Product: MySoldius Universal Solar Charger
Manufacturer: Soldius
Lowest Historical Price: $15 [History]

Introduction
I recently had the opportunity to make a 5+ hour drive from San Francisco down to Santa Barbara. An obvious necessity during extended driving sessions down the California coast is music, and plenty of it. Therefore, I had my trusty iPod in tow pumping tunes on my slammed ride. But there was something special supplying the power to keep the iPod battery topped off - The MySoldius Universal Solar Charger.



Unboxing
The MySoldius is a simple device. It is a clamshell style array of solar cells, with a power output to pump the sun's juice into your devices. Upon opening the bubble pack, you'll find the aforementioned main solar cell, as well as a variety of adapters that should be able to connect with most devices. The goal of the MySoldius is not to independently power your device, but to supply a supplemental current to either recharge or minimize the drain on the battery while in use.

The main solar array is about the size of a personal checkbook when folded, and it opens up to double the available surface area. Adapters are included for USB, iPod, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, and several other unnamed connectors. The power that it generates depends on the amount of light that it receives, but it is rated for up to 6.58 volts @ 320mA in direct sunlight.

Usage
Usage couldn't be easier. You plug it in to your device and put it in the sun. If there's enough sunlight, your device should be fooled into thinking that it is plugged into a regular charger. With the iPod, that means that the screen light turns on and the little power charging icon comes up. While using the Soldius, I was able to make the 10 hour round trip without plugging in my iPod (which could be done on battery alone), however at the end of the trip the iPod still registered about 3/4 charge.



Conclusion
The MySoldius can be used at home to charge your devices during the day without using "the grid." It can also be used while you're completely unplugged, such as while camping or on a road trip. The price was $15 when I bought it in mid September, which is about the price for a few months' supply of disposable batteries. In light of the simplicity and utility of the MySoldius Universal Solar Charger, I would definitely recommend picking one up if the price comes around to the $15 range again. Keep checking BensBargains.

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