Solar-Power iPad Case From Logitec Hits Best Buy Website Best Buy/via Mashable caught wind of a listing on Best Buy for a solar-powered iPad cover for $129, which features not only solar cells but a built-in keyboard. It says "coming soon" so we aren't sure exactly when you might be able to pick one of these up, but it's up on the site to add to your wishlist.
Cool DIY Hydropower Kits for Kids © Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories Kids these days: they can figure out how to take 3-D pictures on your iPhone, but all they know about electricity is that you're always going on about something called vampire power and nagging them to turn off the lights. It's time to put that tech smarts to work in getting a handle on renewable energy, is it not? The Hydropower Renewable Energy Science Kit aims to help your budding genius explore the power of water, literally, by building models and conducting experiments with them. But here's the clever bit: this kit will also help your kids assemble a hydroelectric power station and actually generate their electricity, lighting an LED. Water towers, communicating vessels and a water fountain further illustrate the scientific concepts of water pressure, while accompanying experiments demonstrate surface tension, adhesion and cohesion.
Greenpeace Pranks Apple at Flagship Stores, Calls for an End to the Coal-Powered Cloud Brian Merchant/CC BY 3.0 Greenpeace activists loosed black balloons inside two of the nation's flagship Apple stores today, protesting the company's reliance on coal to power the cloud. In New York City, San Francisco, and at another demonstration in Toronto, protesters drew attention to the fact that companies like Apple use electricity generated by coal plants to run their data centers—which power the cloud that is now sucking down a ballooning slice of the world's energy pie. As far as Greenpeace actions go, this one was pretty tame—I'd been tipped off by organizers, so I was already inside the Fifth Avenue Apple store when a small parade of activists barged through the front doors and released dozens of black balloons. Down below, a couple Apple staffers gathered to point up at the balloons, customers muttered about Occupy. Brian Merchant/CC BY 3.0 It's a smart strategy—each of these companies' reputations rest, to varying degrees, on their cutting edge-iness.
Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre Goes Greener © Amsterdam RAI Convention centers are huge consumers of energy, sell huge amounts of takeout food and disposable cups, and generate a huge amount of waste. Much of it is out of anyone's control; a convention centre can't tell a visitor or an exhibitor what to do. Having been in the terrible food courts of quite a few North American food courts, I find their restaurant appealing. An Exhibition and Convention Centre is not the first place you'd think to look for a hip, eco-friendly cafe. They even get some of their deliveries by electric barge. Quiet, clean and uninfluenced by traffic congestion, a completely loaded ship replaces between 5-6 trucks traveling through the city. Amsterdam RAI/Screen capture Going beyond the press release, the Amsterdam RAI produces an extensive Sustainability Report that makes interesting reading. Despite our hard work and investments, the total electricity consumption increased...RAI has little influence on the electricity consumption of exhibitors.
Vertical Farm Proposal Is Woven Into The Fabric Of The City © Michelle Cheng We have shown a lot of vertical farms that are in the city, but they are rarely part of the city. They are usually freestanding, independent and designed for drama, from butterflies to spheres. But successful buildings in real cities are part of a fabric, usually full of mixed uses. Michelle Cheng, a graduate of the Ryerson University School of Interior Design, (and a former student of mine, I teach sustainable design there) has designed a vertical farm for her thesis. The farm is built around an interior piazza that can serve many functions, with permanent retain in the base and with temporary markets in the middle. To design a holistic, self-contained vertical farm that supports several levels of food diversity in a socially engaging community within an urban fabric; one that socially, economically, and environmentally encourages the city’s populace to adapt a holistic and healthy lifestyle.
