Green Pricks

Top games 2010

2010-01-03T03:05:00.000-08:00

Latest in this long-running and dearly-beloved series of role-playing games, Final Fantasy XIII is boasting an overhauled battle system, superb visuals, and a story that's sure to engross. It'll be out on both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 9.

One of Nintendo's most critically acclaimed franchises will continue in 2010 with the release of Metroid: Other M. It'll delve deeper into star Samus's past, blend both two- and three-dimensional scenes, and should be out sometime later in the year.

Starring a squad of alien-zapping Spartan soldiers called 'Noble Team', Halo: Reach is bound to be one of the biggest games of the year. Will it match up to the series' A-list name? Not much of a reach, we think, and we'll find out for sure in the fall.

There's no bigger name in racing than Gran Turismo -- and there's no racer more anticipated than this fifth in the series. Another oft-delayed big name, U.S. gamers will finally be able to kick the tires and light the fires this March.

After repeated delays, Sam Fisher's latest game will finally break out this year. And it's looking awesome. The plot sees the super spy going renegade in an attempt to thwart a terrorist plot and uncover the truth behind his daughter's death. Expect it to make a stealthy appearance on February 23.

Can't get enough space? Then step into the shoes of a Starfleet captain (or a Klingon warlord) and make it so in this beautiful massively-multiplayer online game. Featuring planet-side and starship combat -- and the dulcet tones of Zachary Quinto -- it's due on February 2.

What could God of War star Kratos do with a Playstation 3? We dread to think -- but he'll get his chance this year when he's unleashed on Sony's powerful platform for the first time. Expect epic battles, mythological beasts, tons of crazy moves -- oh, and blood. Lots and lots of blood. Look for it in March.

Fresh from releasing our role-playing game of the year, Dragon Age, Bioware's hoping to make it two for two with a sequel to its 2007 interstellar smash. Featuring voice acting from the likes of Martin Sheen, Carrie-Ann Moss, and Seth Green, it's a high-budget space opera you won't want to miss. And you won't have to wait long, either: you'll see it in stores starting Jan 26.

The First Green Micro Gym

2009-11-11T03:01:00.000-08:00

The First Green Micro Gym - The best bloopers are here

Eco Tips

2009-11-11T00:56:00.000-08:00

Keep Tires Inflated

Experts repeatedly drive home the importance of keeping proper tire pressure. And for good reason: For every pound per square inch (PSI) that your tires are underinflated, you lose about 1 percent in fuel economy (per tire!), plus it increases wear and tear on your vehicle, says Robert Sinclair Jr., media relations manager for AAA New York.

Checking your tires' pressure is easy. Look in the owners manual for the recommended tire PSI, then use an inexpensive pressure gauge (available at gas stations or auto parts and hardware stores). If the tires are low, fill up at a gas station's air compressor until you reach the right level. Sinclair suggests checking the pressure at least once a month, so keep the gauge handy in the glove box.

Is too much sleep making you tired?

2009-10-31T02:21:00.000-07:00

Instead of feeling crisp and refreshed, Jesse Wu wakes up sluggish after 12 hours of sleep.

"If I sleep the right amount, I feel really good," said the 25-year-old who lives in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. "If I sleep too long, I feel groggy throughout the whole day."

For years, doctors have warned about the dangers of not getting enough shuteye -- traffic accidents, weight gain, decreased productivity and immune protection, but the effects of oversleeping are not well-understood. There isn't medical evidence to recommend that people who sleep long hours should change their habits,

After I've gotten so much sleep, the first situation is I fall asleep at 10 p.m., even though I've gotten 12 hours of sleep, because I feel so groggy," said Wu, who works as a membership coordinator for a professional association.

This is known as sleep drunkenness, when a person hovers between sleep and wakefulness, said Dr. Lisa Shives, medical director at Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Illinois. In one case, a patient who had sleep drunkenness came to the emergency room because his wife thought he had a stroke.

"They'll wake up and be in this weird state of sleep drunkenness," Shives said. "If it's really severe, you're not going to be in any state to make decisions. If it's just regular [case], a lot of us feel 'blah,' and most of us have to carry on and get going on a shower and cups of coffee."

Oversleeping once in a while doesn't present serious health risks, experts say.

But if you habitually sleep excessively, it could be the result of an underlying health problem. And it could be cutting into your life span.

The Holy Quran Digital Version with Color

2009-10-29T01:08:00.000-07:00

The Holy Quran Digital Version with Color LCD screen, built-in speaker and 1.3 MP Camera.

* Complete Quran Recitation Audio by 5 reciters ( Sudais, Ghamdi, Ayoub, Haaifi and Miskary)
* Holy Quran Translations in 24 Languages ( all major languages of the world)
* 30 Islamic Books ( Tafseer Hadeeth & Supplications)
* 32 Font Styles ( Different Text & Sizes)
* 2.4-inch full-color TFT LCD display
* 1.3 MP Digital Camera, Video, PC
* Qibla Direction, Prayer Timings & Athan Alarm
* E-Book
* MP3, WMA, WAV, AMR, MIDI, MP4, AVI, AKV, 3GP, BMP, JPG, GIF
* Much More…

Merlin, GSM Watch Phone, Laptop Stand, Pocket Projector, It

2009-10-29T00:58:00.000-07:00

eco friendly tips

2009-10-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

Sustainable house

2009-10-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

Sustainable house designed to maximize the use of natural sources.

Designed by OBRA Architects the Centrifugal Villa is an energy-saving house that maximizes the use of natural sources for sustainability. The house is arranged around a hollow center to increase indoor space and provides a string of subsequent spaces indoors.

iPhone 3G S inspired costume is fully functional

2009-10-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

We’ve come across iPhone inspired costumes before but the exception with this one is that it is fully functional. Reko and John are the two geeks behind this creativity and they shelled a couple of grand to strap around a 43-inch monitor and make it look like an iPhone 3G S. For functionality sake, the duo used a jailbroken iPhone mounted on top of these screens. To get these screens rolling, they had to use car batteries which is why these costumes are as heavy as 85 pounds.

GE to launch world's largest CCS project

2009-10-26T01:17:00.000-07:00

World’s biggest carbon capture and sequestration project to be developed by GE.

General Electric Oil and Gas has struck a $400 million deal with the developers of Gorgon natural gas project, where the company will help capture and sequester 3.3 million tons of carbon dioxide into wells 2.5km below the surface.

The real Simpsons

2009-10-17T05:29:00.000-07:00

hungry children

2009-10-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

Recycled bike wheel

2009-10-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

Recycled stuff that too amazingly designed just to compliment the modern eco homes deserve a mentin for the reason that its stylishly green. Pictured above is an inventive eco timepiece made up of old aluminum bike wheel. amazingly eco gadget clock runs on a single AA battery.

Eco homesGarden Ark

2009-10-14T00:19:00.001-07:00

The eco home like Garden Ark is to be made available in an easy to assemble kit form and is constructed from natural materials such as FSC-certified wood, soil and grass. The user of eco homes can plant his or her garden on top of the roof to match the surroundings.

Santander Building to be the first zero CO2 office

2009-10-14T00:15:00.000-07:00

Solar-powered building designed to be carbon neutral.

Designed by MarioCucinella Architects, the Eco Santander Building is designed to be the first carbon neutral building in Milan. The Eco Santander Building is equipped with 4000-square-meters of photovoltaic panels on its roof, which generates all the energy the building needs to satisfy its cooling demands.
Santander Building

The Eco building is on the outskirts of the city and is raised 13 meters above the ground with piazzas, pathways and green areas below. The carbon neutral building maximizes the use of natural light and ventilation to further reduce the energy required by the eco building

Land Pollution Monsters

2009-10-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

Land pollution is claiming land twice as fast as Genghis khan did. Land fills are major contributors towards land pollution. Our careless waste disposal methods have been found quite addictive and there toxic nectars are steadily feeding the ugly monster of Land pollution. Land pollution produced by landfills and their leachate (water) seeps into and ground and hits water table making it unfit for human consumption. Land pollution the action of environmental contamination with man-made waste on land.

Land pollution & United States:

Land pollution monster in USA is as epic as God Father; USA has 3091 active landfills and over 10000 old municipal landfills. Land pollution In USA has entered in an era when a chemical spill can kill thousands, wastes buried 20 years earlier can contaminate community water supplies, and environmental ignorance is planting the seeds for later diseases. An average American generates five pounds of solid waste every day, thus creating one ton of Land pollution each year. In an average day in the USA, people throw out 200,000 tons of organic Land pollutants and throw 1 million bushels of litter out of their automobiles. The main human contributor to land pollution is landfills.

Land pollution & China:

Land pollution in china is as big as its industrial might. Due to Land pollution approximately 28 % of China’s landmass has been stripped. Land pollution has also been caused due to acid rain. Land pollution is expanding by approximately two million hectares each year. Land is also heavily polluted with heavy metals and toxic substances.
Land pollution has also claimed about 90 % of China’s grasslands to a degradation of varying degrees. Land Pollution has lead to series of public health hazard and loss of land for useful purposes. China is in severe need of proper solid waste management system.

