Since we’ve been on a bit of sun kick lately (hey, it’s August), here’s a solar-powered gadget that’s going to multi-task today. First, it’s going to thrill you with its ingenuity and get you thinking about how quickly personal solar-powered charging is coming along. It’s going make you think about all the times you looked down at your laptop, saw the “7 percent charged” note blinking on menu bar and thought, “Wouldn’t be nice if I could just plug this thing into something and keeping working?”

Yes, the Voltaic Generator Solar Laptop Charger is a solar-powered carrying case powerful enough to charge a laptop. We first showed it to you a few month’s ago in a solar-powered gadget round-up, but here are some details on what’s in the bag:

The case does its thing with high-efficiency monocrystalline cells and a battery pack that stores and converts electricity generated by a 15-watt, 20-volt panel. It’s being billed as more of a “mobile office” deal, as the case will also charge cell phones and most other handheld electronics.

The Lilon (lithium ion) battery has a capacity similar to a typical small laptop battery and is stored inside the bag, so it’s good to go whenever you need it (as in, “Hello! Hello! Still there?! Damn!”). When the bags not in the sun (with direct sun, a full charge takes five hours), the battery can be juiced using an AC travel charger. An Indicator light inside the handle shows it working.

The bag itself (shell, webbing, mesh and lining) is comprised of fabrics made from recycled PET (soda bottles). It’s strong. It’s water-resistant. It has an aluminum frame and a silicon handle, and weighs in at 4.5 pounds, including the solar panel and battery. It’ll hold something as large as a 17-inch MacBook Pro and comes in four colors.

Cost for packing sunshine: about 500 bucks.

And now, this case is going to serve its second solar-related purpose of the day. Writing about the Voltaic Generator Solar Laptop Charger requires no more from me. Nope, no 1,000-word tome today on Darwin, global warming or the evils of The Man. I’m outta here. It’s gonna be a scorcher and I’m hitting the chaise lounge that’s screaming at me from my balcony. Lates.

The post Case on Point: Laptop Carrier Bags Solar Battery Charger appeared first on EcoSalon.

We’re all becoming increasingly aware of the horrendous footprint left behind by the technology we use every day. Consider the ubiquitous plastic casing surrounding the ubiquitous iPhone. Pretty, maybe – is yours pink? Electric blue? – and practical, too. But how many of them are out there? And where do these things come from, anyway? Where do they go? There can be no good answers to these questions.

So here’s a new approach: Portland-based design collective Grove is offering a unique and environmentally conscious way to protect and dress up the Apple of your eye – in bamboo.

Bamboo use is on the upswing for a couple of reasons. First, its strength and dimensional stability makes it ideal for a variety of uses that other forms of wood aren’t suited for. It also elegantly takes on a natural oil wax finish (used by Grove) as opposed to industry-standard plastic clear coats, making the material look and feel warm and, well, woody.

Most important, though, is that Bamboo is actually a grass and is the fastest growing plant in the world. It can be harvested for use in as little as four years, thus its increased use reduces our reliance on timber forests. Says Grove: “We are just starting to tap the potential of bamboo as a contemporary building material. ”

All that good stuff aside, these cases are just plain cool. Well, not so plain, really. Choose from one of the collective’s artist designs or upload art of your choice to customize your own. Prices start at around $70.

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