As the green trend looms ever larger over the consumer electronics industry, HP is taking full advantage of the opportunity by unveiling the environmentally friendly rp5700 slim desktop PC. The company toots its own horn by boasting about the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Gold award that the machine has garnered, and we’d assume [...]
digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/gadgets/The_solar_powered_lighter_flings_sparks_without_fuel’; Considering that the smokers in the house have probably already set up an import to get one of Golden Dragon’s e-cigarettes shipped over, why not do yet another good deed and rid yourself of that fossil fuel-wasting lighter? All jesting aside, it seems that a Portuguese webstore is stocking [...]
Toyota unveils its stunning FT-HS Hybrid Sports Concept, which some claim to be the Supra’s next-generation successor. This “2-door sports coupe will put out 400hp using the same incredible engine as the Lexus GS450h.†Lots of pictures after the jump.
..with its light weight, the FT-HS should be able to hit the 60mph mark in just [...]
The Mini Power Minder is an eco-friendly device that can actually make your life easier. You plug your computer in the primary outlet, along with a USB. When you turn off your computer, the second plug turns off automatically.
This is the perfect solution for those running printers, desk lamps, and all sorts of other stuff [...]
Nearly a year after NEC rolled out its paper-thin ORB batteries, Korean battery manufacturer Rocket is launching (ahem) its own uber-thin battery. While juicy, scientific details aren’t readily available, we do know that the “paper battery” won’t include any toxic chemicals, is “flexible and thin,” and molds together the companies “thin film technologies” with its [...]
If that 500GB LaCie gigabit NAS didn’t do it for you then try on the new RoHS-compliant (read: environmentally friendly) Giga LANDISK from IO-Data now with up to 750GB of SATA disk. That’s right, another network attached storage device with room to grow off additional 1x eSATA or 2x USB 2.0 disks. Lickity quick eSATA [...]
Thanks to MIT’s Paul D. Sclavounos, we might get a reprieve from the eyesore problem of windmills, while still sticking with their clean-and-cheap energy benefits. Unfortunately, hapless birds aren’t going to get much of a respite. The plan is to plant these things offshore, far enough out into the water for the skinny white turbines [...]
Boston has got the newest and the more energy efficient, third generation version of the solar trash compactor, The BigBelly to keep-away from the problem of overstuffed public trash cans. The self-compacting, solar-powered trashcan developed by a Jamaica Plain inventor is powered by photoelectric panels, which supply power to motor-driven compactors inside. The green-colored boxy [...]
If on a holiday you don’t even feel like moving-out of your chair to take a shower then how about taking a shower sitting on your chair!! No Kidding! A designer Daniel Harper has designed a cool chair titled ‘The Douchaise’ which unfolds to become a fully functional shower with air supported walls. Surprised…me too! [...]
The “Solartrike†is a solar-powered bike that “can go 15-18mph and 10 miles per charge.†It sports either a 200W or 400W motor, 80W solar panel, and a 2×2 square steel frame. Prices here.
Some can be set up to go as fast as 25 miles per hour. They take 6-8 hours per charge. They can [...]
Late last week, Greenpeace issued its latest “Guide to Greener Electronics,” which offers a serious takedown of various tech companies’ environmental production practices. The organization judged several tech firms mainly on the criteria of “eliminating hazardous substances” from the production phase, and also offering to take back and recycle older products. Dell and Nokia topped [...]
Any house with an attic ought to look into the Whole House Fan as a much cheaper and more effective cooling solution when compared against installing expensive air condition units. Just attach the Whole House Fan in the attic, and you will be able to enjoy circulated air at 1500 cubic feet a minute. This [...]
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The Earthrace boat isn’t some Greenpeace sponsored, treehugging tug. No! It’s a treehugging, carbon/Kevlar-hulled, 1080-Horsepower, 78 foot speedboat with a sharp bow meant to harpoon waves. Apparently, submarining through the crests of waves is a lot more efficient than going up and over them. And, as Wired reported, the boat ran a section of its [...]
Smarthome unveils a new motion-sensing outdoor security camera that is powered solely by sunlight. Best of all, this device only transmits A/V when movement (up to 26-feet) is detected — otherwise, it remains in standby mode to conserve energy. Available now for $159.99.
If it was just a sparrow, the 2.4-GHz camera will stop transmitting a [...]
One of the big criticisms that’s been leveled at the much-vaunted OLPC project is that it’s missing one key element: internet access. Well, a pair of Sun Microsystems employees are looking to remedy that situation with the Green WiFi project, which promises to bring cheap, solar-powered WiFi to developing countries. The project’s modeled on MIT’s [...]
The East Japan Railway Company (JR-East), as part of research aimed at developing more environmentally friendly train stations, is testing an experimental system that produces electricity as people pass through ticket gates. JR claims that this sort of human-powered electricity generation system may provide a portion of the electricity consumed at train stations in the [...]
Shipping next year is the Sharp Lumiwall, which consists of “thin-film transparent solar panels sandwiched between pieces of glass.†Pricing has not yet been announced.
During the day, the glass panels store energy using the solar arrays. While the sunlight shines on them, they look like smoked glass windows, but then at night they turn into [...]
This wind turbine is the work of London low-carbon energy consultancy and the XCO2 engineering firm. It is designed as a vertical axis turbine so it remains very silent. Best of all, there are LEDs mounted around the outside of the turbine, so as it spins it can display images. Eco-friendly and kind of cool? [...]
Its not your mother’s TupperWare—these containers break down in compost heaps in about 2 months. Made from corn resin, these sorts of holders are all the rage for cold and warm (less than 110 degrees Fahrenheit) foods and are US made. There is no shortage of container shapes and these are perfect for holding leftovers [...]
You don’t need placards and a name like Swampy to appreciate the eco-friendly benefits of Asus’ new laptop.
Yep, the Taiwanese company is set to blaze new ultraportable-shaped trails later this month with the U5, its first lead- and halogen-free laptop. The lack of lead needs no explanation – unless you’re a Victorian painter reading this [...]