Land pollution & India:

The Kali of Land pollution has been taking millions of lives silently for decades in India now. Land pollution in India is due to pesticides and fertilizers as well as corrosion. Industrial wastes and lack of sanitation with an ever exploding population has stressed India’s eco system to its limits. Nearly every natural water body in India is now unfit for human consumption. 1,000 Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every day.

Land pollution in Pakistan, Brazil & Peru:

Land pollution in Pakistan is mainly caused of filth on streets and almost no sanitation. Land pollution is taking over Pakistani Cities and the country side way faster then the American brand of Taliban’s. Land pollution in Peru is caused by deforestation, soil erosion, soil pollution, water pollution and air pollution, while the phobia of bio fuel is the major cause of land pollution in brazil, where hectors and hectors of Amazon is being chopped for growing sugarcane to produce ethanol.

Moon Crash

2009-10-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

Nasa is set to crash two unmanned spacecraft into the Moon in a bid to detect the presence of water-ice.

A 2,200kg rocket stage will be first to collide, hurling debris high above the lunar surface.

A second spacecraft packed with science instruments will analyse the contents of this dusty cloud before meeting a similar fate.
The identification of water-ice in the impact plume would be a major discovery, scientists say.
Not least because a supply of water on the Moon would be a vital resource for future human exploration.

Brazil to host 2016 Olympics

2009-10-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee announced Friday.

he announcement brought tears to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief several times in a news conference afterward.
"Our hour has arrived," he said. "It has arrived."
In Rio, jubilation erupted at the world-famous Copacabana beach,Brazil where thousands of people gathered to hear the announcement.
Rio organizers promised to start working immediately to make the games a success.
"Maybe some of the people tomorrow can rest," said Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman. "I'm not [resting]."
Rio (Brazil) beat Madrid, Spain, in the final round. Chicago, Illinois, and Tokyo, Japan, were eliminated in earlier rounds.

For Rio, a major appeal was bringing the Olympics to South America for the first time.
IOC President Jacques Rogge said in the news conference afterward that in addition to its excellent bid, Rio had the "extra added value of going for the first time to a continent that's never had the games."
He also noted that Brazil helped its chances this year when it did not get the 2012 games awarded four years ago.

"Rio (brazil) remained humble," he said. "They wanted to listen, to repair their shortcomings."
More than half of Rio's Olympic venues are built, including state-of-the-art facilities constructed for the 2007 Pan and Parapan American Games: the magnificent Joao Havelange Stadium (the proposed 2016 venue for athletics), the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, the Rio Olympic Arena (which will host gymnastics and wheelchair basketball), the Rio Olympic Velodrome, the National Equestrian Center and its close neighbor, the National Shooting Center.

Rio Brazil will hold the games from August 5-21 and its theme will be "Live your passion."

Heroes of the Environment 2009

2009-10-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

From saving wild mountain rivers in China to measuring the Arctic's icy expanse, from protecting the lush forests of Africa to conducting a feisty online debate, our green heroes are informed by this simple notion: We can all make a difference

As they searched for glimmers of hope in the wreckage of the world economy earlier this year, politicians, economists and commentators used one phrase so repeatedly it became something of a mantra for our times: In crisis, opportunity. Nowhere does that maxim apply more than to the problem of climate change. The financial crisis only crippled a global system; climate change is hurting the globe itself.

This December, world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to discuss new goals to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions that fuel global warming. With a new President in the White House, there is a chance the U.S. will finally inspire progress on climate change — and not just frustration. But nothing's certain, and the real leap forward won't happen until China and India both sign on to the idea that the economic growth they need and want will be worthless if their citizens are constantly fighting off natural disasters or don't have enough water to drink or to irrigate their crops.

It's easy to think that all the hard decisions are in the hands of our leaders alone. Not true. As the men and women in the following pages prove, we can all make a difference. Pen Hadow, leader of a daring survey across the Arctic to measure the thickness of sea ice, puts it this way: "Turning off a standby light once won't make a difference. Do it for the rest of your life and that amounts to something. And if everybody's doing something, then we're moving in the right direction." We hope our environmental heroes provide both inspiration and action. Like financial pundits, most of them embrace the idea that a crisis also presents opportunity. They are heroes because they set out to discover what that opportunity might be.

some things cost more than you realize

2009-10-01T04:44:00.000-07:00

Americans Against Obama care

2009-09-28T07:07:00.001-07:00

42 Beauty Deals & Steals

2009-09-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

1. Hold a beauty swap meet. Countless women have makeup in their drawers that never sees the light of day. You'll save money and put unused makeup to good use.
—Paul Innis, makeup artist, N.Y.C

2. Don't pump your mascara brush — this lets air in and dries out the color. Instead, try twisting the wand as you draw it out.
—Eve Pearl, celebrity makeup artist, N.Y.C.

3. Think pink. Pale pink eye shadow is a multitasker: Apply under the eyes before concealer to neutralize dark circles, beneath the brows to shape them, and on top of cheekbones for a perfect highlight. Try Bourjois Ombre Stretch Eye Shadow in Rose Elastique ($15, Ulta).
—Daphne Rush, makeup artist, Sephora Pro Beauty Team, Birmingham, AL

4. Go green. Origins will give you a complimentary skin-care sample when you bring in empty products to be recycled. Or, get a free lipstick when you return six M.A.C. containers to a M.A.C. counter.
—Jenna Hipp, celebrity manicurist, L.A.

5. Sample first. Before buying foundation at a department store, ask the makeup-counter saleswoman if she'll put some in a travel-size bottle for you to try at home.
—Debra Jaliman, M.D., dermatologist, N.Y.C.

6. Extend your lipstick's life. There's often about a quarter-inch more in the tube you can't see. Use a brush to scoop out an additional three weeks' worth of color. Or add a bit of lip balm to make a sheer tint.
—Daniel McFadden, makeup artist, Privé Salon, L.A.

7. Keep an old toothbrush on standby to gently buff lips. Moisten the brush and apply some granulated sugar for extra exfoliation.
—Sharon Ronen, aesthetician and founder, Haven Spa Studio & WellSpa, L.A.

8. Try double-dipping. Dunk an eyeliner brush into your mascara tube for a lasting, instant liquid liner.
—Daniel McFadden

Save On: Hair Care
(At Home)

9. Make your haircut last longer. As soon as you step in the shower, put conditioner on your dry ends, then wash and condition as usual. This move helps prolong a cut on the verge of looking grown out.
—Kevin Mancuso, Nexxus creative director, N.Y.C.

10. Use a natural-bristle brush, which pulls scalp oils through hair. Doing this daily is like giving your locks a conditioning treatment.
—Eva Scrivo, Eva Scrivo Salons, N.Y.C.

11. Hide forehead lines with bangs instead of Botox.
—Mario Russo, Salon Mario Russo, Boston and Stowe, VT

12. Save on frizz fighters. If you have coarse or curly hair, instead of rinsing out every bit of conditioner, leave 10 to 20 percent in (hair will still be a little slippery).
—Tom Brophy, Tom Brophy Salon, Beverly Hills

13. Touch up your own roots. Rather than returning to the salon every six to eight weeks, try tinting your regrowth at home.
—Jon Charles, Jon Charles Salon, Minneapolis

(At the Salon)

14. Get a layered look. It's hands down the lowest-maintenance style. Bobs that have blunt lines need the most upkeep.
—Kevin Mancuso

15. Ask for a free trim of your bangs. Many salons offer them between haircuts.
—Tom Brophy

16. Add a few pale highlights in the cool-beige family around your face if you have light hair. They help blend in grays and stretch the time between salon visits.
—Eva Scrivo

17. Wait before coloring. Hold off until at least 24 hours after shampooing hair; the natural oils will help your new hue last longer.
—Tracey Cunningham, Redken creative consultant for color, Beverly Hills

18. Request subtle highlights starting about a half inch from your roots so the regrowth will be less obvious.
—Tracey Cunningham

19. Barter for beauty services. For example, use your design skills to make a business card for your stylist, or even offer to babysit.
—Jenna Hipp, nail expert who regularly trades two manicures/pedicures for her salon cut and color

Save On: Skin Care

20. Don't be fooled by packaging. If a product looks expensive, you may be paying extra for fancy bottles or boxes, rather than ingredients.
—Jenny Frankel, cocreator, Cover FX Skin Care, Inc., Toronto, Ontario

21. Skip the eye cream. But if, after putting on face lotion, your eye area still feels dry, apply some Vaseline Petroleum Jelly or Aquaphor.
—Heidi Waldorf, M.D., dermatologist, N.Y.C.

