The Surge for iPod touch (NT02) and the Surge for iPhone (NT01) look a lot alike. They both have:

• - State-of-the-art solar panels allowing for continuous charging from the sun
• - Solar panels that output 5.5V at 100 mAh in full sunlight
• - Rechargeable 1320 mAh 3.7V lithium-ion polymer batteries
• - Battery cell technology that prevents overcharging
• - Apple certification

However, the subtle difference between a NT01 and NT02 is the camera hole for the iPhone. We designed the Surge to be used without the hassle of disconnecting your iPhone each time you wanted to use it. That’s why we put easy grip sides and built speaker ports right into the Surge so you can use all your favorite iPhone features and still double the battery life of your iPhone.

The camera hole is precision cut so that you can take pictures or video with the Surge still connected. Shooting video with the iPhone is a major power drain on your iPhone, but with the Surge’s extra battery power you will be able to take film twice as many videos!

We love the iPhone’s sleek and shiny casing, but it sure does make it difficult to hold steady while taking a picture or video. With the Surge’s easy grip sides we’ve found that you can hold your iPhone more comfortably than you can without the Surge case.

You can order the Surge for iPhone or iPod touch through our online store which also has more details about both models.

Ronald from a marketing research group at Cal State University in East Bay near Hayward, California recently uploaded a short two and a half minute video that describes a few basics about the Surge for iPhone. He discusses a few key points about the Surge’s battery, our iPhone app, and the LED lights.

- The Surge has a 1320 mAh battery, the iPhone as a 1150 mAh battery, so the Surge more than doubles the battery life of your iPhone.
- The Surge’s internal battery is a backup battery for the iPhone.
- Ronald gives a quick demo of the Solar Planner iPhone App.
- Explanation of the Surge’s different color LED lights.

The video is embedded below, or you can watch it on YouTube.

Visit Novothink.com for more information about the Surge.

The luck of the Irish has just hit the Solar Arcadia store! From March 9th through the 17th our online store, solararcadia.com, is offering free shipping on all orders. To take advantage of this special just select the UPS Ground option during checkout and you can save yourself some green, and we’re not talking about shamrocks.

But wait there’s more! As a special treat, we are also offering $17 off the Surge for iPod touch in addition to the free shipping. So not only can you get your new Surge for iPod touch for only $52.95 you can also get it shipped to you for free! Click here for details.

You’ve got until the 17th to take advantage of this great offer, and you don’t even have to chase a leprechaun. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for more updates on great deals and specials.

In order to help our customers estimate how much solar power they will need to harvest during their trips, we’ve developed the Solar Planner App. The Solar Planner provides an estimate of how much time you will need to expose your Surge to the sun to maintain the battery level of your iPod touch or iPhone. This is your ideal tool to plan your charging needs for your hiking, biking, camping, or traveling anywhere under the sun!

Example 1 (Sunny)

In example 1, a sunny two day trip, the Solar Planner estimates that if you were to:
- Talk on the phone for an hour and a half
- Watch an hour long movie or video podcast
- Use 3G or Edge wireless internet for about 20 minutes
- And listen to two full hours of music

RESULT: Your Surge’s internal battery will keep your iPhone powered the entire trip without any charging needed.

(more…)

Meet the only Apple approved hybrid solar charger for iPhone 3G and 3G S. Below is a video that highlights some of the Surge’s solar charging features.

With this hybrid solar charger case, you can now powerup your iPhone literally anywhere under the sun. Our solar panel technology enables you to be part of the solar energy solution.

• - Powerup while walking, running, hiking, or biking
• - Powerup while on the beach, camping, or traveling anywhere
• - Durable, yet lightweight and slim design
• - Full access to touch screen
• - State-of-the-art solar panel technology allows your iPhone 3G and 3G S to powerup with the power of the sun
• - Comfortable, ergonomic design with a soft touch, non-slip finish
• - LED status light indicators
• - Clean, green energy source
• - Speaker ports to prevent sound dampening
• - Convenient cutout for attaching a wrist strap or trinkets
• - Use our free Solar Planner App to estimate your solar needs based on your iPhone 3G and 3G S usage

You can order the Surge at our online store, SolarArcadia.com

As Mr. Steve Jobs likes to say, the iPod touch is the funnest iPod ever. There are so many games available it’s difficult to even stay up-to-date on the latest popular games and new releases.

