Hasta La Gadget!

There is this particularly famous song that goes “London Bridge is falling down”, which is a ditty that I suppose most of us would know by heart. The city of London has plenty of bridges, actually, and London Bridge is not the only one. It seems that there is another addition to the number of bridges in that part of the world, which so happens to be a solar bridge. Not only that this is the world’s largest solar bridge, where it is called the Blackfriars Bridge. The Blackfriars Bridge happens to be part of the Blackfriars Station in London, where it has been fitted with 4,400 photovoltaic panels. The installation of these solar panels will hopefully reduce the station’s CO2 emissions by an estimated 511 tonnes (563 tons) annually.

Work on the Blackfriars Bridge kicked off in spring five years ago, and it is nice to know that the station has ended up operationally complete in time for the 2012 Olympics. Apart from that, it took nearly another year after that to complete the solar array installation, and by this year, the full refurbishment happens to be completed.

Apart from the solar panels being installed, part of the complete installation includes a new entrance on the south bank of the River Thames, a quartet of new platforms as well as an improved Underground station. The station happens to be one of the major points of a £6.5 billion (US$10.72 billion) Thameslink Programme, which has the intention of increasing train capacity on one of Europe’s busiest stretches of railway that runs from north to south through central London.

It uses Panasonic 250 Wp panels to soak up the sun, covering a total area of 6,000 sq m (19,685 sq ft). Sporting a maximum output that is estimated at 1.1 MWp (megawatt peak), this array of solar panels are tipped to generate 900,000 kWh of electricity annually, which is more than half the amount required to keep the station going.

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[ Largest solar bridge in the world is in London copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Smart cars, smartphones, smart homes, the list seems to go on and on when it comes to having something that has the “smart” tag attached to it. We do know that the world has moved in leaps and bounds when it comes to technology, and with that, it has also helped us be a more efficient society. Power efficiency is a buzzword that has been thrown around for quite some time already, especially when you consider how the world has finite energy sources, leading us to consider renewable energy as another alternative. Here’s an idea for helping save on your thermal energy needs – with the Amphiro a1 self-powered smart water meter for the shower!

The Amphiro a1 is said to be the first of its kind in the world, where it will be able to assist users to help save up to an average of 23% of their thermal energy – this translates to approximately $135 savings annually without having to give up on your comfort. After all, the folks over at Amphiro claim that the average household uses 2,000 kWh of energy annually for water heating needs alone, and is more than the combined total used for lighting, cooking, electronic devices and the refrigerator.

With the Amphiro a1, it will be able to display your hot water consumption in real time, urging you to reduce your carbon footprint in an entertaining manner. With its help, it is projected to help you save 440 kWh of energy in addition to 8,500 litersof drinking water and waste water each year.

It will work by sitting between the shower hose and the handheld shower head, running on a tiny generator which harvests the energy for the display and electronic components from the water flow itself. It will show off details like your current water consumption, the water temperature, your energy consumption and the associated energy efficiency class, while a polar bear animation would visualize your energy consumption. Captain Planet will definitely approve, that’s for sure!

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[ Amphiro a1 self-powered smart water meter for the shower copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Most of us cannot live without our favorite portable devices around, even more so when we do a whole lot of traveling. If you tend to spend plenty of time in the city or in urban areas, then chances are pretty good that you would never have an issue about the lack of electricity to power up your smartphone or tablet at the end of a long day. However, what happens when you and the family decide to rough it out for a couple of weeks, to get close to nature, and yet your little ones still want to have their daily dose of Angry Birds and Candy Crush on your iPad? Fret not, Power Practical has got your back with the unveiling of the PowerPot X and PowerPot XL.

Both the PowerPot X and PowerPot XL are now a Kickstarter project, where this crowd funding platform intends to deliver the next generation in thermoelectric power assuming all goes well. They were both named after their respective power emission of 10 Watts, which would mean that the PowerPot X Series are capable of charging a tablet, two smartphones or four GoPros simultaneously. As for “fuel”, it requires nothing other than fire and water to get the job done. Even better yet, without the presence of moving parts within, they are extremely easy to use. Since it requires no dependency on sunlight, the PowerPot is able to produce electricity in any weather, day or night, indoors and out.

Assuming the PowerPot X and PowerPot XL have been set up in mediocre conditions, they are still capable of producing 5 Watts of power, which would be able to provide users with ample power in order to keep on charging. With more power available to you, that would mean spending more time to explore your surroundings instead of waiting around the camp area so that your respective digital cameras and tablets will be able to hold enough charge for use. Not only that, they also double up as a source for boiling water for soups, hot drinks or freeze dried meals. The PowerPot X is currently going for $189, while larger groups will have to settle for the PowerPot XL for $199 a pop.

Press Release
[ Power Practical unveils PowerPot X series to deliver juice with just fire and water copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Home lighting solutions have become a whole lot more power efficient these days, especially when we are all moving towards a greener environment. Hence, it is far from surprising to hear about the LumaGlo Freedom Lighting, where this particular LED lighting strip system comes across as a fully customizable workaround, as it provides users with the freedom to choose the length, color, pattern, intensity, and even the power source, with the central controls hailing from an iPhone or Android device.

The LumaGlo Freedom Lighting is a Bluetooth-enabled, LED strip controller which will hook up sans wires to your smartphone, letting you have total and full control over your home lighting system. You will be able to turn it on, turn the lights off, and even opt to set timers so that you will arrive home to a well lit abode at the right time. With up to 16 million colors to choose from, you will be spoilt for choice, although chances are pretty high that not everyone will be able to tell the difference in color when they’re so close together on the same scale. Each LED is individually addressable, letting one pick dynamic patterns and color combinations.

Since there are already so many ways to make choices, the LumaGlo Freedom Lighting arrives in a variety of lengths that include 1 foot, 2 feet and 5 feet, and all of them can be linked together up to 10 feet. There is a drawback to the system though if you are on the lookout for greater lengths, as it comes at the expense of reduced brightness.

Just how will LED lighting strips come in handy? Well, for starters, they offer users the ability to illuminate spaces in ways which would never be achieved in the past using the standard issue light bulb. Heck, there is also a modular power option for those who are always on the move. Some other practical uses of LumaGlo in everyday situations include increasing visibility, to be seen in clubs or at raves, to decorate a skateboard or bike, or even used at events or ceremonies.

Press Release
[ LumaGlo Freedom Lighting lets you light up your home unlike ever before copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

How have you been enjoying your summer so far? I am quite sure that many of you out there have spent your holidays well, taking a break in some tropical paradise, and basically loving every single minute under the sun. For those of you who do not happen to live in temperate countries and have an abundance of sunlight all year round, then the £59.99 Waka Waka Solar Powered Lamp and Charger makes plenty of sense if you want a nightlight by your bedside that does not require any other additional “investment” in terms of electric power or battery replacements.

Available in shades of black and yellow, the Waka Waka Solar Powered Lamp and Charger has been touted to be “the most efficient solar lamp in the whole world”, where a single day of sunlight is said to gather enough juice to deliver up to 40 hours of lamp light, now how about that? It will also be able to allow you to juice up your mobile devices on the go, not to mention coming in a lightweight, rugged and portable form factor. Charging other devices is done via USB, and there is a 4 LED battery indicator to let you know just how much juice there is left.
[ Waka Waka Solar Powered Lamp and Charger copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]