The recent World Solar Challenge saw the Japanese team emerge as winners, upsetting the pecking order that was once dominated by 4-time Dutch champs. They took top spot by making it past the finish line of the 1,864-mile solar car race that was held across Australia, completing the gruelling journey in 29 hours and 49 minutes even on a flat tire, giving it an impressive average speed of around 63mph.

Solar seems to be as much the in thing these days as with multitouch displays, and the Neuber Energy Sun Bag carries just one of those. It will feature a huge solar cell on the front flap which will help soak up the sun's rays during the day and turn it into something useful, making it capable of juicing up tiny handheld devices of up to 5 volts. Perfect for customization buffs, the Neuber Energy Sun-Bag will have a choice of 37 colors in addition to optional custom printing. It has been priced at $150 with no word on availability just yet.

iPod docks are dime a dozen, but how many of them are actually green and good for the environment? The Reverb solar-powered iPod dock from Regen is one of them, where it is capable of offering up to a dozen hours of continuous playback on a full charge. Charging is much slower compared to plugging it into a power outlet of course, where it will take 20 hours of outdoor sun to hit a full charge while indoor sun will take up double the length of time. For those who crank up the volume on a frequent basis, the Reverb will last for a mere 4.5 hours. Features include a stylish 35" iPod tower, a backlit LCD display and an integrated photovoltaic panel. It won't come cheap though, retailing for $2,299 but at least after the apocalypse, you can still tune in to your iPod when there is no power supplied through the grid.

Mitsubishi Chemical will harness the power of the sun by using solar cells to power its air conditioning system in trucks so that fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced in an effort to keep the earth as green as possible for our next generation. This 10-ton prototype truck will come with two types of solar cells which allows it to achieve a maximum output of 900 watts. Its storage battery enables it to see action regardless of whether it is rainy or cloudy, and calculations have shown that should all of the 1.4 million existing trucks in Japan were replaced by this model, CO2 emissions might eventually be reduced by 1.65 million tons per year!

Sharp Japan recently announced that they managed to roll out a solar cell that will boast the world’s highest conversion efficiency of 35.8% which is a marked improvement over its predecessor that touched just 31.5%. This model is a compound solar cell, where at least two elements form photo-absorption layers to help achieve that magical number. Meant for use on space satellites and numerous special equipment, Sharp aims to commercialize this triple-junction compound solar cell within 3 years' time. Good luck, guys!

The Zegna Ecotech Solar Jacket is a long time in coming - after all, who doesn't want to wear a stylish jacket that not only keeps the chills out, it is also capable of absorbing the sun's rays and turn it into electricity to juice up your many gadgets that tend to travel with you? Made from recycled plastic for that added touch of green, you will find solar panels dotting the upper sleeves. Bear in mind these solar panels can be detached for easy cleaning and making you look more normal.

Check out the reNEW Solar Battery Charger concept that does come across as some sort of decorative frame which hangs out on your window through the use of a suction cup, where it will sit pretty on any table. When you take a closer look at it, you will realize that this is a solar charger for rechargeable batteries, so hopefully neat designs such as these will help move more people's hearts and wallets to lean towards the green side of things. All you need to do is slide batteries down the back of the frame straight into the protective charging pouch and you're good to go. Too bad this is but a concept at this point in time.

Vienna-based design studio Vandasye has come up with a solar-powered clock prototype that well, basically tells the current time at a glance, being powered by solar energy - guess there is no need to change that pesky AA battery once every year or so, eh? Not too sure just how many batteries this will save in the long run, but it is nice to see solar powered devices gaining traction in mainstream consciousness.

LG has unveiled an e-book reader that boasts a solar cell to help it stay juiced up whenever possible, with the solar cell measuring 10cm in width and length to fit the 6" display e-book. Measuring 0.7mm in thickness while tipping the scales at 20 grams, the solar cell is thinner than a credit card while weighing like a fountain pen. Currently, the energy conversion efficiency rate of this product stands at around 9.6% - making exposure to sunlight for around four to five hours garnering another day's worth of running time for the battery without having to have it go through additional charging.

Brisbane now houses the world's largest solar-powered footbridge, featuring panels that will power its LED lights while feeding the main grid with juice, helping the government Down Under save up to 38 tons of CO2 each year. This bridge is tipped to see around 36,000 people walking/biking over it each week. Would be intereesting if they could incorporate some sort of mechanism to take advantage of all the kinetic energy generated by ordinary people walking across it.

One look at the picture here and you’ll certainly know that it’s a concept car, and it’s certainly a frightening looking one at that. You can thank 24-year old German designer, Anne Forschner, for this concept car called the Lovos (Lifestyle of Voluntary Simplicity). Despite the name, the car looks anything but simple. The scales pictured on the body of the car are replaceable and turn constantly to align with the sun, and they’re also covered with solar cells. One thing you might but curious is that there doesn’t seem to be a door for you to enter the car though, which does seem a tad funny.

There is nothing quite like having the power of the sun to keep your devices juiced up as with the Solar Powered Courtesy Light. Perfect for dark areas around your home (especially outdoors), it is able to throw out more than 26 feet of bright light thanks to its LED light that is equal to that of a 60-watt bulb. When triggered, it offers a full minute's worth of light thanks to its 100 degree infrared motion detection field, while others might prefer to turn its 3-way switch to “on” for an all nighter. Gizoo is carrying it for $32 a pop.

Once in a while, Brando comes up with some really nifty stuff, and now is one of those times. Their solar powered Bluetooth headset is one of them, where it will rely on the sun's rays to keep your headset charged indefinitely. If you decide to pick up a couple of these and wear them simultaneously, you will be able to enjoy stereo Bluetooth connectivity thanks to multiple pairing. Go green with the solar powered Bluetooth headset from Brando for $67 a pop, although it would be nice to see the design be more fashion forward.

Picnic Plus has come up with a Cooladio Solar Cooler that helps keep your carefully prepared picnic content nice and warm all the way to your favorite spot on the park. It does so thanks to a built-in solar-power docking station, where thermal insulated foil helps keep your food warm (or cold, if that's your cup of tea), while you also have the option of plugging in any device that needs some juice on the spot. The Cooladio comes with a couple of speakers, allowing you to connect your favorite MP3 players thanks to a built-in headphone jack. Sports Authority is carrying the Cooladio Solar Picnic Plus Bag for approximately $84.99.