When Canadian researcher Dr. Kunio Komiyama first rolled out his solar toothbrush, its light-gathering titanium dioxide rod must not have released enough plaque-busting electrons. Now the good doctor has announced the updated Soladey-J3X, which he says "packs twice the chemical punch compared to the original."

To use it, you'll need to brush your teeth in a well-lighted place, because there's a solar panel sticking out the end of this toothbrush, collecting those electrons that are transmitted to its business end for their bacteria-killing duties. The toothbrush is now being tested; there's no word on when it might hit the market or what its users might do for dental hygiene on cloudy days. Just kidding—it works with ordinary indoor lighting. [Canada.com, via bb Gadgets]

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