Category Archives: Gadgets and Tech
Radios might seem a little old fashioned now, but these devices that have kept the world entertained right since the transmission of digital signals were made possible, can prove to be quite handy in numerous situations. Technology giant Sony understands the usefulness of this friendly little device and has given it a green edge. The company now proudly boasts the ICF-B88, its first solar emergency radio that will be made part of a manually-powered device series.
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It isn’t very often that a technology company begins to do things the green way. Panasonic has decided to break trends and has announced the world’s first loudspeaker using a diaphragm made from plant opals in bamboo leaves. Called the Bamboo Plant Opal Loudspeaker, the system is capable of producing clear sound with low distortion. This is made possible with the use of the hard, plant opal materials occurring in bamboo.
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Awful as it may sound, with the right amount of purification, sweat can be turned into potable water. To prove this theory right, Swedish designers built a Sweat Machine that literally uses sweat from drenched clothes and turns it all into pure and drinkable water! The machine is inspired by NASA’s astronauts who recycle everything they use in outer space to sustain their stay. Developed by the Deportivo PR Company and UNICEF, the machine turns the spotlight on important issues like water scarcity and famines.
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Kicking the butt isn’t an easy task and most people find this route to a healthier lifestyle to be quite difficult. Well, while nicotine does have a bunch of negative effects on a person’s health, perhaps one of the most dangerous contents of a regular cigarette is the tobacco and the myriad chemicals all packed into one death-stick. This is where ecigs or electronic cigarettes rise and shine. While many have jumped aboard the continual debate of the use of ecigs vs analogs, smokers do benefit from shifting to the former, particularly because of the fact that these lack smoke, ash, odor, and chemicals. Apart from this, ecigs also work better with the environment and don’t pollute both, our lungs and the environment.
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Wireless EV chargers are now more than just someone’s imagination poured out on a drawing board! Hevo Power plans to bring this fantastic way to juice up electric vehicles to the city of New York. To make things more interesting, these EV chargers placed in roads will be disguised as man-holes. Quoting Hevo’s CEO and founder Jeremy McCool in an interview with Wired, “I was standing at 116th and Broadway, and I was looking down and saw a manhole cover. And thought, that’s the ticket. There are no cords, no hazards. Everything can be underneath the manhole cover.”
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Having green and energy efficient installations set up in educational institutions have several benefits. Firstly, this is a great way to teach younger minds all about eco-consciousness, in a subtle and practical way. That apart, these installations are used more often, given the fact that they cater to a bigger audience, i.e. university folk. It goes without saying that the move by the Boise State University to install a solar-powered picnic table is a fantastic idea. Called the Solar Power-Dok station, the table basks in the glory of the sun, soaks energy and uses the same to charge up smartphones and more!
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Installing trashcans in public spaces is never a bad idea. But what’s better, is a trashcan concept like the one developed by Massachusetts-based Big Belly Solar. These trashcans have been installed at the University of Houston and are a step above the conventional dumpster you use. Priced at $8,000 a pop, these trashcans are, in essence, miniature solar-powered garbage compactors! With a capability to fit five times more trash than a regular garbage bin, these also include sensors that automatically signal the authorities when full.
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Refrigerators are known to expel heat energy, most of which is left unused and is wasted. Industrial designer Fabio Molinas has come up with the Oltu concept, a system that uses the heat generated by refrigerators and uses the same to cool vegetables! The system uses the heat emitting from the back of a fridge and cools vegetables using evaporation. To function as it is intended to, the system uses clay containers. Heat rises and affects the double wall of the clay containers. Using water contained between the walls, the temperature inside is lowered.
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The tale all along has been all about powering electric cars using various energy sources. It’s time these green modes of transport give a little back to the community, right? Nichicon Corp has developed an EV charger that is capable of supplying electricity from an electric vehicle to electric appliances, devices and other such apparatus in emergencies! Called the EV Power Station Socket Model, this charger will be released in early October 2013 and will be priced at about $4,811 a piece.
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Human-kind has used the sun to dry clothes before, though not in this technologically-enhanced way. Designed and developed by Miele, here’s introducing the T 8881 S EcoComfort, a solar-powered clothes dryer that’s a lot more energy efficient than the electricity sucker you currently use to dry fabrics. The appliance is connected to a home central heating system which is powered by a solar-thermal rooftop array. The T 8881 S EcoComfort sports an A+++ energy efficiency rating and is 80% more efficient than a regular dryer.
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