Gadget World » Green

5 Useful DIY Gift Ideas

melissa — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:09:18 +0000

This is simple gifts so that we have more time to actually spend with people. And the gifts we’re DIYing? They’re all easy, simple and practical.

1. An herb garden or succulent arrangement: Herbs will keep your friend’s kitchen filled with life while a succulent arrangement is perfect for a table centerpiece or a nice hello at the door.
2. A Pamper Basket: fill a basket or a bag with homemade body scrubs and soaks in pretty weck canning jars (available at Heath Ceramics). Or just buy some nice things for the bath and call it a day.
3. Personalized Stationery: A couple of years back we bought some Crane notecards and simply printed out some personalized cards to give our friend Jamie. We kept it simple and just had each card read” Un Petit Mot de Jamie” or “Merci” or “Hello”. She loved it and we were proud of our simple achievement without coss or time getting out of control.
4. Coupons for Labor or Favors: This year we (well, I) discussed with my mom that I didn’t feel that I should give her any more stuff (since my gramma died mom absorbed a lot of the things from gramma’s house that we couldn’t let go of) and that instead I would help her either finish a project or get rid of something for the next couple of christmas’s and birthdays. I could make it more official with a coupon book.
5. Something for the Table: If you’re any good at sewing, find some great fabric and make a simple tablecloth or some of these coasters. Add in some DIY linen spray for when the tablecloth needs to get ironed!

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Green Gadgets Introduced at the 2009 Environmental Expo

melissa — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:29:35 +0000

New green gadgets have been unveiled in the 2009 Green Festival in San Fransisco. Some are vitally necessary for human survival, such as water filtration systems which could mean life or death to children in developing nations; and others are simply convenient, helpful, and beneficial to the environment – like a portable chicken coop, a water-soluble flushable doggie waste bag, or a compost system staffed with a crew of worms.

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Daimler Chrysler To Release Emission Free Smart Car

melissa — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:38:19 +0000

Zero to 60MPH in 6.5 seconds, a sleek design that’s compact but stylish and plenty of torque – no, we’re not talking about the newest Porsche. This is the Daimler Smart Ed, a zero emissions, super eco-friendly smart car.

Refilling Smart Car The Smart Ed features a range of 71 miles using a Tesla provided 14 Kwh lithium-ion battery, while the cars 30kW electric motor pushes out an impressive 120 Newton metres of torque.

Originally the Smart Ed was set for an Early 2010 release, now Daimler has announced that their Hambach, France plant will have them ready to go by November 2009.

Unfortunately due to extensive testing that still needs to be completed throughout European cities they won’t be readily “available to anyone interested” until 2012. Of course by 2012 I’m pretty sure 71 miles on a single charge will seem ridiculously out of touch with current models available at that time.

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Stop Buying Bottled Water With a Water Bottle Purifier

melissa — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:45:45 +0000

The new Katadyn Exstream Personal Water Bottle Purifier is a self-contained filtration system in a handy bottle. Drinking plenty of water is important, but to buy bottled water every day is to throw your money and harmful plastic into a landfill. We reported recently on paper water bottles as a way to cut down on the dangerous level of plastic being tossed into seas and landfills, but remember that reusing is always better than replacing. Paper bottles are reusable to a point, but the whole biodegradable design is based on the assumption that you are going to throw it away, right?

Having a filtration system at home is great. You can get clean, crisp drinking water any time you want for minimal cost. The average cost of a bottle of water when using an at-home purifier is about five cents (USD). However, if you like to have clean, filtered water at work or on the road and don’t have access to your home filter for refills, what are you to do? In the past you could either suck it up and force down tap water, which isn’t so bad if you live near a Rocky Mountain stream but can be utterly foul if you live in a large city. Or you could buy bottled water. At least you don’t have to carry around all that heavy money, right? Fret no more, for the dilemma has been solved by the Katadyn water bottle purifier.

The Katadyn Exstream Personal Water Bottle Purifier website boasts that it is the only EPA registered purification bottle that is able to remove all organisms from your drinking water, including viruses. Keep in mind that being registered by the Environmental Protection Agency does not automatically guarantee that a product’s claims are true, but does give us very strong reason to believe so.

Water BottlesThe Exstream has a capacity of 26 oz, which is about 40 percent of the water you need per day according to the Mayo Clinic, depending on size and lifestyle of course. So, it should be fully capable of supplying your water needs until you can find a tap to fill it up again. For longer excursions, Katadyn offers a variety of camping and survival oriented filtration systems.

The Exstream’s filter can process about 26 gallons before needing to be replaced, which corresponds to 128 full refills. The filter utilizes the pressure created by gravity to push water through and requires no pumping or special effort. Unfortunately, there is no indication as to whether the bottle comes with a gauge to let you know when it is time for replacement.

