LED clock eats bugs and converts them into energy

Posted in Clocks by Conner Flynn on June 29th, 2009

LED clock eats bugs and converts them into energyThis LED clock from British designers Jimmy Loizeau and James Auger is a morbid flycatcher and a timepiece in one. Think of it like a clock with spider sensibilities. It harvests insects on a sticky roller that’s covered in flypaper, then drops the corpses into a microbial fuel cell.

The dead bug is digested by the bacteria inside, and the chemical changes power the clock. Pretty neat and disgusting.

Supermarket uses power-generating parking lot

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on June 15th, 2009

Supermarket uses power-generating parking lotEngland is a very innovative country. They’ve created such things as Policemen in tall hats, Palace guards that don’t flinch, Time-traveling Police boxes and now they are powering their supermarkets with their own parking lot.

At least one supermarket in England is setting up a high-tech parking lot that will generate energy simply from cars driving back and forth on it. The energy created will power things like cash registers and lights inside the store. It may even “power your savings”… At least, that’s how I would pitch it to customers.

The system will work using a series of plates that, when driven over, will create a rocking motion underground which turns generators. As more cars drive over it, more energy is created. About 30kw of energy an hour. It’s a smart idea. Hopefully …

Giant snakes to power 50,000 UK homes

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on May 7th, 2009

Giant snakes to power 50,000 UK homesGiant snakes powering homes? What is this, the Flintstones? Are we to play our non-vinyl granite records with bird beaks? Man, I hope not. But as it turns out, reptiles are a good source of energy. Not real ones. Fake snakes. A company called Checkmate is using these creatures to help provide cheap and clean power for up to 50,000 UK homes within five years.

The company is testing 200m long rubber devices which would be tethered to the sea bed and are designed to swim against the current and produce up to 1MW of power each. The waves cause a bulge to ripple down the length of the snakes and power turbines at the tails.

Loewe Art SL HDTV claims to be the greenest of them all

Posted in HDTV by Conner Flynn on May 7th, 2009

Loewe Art SL HDTVIf you are the environmentally friendly type, the Loewe Art SL HDTV has just been introduced and you’ll want to check it out. It’s touted as the greenest HDTV from the company to date. And it doesn’t sacrifice specs and design.

This 1080p LCD display comes with an Eco Mode that lets you control how much power it uses and the automatic light dimming uses up to 20% less than when it runs normally. In standby mode, the Loewe Art SL sucks just 0.7 watts. As you might expect, these power saving features don’t come cheap.

Samsung intros eco-friendly LCD displays

Posted in Samsung by Conner Flynn on April 6th, 2009

Samsung intros eco-friendly LCD displaysSamsung is showing their love for the environment with the release of two more eco-friendly LCD displays in Korea. They’re in the SyncMaster 70 series with 20″ and 23″ sizes. The LCD displays will come with ToC (Touch of Color) Design and boast that they will suck up to 33% less energy compared to average LCDs.

If that turns out to be true, that’s pretty good. We like to see less waste. Aside from this power-saving feature, there aren’t any other details on this pair. Just a contrast ratio of 50,000 to 1 and a 2ms response time.

MIT working on Virus powered batteries

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on April 5th, 2009

MIT working on Virus powered batteries Typically a battery functions with lithium ions flowing between a negatively charged anode, usually graphite, and the positively charged cathode, usually cobalt oxide or lithium iron phosphate. But three years ago, an MIT team reported that it had engineered viruses that could build an anode by coating themselves with cobalt oxide and gold and self-assembling to form a nanowire. The “virus batteries” have the energy capacity and power performance similar to rechargeable batteries.

The prototype battery is a coin battery, but the idea is that cell and larger batteries could be made from this process and that one day it will power cars, boats and everything else. As it stands right now, it can go at least 100 charges before performance goes down. That will change of course.

Tweet-a-Watt shares your power usage with the World

Posted in Power Strips by Conner Flynn on March 29th, 2009

Tweet-a-Watt shares your power usage with the WorldYou already share all of your life’s details on Twitter, why not share your power usage? Tweet-a-Watt will broadcast your power consumption for all to see. Each device only reads one outlet, so you can really get the low-down on how you use energy.

Modified from a Kill-a-Watt energy reader, the Tweet-a-Watt slowly charges up just enough power to communicate with a nearby computer via an XBee receiver, then uses a predefined Twitter account to automatically publish the results.

Solar panels hang outside of your window

Posted in Solar Powered by Conner Flynn on March 15th, 2009

Solar panels hang out your windowWe could probably all stand to get a little greener in our everyday lives. Portable and compact solar panels like these make it pretty easy, since large panels are expensive and not suited for the home. These are especially great for apartment dwellers looking to get greener.

