Now, I am not one to say that my love affair with these characters is anywhere near as passionate as the famed Mr Jim Shooter’s. However, despite being way to young to catch them at the news-stands, my first exposure to Dr Solar was an old Gold Key issue out of the back-issue bins, with Magnus as a back-up strip. It was hardly the most awe-inspiring introduction, and at the time Magnus seemed little different in concept to many 2000AD strips. ABC Warriors spring to mind.

Dr Solar had a certain charm however, but then I have a weakness for godlike characters that find the small things difficult to manage. Not that Solar was unto a god at this point in his development.

Come the age of Valiant and a rather convoluted but charming origin story where Phil (Seleski, not Solar here) accidentally destroys the universe and manages to recreate it again, if a little flawed and damaged. Remember Unity:Time Is Not Absolute? Guess who shredded the timstream into little itty-bitty pieces?

Under Jim Shooter’s scripts, that theme is touched upon once again. Without revealing his origin (except for the mandatory nuclear accident of course), it is noted Solar’s birth released many trans-dimensional portals, or anomalies as he calls them. This incarnation is aware of how powerful he might be, but is taking his first steps in the world, still learning the ropes and making mistakes. Godlike is only yet a distant glimmer on the horizon. I wonder how much Jim will remain true to his previous vision of the character whilst making this new version unique? After Warren Ellis’ Acclaim series (and his own Valiant series) he now has large shoes to fill. As a long time fan, I demand that he stay true to the story of Solar.  As a comics reader, I demand something new with an original twist. Altogether, we are not asking a lot!

Solar ships next month on the 14th, and I am pumped for this. Dennis Callero’s interior art had a certain charming ‘small press’ feel to it yet  with nice clean lines. What really stood out for me was the colouring, somehow reminiscent of the old Valiant style, textured even as it was clean.

If the covers however are stunning as on this one issue, then this will be money well spent.

Notice I didn’t say much about the Magnus strip? Well, from the one strip, it seemed to me that Magnus is once again a back-up strip, not deserving of a series of his own. Again penned by Mr Shooter this was far more uninspiring.  I failed to see any hook that makes this version stand out, either as an incarnation of himself or a slew of other characters that fight robots, aliens or crime in the future.

Solar however, will have me hanging around the comic shop eagerly awaiting the delivery. Oh well Mr Shooter, you win some and you lose some. At least you got me with Solar.

The Moon Jar is just that. It’s a solar-powered LED light source that glows either blue or amber. Leaving it outside during the day will charge it up, ready for it to glow the night away (five to six hours per charge, in fact).

It’s fully waterproof and is constructed from thick, frosted glass for an ambient, subtle glow.

Dubbed the Casio G-Shock MTG-1500, the wristwatch is no ordinary gadget. Coming from the tried and tested line of G-Shock watches, one can expect the usual toughness. Even my lately unusually clumsy partner can bang this watch on a daily basis – against metal, concrete, or marble – and it wouldn’t matter. That’s what G-Shock watches are known for.

Yet the things that make this watch more geeky than “jocky” (if there is even such a word) are these: one, it is solar powered and two, it can be set to atomic precision.

Casio is probably not the first watch maker to come up with a solar powered wrist watch but the MTG-1500 beats them all with up to 6 months of no charging needed; that is, if you fully charge the batteries. This would surely come in handy in case you find yourself buried in your basement (for what reason? You tell me!) for months.

On the atomic end, it is the ultimate gadget for people with a thing for precision. Although the MTG-1500 does not have a mini atomic reactor or whatnot inside of it, there is a receiver installed that will synchronize the watch to the nearest atomic timekeeping station, of which there are only 5 in the world.

How much will this set you back? A hefty $500, sad to say. If I had this extra cash, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it. After all, what other watch gives you the bragging rights to use “atomic” and “solar” in one go?

You’ve heard the line “don’t leave your electronics out in the sun, specially in your car on a bright sunny day… otherwise, it’ll just “fry” up”.  With the recent announcement of Samsung‘s “Blue Earth” the line is now “make sure you leave your phone in the sun to charge up! :)

It’s not a flip or fold-up phone… though it does look like it right? What’s great is that it’s a full touch phone… yup, following the bandwagon, but with the beautiful twist of “green” through and through.  

Samsung reinforced its commitment to protect the environment through the design of eco-friendly products and a programme of activities for its customers. It will be showcased at Mobile World Congress 2009 for the first time.

Designed to symbolize a flat and well rounded shiny pebble, Blue Earth is the first solar powered full-touch screen phone. By charging with the solar panel located on the back of the phone, users can generate enough electronic power to call anytime anywhere.