Money-Saving "Green" Gadgets

There may be a hand-cranked flashlight in the basement for emergencies, but on a day-to-day basis, your most-used electronics probably still rely on either a power cord, or environmentally unfriendly batteries. Increasingly, however, there are products designed with eco-awareness. You can get a solar charger for your cell phone or iPod, or even get an MP3 player which is charged by hand-cranking. There's no need to stay away from your favorite tech products to be green, just give your favorite gadgets an eco makeover.

Charge it!:
Most people have seen solar-powered calculators, and solar-powered...wait, no, that's generally been it. Just about all mobile devices like cell phones and MP3 players use rechargeable lithium ion batteries, but you can still give them a solar lift with the Solio Classic Solar Charger.  The Solio has multiple adapters that let you charge up your iPod, cell phone, MP3 player, or digital camera. An hour in the sun equals 40 minutes of extra MP3 playtime. The  Solio Tread Case  is made out of recycled tires, complete with the unique markings and treads.

The EcoSol Powerstick:
works much in the same, way, but instead of the sun, uses the USB port of your computer. This minimizes the use of power-hungry adapters that eat up electricity even when you're not charging anything.

Juice Bags solar-powered messenger bag:
is made from recycled soda bottles, and can use solar power to charge up any device that uses a standard car (cigarette lighter) charger.

USBCell batteries: 
not only eliminate the need for disposable batteries, but do away with the charger too. USBCell comes with a USB port so you plug in directly to your computer for recharging.

Green On-the-Go:
Why bother with chargers at all when you're walking around in the sun all day anyway? The  Iqua BHS-603 bluetooth headset has a built-in photovoltaic cell so it charges up when it's exposed to light, even indoor light.