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.

California plans to crack down on power-hungry TVs

That 52-inch, flat-screen TV on the family room wall may have a terrific picture, but there's a big drawback: It's an energy hog.

State regulators are getting ready to curb the growing power gluttony of TV sets by drafting the nation's first rules to require retailers to sell only the most energy efficient televisions starting in 2011.

The consumer electronics industry opposes the regulations, expected to pass in mid-2009, and claims that they could remove some TVs from store shelves and slightly boost sticker prices.

But the California Energy Commission is looking for ways to relieve the strain on the power grid. Officials say the standards, once fully in place, would reduce the state's annual energy needs by an amount equivalent to the power consumed by 86,400 homes.

During a peak viewing time when most sets are on, such as the Super Bowl, TVs in the state collectively suck up the equivalent of 40% of the power generated by the San Onofre nuclear power station running at full capacity. Televisions account for about 10% of the average Californian's monthly household electricity bill.

Some manufacturers could struggle to meet the new standards, particularly those that make plasma TVs. And the regulations could create a "gray" market, sending consumers intent on buying power-hungry models to Amazon.com and other Internet retailers based outside the state.

Read the full story here.

-- Marc Lifsher

Photo: Flat-screen TVs at Wilshire Home Entertainment in Thousand Oaks. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Water-saving gadget does Cyber-Rain dance

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post said that, for homeowners who have more than an acre, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California offers a $630 rebate for each acre. The $630 rebate is for each water-saving device.

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It's another hot summer, and California is officially in a drought, according to the Governator. A Los Angeles company has come out with a water-saving solution.

The doodad, called Cyber-Rain XCI, attaches to sprinkler systems and wirelessly looks up online weather forecasts to determine how much to water the lawn. Hot, humid days will see Cyber-Rain doling out more water. Cool, cloudy days would result in less watering. And, of course, the gadget lays off the drink entirely on rainy days. Since it's a connected device, you can control the schedule and monitor the water use on a PC.

About 70% of household water consumption comes from outdoor watering, according to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. That includes water used in pools, power-hosing driveways and washing cars, as well as to keep the garden green.

One study by the Irvine Ranch Water District found that weather-based irrigation gadgets saved households more than 40 gallons of water a day, skimming roughly 10% off their total water use, according to Lynn Lipinski, spokeswoman for the MWD.

Cyber-Rain is made by a company of the same name founded by Los Angeles entrepreneur Reza Pourzia and funded by Funk Ventures in Santa Monica and Momentum Venture Management in Pasadena. It sells the gadget for about $350 on its website, as well as at Smart Home.

Price too much to swallow? Water districts around the country offer rebates on qualifying products. The MWD, which covers most of Los Angeles, gives an $80 rebate to homeowners who buy Cyber-Rain or one of a dozen other sprinkler controllers that qualify, if the landscape being watered is less than an acre. For those who have more than an acre, the district rebates $630 for each device. The district has put up a website where consumers can look up rebate information, apply for rebates and learn how to conserve water.

We haven't played with the device yet. Once we have, we'll post a follow-up on how things went and, if we're really good, how much green we were able to save while still keeping our garden green.

-- Alex Pham

Photo courtesy of Cyber-Rain