22. Hit the kits. Look for value-priced beauty sets. Skin-savvy bonus: The products are designed to work together. One to try: Yes to Carrots Delicious Moisture Facial kit, which includes $30 worth of pampering face products ($20, Walgreens — out this in September).
—Jenny Frankel

23. Buy facial-peel pads from a dermatologist, presoaked with high percentages of active ingredients (such as 20 percent glycolic or salicylic acid). A 60-pad jar provides 60 skin-clearing peels for less than the cost of one facial.
—Dr. Jaliman

24. Scrimp on facial cleanser. You'll get more benefits from the active ingredients in creams that you don't wash or wipe off. Instead, try a works-for-everyone, inexpensive face wash such as Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser ($11, drugstores).
—Dr. Waldorf

25. Squirt a little lemon juice into your favorite face scrub to boost its natural brightening power and exfoliating action.
—Marcia Kilgore, creator of Soap & Glory for Target, London

26. Brew green tea in a pitcher and chill it in the fridge. Immerse two cotton rounds in the tea and smooth over your face to decrease redness and shrink pores.
—Christy Coleman, makeup artist, Venice Beach, CA

27. Sprinkle Epsom salts into warm bath water for a soothing soak. Add a few drops of essential oil: Lavender is great for relaxation; eucalyptus relieves congestion.
—Sharon Ronen

28. Buy spa-treatment packages instead of individual services to stretch your dollars. At Red Door Spas, you save 10 percent when you buy any six treatments, including manicures.
—Cornelia Zicu, chief creative officer, Red Door Spas nationwide

Save On: Hands & Feet

29. Skip pro manicures and pedicures during the winter months and buff nails instead. Or switch to nude nail polish. You can return to the salon less often — and studies show nude hues make hands appear younger.
—Claudia Vieira, manicurist, Salon Capri, Newton Highlands, MA

30. Seek out specials. Ask your nail pro about discounts midweek, when business may be slower.
—Patricia Yankee, celebrity manicurist, Dashing Diva, Deer Park, NY

31. Check your medicine cabinet for unused face creams with anti-aging ingredients or alpha hydroxy acids. Instead of tossing them, repurpose as hand or cuticle creams that smooth and exfoliate.
—Patricia Yankee

32. Warm a quarter cup of olive oil, then stir in the contents of a vitamin E capsule and some lemon juice for a soothing/sloughing hand or foot soak.
—Joanna Czech, celebrity aesthetician, Sava Spa, N.Y.C.

33. Apply hand lotion and cuticle oil, then put on a pair of light cotton gloves under rubber gloves before you do housework. The heat you generate will help the cream and oil penetrate better.
—Patricia Yankee

Try These Big Deals

The next time you're at the warehouse superstore or drugstore stocking up on value-priced essentials like paper towels, toss these supersize beauty basics into your cart as well. Bulk is cheaper, and you can always use them to refill smaller containers or repackage them in chic bottles from shops like The Container Store.

34. Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($17 for 14 oz.) also moisturizes chapped lips and mixes with color to make gloss, tames brows, softens hands and feet while you sleep, smooths rough elbows, and hydrates under the eyes.

35. Q-tips Cotton Swabs ($3.19 for 285) also corrects makeup mistakes, subs for those tiny eye shadow brushes, helps take off tenacious mascara under eyes (dip one into eye makeup remover first)

36. Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion ($12.73 for a three-pack totaling 45.2 oz.) also can be used as face lotion, helps shaving go more smoothly (compared with soap), controls frizz (dab on palms, then run them over hair), and hydrates hands without making them slippery

Luxury at the Drugstore

These bargain brands have done studies to prove they can outperform their pricier peers:

37 & 38. Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality Shampoo and Conditioner ($4 each, drugstores): In a blind test, salon-brand users tried these hair products for two weeks; 69 percent reported that they were as good as or better than their current salon shampoo and conditioner.
You save: about $18 compared with salon shampoo and conditioner

39. Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 ($16.59, drugstores): In a head-to-head comparison with the best-selling department-store tinted moisturizer, participants said Aveeno provided a more natural-looking and radiant finish.
You save: about $25

40, 41 & 42. Olay Professional Pro-X Deep Wrinkle Treatment, Age Repair Lotion SPF 30, and Wrinkle Smoothing Cream ($42 each, drugstores): A six-month clinical study of this regimen found it performed as well as the leading prescription 0.02 percent tretinoin wrinkle treatment, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by more than 20 percent.
You save: about $140 (compared with the average cost of a prescription wrinkle cream plus doctor's fee)

Shop Smarter: Store Brand vs. Name Brand
We wanted to know: What are we really getting when we purchase a store-brand or private label beauty product that claims it "compares with" a better-known national brand? To find out, we talked to industry experts and did our own testing.

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute performed blind comparisons of name-brand beauty products with store-brand equivalents in three categories: anti-aging facial moisturizer, body lotion, and two-in-one shampoo/conditioner.

Science for a Hungry World

2009-09-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

Megan Fox Goes Brazilian

2009-09-24T03:26:00.000-07:00

Transformers" star Megan Fox recently popped into the diNeila Brazil swimwear shop in Beverly Hills -- and Luxe knows what she bought and where you can find it online!

When in Los Angeles, checking out the adorable Brazil-inspired swimsuits at diNeila Brazil is a must! You'll find curve-fitting feminine pieces that are both elegant and comfortable. While you're there, don't forget to check out her beautiful sustainable stunning jewelry. For the luxury eco girl who wants to look both eco sophisticated and youthful.

Photoshop in your Eyes

2009-09-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

Algae Life

2009-09-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

How Green Is Your Computer?

2009-09-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

We're so dependent on our computers these days that most of us would be lost without them. They make communication, work and entertainment much easier — yet their negative effects on the environment are often overlooked.

The energy used in producing and operating personal and workplace computers is huge. Corporate IT equipment alone uses more than 22 billion kilowatt-hours per year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a branch of the Department of Energy.

But it's not only computers' energy consumption that's noteworthy; the manufacturing process and the materials involved are also important factors.

About 4.6 million tons of computers and consumer-electronics waste are dumped in landfills each year in the U.S., according to Greenpeace, and fewer than 12 percent of discarded computers are recycled.

Aware of this problem, PC manufacturers are trying to go "green" by minimizing the use of toxic components such as lead and mercury and making the machines more energy-efficient.

But how can you know how green your computer really is?

Green Computers, or 'Greenwashed' Ones?

If you're looking for a new computer and are unsure about which models are eco-friendly, a good place to start is the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), devised by the Green Electronics Council based in Portland, Ore.

Devised for both companies and individual users, EPEAT's online database evaluates desktop computers, monitors and laptops based on their environmental features. Its criteria include:

— Reduction of use of hazardous substances such as cadmium, lead, mercury and flame retardants;

— Elimination of non-recyclable paints and coatings;

— Minimum of 65 percent recyclable or reusable parts;

Google Announces Upgrade to its Ad Empire

2009-09-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. is counting on the crown jewel of its online advertising empire to burnish a diamond in the rough.

Hoping to take an even bigger bite out of ad budgets, Google has melded the technology powering its lucrative search marketing network with a system that it bought 18 months ago to sell online billboards and other more visual commercials, including video.

The long-awaited combination poses another threat to Yahoo Inc., whose profits have been sliding the past three years. Yahoo is the Internet's largest seller of display advertising, a mantle that Google has set its sights on. Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL also operate large exchanges that help manage display ads.

The upgrade announced Friday has been something Google has been working toward since it bought DoubleClick Inc. for $3.2 billion a year-and-a-half ago. Google prized DoubleClick largely for its tools for selling and serving display ads.

Although they are more dynamic, display ads so far haven't proven to be as popular as the text ads that appear alongside search results.

Last year, online search advertising sales in the United States totaled $10.5 billion, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, with most of that money going to Mountain View, Calif.-based Google. The Internet's U.S. display ads totaled $7.6 billion.

"The display market today is probably not really living up to its full potential," said Neal Mohan, a Google vice president of product management.

Google is betting it can sell more display ads by drawing on the science, simplicity and ease-of-use that has made its search advertising system so profitable. The marriage will open DoubleClick's display advertising system to hundreds of thousands of advertisers and Web sites that belong to AdWords and AdSense — the cornerstones of Google's commercial search.

"We are going to be bringing a lot of the know-how and a lot of the efficiencies of the search market to the art of display," Mohan said.

DoubleClick's display exchange matches up advertisers with Web sites trying to sell some of the empty space on their pages.

It's an approach pioneered by four-year-old Right Media, which was bought in 2007 by Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo for $526 million. Yahoo says Right Media remains the Internet's largest display advertising exchange, processing 9 billion daily transactions for 120,000 buyers and sellers around the world.

Yahoo doubts Google will be able to dominate display advertising like it has search advertising.

"We fully expect the display market to be fragmented and for there to be other exchanges," said Frank Weishaupt, Yahoo's vice president of North American marketplaces. "We welcome these exchanges, and look forward to working with them and integrating with them for our partners.

PRIDE OF BRAZIL

2009-09-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

Massa escaped blindness by a millimetre

Felipe Massa has explained that a distance as small as one millimetre was all it took to decide whether he had or had not lost sight in his left eye following his Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying crash. Thankfully, the Brazilian is on the road to making a full recovery following his freak accident in Budapest 45 days ago.

Whilst approaching the Hungaroring's Turn 4 on Saturday 25 July, Massa's helmet visor was struck by a flying metal spring - weighing 800g and at speeds of approximately 160mph - which had detached itself from compatriot Rubens Barrichello's Brawn car.

"You need to think about luck in different ways," Massa told The Guardian after being asked whether he considers himself lucky to be alive or unlucky to be involved in such an incident. "I was actually very unlucky with the spring in my face," he laughed.

"But I was very lucky as well. Every doctor said the same: if the spring had gone one millimetre to the right, I would have lost my sight. One millimetre to the left and who knows? I could have been brain damaged. So I was very lucky and this is more important because it is my life.

