ecofriendly
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Helix Wind launching wind-powered cellphone tower trials in US and Africa
Helix Wind, a company that produces some very distinctive-looking wind turbines, is getting ready to start new trials in the US and Africa. These trials will involve testing the vertical wind turbines as a source of power for cellphone towers in areas where they may be off the grid, and carry much higher operating costs. The turbines should produce enough energy to power the cellphone towers, and pay for themselves within about six months. The trials are set to start at the end of the month with local Nigerian provider Eltek NSG as a main participant. [Via Inhabitat]
Novothink unveils first licensed solar chargers for iPhone, iPod
We've seen plenty of solar chargers in our day -- and we're somewhat fond of them as a concept. Novothink's just unveiled the first chargers for iPods and iPhones that's officially licensed by Apple. These attractive little guys have integrated solar panels on the back with LEDs to let you know the state of your charge. If the sun fails you, there's also a USB cable for standard, non eco-friendly charging. These chargers only work with the 2nd generation iPod touch -- which will be available this month, while versions for the iPhone 3G and 3GS will be outed in November. They'll run you $70. Hit the read link for more photos. [Via Inhabitat]
Amazon announces next wave of Frustration-Free Packaging
Now, this one we can all probably get behind. Amazon -- which announced its "Frustration-Free Packaging" initiative back in November of last year, promising to kill clamshell plastic casings and the like -- is making good on its word and stepping up the effort again. Joining the ranks of partners Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and Transcend, Amazon's announced that Kingston Technologies is throwing its weight behind the drive to end our sadness and frustration as well. David Sun, co-founder and chief operating officer of Kingston also pointed out the eco-friendliness of such measures -- which surely won't be lost upon any of us, either. Kudos!
Samsung and Sprint introduce the Reclaim -- a cellphone made from corn
We love the Earth, and apparently so do Sprint and Samsung. The two companies have just introduced the Reclaim, a super-eco cellphone made from 80 percent recycled materials. The device -- a stout, sliding, QWERTY message-friendly model -- is constructed from "bio-plastic" materials made from corn, is free of PVC, and mostly free of BFR (brominated flame retardants)... which are apparently pretty bad. The phone also has a 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, can accept microSD cards (we assume) up to 32GB, and has Sprint Navigation onboard. The packaging will be eco-friendly as well, as it's constructed from 70 percent recycled materials and printed with soy-based ink. The carrier will be selling the Reclaim in "Earth Green" or "Ocean Blue" come August 16th for $50 (after a $30 instant rebate and $50 mail-in rebate) with a two-year contract. Additionally, $2 of that profit will be funneled to the Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program. Finally, a phone that goes with your Prius.
Nissan shows off latest electric car prototype with battery monitoring system, iPhone app
Nissan's started showing off its latest prototype electric car, based on the Versa. This one will house a 108 horsepower / 206 pound-feet electric motor to drive the front wheels, and a 24 kWh, lithium ion battery pack will be fitted under the floor for storing electricity, with an expected range of 100 miles. To top things of nerd-style, the newest prototype will have a navigation system which will show the current life of the battery, and the mile range its current amount of juice will support, and will boast the ability to download info about nearby charging station locations. And need we say, "there's an app for that?" That's right, Nissan also has a working prototype of an iPhone app making the rounds in Japan which would allow users to communicate with their car remotely and find out the state of the battery's charge. Can this get any cooler?Read - Nissan shows off new Versa-based electric vehicle protoypeRead - Nissan dials iPhone for car remote control
Samsung Blue Earth finally gets a hands-on treatment
We've been hearing about the Samsung Blue Earth -- an eco-phone, if you will -- since way back at MWC. Now CNET's finally gotten its hands on one at CommunicAsia in Singapore, and we have to say that we're pretty intrigued with what we're seeing. The back of the phone is covered with a solar panel, and Samsung says that one hour of sunning time for the mobile equals about 10 minutes of talk time. The handset also has a built-in pedometer to count steps for the Eco Walk carbon footprint app -- certainly something prospective buyers of the Blue Earth might be interested in. We still don't know full specs, pricing or availability for the phone, but we'll let you know when we do. Hit the read link for a video.
