Solar sunglasses harness rays for gadget power

(Credit: Hyun-Joong Kim & Kwang-Seok Jeong)

Sunglasses, check. iPod, check. Charger, check. Actually, nix that last one. A new pair of solar-powered shades that double as a gadget charger mean one less item to toss in the beach bag.

The cool-looking "Self-Energy Converting Sunglasses" by designers Hyun-Joong Kim and Kwang-Seok Jeong integrate into their lenses dye solar cells that convert sunlight into energy. Just plug a device into the power jack in the back of the shades and it's powered up. You're not going to want to plug an electric car into these, of course, but for small devices they could provide a nice (and sleek) solution.

Solar chargers, of course, come in all sorts of packages these days--phone straps, solar computer mats, solar briefcases. Still, we like this clever and fashionable twist--and it gives us a reason to dream of sunshine on this gray, rainy day.

Thanks, Inhabitat, for shedding light on this one. We're still hunting around to see where and when the Self-Energy Converting Sunglasses glasses will be available. We'll let you know when we find out.

[DarkHawke]

Great idea. Now if they could integrate the tech into shades that don't make you look like a tool, even better.

[maderabhs08]

when will this solar sunglasses be hitting stores and if they are in stores already where can we find them and at what price.