Cosmetic surgery for Massa (in the region of the left eye socket) proved successful on Monday and the Ferrari driver now continues to recover at home in São Paulo with the target being to return to the Formula One grid next year.

Men need women

2009-09-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

We cannot indisputably say that this world would have been a better place without women. Men need women. sometimes, women also need men. A Magazine for men also needs women. Behind every men’s magazine there is a gorgeous woman. Well, not one, many. This spot for P Magazine, a typical magazine for men, tries to build the brand image by poking fun at poor men.

In this spot, we can see a group of men storm into a building. After the robbery one man comes near the gorgeous looking woman and hands over his phone number and tells her to call him. Then the spot ends with this moral- “Can’t blame a man for being a man.”

Louisiana preps hurricane-resistant home

2009-09-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

Green home runs on solar power.

After working for two years on a home that gets powered by solar energy, students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have finally unveiled their solar-powered home designed for the Solar Decathlon competition to be held next month.

Dubbed BeauSoleil, the home will be one of the 20 homes that will be competing in the competition. More than 500 partners supported the projects through donations ranging from $4 to $100,000, along with tools and professional help.

The BeauSoleil home incorporates the outdoors to maximize the space. A wrap-around deck offers an additional 1,700 square feet. The hurricane-resistant dwelling uses hardwood harvested from a sustainable forest, out of which nothing was wasted.

Fruit of the gods

2009-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

We've always enjoyed pomegranates for their sweet, tart flavour, but now there's a new reason to embrace this robust-looking red fruit. They're being touted as a nutritional powerhouse, and they're popping up in everything from cocktails to body lotion.

The pomegranate, with its edible seeds inside juicy sacs, is high in vitamin C and potassium, low in calories (80 per serving, which is just under one-third of a medium fruit), and a good source of fibre. Pomegranates are especially high in polyphenols, a form of antioxidant purported to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. In fact, pomegranate juice, which contains health-boosting tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid, has higher antioxidant activity than green tea and red wine.

According to the American Dietetic Association, studies involving mice and humans show that eating pomegranates may help prevent clogged arteries. In addition, a recent study from Jonsson Cancer Center at UCLA found that levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen), a protein marker for prostate cancer, increased 35% more slowly in men with recurrent prostate cancer who drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily after surgery or radiation. (The study also found that it took 54 months to double PSA levels, compared to 15 months in men who did not drink the juice.) Increasing the time it takes for a man's PSA levels to double may postpone cancer recurrences and reduce his need to have other cancer treatment procedures, such as surgery or radiation, in the future.

Pomegranate juice also appears to suppress the growth of cancer cells and cause prostate cancer cells to die. It is believed that the antioxidants in the juice - particularly ellagic acid - are behind this beneficial effect. There are also some very early research being conducted to find out how pomegranate juice may be used to treat breast cancer and osteoarthritis.

There are many ways to enjoy this succulent fruit. Pomegranates are delicious on their own, and their seeds can be tossed in salads and sprinkled over cooked dishes. The juice can also be used to make jellies, sorbets, sauces, and wine, and as flavouring for baked apples, cakes, and other treats. Pomegranate syrup is used to make grenadine, which adds flavour and sweetness to mixed drinks.

At the moment, Canadians are enjoying a bumper crop of pomegranate-based products. Last summer, it even debuted at Starbucks in the form of a frappuccino. The pomegranate buzz has also made its way to our neck of the woods. Canadian retailers are happy to announce that pomegranate juice sales have dramatically increased in 2006, and Canadian consumers are taking the initiative to look for pomegranate products on their grocery excursions.

The pomegranate may be the fruit du jour, but it also has an incredibly rich and storied pedigree. It's native to Iran, the Himalayas, and northern India. It starred in the Greek myth of the Earth Goddess, Persephone, whom Hades tempted with the fruit's jewel-like appearance (unfortunately, when she ate it, she was sent packing to the underworld). The ancient Egyptians considered the pomegranate an aphrodisiac, and also buried the fruit with their dead. Many of the world's cultures and religions have also embraced the pomegranate as a symbol of abundance and fertility. Artwork featuring a ripe pomegranate is a popular gift for Chinese newlyweds, and Greek brides might toss the fruit instead of a bouquet.

Science is just beginning to uncover the pomegranate's potential, but many cultures have used the fruit medicinally for centuries, especially for gastroenterological ailments. In a particularly prophetic move, the pomegranate appears in the coats-of-arms of several medical associations, including the British Medical Association and Royal College of Physicians in London.

Prefab Home Models by Place Houses

2009-09-15T03:12:00.000-07:00

Place Houses are affordable, green, architecturally designed prefabricated kit homes designed by Place Architects. The homes come in four sizes; tiny, small, medium and large, and offer several interior customization options.

Lightcatcher

2009-09-15T03:07:00.000-07:00

Lightcatcher structure to bring in natural light and ventilation to the Whatcom Museum.

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects have designed the “Lightcatcher” at the Whatcom Museum in Seattle, which will add 42,000-square-feet of space to the museum, which will be used to house state-of-the-art galleries for art exhibitions.

The structure is made from a translucent wall, 37-feet high and 180-feet long and captures sunlight to illuminate the interiors in an ecofriendly and energy-efficient manner. The $11.6 million addition gently curves to form a spacious exterior courtyard, bridging the museum’s interior and exterior spaces. After dark the translucent wall glows with changing colors of the structure’s interior illumination

garden furniture

2009-09-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

Furniture made from recycled garden waste.

While garden waste is no more than trash for most people, who mostly hide it behind a bunch of plants, Craig McPherson is one designer who brings this trash to the limelight in the form of garden furniture.

The designer is exhibiting his work, the “Mulch Chair,” which has been made entirely from garden waste. The materials have been bonded with latex, which also gives the chair a rubber cushioned feel.

Google's concept phone allows call canceling without lifting a finger

2009-09-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

Eduardo Altamirano Segovia

As far as concept phones go, this one has got to be the most unusual amongst the ones we have seen in quite a while. For starters, it’s a Google Android Phone concept. And if that fact wasn’t enough to make it outlandish already, then its bizarre curved-like-a-vase front frame will have you cringing for sure.

What’s Innovative?
Featuring an OLED screen, the G-Phone concept also features an accelerometer that can detect the handset’s position to help you hang up a call or choose “yes-no” or “up-down” options without lifting a finger, which sounds a tad weird because the curved surface of the phone apparently is suppose to enhance the interaction of the screen’s center line with the user’s thumb.

About the Designer:
Eduardo Altamirano Segovia is an award winning professional 3D Artist and is currently based in Mexico City.

Prefab Homes Shipping container

2009-09-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

Though ugly on the docks, shipping containers can be turned into something beautiful. The SG Blocks Harbinger Prefab is constructed of five containers. That means the steel frame can withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. Its also eco-friendly with FSC-certified woods, solar panels, rainwater recycling and a resource monitoring system from Agilewaves. Best of all, this funky home took under five hours to assemble after a month of fabrication, and it doesn’t look too much like the raw materials. To call one of these your home, it would take a day and a crane to install up to 12 containers, and the Lawrence Group, who designed the SG Blocks home, says it costs 15 percent less than a typical home constructed of wood.

Blue Sky Prefab Homes prototype in Yucca Valley

2009-09-11T23:25:00.000-07:00

The pitch on this prefab prototype in the desert actually came from AEP Span, the company that manufactured the roof. The design is a prototype from Blue Sky Homes, which touts the light-gauge galvanized steel frame as a less costly alternative to some of the custom structural steel modular designs winning magazine spreads. The design, by Palm Springs-based o2 Architecture, is a kit of parts assembled on site and meant to be both site-specific and flexible enough to work in other settings. For more details on the cost and construction time -- and for more photos -- click to the jump.

Prefab home gets ground-up restoration

2009-09-11T23:22:00.001-07:00

Modular housing may seem like a new trend, but a 1950s house under renovation shows just how long L.A. has dreamed of its potential.

Dress up your Browser

2009-09-10T05:32:00.000-07:00

Personas are lightweight, easy-to-install and easy-to-change "skins" for your Firefox web browser.

http://www.getpersonas.com/

World's First Mobile Phone made from water bottles

2009-09-10T01:20:00.000-07:00

Motorola and Fido offer Canadians another way to put the environment first with today’s launch of the MOTO w233 Renew, exclusive to Fido customers. Renew is the ideal mobile phone for the eco-conscious and budget-minded. This high-quality wireless device is eco-friendly in several different ways, offering: 100 per cent recyclable phone housing; an in-box postage-paid recycling envelope; Carbonfree® certification; best in-class talk time; and efficient post-consumer packaging.

“As the wireless savings company that cares, not only about our customers but about the environment as well, we are proud to exclusively offer the MOTO w233 Renew,” says Sylvain Roy, senior vice president and general manager, Fido. “With the availability of Renew, the first mobile device in Canada made using 25 per cent recycled plastics, our environmentally-conscious customers have yet another reason to feel good about being a part of Fido, at a budget-friendly price point.”

A first of its kind, the plastic phone housing for the Renew is made from recycled five-gallon water bottles. In fact, a run of 1,000,000 w233 Renew phones will consume enough five-gallon water bottles that stacked end-to-end would extend over five times the height of the CN Tower.

