By Doris Lo
December 15, 2007 – 7:24 pm
Who would…why would…
A company called Chinavision has developed a solar-powred wireless spy camera pen. The reason for this gadget is beyond me but who can resist its James Bond coolness?
The pen looks normal, is in fact fully functional, except it conceals a built-in wireless mini camera that you activate with a twist of the cap. Keep the MP4/wireless receiver within 20 meters to record anything or everything with the spy pen. Charge the lithium ion battery in the camera with solar energy. The cost of this souped up pen starts at $328.
(via InfoWorld)
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By Doris Lo
December 14, 2007 – 10:15 am
The AbTech Smart Sponge is among the best of the latest innovations. It sounds good enough to be used on the kitchen counter. The sponge is based on polymer technology that makes it chemically selective to hydrocarbons. The sponge is capable of absorbing low levels of oil out of water, turning it into a stable solid for easy recycling. The sponge will remain in place in water until full saturation and is also designed for longevity.
AbTech has gone further to fuse the Smart Sponge with antimicrobial technology. The improved Smart Sponge Plus has a non-leaking active antimicrobial agent that binds to and destroys bacteria like enterococcus, Escherichia coli and fecal coliforms.
Find out more from CNN Money.
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By Doris Lo
December 14, 2007 – 10:04 am
Thomas Crapper designed the flush toilet with the float valve and cistern sitting above the toilet, allowing water to remain in the bowl. For this invention we thank Mr. Crapper. Unfortunately leakage from the flapper valve in his design is the biggest source of water waste in homes and constitutes as much as 11% of municipal water waste. Surprised? So am I.
Niagara Flapperless Inc., co-founded by inventor of the first flapperless toilet Phil Hennessy could be the next generation of toilets. The design won the United Nation’s technology award in 2005. It is the first flapperless toilet that prevents water from seeping out.
The Financial Post reports more about having a Hennessy toilet replacement here.
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By Doris Lo
December 8, 2007 – 11:43 am
Of the solar chargers to choose from, my favorite might be the Powermonkey eXplorer for the versatility it has to offer. The heart and soul is in the Powermonkey eXplorer unit and the solar slave. The unit is a blue LCD displaying battery capacity and charge level. There are several ways to get charge into this. Opt for the solar slave, a compact and durable solar panel that you flip open to harness the sun’s energy. But what’s nice is that it’s ready to be packed away for any adventure because the kit also comes with a universal mains charger that will work in over 150 countries.
Use the Powermonkey eXplorer with phones, PDAs, digital cameras, iPods, portable game concoles, and more. It takes 3.5 hours to fully charge. Check out more at the website.
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By Doris Lo
December 4, 2007 – 3:09 pm
Here is another “power saving” stocking stuffer that’s available in the UK. The Standby Buster is an electrical socket that lets you turn off your appliances completely so that they don’t continue drawing electricity. The glory of this socket is that it operates with a remote control, adding to the collection on the coffee table. No installation is required for the Standby Buster because it works simply by plugging it into an existing socket.
The Standby Buster uses radio frequency instead of infrared, letting it work even through walls. With the Standby Buster there is no excuse to be lazy.
There is potential to save as much as £40 annually. One of these units only cost £14.99 and that means payback in less than one year.
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By Doris Lo
December 4, 2007 – 2:37 pm
This is the season for giving, the season for savings, the season for giving savings. This means, you can do your shopping painlessly because of two energy monitoring gadgets.
The Kill A WATT by P3 International has basic features for monitoring your electrical bill, er, energy consumption. The LCD displays your power consumption by Kilowalt-hour. You can monitor the quality of your power by Voltage, Line Frequency, and Power Factor. It’s affordable too. You can snatch one of these for under $20.
More advanced is the efergy meter. This wireless, “smart” electricity meter looks great. The meter functions in real time, refreshing every 6 seconds to tell you power you’re consuming, what it’s costing you, and an estimate of your contribution to climate change. The smart meter also stores data daily so you can track your changing habit towards energy. Think about that while you’re making New Year’s Resolutions.
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By Doris Lo
December 1, 2007 – 1:29 pm
The maker of the world’s smallest desktop PC, Zonbu, announced a new laptop. Zonbu’s new notebook has an average power use of 15-Watts, an energy efficiency achievement that prompted the EPEAT silver rating.
On the subtle side, the notebook uses recycled plastics and less hazardous materials than other laptops. Zonbu also offers a free recycling/take back program for when you decide to chuck the computer, but there’s ample time before that will happen. The Zonbu notebook is intended to be very user-friendly. They run on its own OS software that is safe from Windows viruses. You can order one now with the beta version of the Zonbu software or you can wait for the final version to become available early next year. Cost for one starts affordably at $279.
Read more from PC Magazine about its specifications.
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By Doris Lo
December 1, 2007 – 1:15 pm
With home items especially I look for effective and long-lasting products that will save me trouble and time in necessary, tedious household chores. I’m particularly happy when I find one that will let me harbor one less chemical disinfectant under the sink.
Thus explains why I can’t resist the sultry allure of steam mops for cleaning hard floors and carpets. The idea behind one is intuitive - the mop works by converting ordinary tap water into steam rapidly to act as a natural disinfectant for surfaces and fabrics. Without the need of a chemical cleaner, the mops won’t leave behind harmful fumes or residues. Forget the smell of Pine-sol because there are several popular steam mops of various ergonomic designs available including Bissell’s, the H2O Mop, the Shark Steam Mop…You can find ratings for various mops here at NexTag. Prices range from $40-$120.
It’s tempting, but I advise not you don’t turn this into a birthday or anniversary gift item. This would, however, be ideal for a house warming, and you might like it so much you would want to keep it for yourself.
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By Doris Lo
November 30, 2007 – 6:57 am
Clearly Sony wants you to distinguish yourself for your economic commitment to the ecosystem. When you buy one of the eco-edition VAIOs you can choose among four graphical designs for your exterior - Bloom, Clay Earth, Caribbean Water, and Spotted Life. Internally, you can customize your VAIO FZ with four Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 4GB of memory and 300GB harddrive. Sony will do its part by donating 1% of the purchase price to the organization 1% For the Planet, “an alliance of businesses committed to creating a healthier environment.”
Eco-conscious features include:
• Slim design for minimum use of natural resources
• Easy-to-recycle materials for resource conservation
• Packaging comprised primarily of recyclable materials
• RoHS compliant components—free of lead and other hazardous materials
This a limited edition and you get it while you can.
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By Doris Lo
November 29, 2007 – 6:02 pm
My favorite cellphone accessory is the bluetooth headset which gives me full range of motion in the kitchen without dropping the phone when the water is boiling. Needless to say I’m excited about this new development by Iqua. Iqua’s 603 SUN was just released by Orange UK and has a solar feature. Its solar strip is located on the ear piece’s exterior, continuously recharging it even while it’s in use. The piece has several controlling features; you can answer, end, redial and switch your calls. You can also long battery life. Without sun, the headset works for 9 hours of talk time and with direct sunlight it will work for 12 hours. Expect 200 hours in standby mode. Whew. Another thing less to worry about plugging in the night before. The headset is priced is at £49.99.
From techgadgets.
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