Energy Saving Gadgets

EarthDrive–A Recyclable USB Drive that Mother Earth Can Eat

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Designing a USB drive with recycled material is child’s play. Earthdrive’s unique housing is not only designed with recycled material, but is itself designed to be recyclable. On top of that, a portion of all EarthDrive product sales will go towards the planting of trees.

In addition to being one of the most durable USB drives in the world, the EarthDrive is also one of the most versatile. Built with ATP’s SIP technology, all vital flash components are completely encapsulated allowing for shock proof, waterproof, and dust proof durability, according to EarthDrive. And you can also password protect your data.

Here are the specs:

Capacities: 1GB to 8GB
Connectivity: High Speed USB1.1 / 2.0 compliant
Indicator: LED Light Indicator
Preloaded Software: Drive Partitioning, Password Protection
Data Retention: 10 years
Length: 35.7mm +/- 0.20mm
Width: 23.3mm +/- 0.10mm
Thickness: 10.31mm +/- 0.20mm

And if you liked the EarthDrive, be sure to check out all of our energy saving gadgets.

Radio from Gilligan’s Island Unearthed! [Freeplay Companion]

If you’re old enough to remember Gilligan’s Island, did you ever wonder just how that radio kept working all those years? Now we know. They must have had the Companion by Freeplay. The Companion is a radio, a flashlight and a cellphone charger that fits into your bag, your glove box or your drawer. More importantly for our purposes, the Companion can be powered by the sun or your arm. It’s the perfect energy saving gadget. Here’s how Freeplay describes this green gadgets:

Offering a choice of self-charge, solar and external recharge power options, the Companion delivers complete independence from wall power or disposable batteries while ensuring sustainable access to information and entertainment. Freeplay’s patented self-charge technology means excellent reliability. A 1-minute wind gives you 20 minutes of radio listening at normal volume, or 30 minutes of light, and you can wind some more at any time for as much play time / shine time as you want. An LED charge level indicator tells you the best speed to wind.

In direct sunlight, the Companion will recharge itself and play for as long as you want. Fully charged, the Companion will radio will work for 12 hours, or you can use the flashlight for 16 hours. This makes the Companion a great device to have in case of a power outage or emergency. It’s also great to carry in your car.

The Freeplay Companion is available from REI and retails for $29.95.

Sony XEL-1 OLED Digital TV–Thin is Beautiful

Sony’s OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) TV, the XEL-1, is an amazing television. It boasts a 3 millimeter (yes, 3 millimeter) thin panel and offers, according to Sony, “unparalleled picture quality with amazing contrast, outstanding brightness, exceptional color reproduction, and a rapid response time.” OLED technology turns off pixels when reproducing black, resulting in a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. The XEL-1 features two HDMI™ inputs, a digital tuner, and a Memory Stick® media slot for viewing high-resolution photos.

Sony’s XEL-1 is Energy Efficient

OLED technology employes a more efficient way of using light, which is rendered by the organic material itself instead of an always on backlight. And when elements are in their “off” state, they consume no power whatsoever, making it a perfect energy saving product.

Sony’s XEL-1 is Incredibly Slim

OLED TVs are slim because organic material directly emits light. That means the OLED display panels don’t need a thick backlight like other flat panel technologies. In fact, Sony describes OLED as the “holy grail of TV display technologies.” Here’s how Sony describes the technology:

What is OLED?

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. The “organic” in OLED refers to organic material. Carbon is the basis of all organic matter. Examples of carbon-based substances include sugar, wood and the majority of plastics. The “LED” stands for “Light Emitting Diode” and describes the process of converting electric energy into light. There are two types of OLED — small molecule OLED and polymer OLED. Sony uses the small molecule type because it has a longer lifespan.
How does OLED work–

A layer of organic material is sandwiched between two conductors (an anode and a cathode), which in turn are sandwiched between a glass top plate (seal) and a glass bottom plate (substrate). When electric current is applied to the two conductors, a bright, electro-luminescent light is produced directly from the organic material.
How is color created–

OLED has more control over color expression because it only expresses pure colors when an electric current stimulates the relevant pixels. The OLED primary color matrix is arranged in red, green, and blue pixels, which are mounted directly to a printed circuit board. Each individual OLED element is housed in a special “micro-cavity” structure designed to greatly reduce ambient light interference that also works to improve overall color contrast. The thickness of the organic layer is adjusted to produce the strongest light for each of the colors — red, green and blue - used to render the color picture. The three colors are further refined by a color filter, which purifies each color without the need for a polarizer, rendering outstanding color purity.

The XEL-1 retails for $2,499.99 and is currently available in Sony retail stores only. Here are some more pics:

Rechargeable AA Batteries that Plug into any USB Port

This is a cool, convenient way to power up AA rechargeable batteries. Simply pop the top of the USBCell to reveal a USB connection, and plug them into any USB port. It’s really as simply as that.

Available from Amazon for $19.95 for a 2 cell pack.

