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 that building it from 95-percent recyclable components and packing it in a box made from at least 25-percent post-consumer recycled cardboard had something to do with it. Additionally, the unit sports an uber-efficient power supply and comes with “an optional solar renewable energy source” to extract juice from the sun. As for hardware, you’ll find Intel Core 2 Duo chips up to 2.13GHz, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, SATA hard drives as large as 250GB, optional RAID 1 setups, and your choice of operating system. Of course, the EPEAT Gold-certified machine steps it down to a Celeron 440 CPU with 512MB of RAM, and while this particular configuration will start at $817, other options are available today from $648 right on up.

[Via Slashgear]
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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 a rather vivid new way to start fires (and open bottles, too) using the sun, and thankfully, it doesn’t involve a magnifying glass and days of patience. The device is equipped with a built-in solar panel that reportedly utilizes sunlight or artificial light to charge up internal Li-ions, and with the presumed flick of a switch, the device flings out a “continuous series of sparks” that should get that pilot light going. Apparently, this thing isn’t meant to be a flamethrower of any sort, but if you’re out of matches and have tons of dry lint, you can snag one of these uber-green fire starters for €13.90 ($19).

[Via UberReview]
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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 4 seconds, undercutting the GS450h by over a second. The FT-HS has a perfect 50/50 weight distribution and is similar in size to the Lexus SC430 convertible. Toyota claims that such a car could hit the market for between $30-40K, but we’re highly skeptical of that figure

[via MotorAuthority]
from techeblog
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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 we might generally be too lazy to turn off. Sure, the $14.95 device only has one automatic plug, but there’s no reason you couldn’t stick a power strip into the socket*.

Now if we just weren’t too lazy to order it. – Mark Wilson

Order Page [via treehugger]
from gizmodo

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 battery knowledge. The company hopes to entice heavy RFID users, smart card manufacturers, and “cosmetic / drug delivery system” providers to utilize the paper battery in powering the already-miniscule devices. Oddly, Rocket also envisions its new creation being used in “teeth whitening, anti-aging, and wrinkle care,” though we’re not exactly sure how electrifying a tooth will brighten your smile. Nevertheless, the company hopes to have its newfangled power source attached to crates and body parts real soon, and confidently assures us that it “doesn’t cause explosions or fires.” Phew. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

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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 disks allow for mirroring your precious data while an additional USB port allows you to attach a remote printer or host USB devices like digital cameras for PC-less data transfer. They’ve also furthered that Toshiba alliance with the ability to record HD television when connected over gigabit Ethernet to Toshiba’s REGZA Z2000 series of Televisions and yeah, it plays nice with DLNA streaming devices like IO-Data’s own AVel LinkPlayer. Prices start at Â¥33,285 (about $285) for 160GB of disk on up to Â¥92,400 (about $790) for that biggie 750GB spinner when they ship in late November. With competition on the rise and prices in free-fall, isn’t it about time to move your data to the LAN? Mama always said it was good to share.

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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 to disappear on the horizon, but we’re sure a few seagulls will be able to find those “invisible” blades all the same. The turbines can be anchored in water up to 650 deep, and can withstand even hurricane-generated waves. Another benefit of the system is the strong and steady wind out at sea, so the 90-meter turbines should be able to generate twice as much electricity in comparison to their near-shore counterparts. Count us in, we never liked seagulls too much anyways.

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