The innovators: this solar table charges your phone without direct sunlight

Using dye-sensitised solar cells, household objects can harvest energy from indirect light and store it

The kitchen table has been the place where many new inventions and ideas have been sketched out, but rarely has it been the source of innovation itself.

With an orange-striped surface on its steel frame, a new table from London-based designers Caventou appears to be an ultra-modern piece of furniture for an arty homeowner. A closer look reveals a port on the side where phones can be recharged using power gleaned from solar cells that cover the surface.