see an iPod accessory that actually looks useful; case in point: the Boblbee solar-powered iPod case. The Boblbee case completely encloses your iPod protecting it in a waterproof, shockproof cocoon of safeness. The case also acts as a charger drawing its electricity from the sun for you outdoor enthusiasts, miles away from any power outlets.
The electric razor from Sabeco uses non other than rays from the sun to charge up its batteries, saving on the environment and making things more convenient for you. An electric razor in your glove box works great for anyone that grows facial hair fast enough to need a touch up after 5 o’clock, or for those days that you go to work wearing the same clothes you had on the day before.
Brando has a new portable solar powered charger in 
For those of us looking to provide a low cost solution for wireless internet access, either for our own personal usage or for your family and friends, Meraki’s new Outdoor Repeater and Solar Accessory Kit is probably what you are looking for. 
The Freeloader Solar Charger has an internal, replaceable battery that charges up from either the devices built-in solar panels or through a USB cable connected to a computer. With five hours of solar charging or 3 hours of USB charging the Freeloader has enough juice to power an iPod for 18 hours, a mobile phone for almost 2 days or a Sony PSP for two and a half hours.
Car batteries are something that no one wants to let run down. Whether we might use it up fiddling with the GPS system too much or just generally mucking around the car, the towing bill that we will inevitably have to pay just takes all the fun out of it. 
Today 
Traveling can sometimes make it difficult to keep gadgets charged up, especially when hiking or spending time in remote areas. This backpack from Voltaic Systems has three durable, waterproof solar panels across the back of it which generate up to 4 watts of power, which is plenty to charge up your things.
Transystems have come out with another small GPS receiver to take with on your travels, but this one can gather it’s power from the sun. The iBlue757 GPS receiver has a built-in rechargeable battery that supplies up to 26 hours of up time on a 3 hour charge, but it also has an added solar panel to add countless hours of operation to this device.
Sanyo had introduced a handy little gadget to recharge batteries using solar power. The Eneloop solar charger will recharge 4 AA batteries using nothing but the sun. It also has a port to let you charge other devices with rechargeable batteries via a USB connection.
