Solar backpacks shown off at wet Computex

THERE WAS A LOT at Computex from companies you have never heard of before like Nanomars.

That is not to say it doesn't have cool stuff, this time it had solar backpacks and thumb print door locks. I have no clue what they have in common other than being at the same booth.

The one that caught my eye is this solar backpack. It had a wall of them, more than 10 different varieties, all with the same glass panel. They will put out 5.5, 9 and 12v, come with a variety of adaptors, and in general, would be good for emergencies or trickle charging.

You can buy them now for a distie price of $78 with a minimum order of 100 pieces. This means they will cost more than $100 by the time you see them in stores, but they are still cool.

The other thing the firm showed was a fingerprint ID door locking system. It has two parts, outside and inside, and does just what it says. If it reads your fingerprint correctly, the door opens, quite simple. Nanomars sells them for about $400 a pair, and there is a simpler version with only one piece and no LCD for $150 or so.

It just goes to show that newness is far from dead. It also goes to show the interesting stuff is available from the little guys as well as the big boys. µ