Teched-out for Coachella? Try talking on sunshine

Recording sets, blogging live, posting Twitpics, checking apps, not to mention making good old-fashioned phone calls — the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival is hardly unplugged, no matter how far out in the desert. That said, finding an outlet to recharge your phone might be tricky. But finding sunshine won’t.

That’s where the FreeLoader Portable Phone Charger comes in handy. A little bigger than a deck of cards, this device uses solar panels to capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electrical current to power your phone, iPod and even most digital cameras and gaming systems. The charger, made by British company Solar Technology, operates on a lithium battery that should be charged three or four times before optimal usage. It goes for about $50.

Hey, when you're not at Coachella, the FreeLoader could make an excellent addition to earthquake kits.

-- Alexandra Le Tellier

Le Tellier is an editor for the new publication Brand X.

Comments

[Robert A.]

I invested in this bad boy to keep my iphone running at Coachella.