This month has been particularly green as so many green gadgets have been launched. One such cool gadget is the Solargorilla, which is a portable solar charger. It has been launched by Powertraveller and can extend the life of laptops and other gadgets.

It can directly charge mobile phones, iPods, handheld consoles, and other gadgets which are small. It comes with two photovoltaic glass solar panels and when it is exposed to light, it produces electric current. Thanks to a tough rubber case, it can withstand water and can also be used in a rugged manner. It has a fold-up design thanks to which it can be carried easily wherever you want.

I would so love to get a gadget like this, as the price of electricity is increasing and moreover if we keep using gadgets at the rate we are using, then we shall use up all the energy. Thanks to its sleek and chic design, it can be used without any embarrassment in all the places. The Solargorilla won a prize at the British Innovations Awards and it certainly deserves that piece of cake. So go ahead and grab it the moment it is launched in the market.

Via: Gaj It

Green products do not actually be delivering what they promise. Millions of us have been using energy saving light bulbs which drastically reduce the percentage of electricity consumed. However it turns out these bulbs will become dimmer and dimmer with each passing year. In fact, they would not last 5 or 6 years as they are being advertised.

Engineers have warned that a fatal flaw in the manufacturing of these bulbs have led to their sad demise. Many of these energy saving bulbs would be phased out or terminated and newer and better alternatives would have to be developed. This not only means a colossal waste of money spent on bulbs, but also a huge waste of these bulbs which would be discarding adding to environmental pollution. Staying green perhaps is not so easy after all!

There are those which use LED lights and halogen which are being pressed for being used. Experts reveal that these kinds of lamps are better at saving energy and would last longer. I would say, go ahead and use what your pockets allow you to, but at least learn to switch off lights when they are not required. Moreover, who needs bright lights anyway? They hurt eyes.

It is always a good idea to begin being eco-friendly from the very start. Molo has created an amazing ‘Softseat’ made from kraft paper and recycled cardboard. Hongtao Zhou has created even more interesting ‘Adjustable folding chair’ made only from small wood scraps which are recycled and they can be renewed as well.

Tanya Aguiniga has designed the ‘Soft Rock’ seat reusing sweatshirt and other recycled materials. I would say, furniture such as these would not only look good and improve your interior decor, but would also encourage you to live a green life. You could also encourage your friends and other visitors to do the same when they visit your place. I would say, it is very important to recycle and renew products instead of buying new stuff all the time!

Via: Design Addict

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is owned by the Department of Energy in the US of A and they are in news because they house the superfast computer Jaguar XT5.

With a performance speed of 1.759 petaflops or quadrillions of calculations per second, it is the world’s fastest computer. The laboratory aims to use this computer to solve problems related to climate change and there would also be other applications as well.

The Jaguar is a machine that would be used for peer-reviewed research. The computer has already been scheduled fo a billion hours of processor time by users which include National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Argonne National Laboratory and the National Science Foundation.

It would study enzymes, how one could develop better ethanol and also write algorithms for nuclear reactors which do not produce a lot of radioactive material. Examining the origins of the Universe, nuclear security and other tasks would be performed by the supercomputer as well. Oak Ridge already has some of the world’s fastest computers in its kitty including the Kraken. Looks like computers wil never be the same again.

Via: Eco Geek

ZyRUS is a Korean company that is known for amazingly innovative electronic products that are also green and economically friendly. The Korean company has now launched the Sun Drive (ZYSD-S1) which is a 4 in 1 solar charger that is not just eco friendly but also chic and well designed.

The gadget serves as a solar charger, , a USB charger, an external battery and a USB flash drive. Thanks to an in-built solar panel, it charges the inbuilt 400mAh Li-Polymer battery.

You can charge gadgets like mobile phone, PMP, MP3 player, GPS and others. It also functions as a USB drive and you could save all your data on it. It comes in various storage capacities such as 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB. The ZyRUS Sun Drive comes with a number of cellphone adapters which I am sure is required as most people would have different mobile phones.

If only all companies came to an agreement about using a Universal charger, it would solve many problems and designing eco friendly products such as this would become easier. Meanwhile, I must say the Sun Drive is an amazingly intelligent gadget that everyone should buy. You would no longer have to worry about charging your gadgets as long as the sun shins bright!

