PowerShade Solar-Powered Beach Umbrella
/powershade-solar-powered-beach-16592.jpg "PowerShade Solar-Powered Beach Umbrella")
I can hear the naysaying negative Nellies now: The beach is for disconnecting!; Can't you enjoy nature for an hour without your laptop?; Why don't you just stay home, A-hole? Um, because I would like to get a tan, and relish the soothing sounds of crashing waves, and covertly check out nubile ladies in very small bikinis, and be able to send dozens of envy-inducing texts and very small bikini photos to my friend Cornelius without having to worry about a dead battery.
The PowerShade canopies and blocks just like a normal beach umbrella, with the huge, major added bonus of incorporating solar panels and charging equipment that team up to provide devices with constant power throughout the day. The modernized sand stake can charge up to 3 devices simultaneously.
But it's super clunky, temperamental, and weighs about 72 pounds, right? To the contrary, PowerShade creator Paul Vinuelas promises his design will be no heavier than non-charging beach umbrellas, nor will its flexible solar panels impede umbrella opening, closing, use, or storage. He also assures potential Kickstarter backers that PowerShade isn't about the trickling output of a bar of charge per hour or three. He says it will deliver the same quantity and speed of charging users expect from their home outlets.
If the beach is on your summertime docket but you're hesitant to camp out there without a socket, pledge for your PowerShade on Kickstarter through May 1, 2015. Vinuelas anticipates delivering the solar-powered umbrella to backers in June 2015. No word on whether or not he'll be able to deliver the sun and 85-degree weather alongside it.
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