Here’s a design that rivals the light bulb in its ingenuity: the Window Socket. The disc-like socket designed by the Korean duo Kyuho Song and Boah Oh has a base of mini solar panels and a suction cup that ensures effective adhesion to virtually any transparent glass surface that is exposed to the sun. The panels absorb solar energy, which is then converted into electric energy by an embedded converter.
“This product is designed to enable you to use electricity freely and conveniently in a space restricted by the use of electricity such as in a plane, a car or outdoors,” according to Song and Oh’s design brief on Yanko.
“Thus this product was designed to draw a socket used indoors outdoors. We tried to design a portable socket so that users can use it intuitively without special training.”
It doesn’t get more simple that sticking the window socket on a pane of glass and watch it (or not) while it charges for five to eight hours.
Once completely charged to 1000 mAh, it stays charged for up to ten hours.
Although we’re not in love with the plastic components (who needs more plastic in the world), the Window Socket impresses us as a fantastic solution for nomads, off-grid dwellers or other people living alternative lives.
It would also make a great backup for small appliances and phones during power outages like those we experience so regularly in Egypt and Lebanon.
:: Yanko Design
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
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Such a tiny solar panel area will generate an equally tiny amount of electricity. This is all hype – it won’t be useful or practical. It’s like the “lightning rods” put on umbrellas right after Franklin made his great invention – useless (which was good in that case), but fashionable.
It’s a beautiful thing but what are the technical specs? Voltage, current output, max power and so on. Please!
This will NEVER work. Its specifications have not only “technical problems”, they are directly against PHYSICS laws in this Universe.
Without specifying the peak and average power outputs (or the peak and average current output, for I assume the output it’s the standard 5V), this news has no meaning. Most tablets require up to 2mA to charge and most smartphone are close to that figure. Anything less will either not charge at all or charge so slowly that it won’t be noticeable, especially considering 1000mAh is about one quarter of a tablet battery nowadays. Would it be worth the extra money and the extra weight in your pocket, or will it be the latest exploitation of the “go green” phenomenon?
“latest exploitation of the “go green” phenomenon”
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Whenever I try to point this out I get scowled at for daring to be so politically incorrect. Does my heart good to see at least one other person on the planet sees it the day I do!!
Very cool.
But I have to ask the “so what” question. How does this translate to say. . . an LED output, halogen bulb, zeno bulb, florescence energy-efficient bulb and so on? Stating it’s output doesn’t tell me much. Real examples are important.