The following is an excerpt of the article:

"A solar boost for those on go"

THE NEWEST BACKPACKS and jackets come with a plug - and can recharge your cell phone.
  The geek-chic gear features lightweight solar panels and, in some cases, small batteries.
  "They're stylish - a lot of people with iPods, MP3 players are buying them," says Kiho Shin, a partner with Compact Impact, a technology store on Avenue B. At $129-$229 for a solar-powered backpack and up to $535 for a solar jacket, the gear isn't cheap, but several entrepreneurs are betting it could be the next big thing.
  "They're made for students, casual commuting," says Randolph Gray, president of Texas-based Eclipse Solar Gear, which makes solar powered backpacks and messenger bags. "They can charge iPods, anything you can charge by plugging into your cigarette adapter. Just plug it in, and carry it around."
  Eclipse's $129 backpacks provide up to 2.5 watts of electricity - on sunny days - enough to charge just about any portable device other than a laptop. Solar messenger bags should be available this week, with camera bags and coolers coming soon....


by Derek Rose, Daily News Staff Writer; New York Daily News; April 4, 2005.

The rest of the article can be seen on the New York Daily News web site.