Solar-powered iPods and iPhones may be just around the corner. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) filed a patent to place solar cells on portable electronics devices, according to a Forbes.com report.
To maximize the surface area for collecting sunlight, portable devices described in the patent application could have photovoltaic cells stacked underneath LCD touch screens.
In addition, information about the performance of solar cells could be displayed on the LCD screen along with remaining battery power, or the information could appear on top of the solar cells themselves, according to the filing.
Apple is not the first company to suggest solar-powered electronics. Similar patent filings and products from companies like Motorola, Better Energy Systems and Voltaic Systems mean that before long all of our electricity-sucking gadgets may be freed from their reliance on grid-based energy.
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