Via: I Tech News

Hamburg is one of the most important cities of Germany and has a huge population that depends on public transportation. On that note, the first ten Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL-Hybrid buses were launched on the streets. The fuel cell hybrid cell is virtually non-polluting and would keep this amazingly chic German city non polluted and clan. It is also virtually silent and can be used in inner city roads where traffic is unusually high.

Fuel cell technology will certainly bring in a revolution in public transportation arena and it is high time cities across the world started to use this technology. Rising energy prices and lack of resources will soon lead most cities to adopt a more eco-friendly plan to provide transportation to people. Daimler buses too have some plans for Hamburg and other cities in Europe.

It is interesting to note that these Fuel cell buses could actually be more efficient and green than CNG buses which are used in Asian cities these days. Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL-Hybrid buses look really chic and they would actually make the city look better. If the Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL-Hybrid buses work in Hamburg, they should be used in other cities as well.

Via: Gizmag

In most underdeveloped countries, people use mud pots in which they keep water to drink chilled water. These countries are poor and cannot afford refrigeration. In Africa, water is used to cool vegetables and food products when a refrigerator is not available. That idea is now used to create the Thermodynamic Cooler concept which is actually directed at emerging economies.

It needs no electricity and the water cooling helps to preserve food without a hitch. The design comes with a stackable design where the bowl can be used to store fruits. Thanks to a damp cloth everything remains fresh and cold and this would help the poor people of the third world keep their food clean and safe without having it spoiled by tropical temperatures. The only hitch is that water needs to be added from time to time.

Unfortunately these “emerging economies” are mostly countries in Africa and Asia where there is a severe shortage of water. While trying to save electricity, you would only be wasting water. Thus, I guess no energy can be created or destroyed and can only be transferred from one source to another, like an annoying scientist once said. You try to save electricity but end up spending water! Great design indeed!

Via: Tuvie

The planet may not be hospitable for very long if humans continue to abuse it, the way we have been doing for the past several decades. Taking the eco friendly path has become more than just a safe option or a way to save money, it’s even in style. So, whether you choose to be one of the elite or just someone looking to cut short your power bills, the SolarClover would sure appeal to you.

Created by Armageddon Energy, the SolarClover is a three-leafed power saver that will bring you tons of good luck (at least when it’s time to pay the power bill). The clovers are made of a triangular frame made from a Teflon medium, micro inverter and three lightweight silicon hexagonal solar panels. Setting up each SolarClover would only take a few minutes and the whole thing weighs less than 13 pounds so transferring them from one place to another would be a piece of cake.

Each SolarClover generates about 400 watts which wuld contribute to slashing off a huge amount from the power bills. Forget that, think about how much the environment would be thanking you every minute.

Via: ArmageddonEnergy

Designer Tim Holley’s Tio ghost is a perfect example of psychology and technology collaborating with marketing techniques. The wall mounted light switch system helps children learn the importance of energy conservation in a child friendly and playful manner. When the household lights have been switched on for a short while, the switch, or “Tio” remains happy and green. When the lights are left switched on for a long time, Tio gets angrier and starts getting redder.

The deepness of the colour red would allow children to learn how much electricity they have used and when it is “becoming too much”. Tio also has smileys which make the energy conservation process an easy and fun task for children. Play and education have thus been used from the psychological point of view to allow children to learn the importance of environment and ecological balance.

These switches make sure that today’s children grow up to be responsible and green individuals who would know that using a lot of energy is bad for not just Tio, but for the larger human populace. Go ahead and get these switches to inculcate the sense of energy responsibility that is required in your growing and curious child.

via: Inhabitots

The story in the St. Louis Today was not so much about the Polar Bears but about how the festive season is bringing new business opportunities to the city, but the picture in the paper that came attached tells a whole different tale. The zoo at St. Louis has tried its luck with keeping polar bears several times in the past and unfortunately for the authorities there every time the saga ended with a disaster. It all started in May 2005 when a polar bear named Churchill died after eating a lunch that consisted of plastic and plastic from the bin in the zoo. (Yup, sheer negligence more than bud luck)

Just five weeks following Churchill’s death another polar bear named Penny died of infection and after her death the zoo officials found out that she was pregnant and would have given birth to two little cubs had she been alive. Finally, Hope the last polar bear died this April of cancer. With that the officials lost all hope and decided that they will just bring in electronic replacements; or so it seems as of now.

With many species being wiped out off of the surface of the planet at an alarming rate that unfortunate day might now be far away when every zoo in the world sports only replicas and stuffed models… sad, but so very true.

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