This concept from Econut takes the cake as being the most green gadget accessory. The concept case is made from coconut fibers and allows you to slip your iPad in, prop it up and use the built in keyboard with the device.
After using the case, you can simply give the case back to nature as it seems to be biodegradable. The design is stylish and clean and would make the Professor from Gilligan’s Island quite proud.
The video indicates the case will come in five stylish colors; white, yellow, green, red, and black. So if the designers ever do get the case into production, expect plenty of Prius drivers to be carrying them around.
Unless you’re an avid cyclist you probably don’t have a readily available supply of used or punctured inner tubes. So these IT Clips and IT Hooks, which let you roll your own tie-down bungee straps from discarded tubes, probably aren’t going to be that useful to everyone. But if your bike is your main mode of transport for commuting or even work, these are a great way to upcycle old tubes into something useful again, keeping them out of the trash.
Using the IT Clips and Hooks appears to be as easy as threading a standard belt buckle, and since you make them yourself, you can always ensure they’re going to be just the exact length you need. They also run about $5/pair, making them priced as the perfect impulse buy at bike shops and the like, and are available for tubes sized 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide.
A compact way to modify downspouts for collecting water is now available, promising eco-friendly thirst quenching for apartment gardens. The Raindrop Mini by Studio Bas Van der Veer fits in-line with the drainpipe and channels rainwater into a removable jug; rather than demanding you accomodate a water-butt, water is collected into the watering can itself.
That saves space and also makes for a more ergonomic – and less messy – way of watering small gardens. No word on exact pricing, but according to the designers the Raindrop Mini system is available now in European gardening centers.
I have the distinctive honor of presenting to you the very first post on SlashGear to feature a rickshaw. This rickshaw is both electronic and eco-friendly. This is the Meguru, a three-wheeled, three seat tiny vehicle that’s made to go what they call “maximum speed” and range of about 25 miles per hour. Of course that’s just with the out-of-the-box build, you can add batteries as you like for a longer ride.
Nobukuki Ogura, chief executive officer of Yodogawa Group, the group responsible for building the vehicle in cooperation with three other smaller western Japanese companies, had a bit to say about the vehicle. First he said that “this is a true environmentally friendly car,” then he said that “Instead of an air-conditioner, it comes with a pinwheel, and we are also thinking of adding a wind chime because it gives a refreshing sound to cool you down without the need of electricity.”
Brilliantly made, looks fantastic! A neato piece of this puzzle is that although a regular driver’s license is needed to drive, a car registration is not. This vehicle measures 8-ft 2-in long, 3-ft 11-in wide, and 5-ft 3-in tall. The body of the vehicle is coated in a beautiful red lacquer, the floor is made with recycled bamboo, and the retractable fans on the sides are made of washi paper.
The vehicle will costs around one million yen (approximately $12,044 according to the auto-converter in Google search.) The greatest fact about this whole vehicle? Ogura says it best: “We’ve used all-natural materials, so if you ever decide to get rid of the car, simply bury it in the ground.”
$17 million for a self-sustainable super yacht may seem like a steal to some people. But, as many yachts have proven in the past, it’s all about the features on board that make the price make more sense. For the Ocean Empire, being called the first-ever zero carbon life support vessel isn’t good enough. No, the designers wanted to make sure that there’s plenty of eco-friendly elements, along with plenty of room for people to live their day-to-day lives on board.
The Ocean Empire has 4,305 square feet of solar panels installed on its frame. There are large areas of the ship that have been labeled “fishing accommodations.” And, a pair of hydroponic farms. The solar panels are capable of capture somewhere near 70 kW of power, while the 861 square-foot skysail is able to grab another 200 kW of power on its own.
However, that’s not all. The designers also included a Motion Damping Regeneration system, which will make sure that the super yacht doesn’t capsize in rough waters. The system is also capable of pulling down another 50 kW of power in its own right. If you find yourself on the Ocean Empire at some point in the future, it looks like you won’t ever have to worry about running out of power, as there’s plenty of different ways the ship will attain it, and then provide it.
While we’ve seen concept designs recently really focus on helping the environment in one fashion or another, we haven’t seen many that actually focus on two separate causes at once, and aim to fix both of them with one device. The Biolamp concept design is meant to not only clean the air, but also fuel eco cars. The design implements solar energy, as well as the usage of a specialized liquid to make the magic happen.
