We've reviewed a few - here are two:
SPECIAL REPORT SECOND BONUS REVIEW: HY MINI “GREEN” CHARGERAlternative energy sources get personal with solar & wind power storage in this handheld recharger for your USB-port powered gear. The HYmini looks a little bit like those personal cooling fans at the beach, but first impressions of this cool little gizmo are almost always backwards. There’s a rechargeable battery inside the case, with a couple of white LEDs on its face, a 3-position switch & under a rubber cover, a power-only USB connector, a DC coaxial jack & a red LED indicator. Those fan blades aren’t there to create a wind but to capture it & use it as one method of recharging the battery inside; an accessory kit lets you mount it on a car window, bike handlebar or armband. The DC connector lets you plug in a postcard-size companion solar cell array or, if you’re really stuck for green energy, a companion AC adapter; it can also charge through its USB connector. The red LED tells you when it’s charging & turns green when that’s complete; it holds a charge for about 2 weeks. All of this happens when the 3-position switch is centered (off); slide it to the right & those white LEDs act as a flashlight; slide it to the left & the USB port can recharge all kinds of handheld gear. Bottom line: It’s more than adorable; it’s Al Gore-able!
Special Report Bonus Review 3: Brando Solar Mobile ChargerBrando is a Hong Kong outfit with some very clever USB gear; this is the first of 4 reviews of their products, which often carry multiple other brand names, too. For starters, we asked Brando to send their 2600MAH Solar Mobile Charger, aka P110 Versatile Solar Charger. We love this thing. Think about a flat panel with about the same footprint as a paperback book, but only about 30-50 pages tall. The top panel is a solar cell array rates at 0.7W; underneath is a 2600mAH LiIon battery accessible through a USB mini-5 port with a 5.5V (10% over the USB spec) output. If you’re in a “hurry” you can charge it through a USB-A wall wart & matching cable (all the extras mentioned here are included) in about 8 hours. Using the sun alone, you can reach a full charge in about 12 hours (maybe 15 in Cleveland); a green LED on the edge glows during charging & goes dark when charging is complete. It also has a cable for going the other way, mating the mini-5 to a female coaxial barrel connector that can fit any of 5 tips designed to cover most phone models. Bottom line: We like this device a lot for those times when a sunny day can lead to too much time away from a charger (like biking, camping, or some kinds of bus or car travel).