Wouldn't it be awesome if your Kindle was solar-powered? Oh wait! It can be. Thanks to this tutorial from Instructable user flapke, you can now outfit your e-reader with small solar panels and forget about that ol' plug-in. The tutorial is kind of techie, but if you have a nerdy DIY spirit (like many of us do) it'll be right up your alley.

What You Need

• An e-reader
• Some solar panels, like these $10 versions
• A Schottky diode, which you can get this at any shop that sells electronic parts.
• A MAX1551 or MAX1555 IC.
• A SOT23 to DIP breakout board.
• A small capacitor, to make life a little easier for our MAX1551/1555.
• Some wires, a soldering iron, solder, a dremel and padded double sided tape. A multi-meter can also come in handy.

• Read More: For the full tutorial, see A Solar Charging E-Reader at Instructables

(Images: Instructables)