Charge It

How awesome would it be to be able to charge your mobile phone or iPod IN your purse without having to connect it to a plug in the wall? A mechanical engineer in Iowa designed the Power Purse, which is covered in wafer-thin photovoltaic cells- think very thin solar panels. There is a USB charger inside the purse, so you can plug the phone or iPod in when you’re not using it. Because I sometimes take the train and bus to get places, I listen to my iPod quite a lot. It is awful to get on the bus and turn on my iPod and get the message that No Power Remains. It makes me almost sick to think I have to sit for the next hour and a half with no music while the bus lurches up the coast.

I saw a photo of this Power Purse and it actually doesn’t look bad. Other than the crappy plastic handles, it’s not hideous. But, checking the Power Purse website, I don’t see any mention of this product coming to market, so my desire to buy one will just have to remain unfulfilled.