If there’s one thing that gadgets eat up, it’s batteries. I can’t even calculate the amount of dough I’ve spent buying AA and AAA batteries.

The Freeloader is an “advanced portable charging system” that is capable of powering several handheld devices (see the list below). Utilizing solar panels, the Freeloader connects to your gadgets via USB, though for some devices you’ll need a special connector which some are included. The Freeloader can power an iPod for 18 hours, a cell phone for 44 hours, a Sony PSP for 2.5 hours, and a PDA for 22 hours. It sports an aluminum body so it can take all the travel abuse you throw at it.

The Freeloader costs £29.99 ($60 USD) and is available in silver or pink.

See the compatibility list and what’s included after the jump.

- LG KG800 Chocolate / Shine series
- Nokia old 3.5mm jack and compatible phones
- Nokia new 2mm jack and compatible Nseries phones
- Samsung A288 and compatible series phones
- Samsung D800 and compatible current series phones
- Sony Ericsson K750 and compatible series phones
- Dedicated Connector for iPod, iPod nano, iPhone
- Dedicated connector for Nintendo DS Lite
- 4mm jack compatible with Sony PSP, TomTom, some digital cameras, PDAs and two-way radios
- Mini USB compatible with BlackBerry, smartphones, Motorola phones, HTC phones, Qtek phones, some digital cameras and other devices that charge via a mini USB port.
- USB female for use with devices that can be charged via USB on your computer.

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Via: Yahoo! News UK