Excellent Idea of the Day: A Power Purse

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Charging your cell phone on the go is convenient, but it comes at a price.
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<p>Got a stylish geek on your holiday gift list? New lines of laptop bags recharge your gadgets on the go. Plus, some are eco-friendly and come in pretty new colors. A win-win-win (except for the price tags).</p>

<p>Urban Junket sells this women's bag, <a href="http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2012/12/urban-junket-laptop-bags-with-a-charge/">reviewed by Wired's GeekMom</a>, for up to $275. They're made from recycled plastic bottles, and feature a battery that powers your device through a USB port. The battery has enough juice to power your smart phone about twice. It won't, however, charge your laptop.</p>

<p>Ful's Powerbag works similarly, and sells for about $140 for either a messenger bag or a backpack. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/01/tech/gaming-gadgets/powerbag-review/index.html">CNN reviewed</a> the manlier style favorably.</p>

<p><strong><a href="http://news.discovery.com/tech/five-unexpected-uses-smartphone.html">SEE ALSO: 10 Sci-Fi Features of Future Smartphones</a></strong></p>

<p>If you must have your laptop on your next backpacking trip, or if you'd rather be green than stylish, this backpack by Voltaic uses a sewn-in solar module to fuel two power ports that can charge a variety of devices, including laptops. The packs start at about $149.</p>

<p>For something slightly more discrete, consider the Everpurse, a Kickstarter project by 27-year-old Chicago entrepreneur Liz Ormesher Salcedo. It's also the simplest to use: Juice up the clutch by putting it on a charging pad, and toss your phone in when it's running low.</p>

<p>"We want to make sure that everybody has access to the technology wherever they are," Salcedo told the New York Daily News. "Whatever bag they're buying, whatever their style is."</p>

<p>"We want to make sure that everybody has access to the technology wherever they are," Salcedo told the New York Daily News. "Whatever bag they're buying, whatever their style is."</p>