Review » Green Power Island creates more land and energy

This Green Power Island is designed to combat two things that the Earth might be greatly lacking in the future: land and energy.

The architectural firm of Gottlieb Paludan from Copenhagen created a serious combination of eco-friendly power with the wind turbines near the shore, not to mention all of the solar panels taking up the landmass.

That’s pretty visible from this mock-up image, but what you don’t see is that the green space is for “biofuel crops”. Not only that, seawater is pumped into a lagoon-like reservoir, which is emptied by the turbine-powered pumps when it is low. These turbines also allow water to flow back into the reservoir during times when water is in demand.

I’m sure that you can tell that Green Power Island is nothing more than a concept for now, and it would probably take millions to make it a reality.

Still, if you had the money and the resources to create it, then you probably disprove the saying of “no man is an island”. Instead, you can say, “Dude, I’ve got biofuel crops and a bunch of renewable energy, and I am an island”.

Villainous masterminds, I would definitely try and put a pre-order for one of these. Just make certain that you have enough power for your deathtraps around the perimeter.

Review » iPad speaker delivers sound the natural way

How many of you own a speaker system at home, be it hooked up to your home theater setup, or being connected to your desktop/notebook? Well, safe to say that for the majority of you out there, these speaker systems will need some sort of cable to connect to a power outlet, as that is where they derive the necessary power from to make louder whatever you’re listening to.

Not so with this unique speaker which is totally natural and passive in nature. To make matters more interesting this speaker will be compatible with Apple’s hot selling iPad tablet device, helping it keep up with the times. Designer YellowGlueBlues is behind these wooden, iPhone and iPad speaker docks, where they are totally natural – meaning you won’t find any electronics or batteries inside.

These passive speaker solutions will function by taking advantage of the laws of physics – through the channeling of sound from an iPhone or iPad’s built-in speaker via resonant wood channels, resulting in a naturally amplified sound, which is totally different from what a megaphone does.

What you see above ought to come in maple, cherry and walnut wood, with a price range of $50, going all the way to $60. The iPhone model will sport a couple of tunnels, whereby the designer claims they were precision drilled to create the best possible sonic result. As for the iPad version, you will find a solitary sound tunnel. No idea on whether the wood use is obtained from sustainable sources, but we don’t think they will sell as madly as other speakers in existence, so their impact on the environment ought to be negligible. Still, it would be nice to go to bed knowing that your latest speaker purchase is green in the large scheme of things.

To alleviate your guilt, at least it doesn’t consume power. Just don’t expect heaven and earth to shake with these speaker docks, since only a moderate amount of amplification is in the works, and sound quality will be more or less on par with with that of an iPhone’s speaker.

http://www.earthtechling.com/2011/06/ipad-speaker-offers-natural-passive-sound/

Review » Pedal Powered School Bus Ready to Combat Childhood Obesity

I believe that I have said it before, but children have all this energy that adults actually need. I figure that you might as well tap into that energy in this pedal powered school bus!

This bus, powered by Flintstones Kids technology, is made in the Netherlands by De Cafe Racer. It has room for about ten kids, and they will be put to work.

Oh man, this would solve so many problems with unruly kids on the schools bus! Just try and make those spitballs now, junior! Yeah, those kids should have both hands on the handlebars.

Of course, I think we all know that a pedal powered school bus might tire out most school children. Fortunately, there is an auxiliary electric motor for some power if needed. However, if you are the school bus driver, only use it in the case of an emergency!

Yeah, I’m not certain how practical this technology is either, especially if there is no roof on the bus. Still, I like the idea of using the energy of unruly children to power transportation to their school. Or does this seem like a violation of child labor laws? I suppose if the bus driver cracked a whip and yelled “faster”!

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2011/06/29/pedal-powered-school-bus-not-so-magic-now-huh-kids/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Ohgizmo+%28OhGizmo%21%29

Review » Sanyo introduces XX rechargeable batteries

When it comes to rechargeable batteries, you won’t go wrong with the name Sanyo. After all, they are the ones who rolled out the eneloop series in the past, which are still going strong today. Heck, I have a few eneloops that I use around the home for my remote controls and old school digital camera, and they don’t show off any signs of wearing down despite so many charges over the years.