Renew is also the world’s first certified CarbonFree® mobile phone on the market

Nepalese teenager replaces silicon with human hair for cheap solar energy

2009-09-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

Solar panel made using human hair costs 75% less than conventional solar cells.

Milan Karki, born in one of the poorest countries in the world - Nepal, has tried to end energy crisis in the country and the world with a solar panel that is about 75% cheaper than industrial made solar panels of comparable capacity.

The secret to this low-cost solar panel is not as hi-tech as one would imagine as all the teenage inventor did was to replace the expensive silicon normally used in solar cells with a comparably cheaper product – human hair. The young inventor says that human hair due to the presence of Melanin is sensitive to light and also acts as a type of conductor.

human hair solar panels_2

The panel produced using this technique costs around £23 and produces 18W of power at 9V.The inventor believes that if the product is mass produced, the panel could be made available in developing countries at half that price, which would make it four times cheaper than other panels available on the market today.

Eco-Luxury Sedan

2009-09-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

Zero emission concept electric vehicle harnesses solar power to extend its range.

While the world is looking forward for cars that are inexpensive and run on clean fuels, industrial designer Ankit Prashar has something in store for the upmarket custromers as well. A graduate of Coventry University’s Transportation Design course, Ankit has come up with a concept car aimed for the Citroen brand, which will definitely lure people with deep pockets.

The Citroen Eco-Luxury Sedan utilizes lightweight materials to better the vehicle’s overall efficiency. The propulsion system of the car includes a hydrogen fuel cell element, which charges the car’s onboard battery pack. The zero-emission vehicle also makes use of photovoltaic panels integrated into the bodywork to charge the batteries on the move.

The interior of the Eco-Luxury Sedan boasts a 1+2 seating layout, since most luxury cars are chauffeur driven and carry a maximum of 2 passengers on the rear seat.

Now Blind can use Mobiles

2009-09-09T07:42:00.001-07:00

With the rapid growth in mobile technology, mobile phones have become an essential tool of modern existence. And there is no reason that the visually impaired should remain detached from the necessary communication device. Designed by Siwei Liu, the “Tactility” is an innovative mobile phone that allows the blind to join the band of modern mobile phone users. As suggested by its name, the keyboard of the Tactility is based on Braille, so the visually impaired users could make or receive a call on their own. Based around a single function, commonly used for making and receiving the call, the special cellphone attaches a circular ring at the bottom, letting the users hang the phone around their neck for quick and easy accessibility.

Electronic Tree

2009-09-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

Researchers harness potential difference between a tree and the soil to power tiny electrical circuits.

Trees are known to provide cooling, oxygen and shade, but a new research conducted by scientists at the University of Washington has proved that trees can provide something that not many would have thought of before – electricity. The scientists have successfully powered tiny electrical circuits with nothing more than the energy they harnessed from bigleaf maples.

A similar research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that plants generate a voltage of about 200mV when one electrode is placed in the plant and the other in the surrounding soil. The UW team carried the research forward by connecting a custom boost converter that works for input voltages of as little as 20mV and produces an output of about 1.1V, which is enough to run low-power sensors.

While the new research won’t end the energy crisis anytime soon, it can be used as a low-cost option for powering tree sensors that might be used to detect environmental conditions, forest fires or simply the health of the tree.

T-shirts with the green message

2009-09-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

Are you struggling to find the right way to get the green message across? One of the best ways to show and promote green values is a T-shirt with a green message imprinted. The shelves today are flooded with T-shirts with the green message and you can simply spread the word by wearing them. Here are a few T-shirts that encourage green living for a cleaner environment and a better tomorrow.

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium

2009-09-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sustainably designed stadium harvests rainwater and natural light.

Trying to grace the sports world with a green stadium, Cox Architects has designed the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium that combines state-of-the-art engineering with sustainability. The stadium has a bubble-like façade and is expected to be completed in 2010.

The stadium will have enough space to seat about 30,000 spectators and features a unique cantilever design, which coupled with a triangular panelized façade uses 50% less steel than a typical cantilevered roof structure.

The envelope will be composed of a combination of glass, metal and louvers, and the architects are planning a photovoltaic thin-film integration that will help power the stadium’s LED lighting units. The dome will also feature a rainwater harvesting system, natural lighting and natural ventilation to lower the structure’s dependence on grid electricity.

Nature furniture for fresh indoor air

2009-09-08T00:34:00.001-07:00

Indoor furniture equipped with air plants for air purification.

The rise in outdoor pollution has made health conscious homeowners make use of the hi-tech air purification systems that are good for their own health, but not actually so good for the environment, especially because of the amount of energy they consume to keep the air inside your house clean.

When it comes to air purification, nothing beats nature, and industrial designer Mingling Wang has tried to bring nature inside your house to provide fresh air to the inhabitants. The Oxygen of Green indoor furniture concept is designed by combining air plants with a living room table.

The system produces a decent amount of oxygen, especially after dark and does that at the place where it’s most needed – the center-section of the house. Air Plants (Tillandsias) grow without soil, since water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves and absorb CO2 from the air and produce oxygen in the night time.

School gets a shipping container sports hall

2009-09-08T00:22:00.000-07:00

Sports hall for a school made from recycled shipping containers.

Using old shipping containers as bones for a new building isn’t a new idea in construction, as the advantages of the structure are many. Apart from being easy to construct and maintain, the structure developed is also cost-effective and has a lower carbon footprint than buildings made from conventional materials.

Dunraven School in London saw the advantages of shipping containers and utilized the same to build a new sports hall and gymnasium for the students in just three days. The building was constructed by SCABEL Architects and Urban Space Management.

The recycled shipping container gym was developed at the cost of only £1.5 million, which is about half the cost of a traditional gym. The shipping containers make three sides of the building and the fourth side, which is the entrance, features a translucent polycarbonate construction.

Greenest building

2009-09-07T01:24:00.001-07:00

Well, “possibly” never belittles the claim as the monastery utilizes earth’s renewable resources in construction and sustenance as well. The 30,000 square foot, Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison touts some really green credentials such as, geothermal heating and cooling systems, active solar energy generation and reduced water usage. Moreover, it has green roofs, rain gardens, rain barrels and prairie restoration facilities to ensure storm water runoff.

The custom-designed windows and photovoltaic panels provide 15 percent of the monastery’s energy. Making the most of the internet, the digital heating and cooling systems generate automatic emails to the occupants to make them open windows when temperature exceeds 74 degrees. So, natural ventilation cuts down on energy costs.

Super city in Korea

2009-09-07T01:15:00.000-07:00

Sustainable city to be developed by Fosters + Partners.

Following in the footsteps of Masdar City, a sustainable city to be developed in the UAE, Fosters + Partners have unveiled plans for a sustainable super city that will overshadow the size of Masdar in UAE. Dubbed Incheon, the development will serve as an epicenter for the development of green technologies in South Korea.

The development will be house to over 320,000 residents that will be centered around a spine of transportation and green industry. The city will also become a research and development center for next-generation green technologies. The city is slated to be completed in the next 10-15 years.

prefab homes by Green pod

2009-09-07T00:56:00.001-07:00

GreenPod Development, founded by Ann Raab and partner Suzanne DeVall, designs, manufactures and markets custom modular homes. Prefab Homes are based on compact, modular "Pods" ranging in size from 300 to 800 squre feet. Larger prefab homes are possible by combining multiple Pods. GreenPod homes are factory built and feature prefab sustainable, healthy, energy effiecent design, and high-quality craftsmanship.

Prefab Homes by Konyk Architecture

2009-09-07T00:52:00.000-07:00

Konyk Architecture designs futuristic, high-tech prefabricated homes. The designs utilize steel "uni-body" frames, structural panels and lots of insulated glass to form super-modern, sleek living spaces. The prefab homes are fabricated and delivered fully equipped with high-end appliances, fixtures and mechanicals.

Atlanta rooftops

2009-09-06T06:36:00.000-07:00

Green Aviation

2009-09-06T06:26:00.000-07:00

The airline industry is seen by many as one of the main culprits when it comes to carbon and greenhouse gas emissions -- and therefore climate change.

It has been heavily criticised by environmentalists for perceived inaction over its high CO2 output -- estimated at between two and 10 percent, depending on whose figures you want to trust.

However, with oil prices doubling worldwide in the last year the incentive for the aviation industry to reduce its fuel output is now as much driven by hard economic realities as environmental factors.

Although there have been efforts to mitigate the impact of air travel through initiatives like carbon offsetting, many see this as a short-term solution and as such of limited value.

The search is on to find ways of reducing planes reliance on fossil fuels and according to the CEO of Lufthansa, Wolfgang Mayrhuber there is only one area that will provide the answer in the long run: "technology, technology and again technology."

The biofuel option

Within the airline industry itself many are putting their faith in biofuel as a viable alternative to petroleum fuels. So-called first generation biofuel is made from organic materials -- often food crops -- that are broken down to produce oil or alcohol fuel like ethanol.

Its chief champion so far is the owner of Virgin Atlantic, the tycoon Richard Branson, who has pledged to invest profits from his transport empire in to biofuel production.

