When you decide to spend a day at the beach, are you someone that likes to think of the beach as an extension of your office or are you someone who sees the beach as a place to get away from it all?
How you answer this question will likely influence how you feel about PowerShade, a new standard sized beach umbrella fitted with solar powered charging equipment to allow for constant power throughout the day. With 3 outlets mounted along the stem, it can charge up to three devices at a time.
I first learned about PowerShade through a PR firm who alerted me to the product, which is currently in the midst of a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter. As of the time of this article being written, they are only about 5% of the way to their $205,000 crowd-funding goal.
According to the P.R. rep I spoke with, the PowerShade eventually will be available throughout the US and Canada and will sell for $299.
While this idea is certainly intriguing, I can’t help but have mixed feelings about it.
I certainly like the idea of being able to re-charge electronics using the energy from the sun, but at the same time I’m not convinced that I want to tote my laptop, smartphone, music player, etc to the beach with me when I decide to spend time by the water. How long does the virtual extension cord need to be so that we can always be ‘connected and wired in’ wherever we decide to go?
Would people around you be annoyed if they decide to enjoy a day at the beach only to see a satellite office located next to them full of electronics and other items?
Once you’ve had a chance to view the video, I’d be curious to know what other people think? Is this a potential hit or a whimsical miss?
If you want to see the entire KickStarter page for PowerShade, CLICK HERE.
Its a great invention However, its missing a antenna. I could spend happy days on the beach from Sunrise to sunset. Maybe a Microwave to cook my meals