Though we can’t knock it out of the sky, man has learned to completely and utterly dominate the sun, making it do our bidding without fear of recourse. Case in point: this outdoor patio umbrella featuring a set of four solar panels on top and a pair of USB ports at table level.
So not only does it keep you and your guests in the comfortable, cool shade, it also converts the sun’s vengeful rays into usable electricity for charging tablets and smartphones. And if the sun thinks it’s gained the upper hand by slipping behind a cloud, the $500 umbrella also has a 1000mAh battery that’s constantly being charged so you always have a backup power source. [Hammacher Schlemmer via The Green Head]