Portable chargers powered by nature

Imagine being able to charge your cell phone, MP3 player, and other electronic gadgets when you're on the go. And I mean really on the go—when you're hiking, biking, or whenever you find yourself far from any wall socket.

Well, that's exactly what the makers of HYmini and Solio had in mind when they created their portable renewable energy chargers. Both products are about the size of your hand, light-weight (about 3 and 6 ounces) and produce electricity from the wind and sun. The juice can be used to directly power a mobile gadget or stored within the chargers' own internal batteries for later—to charge a GPS unit during dinner at night by the camp fire, for example. (How much energy you get and can actually use varies greatly with environmental conditions and the specifications of each device—cell phone, GPS unit, etc.)

The chargers, which were recently on display at Greener Gadgets, a conference in New York City, haven't been tested by Consumer Reports. But they did capture our attention. Here's a quick look at these two innovative mobile power-supplies:

HYmini

It may look like a fan to keep you cool, but in reality the $50 HYmini is a cool way to get power. (Click on image above for a closer look.) Miniwiz, HYmini's maker, says the first generation of these hand-held turbines are designed to capture energy from winds of up to to 40-miles per hour—gusts similar to what you would get from jogging or bike riding. (The company offers armbands and bicycle mounts just for those kinds of activities.) But even when there is no breeze, HYmini can still generate power by connecting an optional $25 solar panel. (Up to four can be used to charge the HYmini's internal battery.)

Miniwiz claims after about an hour in the wind, HYmini will have collected enough power for about 12 minutes of talk time on a cell phone. With the optional solar panel, you'll have six minutes of power after only 20 minutes in direct sunlight, the company claims.

Solio

As the name implies, the Solio chargers are solar-based and made by a London, England-based company called Better Energy Systems. What makes the Solio chargers unique are their folding fan-like designs. When spread open, each "blade" exposes a flat solar panel to the sunlight. (Click on the images at left and below right for a closer look.)

After an hour in the sun, the company claims the $100 Solio Classic will have collected enough sunlight to provide about 20 minutes of talk time on a cell phone. A more rugged version, the $200 Solio Magnesium, offers a slight bump in performance: about 25 minutes of cell phone power after an hour in the sun. The company also has a simpler, single solar panel "blade" (the Solio Hybrid 1000) that can deliver 15 minutes of talk time after an hour of sunlight. Cost: $80.

A small green step?

Such renewable energy-based chargers are of limited appeal—best for the outdoorsy types who rarely find themselves near any electrical outlets, say. But both the HYmini and Solios are so-called "hybrids," meaning they can also get and store power from standard wall sockets or computer USB ports. That nod to convention makes either of these "greener" chargers a bit more practical—an emergency power supply for your cell phone during an electrical blackout or other natural disaster, for example.

—Kristi Wiedemann

—Paul Eng