Solar-powered handbag lights up inside and charges your cell phone

September 27, 2005 Time waits for no-one and no object - the ever-quickening march of progress looks set to reinvent the humble handbag by adding solar power and an electroluminescent lining which lights up when unzipped. It also has a battery which can store the power eeked from the solar system and hence it can charge mobile phones and and other personal electronic devices. The handbag, called Sun Trap, uses a solar cell to trap energy from sunlight, storing it in the bag’s internal battery. When the bag is unzipped, the lining, powered by the battery and made from an electroluminescent material similar to that found in mobile phones, lights up helping them to find items lurking at the very bottom - for example, house keys. The lining goes dark automatically as the zip is closed or switches off after 15 seconds to conserve battery if the bag is accidentally left open.

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