Is your battery running a little low on your iPod? Soldius' new solar charger, the Soldius1, promises to charge your dying iPod and other devices with the help of the sun. The portable solar panels come with cables and adapters designed to fit all the iPods and popular cellular phones. Company representatives think the unit's portability and power output should impress consumers this Holiday Season.

Bill Keeler, spokesman for Soldius, Keeler has been playing with the product for the last few weeks and claims that it is very portable. "It weighs about four ounces and I had it in my back pocket yesterday," says Keeler. The unit can fully charge an iPod in three to four hours, while other devices will "probably" take longer. In addition, the user can still use the iPod or cellphone while it is charging.

Other solar chargers can take ten to twelve hours to fully charge a device. Keeler told us that improved circuitry and panel design contribute to teh accelerated charging capability of the Soldius1. Keeler told us that better circuitry and panel design plays a part. However, most of the efficiency gain comes from the direct power flow between panels and the device to be charged. "Many other devices charge a battery, which then charges your device. The conversion results in a substantial loss," says Keeler.

The Soldius1 is currently available for $90 to $110 on mysoldius.com.

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