LG Unveils Solar-Powered e-Book Reader

LG Display has unveiled a solar-powered e-book reader. Given the fact that the electronic paper these readers use already provide really long battery life as they draw power only when the page is being turned, this could mean no recharging necessary --- ever.

All right, all right, on sunny days, anyway.

That's because the solar cell in the new device will extend the running time of the e-book’s battery by a day for every four to five hours of exposure to the sun. However, according to LG's press release, they won't be ready to commercialize the reader, or the panel, until 2012.



Right now, the solar panel used in the prototype has an efficiency of 9.6 percent; LG is aiming to increase this to 12 percent next year and 14 percent by 2012. At that point LG feels the panel will be ready for commercialization.