It’s late in the day here in California, but we thought we’d relay this solar-related news tidbit coming out of Consumer Electronics Show (CES) being held this week in Las Vegas. A maker of “portable solar power systems,” Goal Zero, took the opportunity at CES to unveil a new product:

Guide 10 Goal Zero Portable Solar Power Charger

Image courtesy of Goal Zero

What, pray tell, is it?

Consisting of four AA rechargeable batteries, a USB output port, and an LED flashlight, the GOAL ZERO Guide 10 power pack is designed to work in conjunction with the 7-watt mono-crystalline solar panels of the GOAL ZERO Nomad 7M. Together, they create the Guide 10 Adventure Kit, which completely charges in four hours of full sunlight and delivers portable power to a variety of USB and DC devices.

This slick little number appears to pack a punch, purportedly providing 30 hours of power for a cell phone, seven to ten hours for a smart phone and up to 40 hours of power for an iPod. Not bad.

Interestingly, as far as we can tell, the device is made with crystalline panels, which tend to be rigid. Most other portable solar power systems — like Samsonite’s solar-powered bags, — tend to incorporate thin-film solar panels, which, while relatively less efficient, can be made to be flexible. Maybe Goal Zero wanted to get the most juice per square inch of bag space?