Belkin Conserve Surge Protector Eliminates the Drain of Standby Power. . .Wirelessly

Studies have shown that standby power consumed by most electronics can account for up to 10% of your energy bill. Perhaps with the notable exception of your TiVo, most of these devices can be safely shut down completely to save energy and money. Now you can completely turn off your electronics with the push of a button. The new Belkin Conserve is an 8-outlet surge protector that makes it simple to eliminate wasteful standby power to your electronic devices, helping you reduce energy consumption, save money, and lower your overall impact on the environment.

Conserve comes with a wireless remote control that enables you to completely shut off the power to devices that consume standby power with the push of a button. The Belkin Conserve also comes with two “always-on” outlets so devices that typically need to stay on, such as set-top boxes or modems, won’t shut down. But you’ll have to wait a few months for this one as it should be available in the Summer 2008 in North America and the UK. It will retail for $49.99.

Belkin Conserve Surge Protector Specifications

* Offers 8 surge-protected outlets: 6 “switchable” and 2 “always-on” outlets, allowing users to control energy use easily
* Slim, sleek design blends seamlessly in with today’s modern electronics and appliances
* Control multiple Conserves with a single remote control from virtually anywhere in the house with user-selectable channels
* “Switchable” and “always-on” outlets ideal for home theater or small office/home office
* Comes with a $100,000 Connected Equipment Warranty

Energy Saving Gadgets Week in Review (12 April 2008)

Here are the energy saving gadgets we’ve covered over the past week:

• A Green Mortgage or Home Equity Line of Credit
• Pico Projectors–energy efficient projectors in the palm of your hand
• Paralda Air Purifier is Energy Star Compliant without all that Pesky Ozone
• Brill Razorcut 38 push reel mower–runs on muscles
• A Power Strip that Shuts Down When You’re Not Around [Isole IDP-3050]
• Solio Universal Solar Charger–Perfect for cell phones and iPods
• BalanceBall Chair can Strengthen Your Back While You Work
• Home Window Tinting can Reduce Utility Bills
• Solar Camera Bag–Carry and Charge Your Photo Gear at the Same Time

Everex Green gPC–An entry level PC that is eco-friendly

Energy Efficient Desktop Computer

Check out this low energy consumption PC that retails for under $200. The Everex Green gPC (model #TC2502) is a great option for an entry level PC that’s easy on the utility bill. The Everex Green gPC is built around a Via Technologies processor designed for low power consumption. It runs on the gOS operating system and features the OpenOffice.org 2.2 software suite that gives users the ability to create word processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. The system includes a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, Ethernet port and stereo speakers.

Everex Green gPC–Key Features and Specs

• 1.5 GHz Via Technologies C7-D processor
• Delivers energy-saving performance
• Preinstalled Software: OpenOffice.org 2.2 (includes WRITER, IMPRESS, nMATH, DRAW, CALC and BASE)
• gOS Software Applications and operating system
• DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive
• 512 MB of DDR2 system memory (expandable to 2 GB)
• 10/100 Mbps Ethernet
• 80 GB hard disk drive

Available from Wal-Mart (yes, Wal-Mart)

Solar Camera Bag–Carry and Charge Your Photo Gear at the Same Time

This camera bag is a roomy way to tote digital cameras and gear and charge them at the same time. The camera bag is a versatile power source perfect for remote locations. An integrated flexible solar panel sends a 1.5W trickle charge to a 12V outlet to charge equipment. Inside, a large compartment with adjustable dividers organizes your still and/or video camera and all the extras, while side pockets with internal webbing secure memory cards, batteries and more. Features super-tough, 1680-denier nylon fabric that withstands the roughest shoots, a padded strap, and grab handle, and it will charge and protect your other electronics, too! Average charging time is approx-imately 5 hours for 2 AA batteries. USA.

The solar camera bag makes a perfect gift for the photography enthusiast and is available from Gaiam for $149

Home Window Tinting can Reduce Utility Bills

Particularly if you have windows that get lots of sunlight, applying tinting can reduce the cost to cool your home in the summer. This do-it-yourself bronze window tinting solution reduces UV transmission by 97%. Tinting can also decrease heat penetration into your home by 60%. Easily applies to wet windows or Plexiglas. Static electricity, not adhesive, holds it in place, which means you can lift it off instantly when the seasons change. Reduces glare and protects furniture, drapes and carpeting from fading. For multi-pane windows, apply on the outer pane.

Window tinting is available in three sizes: 36 x 15, 24 x 15, and 48 x 15

BalanceBall Chair can Strengthen Your Back While You Work

The BalanceBall Chair is not exactly an “energy saving gadget,” but as someone who has suffered with a bad back for more than 20 years, I had to write about this product. The concept behind the chair is similar to a balance ball you may have seen in the gym. By maintaining your balance on the chair with correct posture, you strengthen your core muscles, which is critical for a healthy back. I should note that the chair is designed for people 5′0″ to 5′11″ tall, which at 6′1″ rules me out. I’m hoping they come out with a version of the chair for us taller folks. On the bright side, I don’t exceed the chair’s weight limit: 300 lbs.

The chair is available from Gaiam for $100. Here’s to a healthy back.