New solar bag can charge your laptop - or tablet

[admin]

A little off the topic, but still cool...

Voltaic Launches the Generator:
First Solar Bag Powerful Enough to Charge Laptops

New York, NY – December 08, 2008 - Voltaic Systems announces the release of its new solar bag, the Generator. The bag produces enough solar power to fully charge a laptop from less than a day in the sun.

The new Generator features a sleek, high-efficiency 15 Watt solar panel. In about five hours of full sunshine, the panel recharges a custom-designed battery pack, which efficiently captures and stores solar power until needed. The battery holds the equivalent of a full laptop charge and can also be charged from a wall outlet.
CEO Shayne McQuade adds “Since the release of our first bag, our customers have been asking about charging laptops. By using 20% efficiency solar cells, we are now able to pack enough power into a compact case.”
For each hour in the sun, the Generator extends laptop run time by 20-45 minutes, depending on the efficiency of the laptop. An hour in the sun also generates enough power to fully charge most phones, MP3 players and small cameras.
The bag is stylishly constructed from fabrics made with recycled soda bottles (PET) which are tough, waterproof and UV resistant. It includes a protective frame and padded laptop sleeve with storage room for other electronics, notebooks etc. The solar panels come in five color options: a distinctive orange, silver, green, white and a more discrete black.

Pricing and Availability The Generator is now shipping. All 5 colors are available from the Voltaic online store, www.voltaicsystems.com, and select retailers. The suggested retail price of $499 includes:

• High-efficiency solar panel that can generate up to 15 Watts of power
• 58Wh LiIon battery, about the same capacity as a typical laptop battery
• Common adaptors for easy connection to most laptops, phones and other handheld electronics
• Versatile computer bag made from recycled soda bottles (PET)

Voltaic was founded in 2004 to develop green energy solutions and sustainable products using environmentally-intelligent designs.
For more information please visit www.voltaicsystems.com, or contact us at 1.877.304.6861 x701 or media@voltaicsystems.com.

[danoj]

Great! Just the thing I need. But will have to wait for the price to come down to the $200 range.

[Triple_Dude]

From their site:
"Results may vary by model, but laptops by Apple, Dell, HP, IBM/Lenovo and Panasonic typically do charge. Brands less likely to charge include Fujitsu, Sony and Toshiba."

Looks like I'm out of luck (as are many Fujitsu tablet users).