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Solar-powered Handbag 235
karvind writes "BBC reports that a student, Rosanna Kilfedder, from Brunel University has designed solar-powered handbag to make finding keys and other items at the bottom of a bag easier. The handbag, dubbed Sun Trap, uses a solar cell attached to the outside of the bag to trap energy from sunlight. The energy is stored in an internal battery which lights up the lining. The lining is made from an electroluminescent material and is lit up by the bag's zip which acts as a switch. The bag goes dark when the zip is closed or after 15 seconds if it is accidentally left open. A secondary use of the portable battery is as an emergency charger for mobile phones and other wireless devices."
Uh huh... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Uh huh... (Score:5, Funny)
Won't work (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Won't work (Score:2)
Re:Uh huh... (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't see how that could be useful either, and I'm a chick.
this has GOT to be a joke. A light? When I was reading the headline and then the stub and then in little hope left, the article, I was hoping a device was invented that lets you digitally keep track of contents of a handbag using solar power!!
This device would possibly consist of tiny microchip sticker things that you can attach to your keys, to your wallet, to your lip balm, to your cell phone, etc, that reports to another thing installed in t
How very useful. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:How very useful. (Score:2)
Re:How very useful. (Score:2)
Re:How very useful. (Score:2)
Lady Bracknell (Score:3, Funny)
Cue Lady Bracknell [yahoo.com] imitations throughout offices the world over.
Weirdly Lady Bracknell is still alive and has her own blog [blogspot.com]!
Re:Lady Bracknell (Score:2)
I mean, who else can pronounce "Hand Bag!" with 8 syllables?
And I say this, knowing full well the imporance of being earnest.
Women (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Women (Score:5, Funny)
Women have a lot more than that to offer engineering firms. For example, they prevent company picnics from being complete sausage fests.
Re:Women (Score:2)
I don't know, I think it would be pretty neat to have my laptop/cell-phone/PDA all charging in my backpack while I walk around.
Re:Women (Score:3, Insightful)
True, women should be in engineering, but (and this is not sexist) many don't want to be there. They find other careers more interesting. engineering tends to be a guy-dominated environment, nto because guys are necessarily better at it, but they're the ones who go into the field. I've met lots of girls (I go to a 65/35 girl/guy college) in school who are very bright, and eve
Re:Women (Score:2)
From http://inventors.about.com/cs/inventionsalphabet/ a
:
"BREE even sees a realistic chance of getting these innovative bags into stores by the coming year - and thus staying one step ahead of the competition as well. Because Axel and Philipp Bree are convinced of one thing: 'In less than five years, interior light will be just as common in handbags as mobile telephones are today.'"
Umm... no. Not unless they can convince all the people who don't carry handbags a
Re:Women (Score:2)
Re:Women (Score:5, Interesting)
Now if you look at handbags, they come in many shapes or sizes, but if you wanted to pick the two features which have the least bearing for handbag fashion, you'd probably end up with the two which Ms Kilfidder picked. :-)
For clothing and accessories, people don't consider extra gimmicks like this, just like no-one buys jackets with integrated mp3 players. The focus for the design of these items is primarily to make the wearer look better. A slightly differently placed seam or the right label has a higher importance than some technology feature.
Re:Women (Score:2)
Re:Women (Score:2)
Wrong audience (Score:2)
It's a man bag....it's European!
Re:Wrong audience (Score:5, Funny)
As a man you should know that it will effect your wallet the moment it becomes the hit status symbol. she buys one and your wallet is lighter
Re:Wrong audience (Score:2)
More useful (Score:5, Funny)
Re:More useful (Score:5, Funny)
Great, so then people will steal your bag and your pants.
Re:More useful (Score:2)
Re:More useful (Score:2)
Remember this is
No need for quick release pants in this crowd.
New status symbol (Score:5, Insightful)
Just don't open it on a dark subway because Homeland Security might gun you down first and check for the stolen enriched uranium later.
Re:New status symbol (Score:2)
Dilemma (Score:5, Funny)
On one hand, it's a gadget, so I have to get one.
On the other, it's a handbag, and I'll not be seen dead with one.
What's a geek to do?