However, there’s a limit to how much fun you can have on the iPod touch. Play as many games as you want, but when the battery runs out, the fun is over. There are many different things you can do to extend your game time. For example you can turn down the brightness, lower the volume, turn off wi-fi, location services, push data… But by that time all you’ve got is a shiny Gameboy that plays music!

So don’t compromise your fun level. With the Surge solar charger for the iPod touch you can more than double your battery life! That means you can play your favorite games twice as long. It’s impossible to judge how many hours you will get of gaming because each game demands different levels of computing power, but most gamers get between 2-4 hours of gaming.

With the Surge your gaming time will go from 2 to 4 hours all the way up to 4 to 8 hours of game time, depending on the type of game you play. Let the Surge charge your iPod touch for you. Just leave the Surge in the sun or plug it into your computer via USB and when you start to run low on power just slip your iPod touch into the Surge case and the stored power in the Surge’s internal battery will transfer to your iPod touch.

Our online store at solarcarcadia.com is fully stocked and ready to ship your solar powered charging case to you for only $69.95. Click here for the product page.

More info at Novothink.com

Today marks the first full week of Lent for many Catholics. While many are giving up sweets, red meat, alcohol, or television a few have decided to go green for Lent.

This new Lenten campaign, headed by Catholics in Alliance, is focused on committing to change people’s own personal choices. They state that it is important to leave less of a carbon footprint and they encourage others to dedicate this Lent to simple, more sustainable living habits. Their Facebook page is quite active with resources and community input about how their new changes are progressing. It also contains a pledge from St. Francis that encourages Christians to put their faith into action. Also notable is that the pledge states that climate change is not a political issue, but a moral one.

Here at Novothink, we encourage green solutions for everyday life. That’s why we work to create innovative technologies that empower you to take advantage of the free, clean power of the sun. We believe that everyone can make a positive difference for our planet, and through small steps, we can make monumental progress towards a clean, green future.

You’ve got less than 24 hours to signup to win a Surge for the iPhone. The contest is being hosted at AnyLuckyDay.com and it’s fairly simple to put your name in the hat for the giveaway.

Here’s a video that gives some details about the Surge and the giveaway:

Here’s how to register to win:

1. Go to the giveaway page at http://anyluckyday.com/surge-iphone-solar-charger
2. Leave a comment on their site.

Contest starts 12:00AM EST Thursday 2/25/10 and ends Thursday 2/25/10 11:59:59 PM EST. The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the contest.

DISCLAIMER: We are in no way affiliated with the giveaway or anyluckyday.com, we’re just letting our readers know about the giveaway.

Not only did we create the Surge, we’re customers too. As the final tweaks were being put on the Surge for iPhone we were excited to get our hands on the working models. One of the first things we noticed about using the Surge with our iPhone is that because of the nonslip material and easy grip sides on the Surge it’s more comfortable to use the iPhone with the Surge attached.

The easy grip sides allow for your fingers to get a sure hold on the Surge. While the smooth glossy look of the iPhone is pretty to look at, it makes it difficult to hold. The ribbed sides of the Surge were designed to help you grip the case.

The same nonslip material used on the inside of the Surge is used on the front side of the case as well. This is a smooth, soft rubber-like material that is very comfortable to hold.

Also, the added depth of the Surge case helps to attain a firmer more secure grip on your favorite portable device. There’s definitely a limit to how thin these devices can be because there’s a point that it becomes less useful as the device become smaller…

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter & Facebook.

As much as we talk about the advanced features of the Surge, sometimes we forget to address the commonly asked questions about the basics of our popular solar iPod touch and iPhone charger. Below are a few frequently asked questions about the Surge.

The lines on my solar panel are unevenly spaced. Is it defective?

No, your solar panel is not defective, nor is it less efficient. Unevenly spaced lines on the solar panel are a common occurrence and don’t affect efficiency in any way.

What exactly does the Surge do? How does it work?

The Surge uses a solar panel to collect sunlight, which it turns into electricity. If your iPhone is not fully charged, it transfers the charge to your iPhone. When your iPhone is fully charged (or when it is not inserted), the Surge transfers the charge to its internal battery. The charge from this reserve battery will transfer to your iPhone’s battery as necessary.

How can I charge my iPhone 3G or 3G S?

You can charge your iPhone 3G or 3G S by allowing the sun to do the work or you can use the included USB cord to hook the Surge up to your computer. You never need to remove your iPhone from the case to charge it!