The Sun hates you. I realize that this is a fairly unpopular position, argued against by die hard Sun apologists. They’ll try to debunk this fact by stating that “It gives us the light and heat that we need to survive.” Fools! The light and heat pales in comparison to the flesh searing radiation the sun bounces at us. It is only by then benevolent grace of the Ozone Layer that the vile Sun doesn’t bleach all life from the Earth.

What if we could trick the Sun even further, get it to do more of our bidding while it tries in vain to murder us. Wouldn’t that be something? As it turns out, there are things called “Solar Pannels” avaliable to consumers. These pannels convert the Sun’s hate rays into usable electricity, powering your calculator or small toy cars.

But what if we could use our greatest foe’s power to run our portable electronics? Our cell phones and PDAs, our handheld game systems? Would that not be something?

Enter the Solio Classic Hybrid Solar Charger. Using a low profile three panel system and a collection of commonly used tips, the Solio keeps you running well past the limited battery life of your handheld device.

“But wait,” you may ask “doesn’t the Sun take a break from all his killing? What happens when it’s night out?” That is a fantastic question. Rather than act as a direct “sun to device” conduit, the Solio works best as a solar charger, filling it’s battery with murder beams and then sharing that power when you need it. It fills up a full charge quickly and folds into a small bundle for easy transport. You can leave it on your dashboard while you drive and when you need to hook up your equipment, it’s ready to go.

“But wait,” you may interrupt yet again, lacking respect for my narrative “I’m not the kind of person who goes outside very often. Or maybe I live in Seattle and have only heard rumors of this ‘Sun’ of which you speak. What do I do then?” I was getting to that. You need to relax and let this blog post happen. The “Hybrid” in the product name refers to the second way it can collect power. As you may know, USB allows devices to draw power from your computer without needing to be plugged in on their own. The Solio uses this technology to fill its battery using USB, allowing you to get all the power you need without leaving the house. Of course, you’ll want to use this on a desktop, not a free floating laptop, or else you’ll be looking at an empty laptop very quickly.

All in all, the Solio works wonders, giving me more time with my electronic devices while giving the finger to our hated Sun. It’s a win/win as far as I’m concerned.

• To get your own Solio charger Click Here
• To review special pricing on the Solio charger Click Here

Cell phones began as briefcase-sized units, then large plastic bricks, then finally they became pocket-sized.  All of this happened in barely 10 years, a pretty amazing technological leap if you think about it.  However, with this increased portability there has been an inverse relationship with durability.  Modern phones are not exactly built to last, and a user has to worry about dropping their phone.  I say, why does this have to be the case?  Why can’t phones still be a little beefier while still being portable?

There have been more durable phones before, mostly offered by Sprint and Nextel, being aimed at working men and women.  However, these phones tend to be long on durability and short on features.  Want a camera? Tough luck.

Casio, long known as a maker of fine digital wristwatches and calculators, has stepped up to the proverbial plate with their new G’zOne (pronounced Geez-one).  Bizarre pronunciation aside, this phone will likely please a lot of people.  It is specifically marketed to the extreme sports crowd, with an insert in the box displaying the phone’s use at an Alaskan surfing competition, a long snowy hike, a desert race, and a punk rock concert in Manhattan.  The phone claims to be resistant to sunlight, impact, dust, and water (resistant to about one meter in depth for up to 30 minutes).

My abilities to truly test this phone were somewhat limited, as I didn’t want to break the only test model we had.  However, I was able to make phone calls from my swimming pool.  While this does not on its own make the G’zOne a revolutionary phone, it is an effective demonstration of some of the phone’s abilities.  Seriously, when was the last time you took your cell phone swimming?  Disappointingly, this is where I encountered the phone’s only shortcoming: the screen is very difficult to see in bright sunlight.  My everyday cellphone, which is by no means a very nice one, does fine in any lighting.  Yet somehow, this dedicated “outdoorsy” phone has a screen with very little contrast and poor brightness.

Unlike most durable phones, the G’zOne is packed with all the features one would expect: GPS, push-to-talk, Bluetooth, speakerphone, music capabilities, and a handy LED lantern (a feature lacking on most phones).  In addition, the phone’s dimensions are only slightly larger than a conventional flip-phone.

All in all, the G’zOne is a useful product for the outdoorsman or the worker whose job finds him or her in inconvenient environments.  Add to that a full list of features and a convenient size, and you’ve got a winner.  This phone is designed to be useful to a large number of people, well beyond the “Extreme sports” niche that it seems to be marketing to.

• To learn more and get your own Casio G’zOne Click Here
• To review special pricing on the Casio G’zOne accessories Click Here