The universal Red Cross caught my eye at a booth at CES this week. Well, everyone has a booth these days. Actually, it was the Eton booth, whose motto is "Reinventing Radio" and they were showcasing their new FR 150 Microlink solar-powered, self-powered AM/FM/Weatherband portable radio with flashlight and cell phone charger. (Say that 5x quickly.)

The Microlink brings together some of the most popular features of their Voicelink, of which I was already a fan, in a more compact design. (Figure that as the appocolypse comes, it will be while I'm driving down the 405, so this is going in my trunk AND in my earthquake kit.)

Ultra-portable, you turn the hand crank to power the Microlink, or capture the sun’s energy and run it on solar power. Thanks to the AM, FM, and weather bands you always stay on top of alerts or tune in to the FCC and EAS public alert systems. Add the flashlight, the cell phone charger and you’ve got one versatile, potentially life-saving device.

It won't be available until February and will cost a very reasonable $30, so earthquakes are just going to have to wait.