The use of biofuel remains contentious, however, with claims that harvesting of the crops needed to make the fuel robs locals in the developing world of valuable farmland thereby pushing up food prices. Environmentalists also argue that it often leads to deforestation, making any CO2 savings largely redundant.

Mindful of these criticisms, Branson used a mix of coconut oil harvested from existing plantations and oil from palms that grow wild to fuel a flight from London to Amsterdam earlier this year. The Virgin Atlantic 747 that left Heathrow in February was the first commercial aircraft to be powered partly by biofuel.

ven so the plane still relied on 80 percent conventional jet fuel, and many are skeptical whether first generation biofuel has enough energy density to work on its own. The harmful impact on food prices and the sheer volume of crops needed in their production has led many airlines to set their sights on second and even third generation biofuels that come from non-food crops.

Air New Zealand, for example, has begun testing Jatropha, a bush native to Central America that can grow in very arid environments, requires little water and has a much higher yield than crops like corn.

Rob Fyfe, CEO of the New Zealand national carrier said they decided on the crop "because we wanted a fuel that had no connotations in terms of competing with the crops from indigenous forests." Air New Zealand has committed to running its fleet on 10 percent non-food biofuels by 2013.

Going green with algae

Other airlines are looking away from the land for the solution. Boeing has joined energy giants such as Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell in supporting research in to the use of algae.

Researchers have already managed to extract vegetable oil from algae harvested on ponds. It is still only at its early stages but scientists believe algae could potentially produce much higher yields than other biofuel with the added advantage that it would not take up valuable farmland.

Two members of staff from Boeing sit on the board of directors of the Algal Biomass Organization, a U.S. trade body set up to accelerate research and funding into its use as an aviation fuel.

Inspired by birds

Creating efficiencies is not just about improving fuel, of course. Airlines are also looking at aircraft design and the way the skies are managed in the hunt for savings.

Mayrhuber told CNN he would like to see the rules governing the flight paths planes are allowed to travel along relaxed to allow aircraft to choose the most energy efficient routes.

"From Europe we have three entry points into China," he says. "If you asked the birds that migrate, they take a different route every day. Why? It isn't so they don't pay the fuel at the station. It is energy. They take the best route every day and we believe that there are airways that are outdated."

According to Mayrhuber, if planes were allowed to travel unrestricted across Europe it would reduce carbon emissions from aviation on the continent by 12 percent overnight.

It is not only the migratory routes of birds that aviation experts are looking at. They are hoping that examining the design of nature's ultimate flying machines might turn up some unexpected solutions. USA Today, for instance reported that scientists are investigating how it is that birds can fly without the large vertical tail fin required on planes. If they could solve this conundrum, getting rid of the fin would very likely lead to fuel savings.

Many of these technological changes are unlikely to happen in the near future (if they happen at all) while environmentalists insist climate change is of pressing concern right now. The jury is still out on just how seriously the aviation industry is taking the threat of global warming, but with oil prices still on the up it may be forced to act sooner rather than later.

Car of the future

2009-09-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Concept vehicle for the year 2020 designed to run on electromagnetic wheels.

Working to design cars for the future, Indian auto designer Nanish K R has come up with a car design aimed to revolutionize transport in the year 2020. The simple, yet stylish car is powered by four independent electromagnetic wheels, which allows the car to do without a conventional power train.

futuristic concept nanish kr

The wheels of this zero-emission car are made up of two sliding rings, one of which is the electromagnet and the other is a permanent one. The electromagnet gets powered by the lithium-ion batteries installed on the vehicle’s chassis and gets the same polarity as the permanent magnet. This creates a repulsive force between the rings which is then converted into motion.

While braking, the opposite poles of the magnets face each other and the attractive force generated as a result is used to stop the vehicle. The body panels of the car are made from polycarbonate to keep the vehicle’s weight to a minimum. The car also carries rearview mirrors, LED lamps and a touchscreen controlled on the dashboard.

BioLogic FreeCharge uses your bike to make your gadgets green

2009-09-04T22:46:00.000-07:00

Sustainable charger harnesses the energy of motion to offer an ecofriendly charge.

Inventors have already surprised us with ways bikes can be used to help us in our daily chores and Dahon, a company specialized in making folding bikes is giving another opportunity to help you get more from your bike. The company has shown off a neat little device that can be hooked up to your bike’s generator frame to harness the energy of motion for electricity to charge your portable electronic gear.

The unit comes with a battery and some electronics to store electricity and also remove the bumps and spikes from the output. The stored electricity can be used to charge a variety of gadgets. The $100 device takes about 3 hours of biking to fully charge a gadget and will be available in March 2010.

World’s mightiest glaciers

2009-09-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

Denying the evident and embracing the obscure never makes sense. This is what the climate skeptics had been doing for a long time in rebuffing the sure signs. They just can’t see constant flooding, infrequent monsoons, wet and dry extremes, inundating islands, heat waves and the melting of glacial caps. Even the recent study conducted by the University of Leeds deducing the faster melting rate of Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica is sure to be ignored. However, in fact, world’s mightiest glaciers are giving in to evermore mightier universal mercurial upsurge.

Since 1980, global warming has forced some glaciers to disappear while some others are on the verge of extinction. If the outlet glaciers of the Greenland and West Antarctica kept on melting, the coastal regions worldwide will face the brunt for sure. If it happens elsewhere, notably the Andes of South America, the Himalayas in Asia, western North America, the Alps, Africa or subtropical South America, the aftermath will be equally appalling.

Glacier Peak Wilderness in the North Cascades of Washington has shown ample signs of recession during 33 long years.

sustainable living

2009-09-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

energy saving tips

2009-09-04T01:59:00.000-07:00

recycle billboards

2009-09-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

As Target targets to bring down its huge billboards at 7 Times Square after the National Design Week in October, Anna Sui will transform them into 1,600 tote bags. Four NY artists, Michael Anderson, Josh Goldstein, Laurie Rosenwald and Charles Wilkin, will create 6 arty ads on billboards before the final recyclart. Customers will have the choice to select any particular billboard image on their bags.

Target is hopeful to receive ample attention from its prospect customers. Not compromising on promotion, it will place its ads in print and online outlets like Daily Candy New York, New York, The New York Times and Time Out New York. Moreover, the billboard will itself promote the cause it stands for, reading:

Homemade submarine

2009-09-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

Having seen a plethora of personal submarines, this one featured here may only seem as sewer outlet off a dirty little canal. But guys, there is a lot more to this than just what you see. This is a small homemade submarine resurrected by a 34 year-old Chinese inventor Tao Xiangli. A fully-functional submarine, this is fitted with a ‘periscope, depth control tanks, electric motors, manometer, and two propellers from old oil barrels.’ Done in two year for a cost of about 30,000 Yuan ($4,385), Tao tested the sub in a lake on the outskirts of Beijing, yesterday. Great work dude, you deserve some applause for this.

Container homes

2009-09-04T01:27:00.000-07:00

Homes made from recycled shipping containers.

California-based IC Green Inc. has designed a range of housing units that could well be the next breakthrough in sustainable green structures. The company reuses trashed shipping containers and converts them into a wide range of structures, from 320 square foot studios to 2400 square foot homes.

The company claims that the homes are designed to be architecturally pleasing and affordable at the same time. The structures are prefabricated and include all modern amenities and finishes that can be compared to many high-end custom home designs.

Apart from the shipping container bones, the dwellings are well insulated with radiant floor system, which minimize the energy required by the home. If you need much better systems, the company will also install green roofs, solar and geothermal energy systems for an additional charge.

Human energy

2009-09-04T01:06:00.000-07:00

There are a number of ways one can harness natural energy, and one of the latest trends is harnessing the body’s energy. The human body is increasingly being used to produce energy to charge electronic devices. HuMo or the Human Dynamo is a device that allows your clothing to harness the kinetic energy produced by the body movements. Conceptualized by Nick Reddall, the HuMo aims to utilize the physical capability of your body to charge the modern electronic gadgets we can’t live without.

The project’s version is a jacket that harvests energy from the normal arm swing of the person wearing it. Interestingly, the power is straight applied to lighting, so that the wearer is always safe whether he is running or waling down the streets. The HuMo is able to generate an average of half a Watt of power from a normal walking arm swing, which could be used to charge the power-hungry devices. There is a small string laid inside the sleeve that drives a pre-planned linear generator to create a natural feeling and resistance.

The process makes you raise the arm and throw it down with a little more force. The inspiration for this project was to look out for ways we can use and celebrate the physical capability of the human body in the modern world.

Nokia 3d

2009-09-04T01:02:00.000-07:00

Nokia has been experimenting to deliver 3D phones for some time now, while we’ve seen a few 3D mobile phones here in our part of the world – there is still no real word as to when the well reckoned Finish manufacturer would actually have it out for us. For now let’s satiate ourselves with this recently revealed prototype device that flaunts a 3D stereo display.

Outfitting the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet with a special screen, made by a concealed third party manufacturer, the device is churned in to 3D display device, clearly differentiated by the naked eye – no special glasses required. This prototype display suggests Nokia’s potential to get 3D to our handhelds, perhaps the expenditure and content may be pulling it back for now.

