This television remote takes care of itself in a few different ways. Unlike its predecessor released last year, Samsung’s SolarCell Remote can harvest radiofrequency energy from nearby devices like WiFi routers. (Solar cells on the remote’s back can also charge the device using both natural and artificial light; a USB charge port is also built in.) The 2022 iteration is made from recycled materials and is 88% more efficient than the earlier version; it also completely avoids traditional chemical batteries, using a capacitor instead. Samsung projects that 24 million SolarCell remotes, which are included with the company’s new TVs and not sold separately, will be in use globally by the end of this year. That means fewer batteries in the trash, at least due to watching the tube.
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