Solio Solar Powered iPod Battery Charger
Review

Solio Solar Powered iPod Battery Charger
Company: Better Energy Systems
http://www.solio.com
$90 US

Once every year or two, MyMac.com encounters a new category of product that is more than an innovative trendsetter at a Macworld Expo. Solio is such a device, and we send the company and its innovative CEO/developer our best wishes for success.

The following review is not objective. I believe wholeheartedly in what Better Energy Systems sets out to accomplish. If this initial release of Solio is an indicator, we may be witnessing the first act of an exciting performance.

But please first read David Weeks’ interview with Christopher Hornor, Solio’s inventor. Then spend a few minutes at the company’s informative web site. In the process you’ll become acquainted with how seriously Christopher considers solar energy to be, and how he is doing more than a little to develop and foster it.

Is environmentalism dead, or losing its momentum? With gas prices and highway speed limits at all time highs, with solar subsidies at all time lows, and with governmental regard for wilderness and the environment under constant threat, I’m worried. How does Apple’s iPod fit in, being a mostly plastic contraption that requires electrical computer energy and disposable batteries to function?

For the price of a decent dinner and movie for two, Solio is a solution, not part of the problem. Day after day out in the sun, it will deliver years of reliable battery recharging to your iPod. Solio is a single purpose iPod accessory like none other (compatibility with cellular phones and other rechargeable consumer items is imminent).

Upon unpacking Solio from its small all-cardboard box (no shrink wrap!), you encounter a modest power supply, a white connector cable, an instruction manual in seven languages (including Japanese) printed on recycled paper using plant-based inks, and the Solio itself: a palm-sized plastic blob that swivels into the shape of an asymmetrical three-lobed propellor with a hole in the center, having exposed solar panels on one face.

Before initial usage, “charge your Solio fully with the wall adapter,” which I did. Pressing a small button adjacent to the aforementioned hole yielded four quick green flashes, indicating Solio was fully-charged and ready for action.

Using the special included white cable, I attached Solio to iPod, which had run out of internal battery power. Several hours later, as with Apple’s electrical iPod charger, my iPod was full of juice and ready to boogie. Next morning I placed Solio in direct sunlight, using a pencil to prop it up, and when I returned home for lunch its internal battery was recharged.

During our meeting at Macworld SF with CEO Christopher, he emphasized how Better Energy Systems has cooperative agreements to replenish the natural world in exchange for depleting its resources during construction and distribution of Solio. This project is beyond the scope of our review, but MyMac.com hopes to inquire further to see how this worthy plan delivers on its promises.

A baker’s dozen Q & A with Christopher Hornor of Better Energy Systems:

1. Why is there no included sleeve or case for Solio, or prominent mention of one in the manual or on your web site? We know the product is durable, but why subject it to scratching or worse when exposed to real world usage?

CH: We are producing Tread cases for Solio and iPod.

2. The symbols on the side of Solio indicating where to plug in power cable and iPod cable are too tiny and abstract, and the rubber plug that protects these holes is not engineered to the same precision as Solio itself. Can you make these symbols bigger, bolder, and their input holes protected better?

CH: Thank you for your feedback, we will keep this in mind.

3. In a real life situation, how easy and how long to replace Solio’s internal Lithium Ion battery, when necessary?

CH: 500 – 1000 charge cycles until you will need to replace the Solio internal battery.

4. Your manual mentions a rubber suction cup for affixing Solio to glass for window light charging. Where is this rubber cup? I don’t see one in my retail package.

CH: We have taken this out of the packaging and did not have time to update the instruction manual in time for the show.

5. Serious! Can you please, now, provide a symbol indicating which side on the custom iPod interface cable is for the FRONT of iPod? Both sides of your plug are plain white.

CH: This is already being taken care of.

6. What percentage of the “four green flashes” is used to charge each generation and size of iPod battery (both from Apple and other vendors), and how can users locate this info on your web site?

CH: Good question, 2 flashes would charge a mini and a 20GB, 4 flashes should charge a 40GB and 60GB iPods.

7. Solio is weather resistant, but when it gets really dirty and yucky from lying in grass or mud to perform its solar collecting, what is the safest way to clean its white plastic and solar panel surfaces?

CH: Use a damp cloth.

8. What is the optimum length pencil or similar object for solar collection, and why not include one in the package? You could even give purchasers an ordinary six-sided pencil with a slogan embossed, such as: “Solio’s special solar pencil! Leave it in the sun during daylight hours, and it will write all night long.”

CH: This will be included in the future, thanks for the feedback.

9. Important! How do I really know when Solio is fully charged, either from sun or power outlet? The red “being charged” light goes away — is that all I need to know?

CH: Pretty much, nice and simple.

10. What non-iPod devices are now compatible with the iPod Solio, and how can we obtain their custom cables? How much do these cables cost, and are you designing a multi-cable that will serve to connect to many different phones, for example?

CH: These are available from www.solio.com.

11. Should readers buy a Solio now, at roughly $90 US (see http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4031789, for example), which is $30 less than its original cost, or will your prices keep falling, meaning we should wait a little while?

CH: This is a mistake the JR is making and the price at Apple stores from next month will be $99.

12. You advise us to “become producers of clean energy,” but we need some specific directions! Where can we learn more?

CH: Hints on solar charging and becoming producers of clean energy can be found on www.solio.com.

13. Why is your manual printed in such tiny type? Older users will need magnifiers to read the darn thing.

CH: We needed to include several languages and size was an issue. I will however feed this information back to product management! Please note that this is available online as PDF (Solio owner section).

MyMac.com applauds Christopher Hornor and Better Energy Systems for their high-tech-concept and high-minded-ethics, and we intend to keep a solar-powered light aimed in their direction. Our rating for this v.1 iPod Solio is a strong 4 out of 5, with encouragement to remain at the forefront of solar solutions compatible with products from Apple.