Scosche solBAT II solar-powered cellphone battery

There's money to be made from earth-friendly gadgets, and there's an iPhone-owning audience out there crying out for extra juice in their smartphones, so trust Scosche to put the two together.  The Scosche solBAT II is, daft punctuation aside, a reasonably sensible solar-powered external battery, which comes with both a windshield mount and a universal carabineer for easy positioning.

Once the 1,500mAh battery is charged, Scosche reckon you'll have enough to rejuice a normal cellphone twice; it also comes with adapter tips for Blackberry, iPhone, iPod and PSP.  If you want to use it as a regular external battery then you can recharge it via a USB connection, too, though then the environment will cry.  It's on sale now for $29.99.

Press Release:

Scosche Launches solBAT II – Solar Powered Back up Battery and Charging Device

solBAT II is available now

Oxnard, CA – February 3, 2009 – Scosche Industries, an award-winning innovator of iPod and iPhone accessories, announces the availability of its solBAT II – solar powered charger and battery backup. The solBAT II works with almost any handheld device that can be charged via a USB cable and feature's a simple two light indicator that lets users know when the solBAT II it is charging from the sun or a USB cable (red), and when it is passing that stored energy to a handheld (green) like a Blackberry, iPhone, iPod, or PSP.

"The solBAT II is a great way to charge your devices using the free, renewable power of the sun," said Kas Alves, executive vice president of Scosche Industries. "It is the perfect accessory for powering outdoor adventures or can keep your iPhone topped off while you watch your favorite movie on a long flight."

The solBAT II's lithium ion battery has a capacity of 1500mA and an output of 5V, allowing it to charge USB powered devices at the same rate as a wall charger. The solBAT II features a windshield mount and a universal carabineer mount making it easy to soak up the sun's clean energy. When fully powered a solBAT II will charge a typical cellular up to two times, making it a great battery backup to keep in the car or a bag in case of emergency when traveling.

Recently Scosche partnered with Business Mobility Systems to provide volunteering doctors in Haiti with a means of communication. With the power grid in Port-AU-Prince out of commission the doctors used the solBAT II's to keep their smartphones powered up.

"With all the different technologies we used to make this communication solution work, one of the most important aspects or components were the solBAT II solar powered backup batteries," said Art Hale Chief Technology Officer, Business Mobility Systems.

The solBAT is available now on Scosche.com and at select retail locations throughout the US for $29.99. For additional information and to order the solBAT II now please visit www.scosche.com.