Get Your Own Solar Bag
Neat company selling solar-energy bags good for recharging your iPod or cell phone. The lowest price one is almost something in a price range I would buy. Of course, women (not me) buy purses that are hundreds or thousands of dollars that don’t have the solar cells, so I imagine these could actually sell quite well. They are trying to work on a solar bag that can charge laptops.
The bags are actually quite stylish. I’d happily carry one*. Hat tip to Mr. Lynne for the link. If anyone really wants to bribe get on my good side, this is definitely on the far-out wish list. 
*Especially because I constantly forget to charge my cell phone at night.
[Filed under Technology]
[link]
November 28th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Why buy a bag when all you need to do is carry an onion with you?
This video shows how to charge an iPod with an onion and a bottle of Gatorade.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GfPJeDssBOM
November 28th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Yeah but then you have to smell like an onion!
It would be the end of my marriage because Mr. Lynne absolutely hates onions.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
These have been on the market for some time now, but aren’t quite as snazzy:
http://www.voltaicsystems.com/
November 28th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Nice idea, but Lynne don’t you have a car charger for your phone? Somehow I didn’t picture you a a Coach purse kind of gal. Me, I’m all set because I don’t do murses.
November 28th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
I don’t commute! My commute is less than 5 minutes. Hardly long enough to charge my cell phone…so yeah, I do have a cell charger in the car, but it doesn’t do me much good!
I’m looking forward to the one that can charge a laptop. Then, you get the one large enough to carry a laptop (and other business accoutrement). THAT would be so cool.
I’m guessing that it’ll take the new solar cells that are three times more efficient to generate enough power for the laptop-sized batteries, though. :-/
November 28th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
They should make the bags modular - so you can remove the solar panels/battery. That way you can upgrade when there are better panels or better bags…or buy a couple bags and just one solar panel.
November 29th, 2007 at 11:53 am
So Lynne, if you don’t commute, would you hang the bag out the window?
November 29th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
I could set it in the window of my workplace, yes (as I get direct sun for a good portion of the day).
FYI - a friend has informed me that that guy posting about his onion iPod charger is an elaborate faker…he knows him from some forums he reads.
November 29th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Looking at the price of that bag I keep getting this strange image of a well to do, well dressed woman getting into her Escalade with the bag by her side.
November 29th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
You’d be surprised…perfectly normal “middle class” women spend ridiculous amounts on their handbags, it seems. Even more so than shoes, I think. As such, those prices are really quite low…
Don’t look at me, I don’t spend more than $30 on sale for mine. And I usually only own one at a time, then buy a new one only when the old one is simply too ratty for words.
November 30th, 2007 at 10:21 am
A fake?
Well, I can always make onion soup.