Solar paneled umbrella will charge your gadgets while you hang in the sun
We see boatloads of solar charging gizmos around here, but they're usually not so... large. What we have here is a big sunning umbrella, for use outdoors (obviously), which has large flexible solar panels made by Konarka on top. The solar collecting panels store the energy in the stem of the Powerbrella as it's called, and it's got outlets at its base for charging your phone, PMP, etc. The 'brellas have already been tested in Florida, and are set to be manufactured by Sky Shades, for release sometime this summer. No word on pricing yet -- but there is one more shot after the break. [Thanks, The Gadgets Weblog]
Eco-friendly Clayton iHouse on sale, coming to a highbrow trailer park near you
Clayton Homes, a US-based company which makes and sells manufactured (prefab) homes, is getting in on the i-naming game with their latest bit of construction. The iHouse is a prefabricated, customizable house that is so energy efficient that Clayton estimates it costs about $1 per day to cover all of its electricity and heating needs. The house makes use of solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, thick walls, heavy insulation, a rainwater-catching system, a tankless water heater, and dual flush toilets to meet its eco-friendly goals. The company, which sold about 30,000 manufactured homes last year, thinks that the iHouse could quickly come to represent about 10 percent of its business. Prototypes of the house -- which at around 1,000 square feet costs $140,000 completely furnished -- are popping up all over the US, and as of last Saturday, are officially on sale nationwide. One more photo after the break.[Via Yahoo News]
Standardized EV plug could be adopted within months, says GM
Here's a more reassuring timeline for that proposed standardized plug for electric vehicles. The SAE J1772 Task Force-developed charging system, based on an initial design by supplier Yazaki, is now at Underwriters Labs for certification. That's scheduled to be done by the end of May and, if all things go according to plan, it can be adopted for use in the next few months. Speaking to Autoblog Green, General Motors' Gery Kissel listed his company, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Tesla among those participating or supporting the standard. He also said the we-swear-it's-coming-this-year Chevy Volt should be equipped with the new plug, and Tesla's reportedly pledged to adopt it for current plans and retrofit its older models. Things are starting to look up for the EV industry.
Dell VP criticizes Apple's 'green' initiatives, pot and kettle laugh in unison
Dell VP of Communities and Conversations Bob Pearson is ragging on Apple for its MacBook "Greenest Family of Notebooks" ads. In a post titled "The Real Meaning of Being Green," Pearson accuses Apple of not discussing environmental issues, making inaccurate claims and stating no goals, while touting Dell's energy efficient Latitude E-series and use of PVC / BFR-free components. Of course, the PC maker has had its fair share of eco-unfriendly practices over the years, including accusations from the ever-fickle Greenpeace last month that the company has withdrawn from its commitment to stop using PVC / BFR in its computers by the end of 2009 -- but why let little details get in the way of a good schoolyard fight?
Easy Energy Yogen Max foldable, man-powered laptop charger prototype complete
Charging your laptop could start to feel a lot more like work in the near future, if the folks at Easy Energy have it their way. They've just completed a protoype for the Yogen Max laptop charger, and though details are particularly spartan about the actual workings of the device, as you can see from the mock-up, it's going to involve a human foot pumping juice directly into your laptop. Unlike some other devices we've seen, the Yogen Max has no external battery, plus it's way more foldable and boasts a totally awesome font. The spokesperson from Easy Energy says they hope to bring the product to the consumer market sometime in 2009. If that girl in the background of the photo is any indication of how outlandishly fun the human-powered charger is to use, we sure hope it's available soon.[Via Coolest Gadgets, thanks Ink Master]
Wave of mutilation ends as Best Buy, Sony and Microsoft take a stab at clamshell-free packaging initiative
It looks like Amazon started a trend last week when they announced their "Frustration Free Packaging" initiative, which boils down to the elimination of clamshell-style packaging for a lot of their top-sellers, and the introduction of more eco-friendly materials, like good old-fashioned (recycled) cardboard. According to The New York Times, a number of other companies, including Best Buy, Sony, and Microsoft are joining the club in eschewing heavy duty materials in favor of less aggressive ones. Anything that reduces our level of annoyance with the retail experience while pitching in to help out our increasingly threatened Mother Earth is something we'll gladly get behind. And we're pretty sure our dentist will agree.
