The iPod-enabled Messenger Bag

Electronics are slowly forcing their way into our clothes (the iPod-enabled suit) and our carry-alls. G-Tech’s new Messenger Bag includes an integrated external speaker and provides a space to stash a cell phone and Apple iPod inside and control the iPod from the strap of the bag. The US$130 bags will be available mid-November and offer use of the built-in speaker to deliver stereo-quality external sound, or a built-in, universal 3.5mm extension jack that plugs into virtually any device, including laptops, to route audio through the speaker. The bags utilize Eleksen’s ElekTex smart fabric controls, a unique five-layer laminate of electrically conductive materials that transforms fabric into an electronic touchpad. The technology replaces hard touch pads, flexi-circuits and polymer switches which have limited the growth of the wearable electronics market with restrictive wiring.