The Biolamp is designed to convert carbon dioxide into fuel. This fuel is meant to power the street lamps at night, as well as eco-friendly vehicles. It features a pump that literally sucks the smog and other contaminants out of the air. Inside, there’s a liquid made from alga and mixed with water. During the day, the Biolamp pulls the smog into the spiral system where the water and CO2 are used to transform the alga into a biomass. Some of it is deposited into the lamp itself to power it during the night.
The rest of the biomass is then filtered through a pipe system underground to a facility that will transform it into usable fuel for eco cars. Seems like a lot of work, especially with the underground tubes to transport the biomass, but the Biolamp’s ability to clean the air, as well as provide a seemingly limitless amount of biomass to change into biofuel makes it a unique enough design.
There are many of us who are rather fond of bar soap. One of the biggest problems with this form of soap is that there is always a tiny piece of it when you’re almost finished. That piece is also almost impossible to use. Can you imagine if bar soap were just as easy to use as liquid soap? Not to mention that this would also be more eco-friendly than liquid soap as well as it would use every bit of it. Natalie Staempfil has designed a hand-pumped soap grater that has the soap sitting upright and will gradually sink down as you use it.
How awesome that you not only get to use all you’re bar soap to the last shred, but you’re actually saving money because of it? This thing needs to be on the market right now! Whoever is out there reading this, and has the power to do something about it, make sure this thing happens.
Unless they’re already gung-ho on saving the planet, it’s hard to make eco-friendly products seem exciting to the average consumer. But Dexim Santom’s replacement iPhone charger, which stops drawing power from an outlet once your iPod or iPhone is topped off, manages to catch your attention. It promises to reduce unnecessary standby power drain by up to 85%, but most people will only care about its eye-catching electroluminescent cord which has a glowing marching ants effect that shows the power flowing from the outlet to your device.
When your device is completely drained the animated effect runs at a fast pace, but it slows down once the charge level reaches 65% so you know when it’s more than half-charged. And once it’s completely charged, the glowing cord shuts off completely. Of course you may be wondering why an eco-friendly charging alternative wastes energy with a glowing effect, but according to the company’s reps the electroluminescent effect is a by-product of the power already flowing through the cable. Expect it to be available sometime in march for $39.99.
Integrating eco-friendly features into our every day things may be one of the best ways to actually implement the technology, along with the way of life, especially for those who haven’t embraced the movement. For something like the Hydroleaf Shelter, it’s a great and easy way to provide clean, drinkable water for those who might be waiting for a bus, or other forms of public transportation. Or simply just need a drink.
Designer Mostafa Bonakdar has designed a new way to collect, purify, and dispense water, and has made it into one of the most accessible ways possible. The design is a simple one: the stand collects and purifies rain water, and transforms it into drinkable water for those sitting under the shade, or anyone passing by. It does this thanks to the solar panels at the top of the shelter, which absorb the sun’s rays during non-cloudy days to power the unit.
Bonakdar says that the Hydroleaf Shelter will be able to hold up to 60 liters of water at any one time, and if anyone wants to test the water inside, they will simply need a vertical piece of glass that would be placed at the top of the storage tank. And, because it wouldn’t be a safe rest stop for anyone walking around at night without lights, the solar energy collected through the day will also be used to power lights, that turn on automatically at night.
According to a Hungarian-based company called StringDrive, the current design of bicycles, with the drive chain and gears all located on one side, results in an asymmetric riding experience that’s not as inefficient or smooth as it could be. Of course we don’t really notice it because we’ve never driven something better, so not surprisingly that’s exactly what StringDrive claims they have created.
Their StringBike uses two identical but opposing drive units on either side of the bike which feature swinging arms moving forward and back as the pedals are turned. This back and forth motion pulls a set of steel ropes on either side which in turn cause a drum and the rear wheel to rotate. Since the mechanisms on both sides are moving in symmetry as you pedal, the rear wheel is constantly being driven, providing a smoother, and more efficient, ride. If you’re having trouble picturing it take a few moments and watch this mesmerizing video of the StringDrive in action.
The company claims that it only takes a few minutes for a rider to get used to the StringBike, particularly when it comes to shifting gears, but I have to say it does sound like a definite improvement over a chain drive system. I just have reservations about how complicated the system looks, and how easy it would be to repair should something happen while you’re out for a ride.
After using the case, you can simply give the case back to nature as it seems to be biodegradable. The design is stylish and clean and would make the Professor from Gilligan’s Island quite proud.
