Every tablet and ereader has a fair amount of bezel around the screen. Good for your hands, but otherwise, it’s wasted space. What if those bezels had embedded solar cells, allowing the device to charge while in use outdoors?
Display panel designer Pixel Qi is proposing just that, claiming that, if properly configured, a $US3 solar panel can generate 1W of power and keep a screen and motherboard operational. And even if such a panel could extend battery life in current tablets, ereader and smartphones by an hour or two while you’re out and about, it would be an idea worth getting excited for. [ArmDevices via UberGizmo]