Hasta La Gadget!

We live in a day and age where having a smartphone is more or less a compulsory device to own, and a tablet is a bonus. The thing is, you would need to keep those gadgets juiced up every day in order to maximize their use, and while I am quite sure that most of us do charge up our smartphones and tablets each night, there are moments when our memory fails us, and we end up at work with a smartphone which is on its last legs where its battery level is concerned. If you are a New Yorker, happy days are here, especially with word that solar power market leader Goal Zero working alongside AT&T and Brooklyn design studio PENSA, to roll out an environmentally friendly solution to charging woes by offering public solar powered charging stations that they have called Street Charge.

Street Charge would arrive in a striking and modern design, where it will be powered by the latest in solar panel and battery technology from Goal Zero. Folks can conveniently juice up their handsets as well as other handheld, thanks to the integrated USB ports and charging tips. The solar panels as well as lithium batteries have been elegantly incorporated into individual stations to make sure that there is always enough energy to power up a thirsty device, regardless of whether the sun is beating down on New Yorkers unrelentingly, or when the moon is full.

Joe Atkin, President and CEO of Goal Zero, said, “We’re excited to team up with AT&T and Pensa to help make New York a little greener and solar power a little more accessible. Nearly half of all Americans own a smartphone and the amount of time we spend on handheld devices has increased dramatically. All too often, we hear the dreaded low-battery beep and it happens at the most inconvenient times. Street Charge will fix that.”

The prototype was first tested in Brooklyn last summer, and it looks set to kick off something big and new in the near future.

Press Release
[ Street Charge solar powered charging stations in New York copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

To say that we are more inclined to take care of our environment these days is a true statement, although the degree of awareness still varies. In fact, some of the more environmentally minded folks have made modifications to their lifestyle, such as eating organic food, installing a solar powered panel on the roof of their homes, as well as drive an electric or hybrid car like the Tesla or Toyota Prius. Apart from that, they also do their bit for the environment by making enzymes and composting stuff. Making your own compost not only help nourish the soil, it does not put all that organic leftovers to waste. The thing is, composting can be pretty time consuming, so for those of us who live in the instant noodles era can always find an alternative like the $299.95 Rapid Composter.

The Rapid Composter would feature a unique aerating core as well as insulated walls which will speed the breakdown process. Instead of taking half a year like standard composters to decompose matter, this puppy requires as little as 13 weeks, without requiring you to turn it or make any intervention. All you need to do is lift the secure lid and insert wet and dry kitchen and garden waste, and wait. The cone shapes on the ventilating core are good to create air pockets, letting air flow in all directions, while it sports 1.5” insulated walls which can trap heat, regardless of what season it is at the moment.
[ Rapid Composter copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

When I was growing up, I always wondered what the heck was the weather channel there for. After all, who actually bothers to check whether it is going to rain or not tomorrow morning? Sure, mom would care a whole lot since she is the one who does the laundry at home, and she would obviously be upset if the skies literally rained on her parade. Golfers too, would know what I am referring to, so perhaps there is still use for the golf channel after all.

Enter the $59.99 Weather Alert Emergency Handcrank Radio, which pretty much does what it says, as it allows you to be prepared at all times for emergencies as well as power outages, thanks to an emergency AM/FM radio with NOAA weather band stations and the ‘Alert’ system. This is a hand cranked wonder that also doubles up as a flashlight when the situation calls for it, while sporting a red flashing beacon and is capable of powering your cell phone. You can choose to have it run on hand turbine power, solar power or a solitary AAA battery, it is your choice. Crank the hand turbine or place the solar panel in the sun for just one minute, and you get anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes of radio and flashlight use.

[ Weather Alert Emergency Handcrank Radio copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Now, the $149.95 Solar-Lighted Umbrella is definitely something that you might want to consider assuming you have a yard or garden large enough to fit it in. I guess it goes without saying that those who do not own landed property and are currently living in apartments, you can rule having the Solar-Lighted Umbrella around, since your balcony might not be large enough to accommodate it, either. It would be easy to assume that the Solar-Lighted Umbrella is pretty much self-explanatory, where it comes with integrated solar lights that help create a lovely mood and setting when dusk falls.

Sporting a large 9’ canopy that cranks open in a jiffy and speedily, the steel support pole is sturdy and stable, while 32 soothing LED lights will help light up your evenings when you want to have heart-to-heart talks with your beloved under romantic conditions, and just in case it has been cloudy the entire day, fret not, there is a battery backup to help recreate those magical moments. You can choose from black, brown, burgundy or hunter green colors for the Solar-Lighted Umbrella’s canopy.

[ Solar-Lighted Umbrella copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Ever heard of Click & Grow before? Neither have we, but apparently Click & Grow is a designer of indoor smart gardens, and their latest creation would be the Smart Herb Garden that has been unveiled on popular crowd funding website Kickstarter. The Smart Herb Garden is no ordinary garden, but rather, it is a high-tech, self-watering plant system which is capable of growing multiple herbs simultaneously. Right now, Click & Grow has looked towards the Kickstarter community to obtain support from technology enthusiasts, travel fanatics, those who have been looking for a green thumb all this while but did not find it, in order to gain enough funds so that it can roll off the production line in due time.

Click & Grow’s CEO, Mattias Lepp, said, “With the Smart Herb Garden we hope to bring the World one step closer to sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyles. With more than 3 years of R&D behind the Smart Herb Garden, we aim to provide users a fool-proof gardening solution that is simple and intuitive to use at a fraction of the cost of similar products on the market.”

You do not need to know nuts about gardening in the first place, as the Smart Herb Garden is said to contain all of the technology within to get the job done on your behalf. The growth medium that sees action in each plant cartridge is based on a nanotech material which was specially engineered to supply the plant roots with just the right amount of oxygen, water and nutrients – at all times required. This means the nasty stuff such as pesticides, fungicides, hormones or any other kind of harmful substances are no longer in the picture.

Not only that, the presence of specialized LED lights ensures that these plants are as natural looking as possible without hurting anyone’s eyes, and the entire shebang sips a mere 6 watts of juice, while offering adequate amounts of light for the plant to grow. It is said that the Smart Herb Garden will require around $5 of electricity to run for the whole year. What are you waiting for then? Pledging $29 now would help you save $50 if the Smart Herb Garden is realized.

Press Release
[ Click & Grow unveils Smart Herb Garden copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]