In addition to my passion for technology, I am also an avid bicyclist. I, like many outdoor activity enthusiasts, respect the natural beauty of the landscape, and I will do the best that I can to maintain that vista for my kids and their kids. Global warming is directly correlated to disrespect for the land, something the American Indian Chief Seattle warned the American people of over a hundred years ago: “The end of living and the beginning of survival.” So any opportunity that allows me to reduce my carbon emission footprint while still enjoying the latest technological advances our world has to offer is a win-win situation. That’s why I so enthusiastically embrace the products featured in this article and commend the manufacturers for giving technically savvy consumers an environmentally friendly way to power their favorite mobile devices.

The three most predominant and cost-effective clean alternative energy sources available today are solar (a.k.a., “photovoltaics”), wind, and hydroelectric. Solar is by far the least expensive and most accessible, since sunshine is not limited to geographic boundaries. Wind and hydroelectric are geographically constrained solutions that used dynamos (generators) to convert the kinetic energy of wind and flowing water into electricity. Unfortunately, they both require considerable capital expenditure to build and, for obvious reasons, are not suitable as energy sources for mobile technology. However, smaller dynamos have been around for a while, to power the headlight on your bicycle or the headlights on your car. More recently, miniaturized dynamos have been developed to help mobile users power their devices. We look at two of these dynamos in this article, along with a number of photovoltaic solutions.

Solar-powered charging solutions

The majority of products featured in this article are of the photovoltaic variety, predominantly due to the fact that it not only taps from a universal power source but also because mobile devices typically do not draw large amounts of electricity and therefore do not require large solar arrays to power them. The use of solar panels in portable electronics is nothing new—think of all the inexpensive solar-based calculators that have been available for years. Of course, Windows Mobile devices are considerably more power hungry than simple calculators, and the solutions we look at have been designed with these power requirements in mind.

The packaging of the panels also varies, with the most prevalent being the portable billfold-style, which encourages owners to bring the panel with them wherever they and their mobile devices go. We’re also starting to see backpacks with built-in solar panels—especially useful for commuters and students who walk or ride to and from their destinations for 20 minutes or more in daylight.

Freeloader Solar Charger

£29.99 solartechnology.co.uk; U.S. delivery: wavemaker.co.uk

The Freeloader is a sturdy package that contains two solar wings that expand outward from the top and bottom of the device, charging the internal lithium-ion battery. Once fully charged, the pack can be connected to a Windows Mobile device via its USB or mini-USB connector. (Twelve different adapters ship with the product, allowing you to connect to most mobile devices available.) Overall, the Freeloader offers a good solar power solution compared to other alternatives.

SolarFocus SolarMio 31

$135 solarmio.com