Hasta La Gadget!

Bamboo bikes not only look great, but they feature better shock absorption and a smaller carbon footprint. We’ve seen them used to ride part way around the world, and now you can build your own.

That’s the concept of the Bamboo Bike Studio. The company provides you the tools to build your very own bike, either by ordering a kit online or by visiting BBS’ San Francisco studio. It’s not cheap, with prices starting at $496, but the studio is hoping that the environmental and personal benefits of building your own bike will outweigh the cost.

“We’ve taught over a hundred fifty people to make bikes at the Bamboo Bike Studio,” the company wrote on its website. “Tens of thousands of miles of test riding. Riding through winter, through potholes and all over the world. We are helping to start a factory in Ghana in September, with the goal of providing the lowest cost and highest value bicycles to people who want them most.”

Via Inhabitat

What do you do with a massive hangar in an old Soviet military base designed to house giant airships? Make a tropical resort, of course.

The hangar was purchased by Malaysian company Tanjong and turned into a Tropical Islands Resort. The resort features a 3,000 square mile swimming pool, larger than four Olympic sized pools. It also has around 600 feet of faux beach, complete with a sandy shoreline. It also has the world’s largest indoor rainforest, which includes more than 50,000 trees in 600 varieties.

Around 900,000 visitors come to the resort each year, to check out these features, as well as the main attraction: a nine story water slide that propels riders up to 44 miles per hour.

Via Boing Boing

Kickstarter is a great service that allows budding creators a new venue to raise funds. One such creator is Eric Strebel, who is raising money to develop a unique solar powered USB charging system.

Dubbed the Solar Vox, the device is a portable solar charging system that has replaceable batteries and a series of USB connectors, so that you don’t have to worry about any proprietary cables. The unique design also allows you to position the solar panel at four different angles, allowing for maximum sun exposure. The creator also claims that the panel has a 10 year life span.

“The idea of a Solar panel with a set of batteries is not new. But, the Solar Vox, an innovative, well designed, multifunctional, portable, and easy to use solar charger is,” explained Strebel. “The Solar Vox is great for environmentally conscious individuals, techies, traveling, camping, hiking, backpacking and everyday use.”

So far the project has raised $2,000 of its $35,000 goal, with around a month remaining. If you want to donate, you can do so here.

Via Wired

When you buy an appliance like a fridge or a washing machine, it comes with a handy yellow EnergyGuide sticker that shows just how much energy they use. And starting in 2011 you’ll find these stickers on TVs as well.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced that starting next year all TVs sold will require the EnergyGuide sticker. The stickers will feature both the TV’s estimated annual energy cost, as well as the estimated annual energy cost of similarly sized TVs. Additionally, starting July 11 of next year, websites will also need to display the EnergyGuide label when selling television sets.

“Unlike many years ago, before flat screens and plasma, today’s televisions vary widely in the amount of energy they use,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. “By comparing information on the EnergyGuide labels, consumers will be able to make better-informed decisions about which model they choose to buy, based on how much it costs to operate per year.”

Via GOOD

If you’re thinking of picking up a gaming console for the holidays, one of the deciding factors may be just how much energy the device consumes. And according to a recent report, the Nintendo Wii is much more energy efficient when compared to its competition.

The machines were tested by playing Madden football. While the PlayStation 3 consumed 84.8 watts of energy and the Xbox 360 87.9 watts, the Wii drew just 13.7 watts. Spread out over the course of a year, this would mean that a heavy Wii user would use 29 kilowatt hours of energy on annual basis, while the PS3 would consume 179 and the 360 184. That puts the PS3 and 360 at about the same level as a TV set or a washing machine.

Via the New York Times