SolarKindle Cover Lets You Charge Your Kindle without an Outlet!

Ordinarily, I am skeptical of “solar-powered chargers”, as they seem more gimmick than useful gear, but a solar-powered Kindle charger is a stroke of genius! Kindles don’t require charging more often than once a month or so, meaning finding sunlight to charge isn’t an inconvenience. Plus a Kindle is one of the few devices that might get used regularly on the beach, or camping, or other places where outlets aren’t available, but sunlight is free and plentiful!

The specifications on the SolarKindle cover sound very impressive! From the press release:

Makes Unplugged E-Reading Come True

The first practical solar gadget that makes unplugged e-reading come true, SolarKindle is designed with the utmost attention to detail with premium leather offering protection and functionality.  SolarKindle’s renewable solar energy panel and integrated reserve battery provide superior lighting and extended reading time, especially useful when conventional power sources are not available, such as while traveling, camping, or away from home or office — the perfect solution for readers on the go.  SolarKindle’s custom-designed solar panel and integrated solar charging circuitry deliver high charging efficiency, making the best use of the clean, green, and renewable energy of the sun.

SolarKindle Features:

• Solar powered e-reader cover with flexible, lightweight solar panel built into the cover.
• Dual-charging (USB/solar) reserve battery greatly extends reading time.
• 3-month guarantee for unplugged Kindle use under normal sunlight environment.
• LED reading lamp turns on with one touch release.
• Integrated reserve battery runs the LED lamp for up to 50 hours continuously without using the Kindle’s main battery.
• Integrated reserve battery can also transfer energy to the Kindle’s main battery to extend reading time.
• Integrated solar panel collects and converts solar energy “on the go” — one hour under direct sunlight can provide up to 3 days reading time.
• Premium leather cover.

“For the past six years, SolarFocus has been dedicated to developing the most technologically advanced portable solar-powered solutions for consumers,” said Dick Lu, Executive Vice President at SolarFocus. “From starting the company in a brand new and undeveloped market, to establishing the SolarFocus brand of outdoor solar-powered products, we are very happy to see our SolarKindle Lighted Cover receive such honorable recognition from the International CES Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards. We will continuously improve the price/performance ratio of our solar-powered solutions on even more consumer electronic products to reduce carbon emissions.”

SolarKindle Lighted Cover will be available Jan. 15, 2012, priced at $79.99 from www.solarmio.comand other retailers.  For more information, see www.solarmio.com.