Veranda Solar is working on these solar panels that would sunbath outside of apartment windows, gathering rays that will power your stuff inside. No word yet on how much power you can expect to get from them, but the price is estimated to be from $400 to $600.

The Inlet-Outlet: Harnessing energy from your daily life

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on March 9th, 2009

The Inlet-Outlet: Harnessing energy from your daily lifeThis may come as shock to you, but you are wasting energy. Everyday. How about giving back, simply by plugging into your wall? It may come sooner than you think. Nearly every room in our home has an electrical outlet. What if each one had a matching electrical “inlet” so you could give some back?

The idea is that adapter kits would be made available to convert common household products into energy-generating devices. Things like exercise equipment, for instance. Maybe even the wheel in your hamster’s cage.

SmartSwitch is tougher to flip when consumption is high

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on February 24th, 2009

SmartSwitch is tougher flip when consumption is highWe hear about the saving and the wasting of energy all the time. It seems like we don’t actually pay attention until it affects us in the real world. Which is how this light switch helps. Peter Russo and Brendan Wypich of Stanford University developed the SmartSwitch, a light control with tactile feedback that helps you “see” how much energy is already being used, whenever you try to flick the switch.

If the total energy consumption in the house is low, the SmartSwitch is easy to flip. But if the consumption is higher, the SmartSwitch is physically harder to flip, thanks to a brake pad within the mechanism. The idea is that people will use this tactile feedback to decide if they really really need that light on or not. And it gives users a physical interaction with how much they are using.

Phone controlled street lights save energy

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on February 22nd, 2009

On Call Street Lights save energySomething interesting is happening in Germany and for once it has nothing to do with David Hasselhoff. It has to do with the fact that municipal budgets are tight. Many towns throughout the world are turning off street lights at night to save money. Saving money and electricity is awesome. But we need light when we need light. Like when old ladies are walking home.

So some German towns seem to have found a solution. Their lighting grids have been modified with a system called Dial4Light. That means that residents can use their cellphones to turn on the lights street by street. When 15 minutes passes, a timer turns the street dark again. That means less wasted energy and residents still have light.

LG LH30FD HDTV reduces power consumption by 70%

Posted in HDTV by Conner Flynn on February 11th, 2009

LG LH30FD HDTV reduces power consumption by 70%LG just announced the launch of it’s new LG LH30FD LCD HDTV series. The LCDs will come in three sizes, 47 inch, 42 inch and 32 inches and will feature rich finishes to compliment home interiors.

The interesting thing is that they are being promoted as energy saving devices with up to 70% reduction of power consumption when using the LCD’s unique power saving modes. No other specs yet or the pricing, but they will likely hit the Korean markets first.

Ecobee Smart Thermostat now available

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on January 30th, 2009

Ecobee Smart Thermostat now availableWe first told you about Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat last October. The device claims that it will pay for it’s $385 price tag within the first 12 to 18 months of use. Now’s your chance to find out if that claim is true.

The WiFi-enabled smart thermostat, complete with ZigBee expansion slots, is now available to order from the company’s website. The cost includes the $35 access fee for first year of use. If it lives up to it’s claims, this should be a real money saver. It helps you get to know your energy usage patterns and make the necessary adjustments.

New vent controlling device saves you money

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on December 29th, 2008

New vent controlling device saves you moneyHaving central heating is easy and convenient, but not very cost effective. For one thing, you’re heating rooms that are not in use. Most homes do not need every single room to be the same temperature. hat’s where this device comes in handy. The Vent-Miser Programmable Energy Saving Vent saves you money by controlling individual room temperature.

Just program the temperature you would like the room to be and Vent Miser will allow or restrict airflow to keep that specific room at the desired temperature. These electronic vents replace the vents you already have to help regulate airflow, rather then replace your current heating or cooling system.

TrickleStar saves you power

Posted in Power Strips by Conner Flynn on November 9th, 2008

TrickleStar saves you powerTrickle out economics have you down? You know, Trickle out economics. When the money trickles out of your pockets because of plugged in, yet turned of appliances that are still sucking juice like a toddler building up a good diarrhea diaper bomb. TrickleStar of Hong Kong claims to have the first power-saving device in the world that is able to shave up to 12% off your monthly utility bill simply by killing standby power, while reducing a similar amount on your power usage.

The TrickleStar PC Standby Power Saver is connected to a PC via your USB port. It will keep an eye on the computer’s power status continuously. A power extension cable will connect to your power strip with the rest of all your peripherals plugged in. When your PC is turned off, the TrickleStar’s current sensing circuitry will kill off ALL power to the peripherals, and vice versa when the PC is powered. The TrickleStar will be available in January.


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