Introduction

Over the past few years, energy consumption from both developing and developed countries have risen sharply. This is a huge concern for governments around the world. So it's no surprise to see that they're emphasised the importance of alternative energy and green technology. Through sponsored programmes, some manufacturers have put a huge amount of effort in producing products that uses greener technology, that offers both energy and cost saving. In fact, I wasn't surprised to see an increase of greener products on the market in recent months, from energy saving motherboards to solar powered keyboards.

One of the areas of green technology is solar cells. They've been around for many years, but are often too expensive to make it cost effective as alternative energy source. The energy produced by solar panels are often very low, and it depends on prolonged exposure to strong sunlight. But thanks to advances in solar cell technology in the past 12 months, things are about to change drastically.

But solar power ... Really? Yes, you're right. There's no way that small solar panels are able to power heavy equipment or even small portable devices like your netbook or smartphone. However, what manufacturers have done, is to use this technology and applied it on peripherals and accessories that are classed as "low energy" consumption. These include keyboards, mice, emergency power packs, LED lighting and possibly headsets ... Who knows where advanced solar cell technology will take us. One thing's for sure ... We'll be seeing a lot of solar powered devices over the next few months, especially in 2011.

Arctic Cooling are already pretty well known for their CPU coolers, but now it seems that they're expanding their product catalogue to include headsets, mice, keyboards and other accessories. For those who are not familiar with Arctic Cooling or their products, here's a quick blurb taken from their website ...

In this review, we'll be taking a look at the Arctic Cooling C1 - Mobile. It's a compact and slim solar power pack that's designed as an alternative power source, for portable devices such as speakers and gaming devices. It also acts as an emergency power charger for your mobile devices such as your smartphone or in my case, an iPhone. It feature solar panels which require 12-14 hours of sunlight to obtain a full charge, or 2-3 hours via USB cable connected to your PC or notebook. The package comes with several connectors for different mobile phones, including Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and a mini-USB connector, which caters for a large majority of smartphones on the market.

Now, you might think that this little device is pretty pointless, but believe me when I say this ... the amount time my iPhone was totally out of battery juice, just when I need to make a call. Not surprising, especially when you've spent hours using the iphone to surf the web, playing games or listening to your MP3s. But thanks to Arctic Cooling's C1- Mobile multi-purpose solar powered power pack ... I'm saved!

Features and Specifications

Overview

This lightweight, mobile charger gives you power wherever you go. Its built-in 4440 mWh lithium-ion battery is ideal for charging power-intensive devices such as mobile phones, MP3 and PDA. The ARCTIC C1 Mobile also provides necessary voltage to the data pin which allows charging of iPhone and iPod touch. With hybrid functionality, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile can be charged from the sun / light or from a USB port.

You've got the power

Featuring a 4400 mWh lithium-ion battery, this portable charger is ideal for powering up energy-intensive devices, such as mobile phones, MP3 players and PDAs. What’s more. The ARCTIC C1 Mobile provides the necessary voltage to the data pins which allows charging of iPhone and iPod touch, which gives one more practical option for charging your valuable multimedia devices.

Green energy with high mobility

The ARCTIC C1 Mobile can be charged by the built-in solar panel. Take the ARCTIC C1 Mobile with you whilst working, hiking, sunbathing, camping to transform natural resources to the energy for a wide range of devices.

Main Features

• Built-in 4400 mWh lithium-ion rechargeable battery
• Ideal for high-powered devices everywhere
• Fast and save charging by the USB cable provided
• Adapter for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola included

Specifications

For more information please visit Arctic Cooling's website ...

Verdict and Conclusion

It was kind of odd to see Arctic Cooling going into this area of green technology. I never really expected it, as they're really only known for producing CPU and GPU coolers. But then again, they've been expanding heavily on their range of products over the past year or so. Now they're selling headsets, keyboards, mice and all sorts of accessories and peripherals.

I think the Arctic Cooling C1- Mobile is a great little device for charging your smartphone, especially during an emergency. You can also use it as an alternative power source for portable devices such as speakers and gaming devices. What I particularly like about the unit is that it's compact and slim, it looks great and it's simple to use. I just love it when a product does what it says on the box.

According to Arctic Cooling's website, the C1- Mobile will cost you around USD $25.00 (GBP 20.00), which I think is an excellent price. Although it may not be on everyone's shopping list, I think it's a great little product that's well worth a look.

Final words. If do you decide can pick up one of these, trust me you won't be disappointed. Because you'll never know when or where you might need it.

SCORE
8/10

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