Hasta La Gadget!

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

This week at Inhabitat, we were thankful to be able to witness the long-awaited unveiling of the futuristic solar-powered Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, and we also heard the exciting news that scientists are developing a project that could have us using the Sahara desert to supply 50% of the world’s energy by 2050.

We were also dazzled by the dynamic “dancing” facade of the Kiefer Technic showroom and this towering greenery-lined pyramid caught our eye with its modern take on ancient Mayan architecture. The world of green tech had a lot to be grateful for too as the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it would award $19 million to modernize the national grid and green transportation saw the first flight powered by jatropha-based biofuel. On a lighter note, this solar-powered wheelchair and its designer prepared to embark on a 200 mile journey to showcase its capabilities.

For those of you on the hunt for Cyber Monday deals, don’t forget to check out our Green Gadget Gift Guide with our picks for the hottest eco-friendly tech out there. We also spotted this ingenious wood speaker system that amplifies music using the properties of the material it’s made of and needs no electricity at all.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: modernizing the US national grid, not to mention deserts and pyramids originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No one’s going to be calling Nokero out for falling behind. Just a few short months after revealing its first commercial light bulb for developing nations, the outfit has now rolled out a second version, the predictably titled N200. This guy strikes a vastly different pose compared to the original, with the LED enclosure hanging on a swivel that enables it to be positioned in a way that would optimally catch light. When night falls, users can flip the light north to create a lantern. Nokero claims that this edition is just as rugged and rainproof as the original, but it’s 60 percent brighter and lasts three times as long. A single NiMH battery is included, and that’s what is rejuvenated by the sun — once charged, it’ll provide between 2.5 and 6 hours of light, depending on the mode. It’s on sale now for $20 apiece (bulk prices are less), representing a modest $5 premium over the (still available) N100. Can’t say the Yankees will be looking to decorate their outdoor patio with lighting right about now, but for the nomads trekking to Panama to escape Old Man Winter… well, you know what to do. Vid’s after the break.

[Images courtesy of Larry Bollig]

Continue reading Nokero’s solar-powered, rainproof N200 light bulb: brighter, stronger, more flexible

Nokero’s solar-powered, rainproof N200 light bulb: brighter, stronger, more flexible originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

This week we were blinded by the light as researchers unveiled a way to transform city trees into luminous streetlights using gold nanoparticles. We also showcased a mesmerizing paper LED structure shaped like a tree at Tokyo Designers Week, and speaking of stellar architecture, check out this stunning star-shaped Taiwanese tower topped with a built-in wind turbine.

In other news, strap on your rollerblades and hang tight – from the Department of Questionable Transportation comes the FlyRad, an insane electric unicycle that pulls you down the street at 25 miles per hour. Meanwhile, the city of Toronto is doing their part to preserve the environment by rolling out a fleet of garbage trucks that can be powered by the very waste they collect. Finally, the University of Rhode Island signaled a bright future for efficient transportation as they unveiled four designs that could tap the United States’ 2.7 million miles of roadways for solar energy.

This week we also looked at several new applications for futuristic manufacturing technologies – a dutch designer has pioneered a way to create 3D printed shoes that fit feet perfectly, and researchers have found that activated carbon cloth is a quicker picker-upper for toxic waste. Finally, with the holidays on their way, this week we rounded up our top ten green gadget gifts for 2010!

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: of electric tractor unicycles, garbage-powered garbage trucks, and luminous nanoparticle trees originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call us crazy, but we’re sensing a trend. Just hours after Logitech came forward with its solar-powered desktop keyboard, in flies AUO with something similar for laptops. Demonstrated alongside its deadzone-free 3D panel at FPD International 2010, the 14-inch solar-powered touch keyboard laptop solution (it’s a working title, folks) is meant to be integrated into laptops in order to cut power usage by as much as 20 percent. So far as we can tell, a solar module is built within the laptop’s lid and its keyboard panel, and the touch-sensitive overlay enables light to travel through while giving you a totally outlandish typing experience — something akin to the Libretto W105, most likely. There’s no word on a scheduled release date or price, but we’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for a nearby prototype.

AUO solar-powered touch keyboard connects your laptop with the sun originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Logitech first introduced wireless peripherals, we’d be lucky if our alkaline cells lasted a week, but these days the firm’s low-power mice can go months on a charge. Now, the company’s taken the next logical step, and made a solar keyboard. With an ultra-slim 1/3-inch profile and a full slate of laptop-style chiclet keys, the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 isn’t your average rack of buttons to begin with, but the ambient light solar panels installed on the top of either side should mean you’ll never need to plug it in to recharge. That’s not a claim we’ll be able to test easily, of course, as the company tells us its low-power integrated circuits can theoretically run for three months even if you leave it in a dark desk drawer. It uses the same 2.4GHz Nano Unifying receiver as several other Logitech wireless products, too, meaning you’ll only need a single one of your netbook or set-top-boxes’ precious USB ports. That’s often a concern on MacBooks as well, though you can see from the prominent Windows key this particular product doesn’t quite have a Mac-friendly setup.

Though we’re obviously far away from being able to tell you how the solar panels fare in normal use, we’re typing up this article on one of the boards right now. So far, we’re loving the flat, firm feel of the slab and rounded finger-friendly indents on each key, though the QWERTY layout’s actually a little cramped for our tastes. We’ll let you know how it holds up over the long haul. Find it next month for $80, though, if you’re already sold.

Continue reading Logitech unveils wireless solar keyboard K750, does away with batteries for good

Logitech unveils wireless solar keyboard K750, does away with batteries for good originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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