WYSIPS-What You See Is PhotoVoltaic Source is a French start-up which appraently has a major breakthrough for solar power to electronic devices. The lenticular skin is transparent but generates serious power for directly charging anything electronic from smartphones to GPS systems. because the film is not only transparent but very thin and highly flexible it can be attached/molded onto a wide array of products. The cost of the part is eastimated to be in the $1-3 range; thus the technology is expected to be on devices by next year. Unkown is the question of the durability of the material. Also the current demos show the material being applied to the screen of a tablet or smartphone. Ye Editor can see it being applied to the back of a tablet or smartphone and then the smartphone or tablet being carried in a bag with n clear plastic slot so the tablet or other device can be recharging while being toted around. No surprise – this technology won first prize in the CTIA Mobile Shows new Technology competition.
Wider Question
Has the Mobile trend toward much longer battery life enabled this thin-film charging technology? It appears to be so if the cost, manufacturing flexibility, and durability of the these thin films turn out to be close to promises. But there is dearth of specs on the electronics and charging ranges and conditions. So be advised – ye Editor is from Missouri country.