The £150 solar-powered handbag that keeps your mobile and camera charged

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But now women can charge their electronic gadgets on the move - using only their handbag.

Nicknamed the Power Purse, the bag uses solar panels to absorb the sun's rays and turn them directly into electricity.

Simply plug in your mobile phone, camera or iPod - and begin praying the sun will come out.

The handbag, which is the brainchild of mechanical engineering student Joe Hynek, has already been well-received by eco-conscious fashion websites.

Mr Hynek, 29, said: 'It begins working every time the user steps outside. People are very excited because it expresses ecological and environmental themes in addition to the function provided of charging your phone and iPod.'

The black rectangular bag - which needs two hours of full sunlight to charge a mobile phone battery - uses laminated solar panels made of photovoltaic film to convert sunlight into electricity.

Power is then transmitted to a circuit connected to two batteries hidden in the lining of the bag and to a USB port.

Most small devices can be charged, including mobile phones, cameras, BlackBerrys and personal organisers.

Mr Hynek, who designed the bag three years ago during a competition at Iowa State University in the U.S., said it can be topped up from a sunny windowsill as well as in the open air, and is resilient to scratches and punctures.

A fully-charged battery can last for up to a month.

'The wires are all enclosed,' he said.

'The shape of it is designed so it can sit on a windowsill and charge while you're at work.'

Although materials can be costly, Mr Hynek has kept the price down to a fashion-friendly £150.

'I don't want to make it so it's an elitist kind of item,' he said.

'A large problem with putting technology in clothing is that it looks unfashionable.

'My goal is to use solar cells in a way that's unobtrusive to fashion while making something useful.'

The handbag is due to go on sale online by the end of this year.

For more information, visit www.solarjo.com.