Better Energy Systems’ Solio, originally released in the UK in October, has been introduced to the US market today at Macworld Expo in San Francisco. The weather-proof, solar powered charger for iPod, mobile phone, and several other electronic devices, weighs only 5.8 ounces and can be plugged into a wall outlet to charge its internal battery when no sun is available. Activating the Solio simply requires attaching a cable and pressing a button. Its fan blade design allows it to achieve maximum solar area when in use, and to fold compactly to the size of an average mobile phone when stored, notes the company. Solio is priced at US$119 and will be available through the company’s Web site.