Spider in your house

2009-09-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

f daring and unique designs really mesmerize you then, you gotta check this one and I’m sure by the time you end up reading about its qualities, you would have made up your mind to take it home. Spider Phoebe by Zuoguang Wu is one crazy yet cool sofa from Limitless Furniture that deserves a place in your living room. Shaped like a spider, this catchy sofa offers a computer workstation for those who are usually seen working on lappy. Featuring fabric upholstery that covers foam atop a metal frame, the sofa has movable legs that let you port it from one room to another without much hassle. Personally, I don’t like spiders but this spider sofa has left me hypnotized.

Serve your Soldiers

2009-09-04T00:58:00.001-07:00

Recycling campaign converts trashed cellphones into prepaid calling cards.

For soldiers serving overseas, getting in contact with their tensed family members is not that easy. A campaign in Lady Lake, a small town in Florida, can help these brave men get in touch with their family by encouraging people to donate their cellphones, which are recycled and turned into 250-minute prepaid calling card.

Initiated by the Lady Lake Police Chief Ed Nathanson, the “Help Them Call Home” campaign encourages people to donate unwanted cellphones or make cash donations, to allow the organizers to get prepaid calling cards for the soldiers serving overseas. A $40 donation translates to one 1200 minute calling card, while a donated phone means one 250 minute calling card.

The campaign has till date resulted in $5000 worth of calling cards being sent overseas for the soldiers. Although Lady Lake has collected more than 5000 cellphones, the organizers believe that this year they can get more than 2000 unwanted cellphones.

E. INK

2009-09-03T03:15:00.000-07:00

Electronic Ink displays powered by solar energy.

Korean manufacturer Neoluxiim has developed a new range of solar-powered E-ink displays that support rotating display images and text. The new displays are self-contained units with everything from the power generator, the program that run the displays and the unit itself is packed into a single unit.

The solar panel is capable of drawing power from commercial-grade indoor lighting that helps the display run in places where the sun doesn’t shine. The company claims that the system is just 7.5 mm thick and can work with any light source that offers more than 400 lux of illumination.

The panel is efficient enough to power the display for up to 18 months of continuous use. In addition to the use of green energy, the E-ink displays require no maintenance and can easily be configured and left alone without any additional effort.

Track the Sun

2009-09-03T03:11:00.000-07:00

Charity begins at home. So, before expecting green efforts from the world we ourselves will have to take initiatives to save the environment. Thinking on these lines Terry Coss has gone an extra mile to save the environment. He has come up with an eco-friendly home improvement project, which uses a 16 feet by 10.5 feet solar panel array that automatically tilts and pans to track the sun across the sky.

Coss, a teacher of Newberg High School’s robotics program managed almost everything himself, be it digging the foundations, installing the support post or running electric conduit into his house. He installed a photovoltaic system mounting on top of the house’s roof. This system with movable panels is capable of generating nearly one-and-a-half times more power than stationary panels. On days when sun smile brightly a 2,000 watts can be generated and on gloomy days he had to be satisfied with just 500 watts.

Coss triggered the panels in January, ever since has noticed a reduction from $60 to $15 in his monthly electric bill. Though the wattage is not enough to power the entire household, but most appliances do not work always, so whatever amount of power is additional it goes into the grid, which spins the meter back. A flaw in his system has been disturbing him, which he soon hopes to rectify. The defect is that the power that is generated from the panels enters the mains, from where it is distributed to the entire house. In case of a blackout, everything would come to a stand still. To deal with this ugly situation, Coss plans to add some kind of battery storage system.

In addition to the photovoltaic system, other projects on his schedule are installing energy-efficient windows and a solar-powered vent fan to cool his attic. The system comprising of panels and their supporting hardware cost a little over $30,000.

Solar Apple

2009-09-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

Solar charger harnesses the energy of the sun for a clean recharge.

Novothink, a global manufacturer of energy alternative electronic devices, has announced the release of Solar Surge, the first Apple licensed solar charger case for iPod Touch. The smartly-designed, hybrid solar charger case enables anyone to power up from the sun while carrying their iPod. The company will also be releasing the Solar Surge for iPhone 3G and 3GS later this year.

By bringing together cutting-edge solar panel technology and slim, ergonomic design, Novothink’s certified Solar Surge charger case provides an unrivaled charging solution that is both highly convenient and eco-friendly. Apple iPods can now be effectively and efficiently charged anywhere under the sun by simply being attached to a Solar Surge. The innovative device is ideal for the beach, camping, or traveling.

Save your Children

2009-09-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

Natural Protector

2009-09-02T04:48:00.000-07:00

Roof planting system to convert to green roofs.

With the world being turned into concrete jungle, roofs of houses and other commercial and residential buildings offer a green hope. They can be turned into solar energy generating plants or if you don’t want to spend that much on green power, then the other alternative is converting roofs into green roofs.

This conversion into a green roof comes with two advantages – one being the availability of food and it also lowers the solar heat gain, thereby reducing the amount of energy required to cool the interiors. Industrial designer Kyoungho Ha is trying to help the masses in the conversion process with a system dubbed Natural Protector.

Airpod air purifier consumes less energy than a light bulb

2009-09-02T04:46:00.000-07:00

Energy-efficient air purifier made from recyclable materials.

With the increase in indoor pollutants, the need for an air purifier also rises. While most air purifiers do well in keeping your home free from pollutants and make it fit to breathe, they do have an impact on your electricity bills as well. The Bluair Airpod air purifier is different, not only due to its small size, but due to its energy efficiency as well.

The designers believe that the device can function without consuming more energy than a normal light bulb. The system uses the filter as its main component and uses 60% less material than other filters available on the market today.

The product is stripped down to just the basic components – the filter and a docking station. The system carries a patented HEPA silent filter and the docking station houses a fan that revolves so silently to even make you wonder as if the device is turned on or not.

Sunny Flower spreads its petals to harvest solar energy

2009-09-02T01:37:00.000-07:00

Solar-powered portable electronics charger.

With the number of portable electronic devices an average human owns on a rise, inventors are looking for green ways to charge these devices. Solar energy seems the most promising way to charge our electronic gear and there has been no shortage of solar-powered gadgets on the market. Industrial designer Fandi Meng has designed the “Sunny Flower,” which promises to offer your gadgets a green charge every time.

The device works by spreading its petals onto glass or any other surface to absorb sunshine and recharge its built-in battery. When the device is fully charged its indicator light will shine to catch your attention. After a complete charge the petals of the flower can be brought together into a compact stick which can then charge various mobile devices.

First hydrogen three wheeler

2009-09-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

Low-emission vehicle powered by an internal combustion hydrogen engine.

In a bid to curb carbon emissions from one of the most trusted vehicles for city commutes in India, Mahindra & Mahindra have launched the world’s first hydrogen-powered three-wheeler. Dubbed Hy-Alfa, the vehicle boats a 396cc engine that is capable of generating 4.5KW of power at 3600rpm.

The naturally inspired engine comes with an electronic engine system with a hydrogen leak detection mechanism. The company states that hydrogen is the fuel of the future and is a long-term solution to pollution and the rising CO2 emission-related concerns

Happy Water Day

2009-08-31T02:17:00.001-07:00

Cool Clear Water

Many a time i walked

A well beaten track

In my search for water

Cool clear water

It was hot and dry

The sun hung high

When i searched for water

Cool clear waterMischief',

the blue healer and iSearched low and highSo we could taste the water

Cool clear water

The creek we found

Low in the ground

We bathed ourselves with waterLife giving water

Cool clear water

Life began and did arise

From the embrace of water

Cool clear water

Cool clear water

Sustainable Living

2009-08-31T02:10:00.000-07:00

Too much emphasis on green living and environment friendliness through Internet & media has created enough awareness among masses all over the world, that administrations are taking environment friendly decisions and we also see legislation being formed on national and international levels to protect environment.
But in this all going green phobia, a lot of confusion and misunderstanding is also developing, many of us now correlate use of green electricity to sustainability, in fact using energy efficiently is sustainability. Most of us think that using canvas bags instead of plastic is an eco friendly gesture, but caring a cloth bag every time we got to shop is being green.
It’s great that world wide huge cooperates are investing in renewable sources of energy, and production of eco friendly products. But sustainability can only be achieved if humans reduce there consumption level, and a line between needs and luxury will be drawn, when need for waste dumps and land fills wont be an issue. Sustainability is harvesting some amount of our food from our backyards, gardens and balconies, which was not irrigated with community water supply but the rain water we harvested. Sustainability is leaving our car at home and walking to the market, making sure suburbs are not turning into city centers and marine life is not contaminated just for a little luxury of no significance.
Giant steps taken by governments and Ngo’s can’t make much of a difference unless Little green steps are taken on individual level.

Salads that Help You Live Longer

2009-08-31T01:09:00.000-07:00

1. Classic Beet Salad
Steam beets and slice into a salad of mixed greens, sliced avocado, and a handful of pine nuts and walnuts. If you want to bulk up the salad, add crumbled soft tofu or shredded chicken.

What is this salad doing for you?
This is an all-in-one anti-aging salad. Beets contain powerful nutrients that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and cancer, especially colon cancer. The avocado and pine nuts are healthy fats and walnuts have omega-3 fatty acids, which bring heart health benefits.

2. Cooling Cucumber Salad
Thinly slice cucumbers, removing the peel if you prefer, and toss with red onions. Let this sit for 30 minutes, then top with apple cider vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard.

