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Move over, "Power Purse." There's a new bag in town.

Alternative energy continues to make inroads in the fashion world with the "Solar" series from Picard. Like other accessories with built-in solar panels, this line of leather computer bags, backpacks and luggage uses the sun's rays to charge all manner of electronic gadgets, including mobile phones, media players and laptops.

Of course, it wouldn't be a designer item without a designer price: Slashphone says the "Solar Bag" will go for about $670. What did you expect, a DIY backpack?

We're all for alternative energy and all that, but it's not too often that we see a green technology that we must have. And if you drive, we suspect that you may feel the same way about the "Sunsei SolarCharger."

Manufacturer ICP Solar says the solar panel will keep your car battery perennially charged with energy from the sun as long as you keep it on the dashboard or attached to the windshield. SCI FI Tech says its "trickle-down" power is meant more for maintenance than regular charging, ensuring that any 12-volt battery is … Read more

Just when you thought Sony's 2006 lineup of flat-panel LCD HDTVs was getting a little long in the tooth, out come the 2007 models. Today the company announced seven new Bravias, an acronym for--I kid you not--"Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture." In fact, a whole press release was dedicated to how Sony intends to extend the brand to nontelevision products, like home-theater systems, but I doubt anyone outside Sony's marketing department cares. And if you happen to care about how much you'll be asked to spend on the new TVs, you're out … Read more

It looks as if the obituary for CRT TVs will have to be postponed yet again. Sales of the bulky tube models bested the flat-panel and projection TV competition in the run up to the Super Bowl, according to data released by the NPD Group. Sales of tube TVs were up 61 percent the week before the big game (compared to the previous week), as opposed to a 40 percent jump for flat-panel LCD TVs, a 23 percent increase for plasmas, and a 25 percent rise for projection TVs (such as DLP and LCoS models).

While the sales figures may … Read more

With so much talk about solar energy these days, you'd think we'd have all manner of sun-powered gadgetry in our midst. But we don't. So we're pleased to see that someone has taken the enviro-speak from theory to reality with an everyday product.

The SlimStar 820 from Taiwan-based Genius is a keyboard that absorbs its energy through an unobtrusive solar panel, Newlaunches says. But in case you're not much into outdoor computing (or live in sun-challenged cities like London or San Francisco), the keyboard can also be powered by a standard USB charger.

Genius, by … Read more