Glenn Fleishman (of Wi-Fi Net News and TidBITS fame) has a good write up over at WorldChanging on the Green Plug solution to the phantom power problem.

Their solution is based on an the idea of standardising the power connector that is used by electronics on the standard USB connector. They have developed a variant of it for devices like laptops that need more power than a regular USB connector can deliver. This seems like a smart move since that connector is already becoming a de facto standard for low power electronics like cameras, phones etc. Additionally, USB power outlets are appearing on aircraft and even in airport lounges now, allowing people to power and recharge their small devices easily with just a cable.

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The ATP EarthDrives claim to be the world’s first eco-friendly USB thumb drive. The case is made from bio-degradable PLA (polylactic acid) plastic which is made from renewable sources like corn. The drives are designed to be fully recyclable when it reaches the end of its life.

Additionally, ATP has partnered with the American Forests’ National Tree planting project to use a portion of the profits from EarthDrive sales to plant new trees.

[Via GreenBlog]

While I was out the other day I came across a couple of solutions for charging portable devices, like iPods & media players, iPhones and other mobile phones, GPS navigation units or portable gaming devices using the energy of the sun. The two models I saw in the store were the Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger and the Solio H1000 Hybrid Battery Charger.

Of the two, the H1000 was perhaps the most appealing to me, simply because I’m not such a big fan of the fan out operation on the other model. Both have an internal battery that is charged by the solar panel, and can then be used to charge your external device. That means you can leave the charger in a sunny place all day, and then top up your phone from it overnight. And using solar power instead of leaving the phone’s AC charger plugged in all day, reduces the phantom power drain too (unplugging that AC adapter when you’re not using will help there too).

In addition to the Solio portable chargers, there are also some other options out there like the SolarStyle SC002 or the iceTECH Solar i101 for those on tighter budgets. Be sure to check that the charger you select is compatible with your devices though before buying.