Gaj
05-27-2008, 11:22 AM
New patent applications lodged by Apple reveal that the company is looking into using solar power for its future iPods and other portable devices. There’s no shortage of dedicated solar-powered chargers (http://uk.gizmodo.com/2008/05/03/devotecs_dinky_little_solar_ch.html) out there to keep your iPod juiced for that bit longer but, integrating solar panels into the devices would be very useful indeed – provided it worked.
Apple is taking a novel approach, according to the patent application seen by MacRumors, by sticking the solar panels behind the LCD display – instead of trying to mount them outside on the body of the device.
Motorola filed a similar patent for panels located behind displays back in 2001.
Some of the reasons solar-powered devices are not more common - apart from crappy weather - is that the panels take up a lot of room on the outside of a device and can be easily damaged. If it works, iPods, iPhones and other devices could house solar panels without impacting on Apple’s precious designs. -Martin Lynch
http://uk.gizmodo.com/2008/05/27/apple_looking_at_solar_ipods.html
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/26/solar-lcd-powered-ipods-iphones-and-laptops/
We've seen Apple achieve what others have failed at many times before but I wonder if they will be able to pull this off.
Apple is taking a novel approach, according to the patent application seen by MacRumors, by sticking the solar panels behind the LCD display – instead of trying to mount them outside on the body of the device.
Motorola filed a similar patent for panels located behind displays back in 2001.
Some of the reasons solar-powered devices are not more common - apart from crappy weather - is that the panels take up a lot of room on the outside of a device and can be easily damaged. If it works, iPods, iPhones and other devices could house solar panels without impacting on Apple’s precious designs. -Martin Lynch
http://uk.gizmodo.com/2008/05/27/apple_looking_at_solar_ipods.html
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/26/solar-lcd-powered-ipods-iphones-and-laptops/
We've seen Apple achieve what others have failed at many times before but I wonder if they will be able to pull this off.