• Category Archives: Gadgets and Tech

    Liquid tree maps the hot water wastage in the shower

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    Sine water conservation has become as essential as energy conservation; we can see an upsurge in gadgets that help us to keep a tab on the volume of water used while soaking under the shower. Designer Jia Yi Lin has conceptualized an exceptional product, dubbed Liquid Tree, to present the real data of water waste. Users can interact with the Liquid Tree display, and receive the feedback from it. Inspired by Brendan Dawes’s Book “Analog in, digital out: Brendan Dawes on interaction design”, and the art of ink bleeding on the paper, Jia was also inspired by form of iPod to shape up this water saving device. As of yet, it is designed to measure the hot water wastage only. However in the future, it can be tweaked to measure cold water too.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on November 12, 2008
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    Febot feeds on wind to energize the batteries on the go

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    The first thing that most of us put in our baggage while packing for a holiday is a rechargeable battery charger. And if you have kids along then this one is a must as most of the toys run on the AA rechargeable batteries. Korean designers Ji-yun Kim, Soon-young Yang & Hwan-ju Jeon have stuck out a green Febot for the same purpose. Shaped like a torpedo with wings, this eco-friendly device grabs up the energy of wind to recharge a single battery. Simply stick it out of the window and pray that the wind blows. The trio have managed to shape up a green charging gadget that promises fully charges batteries on the go. But who will take care of the blowing the wind in its direction? I suggest that the designers should have also fitted the Febot with a solar panel that could at least make use of some solar energy in case of non-windy days!

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on November 11, 2008
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    Solar-powered Automower delivers clean ‘green’ trimmed lawns

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    Though a lush green lawn is everyone’s dream, the task of trimming a lawn is not believed to be the most favored chore. But you can cut your lawn chores down to one step with a fully automatic, solar powered robotic lawn mower, the Automower. Touted to be the best user friendly, green mower, it is designed to move about freely on a pre-wired green lawn. This will help to keep the robotic mower in check and ensure about the specification of area of grass to be cut. Programmed to give the lawn an even result and a carpet-like finish, even ‘Islands’ can be created by laying the wire around plants and flower beds. Getting its juice from sun’s energy, the solar panels on the Automower help to absorb the sunrays that in turn help to trim quarter of an acre of cutting for each 10 hours.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on November 11, 2008
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    Power of wind wipes out darkness with Firewinder

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    This Christmas, light up the pathway to your eco-den with the latest wind powered out-door light. Designed by Tom Lawton, Firewinder not only makes use of alternative wind energy to light up the dark times but also turns clockwise to stir up the good spirits according to the Buddhism teachings. This spiral structure harness the endless energy of wind to dole out upward spiraling light every time the slight breeze blows. Setting it up in your backyard or lining up your patio with Firewinders can render unobstructed light show after the sun sets. The mesmerizing twirl of light also helps to unwind stressful thoughts at the end of the day. However such a design has its limitation as it cannot shed light when the wind refuses to be generous.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on November 10, 2008
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    High-tech ‘1 minute washing machine’ concept – The fastest and the greenest

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    With the current fast-paced lifestyle that most of us lead, it isn’t unusual to ask for 1-2 minutes products and services. Be it surfing, vehicles or gadgets, we are ready to pay the prize for speedy net connections, traveling by fast-speed bullet trains or super cars or a washing machine that promises to wash our laundry in just a minute. The last one though is still a concept but an ingenious one to find a place on Greenlaunches. Jung Hyun Cho and Bo Ram,Hong from Korea have dubbed their project as ‘1 minute washing machine’ for the homes of 2020. Inspired by the digestive system of the human body, the duo has designed this in-a-jiffy washing on the same lines. The form also signifies the alphabet E that deliberately stands for Electrolux. Eliminating the need of soap and significantly reducing the amount of water used, this washing machine aims to churn out clean laundry with the help of other ground-breaking features.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on November 7, 2008
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    Seagate Savvio 15K.2 is the world’s fastest and greenest hard drive

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    Flaunting impressive tags like fastest and greenest, Savvio’s latest entrant in the techie world, the 15K.2 HDD, certainly promises to live up to every geek’s expectations. This second generation green hard drive is exclusively designed to deliver the industry’s highest hard drive performance and reliability. Functioning at 15,000 RPM (rotation per minute), it also comes with SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) 2.0 interfaces. It can also be optionally provided with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) hardware-based self-encryption. Making use of the PowerTrim technology, the upcoming Savvio 15K.2s consume up to 70% less power than 3.5-inch 15,000 RPM drives. Expanding the line of 2.5-inch SAS 2.0 enterprise solutions and reduction in size as well as energy consumption has placed this fresh green drive in the top slot of eco-tech division.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on November 5, 2008
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    World’s First Organic Chlorophyll Battery powers up with any liquid

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    With increased dependence on portable and remote-controlled gadgets, we cannot do without the batteries. Though we cannot change our wire-free lifestyle, we can atleast do our bit for the environment by switching to eco-friendly versions. Professor Chungpin Hovering Liao of National Formosa University in Taiwan has recently unveiled the latest green battery – World’s First Chlorophyll Organic Battery. It just needs to be wetted with any kinda liquid, juice, water, or any beverage and it can power your gadgets within 10 seconds. When no liquid is available on hand, even urine can be used to charge this organic battery.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on November 5, 2008
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    NTT develops Turbine generator shoes that charge your gadgets on the go.

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    Japanese telecommunications giant NTT is developing shoes that it claims can charge your mobile phone for ever as long as the user keeps walking. The Turbine shoes do not provide any storage of the power that it generates but is an ideal solution to charge your MP3 player while you take a jog. The shoe manages to generate 1.2 watts of electricity, which is enough for most mp3 players or mobile phones. Small turbines that are attached to water filled soles power NTT shoes. Every time the user takes a step, the water in the sole moves and turns the turbines, which generates power.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on October 20, 2008
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    CO2 calculator for everyday green monitoring

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    The CO2 calculator is a tool that has been introduced in response to an increasing customer request for precise CO2 numbers. Frepar Networks have developed the solar-powered CO2 Calculator; it includes calculating every human activity, which contributes to expanding or contracting our CO2 footprints, from utilities to trash and recyclables. It is possible in the future for users to calculate their yearly Carbon Tax payments as well. It all comes down to the credibility of a particular home’s green solutions. It is easy for a manufacturer to say that a solution is more environmentally friendly than others are, but with this calculator, one can actually prove it, right down to the household level.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on September 23, 2008
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    New X-Ray reveals hidden painting from Van Gogh

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    ORIGNAL 1887 – Patch of Grass

    Van Gogh was well known for painting over previous paintings, art lovers have always wanted to know what these previous painting may have looked like if they were ever preserved. Luckily with a new technology it has become possible to see old paintings in a new light (Literally). Scientists from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, along with University of Antwerp in Belgium, worked on Van Gogh’s 1887 Patch of Grass. A square area measuring 17.5 by 17.5 centimeters shows a women’s head looking slightly left. Owned now by the Kroller-Muller Museum in the Netherlands, the picture was subjected to a technique known as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, which allows experts to map the chemicals on it.

    Posted in Gadgets and Tech on July 31, 2008
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