Get A Workout While You're Working With The We-Bike Webike via Gizmag/Promo image Here is an interesting spin on the idea of pedalling while you work: The We-Bike integrates three workstations into a circle slightly over eight feet in diameter, and each seat has pedals connected to a generator, with each producing thirty watts. The designers note that it's good for you: 30 minutes WeBike a day, keeps the doctor away. A study on ‘New Forms of Physical and Psychosocial Health Risks at Work’ for the European Parliament indicates physical inactivity as an emerging risk for workers. © weebike via Gizmag The seats are made from waste leather and the wood, from waste cedar. © Webike via GIzmag Gizmag calls it " a stylish way to get some sweat-free, easy-going exercise while at work, rest or play. " They note that it costs a healthy €9,950, or US$ 13,154, which is 44 times as much as Jaymi's Fitdesk. More at We-bike
Huge Biomimetic 'Supertrees' Taking Root on Singapore's Waterfront (Video) Jackerbie/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Vertical gardens are one effective way to enliven and maximize growing potential in cities, and we've seen them range in size from small, improvised projects to larger, official ones. As part of Singapore's masterplan to develop its Marina Bay area, these towering eighteen 'Supertrees' take vertical greenery a step further, integrating over 226,000 plants consisting of over 200 species with a host of other functions, like solar power generation, rainwater collection and acting as ventilation towers for the horticultural conservatories below. © Munshi Ahmed Jackerbie/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Designed by UK-based landscape architecture firm Grant Associates and nearing completion, the Supertree structures are an integral part of the Gardens by the Bay project. Standing at 25 to 50 metres (82 to 164 feet) tall, the Supertrees are designed to be covered with diverse plants of all kinds, from climbers, flowers, bromeliads to epiphytes and ferns. © Grant Associates
EnergySaver Mobile App Analyzes Energy and Water Use, Helps You Save Money © EnergySaver Some of us in the green community want to use less energy and water just because we feel it's the best thing to do for the planet, and some of us want to use less because it also leads to saving money. No matter what your motivation, it's pretty clear that the desire is there, but sometimes the tools to do so aren't very obvious. However, a new mobile app will help you not only track your energy and water use, but will also analyze it and help you make changes to reduce your consumption, lower your carbon footprint, and keep more of your hard-earned dollars in your wallet. "EnergySaver allows you to analyze your current and estimate your future energy consumption instead of just analyzing or tracking past energy consumption. EnergySaver also enables you to customize and analyze each appliance's energy consumption instead of just the overall consumption. The EnergySaver app is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android platforms.
5 Star Wars-Inspired Green(ish) Gadgets Image via TGNSmith on Etsy "May The Fourth Be With You" on Star Wars day today. To honor this geek holiday, we've rounded up our favorite Star Wars-themed posts. Creative craftster Sage Werbock has come up with a clever idea for recycling old computer parts and providing Star Wars fans something to lust over. Image via University of Adelaide The Star Wars prequels have stirred up a lot of things, but even if you loathe the most recent movies, we think you'll enjoy the electric vehicle they inspired called EDWARD. Image via Boston Dynamics We should have just assumed by the rate technology was advancing that we'd live to see the day when those robot walkers from Star Wars were actually developed for the military. Images via eBay Do you have an old pair of sneakers you never wear? Pierre Vedel/CC BY 2.0 When it's laundry day, I suspect I'm not the only one who has to pick up all of the clothes that are lying on the floor around the hamper before putting them in the wash.
The Future of Wind Power: 9 Cool Innovations TreeHugger/Screen capture Our economy has an insatiable appetite for energy, and because of the negative side effects of fossil fuels, the quicker that we can supplement and/or replace petroleum-based power sources, the better. Wind power is a great way to generate clean renewable energy, and the innovations in wind technology being pursued over the last year or so are a reminder that with the right tools, we can turn the movement of the air above us into fuel for our energy-hungry lifestyles. 1. © Makani Power Makani Airborne Wind Turbine: The Makani Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT) can access stronger and more consistent wind at altitudes near 1,000 feet, which means that 85% of the US could have viable wind resources using the device (compared to just 15% using current turbine technology). © Altaeros Energies 2. © Wind Power Innovations Wind Harvester: The new Wind Harvester is based on a reciprocating motion that uses horizontal aerofoils similar to those used on aeroplanes. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
10 eco friendly toilets designed to conserve resources 10 eco friendly toilets designed to conserve resources Uncontrolled environment degradation has polluted our environment and left us with scarce resources. Reduction in the consumable water level is of great concern and researchers are sweating hard to find out various ways to stop water wastage. Eco friendly toilets are one such new innovation in this regard. These environmentally friendly toilets do not consume more than 0.8 gallons of water and hence help in saving freshwater. Given below are 10 eco toilets designs for sustainable homes of the future 1. Japanese bath fittings giant, Toto, has come up with Neorest AH type tankless toilets. 2. Designed by Belgian design house Bundl, ZESS public toilets are self-sufficient standalone public toilets. 3. Designed by architecture firm Cook + Fox Architects, this carbon-neutral complex would be the first communal bathroom of its kind in the New York City Park. 4. Making sea water potable is a very difficult and expensive process. 5. 6. 7. 8.