Solio Magnesium
Price: $199
Rating: 4 out of 5

In this electronic age, it seems everything comes with a power cord. Years ago, that was true for the Internet, too, until WiFi came along. Wouldn't it be nice to free our other devices as well? The Solio Magnesium Edition takes us a step in that direction.

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It's a charger for our electronic devices that's portable and can be charged by a traditional electric outlet. But the really cool thing is once you're away from our modern conveniences, it flips open like a fan and uses the sun to generate electricity.

It's pretty amazing how much power the company says this little device can put out. Just one hour in the sun will give someone 20 minutes of talk time for a phone or 50 minutes to listen to music on a MP3 player.

But that's not all. Let's say you don't necessarily need to power anything up right away. Simply leave the device pointed toward the sun and the power generated will be stored for up to a year in the internal lithium ion battery.

Depending on solar intensity, it takes about 10-12 hours to fully charge, but once charged, you'll be able to power your cell phone nearly two times over or listen to about 20 hours of music.

So you're probably wondering how this device connects to all your gizmos? Anything with a standard USB cord can be powered by this device. Just connect your phone's USB charging cord, for instance, press the button on the Solio device and within a few seconds, the power will start flowing.

Don't have a USB for your camera for instance? No worries. It's also compatible with the universal I-go tip system which allows you to connect hundreds of different devices to this one portable powerhouse.

The Upsides: What I like about this device is it's truly unique and portable. The USB charging capability makes it universal for charging your devices. If you are an avid outdoors person, it would be great for camping, hiking, or anywhere you're away from electrical outlets for a long time. The internal battery also is a great idea to allow you to store power until you need it.

The Downsides: It would be nice to have a suction attachment so you could stick the device to the inside of a car window. Also, included in the box is a pencil to make a tripod which is simple, but could be easy to lose.

The Bottom Line: Overall this is a great device for people who are always on the go. It also holds promise for helping us find a greener way to power our devices.