Portable devices have freed mankind from the shackles of power chords, but in the same sort of way that a scuba diver is freed from the open air. If you’re away from an electrical outlet, sooner or later your gadget will run out of battery charge and turn into a very expensive lump of useless plastic and metal.

The Solio Solar Charger offers peace of mind in the form of an easy way to make sure your gadgets never go dead on you, no matter where you are. The unit folds out into a three-bladed device about the size of a potato, that will charge virtually portable electronic device, be it cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, game system, or digital camera.

Fully charging your Solio will take about 8 hours of direct sunlight, or 6 hours if plugged into an outlet. Either way, it’ll retain it’s charge for up to a year, and give you enough juice to fully recharge a cell phone or an iPod Nano twice.

link: Buy a Solio Solar Charger ($99.95)