As the Euro tanks and brings solar panel stocks down with it, there is a bright spot on the horizon for the sunniest form of alternative energy.

Apple's (News - Alert) lending a little polish to the solar craze - it just filed a patent for placing solar panels on mobile devices. That means that if they move forward with incorporating the design, we consumers can expect to see battery-less phones integrated sometime soon. It is theorized that Apple products, like the iPhone (News - Alert), can be fitted with photovoltaic cells stacked underneath LCD touch screens, which can be harnessed as power sources.

Apple's devices won't be the only ones brandishing this new, eco-savvy technology. Researchers at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft ISE developed a prototype that allows a module efficiency rate of 20 percent via device-integrated, high-efficiency solar cells. What this means, in plain English, is that the solar panel technology would allow a phone to always stay on with unlimited standby times - this goes for PDAs as well.

Samsung (News - Alert) is also in the running, and seems to have trumped its competitors. Its Blue Earth mobile phone is made out of recycled plastic, tracks how many carbon dioxide emissions you save by walking instead of driving, and works on sunshine.

I never really understood why we rely so heavily on oil - I guess certain fat cat palms are being greased. Clearly, those fat cats aren't reading enough Frank Herbert. To quote the late Duke Leto Atreides "On Caladan, we ruled with sea and air power. Here, on Arrakis, we need desert power." For those readers who may not be science fiction fans, I'll break it down for you. What the author was saying, through his character, was that you should secure power based on your planet's abundances.

What makes the most sense for us common Earthlings is a reconfiguration of infrastructure… around commonly available resources. For us, that would mean water, air, or sunshine.

Use what you've got. It seems like a simple concept, but it is startling to see how society rejects it. But necessity moves us forward. Take Smallbean for example. This non-profit organization is dedicated to bringing technology to third world countries - and that requires making power where there is none. That means the energy needs to come from the afore-mentioned abundant resource - sunshine. They refurbish old laptops, cameras, etc. and make them compatible with solar resources - allowing under-privileged individuals to connect to the Internet.

Hopefully the American masses can transition into energy-friendly technologies as well as their less fortunate counterparts. Apple, if it moves forward with powering its devices with solar technology, stands to help propel this movement.
Erin Monda is a TMCnet Contributing Editor. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Michael Dinan