Retractable Solar-powered Umbrella [Powerbrella That Charges Your Laptops, Mobile phones or iPods]

Skyshades and Konarka Technologies teamed together to come up with a solar-powered umbrella that should be good enough to provide shade and to charge all your gadgets while enjoying a coffee at your favorite cafe or a cocktail at the pool. Meant for outdoor use, on top of the retractable umbrella there’s a lightweight, flexible solar cell film that captures the sun’s light and turns it into energy.

With no wires but fitted with outlets to plug your electronic equipment into, the Powerbrella has been tested last year at the Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida. Apparently it’s “tough” enough to whitstand weather and powerful enough to be sent under hammer to production lines. It should be shipping starting from July.

[via Gizmag]