For some reason, whenever something's 'solar-powered' it becomes about ten times as cool as it would normally be. Having the ability to charge your gadgets anywhere (but the U.K or Seattle, at least) is incredibly convenient, especially for those of us who enjoy the outdoors.

Devotec's come out with a new speaker system that they're calling 'Solar Sound'. Basically, it's a set of solar-powered speakers with integrated Bluetooth technology. The idea is that customers will be able to send their music wirelessly to the speakers via Bluetooth. The 'Solar Sound' is a 2 x 2W speaker, and Devotec promises 'superior sound quality'.

I haven't had a chance to use the speakers myself, so I can't confirm or deny that. However, the idea itself is pretty fantastic. I'm surprised it took this long for someone to hit upon the idea of using Bluetooth to control and send music to a set of speakers.

The Solar Sound is compatible with most Nokia and BlackBerry phones, as well as the iPhone (with 3.0). There's also a retractable headphone cable, which allows you to connect your MP3 player to the speakers for direct playback. The 150mA solar panel charges the 1500mAH Lithium-Ion battery, which Devotec claims gives eight hours of play at medium volume or four hours at loud volume.

The whole package weighs only half a pound, and it costs $99.99 normally. Devotec is currently offering a special on their Solar Sound for only $79.99 'while supplies last'. I can't vouch for the quality of these speakers, but they definitely represent a neat idea at a relatively reasonable price.