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Nothing ruins summer fun like your favorite gadget running out of battery juice, but if you happen to wander into a New York City park, AT&T wants to hook you up with some free, sun-powered energy.
CNET reported Tuesday that AT&T is now installing solar-powered charging stations in 25 different locations across the five boroughs of New York City, and plans even more locations to come throughout the summer.
Each location features both 30-pin and Lightning dock connector cables as well as micro and standard USB for charging pretty much every gadget you can think of. Known as “Street Charge,” the AT&T initiative is currently in a trial phase after the company set up mobile charging stations in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
Street Charge stations are powered exclusively by solar panels, which helped get them installed and running faster, given that no external power source, wires or other infrastructure charges were required.
A single Street Charge station includes enough batteries to offer three to four days of continuous charging when full, and in direct sunlight can get a full charge in as little as four hours. During cloudy or rain-soaked days, Street Charge will even continue to absorb ultraviolet rays for energy.
The first 25 stations have been paid for by AT&T, who plans to move them around in the coming months, even as new ones are added, as the company works with the city of New York to find the best location for each.
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(Image courtesy of CNET)
