Battle of the mini eco-torches : wind-up versus solar

'green' torches seem to be getting more popular (happily), and many are very cheap and meant for a small amount of light (no idea of the amount of lumens. They never usually say, but not much).

In this case I tested an inexpensive Rolson 3 led wind-up torch against a cheap solar 'keyring' 3 led torch available on Amazon or Ebay.

Update Feb 2014
The solar torch bought on ebay/amazon seems to be unable to recharge decently, to the point of being useless now. Either the battery and/or solar panel is not good enough.

I have since bought a solar torch out of Poundworld (UK) which seems to retain power ok. Perhaps they have better Quality Control.  

Conclusion : For me the Solar is the easy winner for brightness and size and practicality and it's cheap.

Update after 2 months : The Solar torch doesn't seem to recharge well. The light is pretty dim. I hope I can sort this out by putting it in strong light for a while    

The details of the 2 torches :

Rolson wind-up torch (comes with wrist strap which I removed):
cost £2/$3.20 (from a shop)

Review of 35w 4700k CFL bulb (and comparing to a 20w bulb)

Review : 35w CFL spiral bulb from Long Life Lamp Company (color temp 4700k)
Cost  : around £6/$10 on amazon

Conclusion : Any CFL under 30w is probably pointless in my opinion. Not enough lumens/brightness (which would seem to most often be the most important thing). For a CFL (compact fluorescent lightbulb) I would go only for 35w or above. This is a 'cool white' at 4700k color temp, which is a nice 'white' light. Instant start. Quite big but the 'starting point' when choosing a CFL bulb in my opinion. A good buy

Marks : 8/10
Marks per value : 9/10

HP x3000 Wireless Mouse : quick review

This is the UK version
Bought for around £10 from Asda
Quick summary : Good receptive basic mouse for the price
Value : 9/10


Contents :
Mouse
2.4 ghz micro transmitter
One AA battery

Basic facts  (According to HP) :
2 button mouse and scroll button (manual says 3 buttons. Including the scroll wheel)