Well, it isn’t Sanyo’s character to just sit there without doing anything, which is why they have just announced the XX rechargeable batteries. These will naturally take a page out of eneloop’s book by relying on eneloop technology, making the XX powered by eneloop ready to use right out of the box as it can retain up to 75% of its charge after one year of storage. The XX powered by eneloop package of four AA batteries will arrive from next month onwards, retailing for $24.99 a pop. If you can’t wait, then look towards Amazon as they will be featuring the item for pre-sale starting from today onwards.

The XX is a Nickel-Metal Hydride battery that is suited for gadgets with high power consumption, where among them include DSLR photoflash units, radio control toys, walkie-talkies, game controllers and other equally demanding applications. They not only help you live out a green lifestyle, they are also green before you even purchase them – because back at the factory, they are pre-charged by solar power.

“Standard eneloop batteries are perfect for powering common household devices but XX powered by eneloop provides 25% more power for extreme usage requirements. And speaking of extreme, XX powered by eneloop provides rechargeable battery power even when temperatures get down to -4 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Tom Van Voy, Vice President and General Manager of the Digital Solutions Division for Sanyo North America.

Capable of being juice up to 300 times, the 2500 mAh capacity XX powered by eneloop batteries ought to be able to last longer than you think, where it will come in stylish black and silver design to symbolize its appropriateness for professional use.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-sanyo-double-x-xx-powered-by-eneloop-rechargeable-batteries-help-keep-high-power-gadgets-running-124768103.html

Review » Photosynthesis UV-Sensitive Shirt

When you were back in school, surely one of the more impressionable science topics that you could remember would be the entire process of photosynthesis, where it is a process for plants to consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere during the day (whenever there is sunlight, that is). If you want to remind the adult populace of this particular process, then what better way to do it than with the Photosynthesis UV-Sensitive Shirt?

Watch leaves and roots grow out of the formula whenever the shirt is exposed to UV light. Your eyes might just catch a whiff of the leaves and roots in a very faint manner whenever you are indoors, but once you’re under the sweltering summer sun, things will change for the better. Printed on eco-friendly 100% certified organic cotton, the Photosynthesis UV-Sensitive Shirt will come in male and female sizes at $13.99 a pop.

Review » Ubiquitous iRemoTap is a Wi-Fi connected power strip

If you are like me, you have “that desk” in your house that is sort of the hub for digital information. On the desk is a laptop or desktop computer, and all kinds of accessories.

Chances are, all of these devices are plugged in to a power strip, and they are a source of great power consumption on your monthly electric bill. This power strip by Japan-based Ubiquitous is the iRemoTap, and it has a built-in Wi-Fi module.

The purpose of the Wi-Fi is so it can send information to connected devices in the household. The iRemoTap can automatically send out some sort of message like an email or tweet so you know how much energy that you are consuming.

In fact, you can program this thing for a preset level, so you can make energy goals and hopefully keep them. I guess you will have to know what levels your devices have, of course. I don’t really know that off the top of my head.

So is this the wave of the future? All of us knowing how much power we consume and making certain that we live up to it? Well, it is better than the model that most of us have, which is just use up power and then pay the bill.

http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/05/24/iremotap-power-strip-with-built-in-wi-fi-video/

REVIEW >> New Batmobile design is earth-friendly, designed by a legend

 

We have seen a lot of Batmobiles driven by the caped crusader in the movies, television, and comic books. Most of them have interesting gadgets, and many are not grounded in reality. Think about the Batmobile that drove up the wall in Batman Forever.

Some people don’t like the Humvee look in the latest Batman films, and Gordon Murray, legendary Formula One car designer, created this one. As far as I know, it won’t be used in the new Batman film coming next summer, but designed for a Batman Live World Arena Tour in the United Kingdom. You can see a video of it after the jump.

Murray designed this Batmobile with elements that may actually exist in the next 15 to 20 years. For example, it has a hydrogen-powered engine that produces a by-product of water. Not only is the Batmobile eco-friendly, but it has a “breathable” carbon fiber, another interesting technology.

Then there is the neat features like the “virtual wheels” with the LED lights that create an interesting effect. Hopefully, the Batmobile will not lose one of these wheels. That’s a reference to the “Jingle Bells, Batman smells” song, in case you missed it.

If you want to see this new Batmobile for yourself, follow the tour in the United Kingdom, and it will soon be coming to the United States.

