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.

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

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

Oprah Winfrey one of the media icons who took her popular talkshow to dizzy heights of success in last more than 20 years has decided to end her show in 2011 and move on to create her own television channel. She has grown along with the medium in past two decades and her decision should not come as a surprise as she is not dumping the television media which made her a household name. She will be back in a big way with many more interesting shows on her OWN (Oprah Winfrey Channel) channel.

Oprah Winfrey show is a long standing show and it would be difficult to point at one reason for its immense success. If one has to pick up one reason for its popularity then it is definitely Oprah herself. Her candid style of conversation with her celebrity and non celebrity guest, the issues she addresses and all laced with wit and emotions has touched a chord among Americans and people all over the globe. She has made glass ceiling non-existent for here is a black woman who has made to the top and is aiming higher.

Critics have much to say about her shows but in today’s media TRP is the last word. Oprah, all the best and you know why audiences love you!

Via Guardian

There is nothing better than a great notebook case and these days there are hundreds of them available to you whenever you feel like buying one. However, you cannot expect these notebook cases to be as exclusive and exotic as the deerskin laptop case which I just found out.

The Altsämischgegerbt Notebook Cases are made of deerskin and the process of creating this wonderful deerskin altsämischgegerbtem drags on for months. The deerskin altsämischgegerbtem leather is known to be one of the most exclusive and rare leathers in the world. In fact, this leather is so valued that many people often visit far flung places to get goods mad of the deerskin altsämischgegerbtem leather. It comes with a natural ageing texture which looks more beautiful with age.

The laptop would be protected in deerskin altsämischgegerbtem leather case and you would be the centre of all the attraction and the laptop case would be the apple of everyone’s eyes. The Notebook Bag Altsämischgegerbt costs 198 Euros and is the best way to beat the cold this winter.  So go ahead and get this bag and be the cynosure of everyone’s eyes.

Via: Manufactum

Remember Transformers? No, not Megan Fox! I’m talking about those awesome robots that go about during the light of day under clever disguises pretending to be cars and whatnot. If you desire to have one of your own then remember what they say about wishes; you probably already have a robot right under your nose, disguised as a pillow cover. If you don’t believe me then just ask Croatian artist Robert Matysiak.

This humongous robot fan woke up one morning to find these cute little robot elves running around on his worktable with all kinds of electrical supplies and building an army of robots. Robert found that each of these electrical robots standing at 15cm to 50cm could work as table lamps, some of them could even light two or three bulbs! Whether you believe my story of the elf-robots, or Robert’s story that he designed and built them over several years, you have to admit that these RoboLamps are beyond cool.

Right now there seem to be 20 different RoboLamps and Robert is ready to sell them all. If you are not afraid of being slaughtered by your bedside lamp when asleep then order one for yourself soon. Check them all out at robot-Robert’s Facebook page.

Via: Pocket-Lint

Christmas and the New Year is just a month away and you all know what that means, parties! That’ when all the supposed teetotalers and social drinkers of the world unite to get indecently drunk and then find they can’t manage to climb up two steps of stair. That’s why Ruth Amos invented the StairSteady.

Leaving aside the seriously addicted amongst us, most people wouldn’t need the help of another individual or an apparatus to climb up the stairs. Those who have difficulty, whether due to the advancement of age or a medical condition, find that it isn’t very easy to install a lift in a house. The StairSteady is a simple handle that can be attached to the wall side of the stairs and can easily be folded away when not in use or when not needed.

Designed by Ruth Amos when she was just 16 and commercially produced now from her company StairSteady Ltd., the concept of the StairSteady is extremely simplistic. It would aid a number of people who cannot face the stairs and have trouble walking up even with the help of the banister. Plus, it’s perfect for stairs without banisters.

Via: Makezine

The face of the gambling industry is all set to change with the advent of a prototype device that works as a an automated Blackjack table. The all new device has been designed developed by Moto Development Group and features multitouch controls along with an artificial intelligence (AI) that is expected to reduce the scope of cheating in the game.

The automated machine that is capable of handling and running full length games of Blackjack and Texas hold’em has been developed especially for the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, that is to be held I the year 2010. The device that was recently unveiled, sports multiple player positions, touch sensitive controls and a circular screen that mimics the original gaming board.

The gesture control of the automated gaming device provides the players and the controllers with a near-real experience of the game. When a dealer deals the cards, the device senses the gestures made by the dealer and deals the cards virtually. The bets can be made by sliding the virtual chips across the screen.

The developers of the all new multitouch gaming device, Moto is the same company that, designed the Microsoft Zune HD and the Pure Digital Flip video cameras. The upside of the virtual table is that, it leaves out the physical aspects of the games such as, chips, boards etc and with the use of advanced cybernetics and computing technology, the games can be made more accurate and cheat free.

Via Fast Company.

From McCann Kenya comes a visually-compelling and direct message to stop human trafficking, especially of children. The public awareness campaign through transit ads serve to spread the message quickly, and with a visual connect that is readily comprehensible, action-inducing, agitating, and graphic as any visual communication should be.

The transit ad campaign is the brainchild of Creative Director and Copywriter Inam Kazimi and Art Director Martin Mwangi, and advertiser IOM. The public awareness ad calls on people to act against human trafficking posthaste by phoning in the discovery of victims as well as the perpetrators of the transnational crime. The toll free hotlines are an integral part of the ad’s copy.

The ad directly and succinctly captures the reality of human trafficking and human smuggling where people/victims are clandestinely transported around inside the baggage compartments of buses. This is one of the modus operandi of the crime. By disclosing the ethod and reporting the crime through the hotlines, these human victims are let off the bus and freed from the devastating consequences of the crime.

Operationally defined, ‘human trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured, coerced or otherwise removed from their home or country, and then compelled to work with no or low payment or on terms which are highly exploitative. The practice is considered to be trade or commerce in people, which has many features of slavery, and which is illegal in most countries. The victims of human trafficking can be used in a variety of situations, including prostitution, forced labor (including bonded labor or debt bondage) and other forms of involuntary servitude. The sale of babies and children for adoption or other purposes is also considered to be trafficking in those children.’

Via COLORIBUS

Nasa’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) had made an impact into Cabeus crater near south pole of Moon on 9th October and had kicked up debris as high as one mile. Scientists have analyzed the plume of the debris and concluded that it was frozen water. It seems quite a significant quantity of water was thrown up when LCROSS crashed into the crater. This finding would herald a new era of solar system study and space exploration, after all water is an important resource and it also gives a promise of sustenance of life.

It would be too early to conclude the implications of this finding but nevertheless it does give a lease of life to hopes that there could be life elsewhere and in future human beings could colonize the moon. With water resource readily available researchers can now hope to set up lunar base for future lunar and space exploration. The only hitch could be budget required for such ambitious projects. As of now study of the debris seems to unlocked important mystery about lunar surface which was believed to be devoid of water.

Via Telegraph