While you might think a device designed to catch sunlight would be massive, the Solio is actually a pretty small gizmo, even when fully expanded. This is great for anyone on the move as it easily fits into the pockets of your jeans when closed.

It works using the three solar panels in a fan-shaped design in order to store as much energy as possible in its internal battery. According to Solio, around one hour of sunlight amounts to the same amount of playing time when charging an iPod.

And even though there was little sunlight at the time of testing in gloomy London, the Solio did itself proud. It needed around 20 minutes more sunlight to manage the full hour, but this still compares favourably to the conventional way of charging your iPod via a computer or dock.

Solio's triple blades fan out to catch more sunlight