REVIEW >> The Solar Fountain Birdbath

Since summer is here for us folks living in the northern hemisphere, it goes without saying that birds would like to come out and frolic as well, and if you set up a birdbath, they would definitely love to have a go at it. However, getting that birdbath’s water to act as a fountain all by itself would require electricity, and you can either use magic, plug it in to your power outlet, or rely on solar energy as the Solar Fountain Birdbath does.

The name itself gives the game away, where your birdbath will perpetually deliver a spring of gently cascading water, courtesy of the solar panel that is located in the center of the fountain that ensures the internal pump remains powered continuously. Only moderate sunlight is required to power the fountain for up to six hours after an eight-hour charge. $179.95 to go green in your garden? Not too shabby at all.

REVIEW >> Fab Lab Solar Powered Wooden House

Okay, so what are we looking at here? It is the Fab Lab, which one of those awesome environmentally friendly houses.

As you can see, it has what you would expect from these concept homes. First of all, it has a weird shape. In fact, it is so odd, that I don’t have name to describe it. It’s definitely asymmetrical, and a blend of a cylinder, and rectangular solid. I suppose that the best description is something like E.T.’s head.

Then there is the solar powered aspect of it. Apparently, the Fab Lab that “generates more than twice the energy it needs to function”. Seriously, a house that actually gives out more energy than it takes away? Man, that is a good role model for all of us homeowners.

Of course, the house is made of wood, which does damage trees. However, trees are a renewable resource, if you do it right. By the way, all of the interior furniture here is made of wood too.

To answer your question, yes, I would live here. However, I got a family, and this Fab Lab doesn’t have a lot of space. I wonder if they could design a family-sized house that can be as energy efficient as this.

REVIEW: Is it the end of the clamshell packaging? I hope so.

 

If you are not familiar with clamshell packaging, it is what you see on that package of three pilers on the image to your left. I’m sure you can’t stand opening this plastic coated nightmare, as it never opens easily.

On an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David is excited about his new gadget, until he can’t get it out of its clamshell plastic. He eventually ends up swearing and stabbing the packaging with a knife.

This packaging might deter theft and keep the materials inside safe, but it often does its job too well. Not only that, it requires a lot of plastic to do so, which is bad for the environment.

Both Wal-Mart and the Home Deport have recently pledged to cut down on wasteful packaging, and the clamshell was high on the list of packaging types to eliminate. The cost of plastic packaging has shot up since the rise of oil prices, and lighter and more environmentally-friendly packaging is being developed. The lighter the packaging, the cheaper it will cost to ship it.

In short, eliminating the clamshell is good for just about everybody. So why not join the fight. Go and enter in a comment with your clamshell frustration story. I’m not certain whether we should have a boycott, but as my Source says: “How come I need a knife to get into my knife?”

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112852/retailers-greener-packaging-nyt

REVIEW: Natura helps save the environment even as you pee

 

Guys, what do you normally do when you go to the loo to relieve yourself? Normally, most guys do one or the other – which is to look ahead or stare straight down, no one really turns to the left or right just to check out how your neighbor is doing, size-wise or otherwise. If you are the type who stares down, then have you noticed just how urinals have evolved? From the classic types that tend to have your pee splash back at you at the right angle and pressure, we then got urinals which could flush (phew, taking away the stench!) followed by waterless urinals that used biological agents to get rid of the smell and keep the area clean.

Well, water-less solutions are definitely the way to go forward when you think just how much abuse our earth has gone through to date, and the Natura concept is the perfect way to continue moving in the right direction. After all, the standard toilet uses up 15 times more drinking water each day than a regular human, which is why Natura intends to stop that thanks to designer Jose Genovés. This toilet is even more attractive by the fact that it can adapt to male urination in addition to female urination, & defecation, helping reduce water consumption by up to 60% if properly implemented!

Where male urination is concerned, Natura will offer a male urinal that is integrated fully into the toilet design. The urinal itself comprises of a reclining element which is located in the back part of the toilet, where it can be lowered toward the user using a simple “push to open” system. The urinal itself will dispose the urine with but a half liter of water, helping you save up to 30% of the water that is used by conventional toilets for the same purpose.

As for female urination, all urine is disposed through an additinal eco-siphon that will use up only a half liter of water. Natura will have a lower water level at the bottom of the bowl, helping keep paper out of the user’s sight.

If you have to lay a log, then Natura increases the water consumption from 4.5 liters to 6 so that any stored toilet paper can be flushed away, but it makes up for this apparent “wastage” by saving more on the urination process.

http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/06/06/customize-your-flush/