These days, most of us need to run through a list of must-have gadgets to be carried before stepping out of the house for work or even a simple stroll through the park. A few to name are cannot-do-without cell phone, laptop, MP3/iPod, gaming console, a pedometer for fitness freaks, GPS unit and lots more, I’m sure. However the whole geeky persona fizzles out if your doodads aren’t charged to be at your service at the end of the day too. For such times, a Fusion Messenger Bag is the savior. Fitted with flexible solar charging module, these bags can juice up all the dead batteries with a 12V auto adapter. Crafted out of recycled materials along with durable 1680D, 800D nylons and natural heavy canvas, a leather trim gives a chic look to the other wise green bag.
Traveling via public buses in Gulf countries doesn’t seem to be soothing suggestion. But that’s not the case if you are a resident of Abu Dhabi. Step out of the air-condition-cool house to board an air-condition-cool bus for your work by waiting in an air-condition-cool bus stop too! The place now boasts of the first of the 550 solar powered air-conditioned bus stop shelters. A look at the prototype and the citizens as well as the tourists can be convinced that the government is bent on promoting the public transport system with ‘cool’ zest. And it’s not only the cooling aspect that will appeal to all the commuters. Folks waiting for their bus to arrive can hang around in a cool, eco-friendly, informative, high-tech environment without fretting.
With the latest 007 movie breaking all records at world-wide box-offices, Daniel Craig is ruling the scene in Hollywood. But all those speeding cars, high tech gadgets and wild chases in air as well on water doesn’t earn him or his film a green flag from ecologists. Also actor-turned governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s green promises and earth-friendly Leonardo DiCaprio do not get the honor of being voted as the ‘Greenest actor in Hollywood’. This title is awarded to Hart Bochner. Now who is this chap? Well, Bochner co-stars in the USA Network drama The Starter Wife, featuring Will and Grace alumna Debra Messing. Believing in the famous old adage, “Practice before you Preach’, Bochner does anonymous, behind-the-scenes work to make the industry more environmentally friendly.
It is impossible to grow trees in and around most urban nest as crammed space doesn’t allow such eco-luxuries. However designers Wan-Jin Joo, Hyun-Joung Yoo, Sun-Woo Lee and Won-Seok Lee have shaped up, if not a real green tree, an eco-friendly glowing tree. Dubbed, Arbre, it is a cluster of twigs that light up with LEDs. Shaped out of recycled plastic, it’s a simple assemble-it-yourself concept. Utilizing a module method of lighting, Arbre takes it form by fitting the twig like pieces into one another. Though it isn’t an out-of-the-box design, it’s the use of recycled plastic that has caught my green fancy.
Vying for the title of ‘the most fuel-efficient automaker on the planet’, Hyundai flaunted its Blue Drive hybrid powertrain at the recent 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. Unlike the other counterparts, this powertrain uses third generation battery technology to power up the engine. Teaming up with LG Chem, the automaker has developed lithium polymer batteries for its hybrid powertrain. Since it is estimated that Lithium battery technology has greater power density, Hyundai’s battery pack promises to deliver the same power while taking up half the space of a nickel metal hydride battery pack.
Venezuela’s Airport De Guiria is all set to sport green lights over the airfield very soon. Carmanah Technologies Corp., world’s largest supplier of self-contained solar-powered LED airfield lighting technology recently got an order to supply eco-friendly lights for the airport. For about $700,000, the airport’s field will be trimmed with Carmanah ICAO-compliant A704-5 runway edge lights, threshold lights, handheld radio controllers, A601 taxiway lights.
And if you thought that an elementary material like cardboard doesn’t need any thought before chucking it off, you are mistaken. The government and the residents of Cranberry town, Pennsylvania, are eco-smart to understand the need to recycle cast off cardboard. Just recently, their old collecting and recycling units for the same were swapped for a better upgraded greener version. This new commercial-strength, solar-powered compactor was put up to take care of large volumes of cardboard carton waste. And when the days are cloudy, this cardboard churner will still run on the local power supply. This free, 24/7, self-service cardboard recycling compactor will lure people to dispose off the cardboard containers in the green clean manner. Fitted with a surveillance camera, every move of the user will be recorded and any violation of the rules will call for legal action.
It’s about 2 months before you need to bring your attention to red hearts for Valentine’s Day. However I couldn’t stop myself from bringing this ‘green’ Handy Heart Eco Warmer to your attention. Coming from Japan, this hot heart helps to keep your hands warm in chilly winters. The fact that it is also eco-friendly at heart, has bought it on Greenlaunches. It isn’t the usual disposable type that makes use of certain chemicals to keep you warm. This one gets it heat by being boiled in water for 10-20 minutes. Thus it earns the tag of reusable too.
While playing any sport, even for recreational purpose, it is always advisable to keep our cell phones back at home or in car when in action. But for those addicted to their cell phones, designer Oana Oniga has come up with an all-in-one wearable gadget dubbed, Sport Phone. Exclusively shaped for all the sports person and athletes, this conceptual gadget is an ingenious blend of communicating features along with cannot-do-without sport tools. But the highlight of this sporty doodad is that it sports a green charger along with the traditional battery. The green touch comes from the fact that this phone can also get its juice by harnessing the kinetic energy of the body. As almost all sports involve moment in some form or the other, all the energy expended by the wearer is absorbed for an eco-friendly charge up. Roll over to read more about its sporty features……
With all the alternative energy techniques and products hitting the horizon, the current generation has an array of options to switch to an eco-friendly lifestyle. But NASA has some plans to duck the looming threat of global warming with ………ducks, literally! The rubber duck is actually a highly technical device that will throw light on how fast Greenland’s ice caps are melting. Though folks dwelling far off from Greenland may not feel the heat, it is estimated that if Greenland’s 2.2 million square miles of ice ever melted completely, sea levels would rise by an estimated 24ft (7.3m), destroying cities such as London and New York. Roll over to understand how these cute ducks swim in to help NASA fight global warming.
