Eneloop Solar Light & Mobile Booster - New

[Bones]

I don't really get Sanyo's fascination with hand warmers, but their new solar light and mobile booster could be useful, especially if your penthouse suffers an extended power outage.

The light has two modes and three output levels in the flood mode, and the mobile booster utilizes a USB power port.

It uses NiMH cells, but they don't appear to be removable, probably to enhance its water resistance.

Unlike their solar charger, it also includes an AC input for faster charging and immediate mobile boosting.

From the press release:

SANYO Announces New 'eneloop universe' Products

Specifically on the solar light:

1. Equipped with SANYO's high efficiency "HIT solar cell*2", which can be used in locations without AC power supply or in the event of emergencies such as natural disasters

2. Equipped with a 'USB output socket' which can charge cell phones at times of emergency

3. Two kinds of LED light (panel light / beam light) adjusts light-type for different purposes

To the english press release:

http://www.sanyo.com/news/2008/09/02-1en.html

 

[spun]

cool solar light/booster. a note on their hand warmers, i don't get cold hands but gave one as a gift to someone who does. they really do love it. this new double sided version looks like it uses aa's and acts as a charger too. another note, they come with a japanese 100V AC Adaptor.

 

[FredM]

Anyone guess how much these things will cost?

 

[MWClint]

i want a computer mouse with a built in hand warmer. :twothumbs
my hands freeze at the computer.

 

[bobstay]

i want a computer mouse with a built in hand warmer. :twothumbs
my hands freeze at the computer.

I remember a website where someone had made one of those, but I can't find it any more. He had taken several resistors and thermal-epoxied them to the inside of the top cover of his USB mouse. Since USB can put out 500mA at 5V, you can get 2.5W of heating, theoretically, as long as the USB port is reasonably tolerant of that sort of power draw.

I'd try it with several 100-ohm 1/4-watt resistors in parallel. Each one should take its full 1/4-watt and so heat up, and draw 50mA from the USB, so theoretically you could run up to 10 of them. Of course, the mouse itself will draw some current too, and USB ports tend to shut down if you run them on their power limit, so I'd stick to 8, giving you 2W of heat. You could even add a switch so as not to waste power when you're not cold..

 

[abvidledUK]

i want a computer mouse with a built in hand warmer. :twothumbs
my hands freeze at the computer.

http://usb.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00210

USB Warmer Mouse
Product Code: UMOUS001600
USB Warmer Mouse is not an ordinary mouse but can keep your hand warm especially in winter or in a chilled working place. The upper side of mouse will get heated when you switch on the heat function. Come on! Get one! Say goodbye to your freeze hand!

 

[Bones]

Anyone guess how much these things will cost?

It's priced at 12050 Yen at AtomJ and J Cast:

http://www.atomj.com ... product33509.html (translation)

http://price.j-cast.com ... item20874929923401.html (translation)

That's about 115 USD at today's exchange rate:

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency ... convert

Not all that bad I suppose for a solar light and power booster that actually works.