Apartment Therapy Unplugged | Hana-Akari Solar-Powered Lamp from Sony

There have been a couple of solar lamps floating around, but none this impressive. This prototype from Sony uses a new technology that mimick's photosynthesis using a new dye-sensitized solar cell, storing energy in a low-cost membrane.

The first prototypes by Sony are these lamps which appear to use LED lights, but can also power other devices. Although this is only a prototype, it's a promising new technology that is an example of what can be learned from nature (think Phytoplankton -- they obtain energy via photosynthesis and can emit a bloom which lights up the ocean).