Re:Dilemma (Score:2)
The Murse [detnews.com]
Re:Dilemma (Score:2)
With the liberal use of the word "trap" in the story, carrying Admiral Akbar action figures in it sounds like an appropriate use for the bag.
Re:Dilemma (Score:2)
A geek will buy it.
Here's why: Marketing department will rename it to some sort of cool manly name (i.e. Manbag), add a pile of extraneous pockets, and promote it as the next "must-have" gadget.
You'll buy it, and you'll LIKE IT MISTER! *point finger*
Re:Dilemma (Score:2)
That might work for non-geeks, but geeks tend to be suspicious of anything marketing, and won't fall for it.
Now if you called it a satchel and have Ford Prefect endorse it, geeks might fall for it.
Actually geeks will fall for it based on usefulness first unless something gets in the way. Many old geeks who are ticked that it is no longer acceptable to wear a pocket protector in public, as they were so useful. Most geeks have a laptop case of some sort they carry around now though, so I'm not sure anyt
Re:Dilemma (Score:3, Funny)
Easy solution. Turn off your webcam.
Re:Dilemma (Score:2)
Wait for "Illuminated Man Purse v1.0" to come out on the market.
Or buy a mag-lite. Either way.
Re:Dilemma (Score:2)
Sporran for your Utilikilt, of course! (Score:2)
Back when people carried big clunky calculators around, belt packs were fairly common on engineers, and nobody gave them any crap about it.
For my backpack (Score:5, Interesting)
Also I had a vision of the breifcase from pulp fiction.
Re:For my backpack (Score:5, Funny)
Here's a trick my mom taught me: You can put a backpack upside down, and the things in it will nicely fall on the ground so you can sort them and find the beloved object !
This backpack feature was invented a guy named Newton, who could never find his apples in his bag, or something like that...
Re:For my backpack (Score:2)
Other places to put solar cells... (Score:5, Interesting)
- in the fabric of sun shades for the beach, powering a beer cooler
- on the backs of notebooks, adding to their pathetic battery life
- on rucksacks, powering the old ipod
- in the garden, keeping the gnomes warm
But for the handbag, why not simply make a material that is opaque from the outside and transparent from the inside, which lets light in but not out...?
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Because such a material, to the best of my knowledge, would defy known physics and optics.
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Really? then consider known physics and optics defied [bbc.co.uk]
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Good plan.. Then all the thief needs is a blanket to block out the sun and the alarm will turn off.
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Light goes in but doesn't come out? (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:5, Informative)
The Mercedes E series offers a solar panel sunroof, which operates the car A/C on a sunny day. Personally, I think that's a far better application of solar power
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:3, Informative)
If that tiny solar panel can run the AC in the car then they need to stop making cars and start making/selling home power systems.
a small vent fan != the AC.
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:5, Funny)
No, bad idea. All those trapped photons would build up, and when the handbag was opened they would burst out like a photon torpedo, incinerating the woman. Oh the humanity!
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
car battery charger [ebay.com]
Any time your car is going to be standing for some time, just stick this panel on a window and plug it into the lighter socket.
You beat me to it (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Cars have huge batteries in them. Alarms draw little power. No need for solar power here. (E.g., lots of cars have alarms now. Where do you think they get power from).
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
"OPAQUE from the OUTSIDE...lets light IN"
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:4, Insightful)
Yep, here it comes... The ever-present "feature creep". Eventually, people will be shouting for GPS locators in the handbag that can be tracked via your cell phone. Then, they'll ask for a portable generator in case of a power outage. Then, they'll ask for the bag to have the ability to "self-inflate" in case of flooding. They, we'll have someone clamoring for a small keyboard in the handbag to send text messages... The list goes on... Eventually, you'll have to put a "Start" button in the outside of the bag (or a pretty foot or a K) with an LCD display that lets you choose your options of what you want your bag to do... When it simply use to carry things... tsk...
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
Re:Other places to put solar cells... (Score:2)
I think so.. (Score:2)
But can you get Hermés, LVMH et al to license (Score:3, Insightful)
Figures the Inventor Was a Woman (Score:2)
Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to finish my drink [knauradio.org].
