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Gift Guide: HYmini Solar-Powered Charger

by Brian G.Morrissey — Nov 6th 2009 4:50PM

HYmini Green Charger (Earth Lover, Under $100)

Eco-conscious people, however dedicated to their ideals, enjoy the same fruits of modern technology -- smartphones, MP3 players, and digital cameras -- as the rest of us. One company has created a sustainable way to charge those gadgets using multiple renewable energy sources including wind, the sun, and even a handcrank. The HYMini Green Charger's internal 1200 mAh lithium ion battery can also be charged via wall outlet by connecting it via USB to a computer -- two not-so-green, yet effective, alternatives. It takes four hours in a wall to fully charge, but just 20 minutes in a 9mph wind is enough to take 20 digital pictures or power your iPhone for half an hour. Up to four mini solar panels can be added to catch the sun, and the pocket-sized turbine can be attached to a bicycle (or skateboard, car, etc.) to collect additional wind upwards of 40 mph. With HYmini, increased velocity equals increased power, allowing users to get outdoors and "recharge their batteries" in more ways than one.

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