I think it’s more than fair to say that most solar devices on the market today are “woefully inadequate”.  At least that’s the opinion of Solar Components, who is ready to crush the competition this June by launching the Joos Orange, a personal solar device that can produce up to 20 times the energy of any personal solar product.

So what does that mean in terms of gadget charging?  One hour of direct sunlight can capture enough power to deliver more than 2.5 hours of talk time to a cell phone.  Most solar devices produce 5-10 minutes, tops, after 1 hour of solar exposure. If need be, it can also be charged via USB and has a set of LED status lights to indicate dead battery and power production.

Even better the Joos Orange is waterproof, rugged thanks to its polycarbonate build, and has a replaceable 5400 mAh lithium-ion battery.  It measure 5.8 x 8.6 x 0.8-inch and weighs 24oz, so it’s not out of the question if you want to toss it in a bag with your laptop.

So how much you ask?  They’re aiming for a retail cost of $100.  Not bad in the grand scheme, not bad at all.

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