The Skinny: The Solio has a solar panel or USB input for charging up its internal battery, and on the other end, charging tips for USB, mini USB and Nokia devices. One load has enough juice per load to bring a dead iPhone to 50%. The clear/orange plastic case looks really nice, and there’s a latch for hooking this onto a bag. This is the best looking solar/battery charger I’ve ever seen.
The Unfortunate News: I verified on two devices that without sunlight of near equatorial directness, this thing doesn’t really charge by solar—at all. (Instructions imply 6 hours via direct sunlight, 12-48 hours in cloudy conditions). It sucks up USB-supplied power fine, but what’s the point then? [Solio]