Needs more LV symbols (Score:3, Funny)
It won't sell well amongst American woman unless they replace the stars with Louis Vitton/Gucci/Burberry/Prada symbols. And to be more accurate they need to be fake Louis Vitton/Gucci/Burbery/Prada symbols.
Re:Needs more LV symbols (Score:3, Insightful)
Spoken like someone who's never been further east than Long Island. When it comes to obsession with designer chic, our European sistren make their New World counterparts all look like K-Mart shoppers in search of a Blue Light Special.
But the hi-tech angle won't tickle the Euros like it does the Americans; we remain gadget-obsessed, regardless of gender,
Demographic (Score:5, Funny)
I mean, it'll be a great gift for some slashdotter's girlfr...
Why is this article here, again?
Re:Demographic (Score:4, Funny)
I mean, it'll be a great gift for some slashdotter's girlfr...
Why is this article here, again?
For our mothers whose basements we live in?
Re:Demographic (Score:2, Informative)
Purses aren't practical... (Score:4, Insightful)
If the goal was comfort and ease of finding things, women would buy cargo pants.
Re:Purses aren't practical... (Score:2)
I have the same plain black leather purse that I have carried, seven days a week, winter and summer, for about 3 years now. I need a new one because the leather is starting to wear out on this one. I would like this one with the light, if it were well made and if it did NOT have the stylized initials of some fashionable parasite all over it.
This is amazing (Score:2, Funny)
Sounds cool.... (Score:2)
Re:Sounds cool.... (Score:2)
Because the technology itself is pretty cool.
Luminescent fabric -- tons of apps that I'm sure are in the pipeline.
Personally... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Personally... (Score:4, Funny)
Reminds me of a day in my OS class: : Today we're going to learn about Multics, it'll make a man out of you. *laughter* : Good thing there is no woman here *laughter but much softer this time*
Here comes the geek-purse... (Score:2)
Go ahead - pimp your purse!
Pimping is da default, man (Score:2)
What's next - PCs preloaded with pr0n?
MacGiffin (Score:2)
Buy self-lighting bag today (Score:3, Informative)
Here's Another One (Score:2)
The phasing in of solar cells... (Score:2, Interesting)
First, they went on camping gear. Then they went on radios. Now they're in purses.
This isn't so valuable so much for the money some people will save, or even the added convenience women will have. It's just that the more solar power and solar energy is in the mainstream, the better off more widespread adoption will be.
Re:The phasing in of solar cells... (Score:2)
Won't work (Score:2)
As someone involved in fashion (Score:3, Insightful)
Her idea is good and well-intentioned, but a more couture-embracing design would be required to invoke a broader appeal. Put the idea in a beautiful handbag, and she may have something that sells well. But I'm beginning to think -- and see -- that many women are becoming very selective about which handbag they carry. The design of this bag doesn't look like one that could carry her idea well. Good thinking, though.
It's not in production, just a concept (Score:2, Informative)
You have to realise, these designs are developed as an exercise in the skills taught by the course. Some of them are interesting, but they're not finished products. You might as well criticise engineering students for wasting their time building balsa bridg
Surely (Score:2)
Re:Surely (Score:3, Insightful)
2) how does a transparent purse help in the dark? (the solar cells charge batteries that run the light whenever the purse is opened. It helps just like all the little lights in your car that help you find the ignition switch, etc. when you open the car door.
To be fair, these
re: sunTrap (Score:2, Funny)
They were beaten to this years ago by geeks (Score:2, Funny)
Sounds familiar (Score:3, Interesting)
She seemed happy with it -- it did what she needed it to do, and only when she asked. The solution presented in the article doesn't seem all that great.
Re:Duh. (Score:2)
Becaause most women don't want to be showing off their feminine hygiene products / contraceptive devices / general mess that exists in their handbags.
Re:Duh. (Score:2)
Actually, come to think about it - a combo of a fluorescent material ('somehow' being charged) and little pockets might be the winner...
OK, I get your point. (Score:2)
They haven't evolved in the ages, unlike briefcases which have separate compartments for pens, paper, cellphones, PDAs, glasses, etc. etc. No, instead of function-specific compartments, bags have MORE BAGS inside! (Whee)
Think about it. You open the bag, and
Re:Easier Way (Score:2)
Uhm, well, not as if prior art ever stopped the USPTO...