The bottle itself is listed for 40 Euro on the Katadyn website, but can be easily found elsewhere for $40 USD. Replacement filters run $17 for a pack of two. That means the cost of your first 128 bottles of water will be about 32 cents (USD) per bottle and 11 cents for every bottle after that. Compared to buying a bottled water every day, this product would pay for itself after two months. It would then save you about $25 per month thereafter. This is all not to mention the mountain of plastic.

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Smart Power Strips Can Save the Planet, Your Wallet, and Your Computer

melissa — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:04:10 +0000

If you use a computer at home, you need a smart power strip.

Along with your desktop computer you probably have all sorts of peripheral devices hooked up as well. If you’re like most people, you probably realize the day after turning your computer off for the night that you didn’t actually power down one thing or another. Maybe you turn everything off every time, but did you know that even then your devices draw a small amount of power from electrical outlets regardless of their inactive state? This “phantom power” can add up dramatically across all of your devices over time to high energy waste and utility costs.

The smart power strip reduces this waste pays for itself several times over in energy cost reduction. A smart power strip is able to sense when you have turned off the computer and accordingly cut power to all other power-hog devices (monitor, printer, speakers, etc.). It works very simply; no programming needed. Just plug your computer into the main control outlet and all of your peripherals into the others. The self-contained smart power strip then cuts or allows power to the peripherals according to whether you computer is off or on, respectively.

This way, you will not forget to turn off your extra devices or, as more commonly happens, not realize that they are on standby. Furthermore, the smart power strip works with a true bypass circuit, meaning that you will not get the so-called “electrical leak” that occurs even when a device is completely switched off. You will save money and precious resources both ways.

If you are not already using a power strip, then shame on you; not only for wasting your own money and the Earth’s energy, but also for putting your computer in immediate danger. Any computer tech (and even most Joe Schmo’s nowadays) will tell you that a computer plugged straight into a wall outlet is a computer on death row. Power surges can come completely unexpectedly, not only via electrical storms but by malfunctioning nearby power line equipment or sometimes even from your neighbor plugging in too many Christmas lights.

You need to also make sure that your power strip isn’t just a glorified extension cord. In order for your power strip to actually protect you, it needs to have a fuse. Your power strip will normally go under the superhero name of “surge protector” in this case; however, a good rule-of-thumb is that surge protectors have an “on/off” switch. Fortunately, all smart power strips are also surge protectors. If you are not already protecting your computer or want to upgrade to a power-saving model that will pay for itself, then get a smart strip.

Smart power strips are only a bit more expensive than their mongoloid cousins. However, rough estimates show that a smart power strip will make up for this difference in a matter of weeks while completely paying for itself in about three months. After that, you’re just riding the gravy train.

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The World’s Cheapest Car, Tata Nano: Boon or Bust for Environment?

melissa — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:52:32 +0000

Come Friday the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, will hit the roads in India. The astoundingly cheap Nano is priced to sell at around $2,500 US, a price most of the middle-class in India can afford. Head of Tatan Motors, Ratan Tata, predicts the car will revolutionize travel in India, getting millions of Indian middle-class off dangerous motorcycles and into cars.

Keep in mind, however, for only $2,500 you don’t get too many features: no power steering, no ABS, only one side mirror, and it tops out at about 65 mph. On the other hand, there is a feature those of us concerned about global warming might like. The car averages 45 mpg in the city and 75 mpg on the highway. Those aren’t bad numbers.

Yet, the possibly huge influx of cars this price tag represents around the world makes the environmental impact of the Nano look a little less positive. We are talking about MILLIONS of new cars. No matter how low the mpg’s, that will definitely add to already treacherous CO2 levels. Aren’t we supposed to be discouraging car purchases?

But then again, what can we say when the US is recklessly irresponsible in its gasoline consumption and automobile driving. Not to mention, the Nano presents the possibility of literally millions of people previously unable to afford cars getting behind the wheel at a relatively friendly mpg and GHG level. And this alone could beneficially stimulate the Indian economy in countless ways, resulting in the financial stability necessary to support more responsible environmental practices in a notoriously dirty country. Better small, green cars than SUVs, right?

What do you think? World’s cheapest care, boon or bust for environment?

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Free Energy Saving Shower Kit From ShowerSmart

melissa — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:19:01 +0000

If you live in Great Britain you’re in luck, as a major water and energy saving device is available to you from the governmet—totally free.

It’s called ShowerSmart. It is a relatively new device created by a green manufacturer that aims to conserve water while you shower. In fact, the device claims to save the average two person GB household 12,000 liters of water per year.

ShowerSmart works in conjunction with your current showerhead and on just about every make and model, except electrical. Since taking a shower is a daily must (with some taking several showers a day – ole!) this is a fantastic idea. Instructions on how to install ShowerSmart are found in the kit box.

But what’s even better than saving water and energy, is that if you’re a Great Britain resident, you can have ShowerSmart totally free. Yes! No cost to you, all you have to do is request your kit via the ShowerSmart website and one will be mailed out to you within a few weeks.

How is this possible? It’s all part of the commitment that Great Britain has made to make your home, city, and country a greener place to live in.

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