What is this salad doing for you?
Cucumbers are a cooling food and also a natural diuretic, helping to hydrate you and lower the pressure in your arteries. The vinegar has antiseptic and antibiotic properties and may also help to reverse hardening of the arteries, as well as dissolve gall stones and kidney stones.

3. Tomato Basil Salad
Cook whole cherry or grape tomatoes in olive oil over medium-high heat until they are lightly browned. Cool, and then toss with fresh basil. For dressing, combine olive oil, vinegar, and a pinch of fresh oregano.

What is this salad doing for you?
Cooking partially breaks down your food, making the nutrients accessible to your body's systems; for example, lycopene, an essential carotenoid antioxidant that has been found to reduce the risks of heart disease, macular degeneration, as well as prostate and other cancers, is more available in cooked tomatoes than uncooked. Basil is filled with luteolin, a bioflavonoid that studies have shown to be the best protection of cell DNA from radiation.

4. Fennel and Dried Plum Salad
Combine sliced fennel, sautéed or raw, and dried plums on a plate. Drizzle with a ginger vinaigrette. (Olive oil, vinegar and minced ginger, if you are making yourself.)

What is this salad doing for you?
This salad soothes digestion and supports weight loss. Fennel helps digestion in two ways: It stimulates the production of gastric juices and also calms the nervous system, regulating the action of the muscles that line the intestine. Packed with vitamin C and essential minerals like potassium and magnesium, dried plums contain a perfectly balanced proportion of soluble and insoluble fibers, ensuring bowel regularity and preventing insulin resistance—making them a great ingredient for weight management.

If weight loss is one of your goals, you may benefit from the herbal formulation B-Slim, a nutrient-rich dietary supplement designed to be part of a sensible overall weight management program.

5. Asian Carrot Salad
Combine shredded carrots, green onion, and sprouts (alfalfa, red clover, daikon radish, and bean sprouts will all work). Dress with sesame oil and rice vinegar. Then sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. For extra kick, add a small amount of grated ginger or chili pepper.

What is this salad doing for you?
Carrots are antioxidant-rich foods filled with beta-carotene, beneficial to eye health. Sprouts are packed with many nutrients with a bounty of health benefits. And sesame oil, the oil most commonly consumed oil by Chinese centenarians, is rich in phytic acid, the antioxidant that may prevent cancer. Studies have also indicated that one variety of sesame oil, called lignan sesamin, radically reduced cholesterol levels in the bloodstream and liver of rats.

6. Watercress with Tofu Dressing
To make the tofu dressing, combine 1/2 pound of plain tofu with a 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of rice or apple vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of tamari soy sauce (or a pinch of salt), and 1 tablespoon of tahini. Simply blend until creamy and drizzle over a bed of salad greens.

What is this salad doing for you?
Watercress contains a rich supply of vitamins A and E as well as the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, iodine, and zinc. It is also a natural diuretic that cools you down, and helps alleviate excess water retention and the bloated sensation that comes with it.

I hope you enjoy these six summer salads! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

the world's greenest computer

2009-08-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

Black Baloons Energy

2009-08-30T02:11:00.000-07:00

sustainable library in Kazakhstan

2009-08-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

Sustainable library uses computer modeling techniques to lower energy requirement.

BIG Architects have unveiled plans of an incredible library that is to be developed in Kazakhstan. Dubbed, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the library design will be comprised of four parts – a circle, a rotunda, the arch and the yurt. The structure will offset or maximize solar glare depending on the climate and the need.

BIG Architects, Eco Architecture, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Library, Sustainable Architecture, Solar Glare, Solar Energy, Solar Gain, Environment

The designers minimized the cooling load on the design using some advanced computer modeling to calculate thermal exposure on the building envelope. The overall design of the library makes some parts receive more light than others, which needed the designers to create a geometric pattern of the entire structure to regulate solar gain.

A solar-powered shelter for campers

2009-08-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

Self-sufficient outdoor habitat for camping industry.

Mostly all campsites are far from cities and require fuel-eating generators to bring illumination after dark. Industrial designer Benjamin Charles is out there to help the camping and the hotel industry with semi-nomad structures that are almost self-sufficient

Coupled with solar thermal panel to provide hot water for kitchen and bathroom the shelters ensure that your camping vacation isn’t a threat to the ecosystem. To give more autonomy to the campers, the shelters are equipped with dry toilets, which save a lot of precious water.

Energy saving tip of the day

2009-08-30T01:47:00.000-07:00

SOUL OF INNATE EXISTENCE

2009-08-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Foot steps like gentle coils,

Traces of rabbit toe,

Adobes of cane heaps,

Grounds of scattered wild,

Nectar from haven hue,

Such should be our existence,

Thirsty for innate exaltation.

SOLAR ENERGY

2009-08-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Solar energy today means clean and green mean of energy, but solar energy is being harnessed by humans both intentionally and UN intentionally since the very solar day they came into existence. Simply sitting in sun means absorbing solar energy to aid our bodies with vitamin D, preserving food with the drying process using solar energy is another primitive but very effective mean of harvesting the solar energy.
Solar energy moved along with the development of human societies, Babylonians, Arab, Moorish, Mughal’s, and almost all Indian civilizations used solar energy as a natural lighting system, using reflective mirrors embedded into beautiful patterns in there buildings, along with the water and mercury pounds to reflect sunlight into desired directions. Solar energy took an absolute new meaning with the development of photovoltaic solar cells and very quickly became a popular idea of an alternative source of energy that could counter fossil fuel. But it was not until the last decade of the 20th century when solar energy became the ultimate symbol of self sufficiency triggered by general séance of chaos because of the war on terror.
Means of solar energy are evolving on daily bases, energy efficient and low cost means of solar energy are being explored to make solar energy a more viable source of power generation. Solar reflectors are being used to concentrate solar energy on one focal point in order to harvest the heat of the sun that is then used for running sterling engines and other types of turbines. Micro solar panels are being made for cost and energy efficient utilization of solar energy. Solar paints and ivy’s along with charges that use solar energy to power out gadgets and cell phones are becoming popular very quickly. Solar energy is free and you don’t need to kill innocent people to secure it for one nation only, every one in the world gets there fair and consistent share of solar energy every morning. It wont be wrong to state that solar energy will fuel our future beyond the boundaries of fossil fuel saga.

Maglev wind turbine.

2009-08-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

A Maglev wind turbine or Maglev windmill would use magnetic levitation to replace conventional bearings in the design of a wind turbine. A recent design of Maglev wind turbine was developed in China by Guangzhou Energy Research Institute. This design of Maglev wind turbine claims to utilize winds with starting speeds as low as 1.5 meters per second (m/s), and cut-in speeds of 3 m/s. Such Maglev wind turbine should be able to add 1,000 hours of operation annually to wind power plants in areas with an average wind speed of 3 m/s.[1] However, since the energy available in wind varies so the power produced by Maglev wind turbine at such velocities would be lower than conventional wind turbines under higher speed winds.
The rotating turbine shaft in Maglev wind turbine is supported by magnetic levitation instead of ball bearings. Magnetic bearings have been used for smaller turbines and pumps, but they generally can't handle impacts disturbing the shaft, and generally require actively controlled electromagnets. Making magnetic bearings strong enough to handle the loads of a Maglev wind turbine would use prohibitive amounts of power just keeping the electromagnets running. The Chinese design of Maglev wind turbine is said to use permanent magnets to support the rotor shaft.
Little detailed technical information supporting these claims about Maglev wind turbine is available in English.
Chinese company Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Technology invested CN¥400 million in building the base for the maglev wind turbine generators, in which construction began in November 2007. Maglev Wind Turbine Technologies Inc. announced the launch of a wind turbine power generating device based on magnetic levitation called the Maglev Wind Turbine on July 26, 2007.

Mysterious Maglev wind turbine

2009-08-29T09:38:00.001-07:00

Maglev wind turbine has been a big splash on Worldwatch's blog, Treehugger and inhabitat. The original article about Maglev wind turbine
was in Chinese Xinhua News paper, and as per this article about Maglev wind turbine some of the claims from the English and web media are misleading.

First of all Maglev wind turbine won't be levitating off the ground, and won't be frictionless as well, but these may be significantly more efficient than existing windmills. The magnetic levitation that Maglev wind turbine would use is between the rotating shaft and the fixed base of the machine, basically taking the place of ball bearings. Such magnetic bearings have been used for decades in smaller turbines and pumps by Ebara, Leybold, Seiko-Seiki, and others. However, they generally can't handle being bumped around much because the magnetic force isn't that strong enough. Making magnetic bearings strong enough to handle the loads put on them by Maglev wind turbine would be hard, and would use prohibitive amounts of power just keeping the electromagnets running strongly enough. However, the Worldwatch article says the new Chinese device uses "full-permanent" magnets, meaning there are no electromagnets, only cleverly placed permanent ones, so it should use no power. It sounds like they will be used on small turbines (perfect for home use), which would be similar in scale to the pumps and industrial turbines currently using magnetic bearings. But who knows, in a few years it might be possible to scale them up for Maglev wind turbine.
Unfortunately there's not a shred of additional technical information in the article about Maglev wind turbine’s structure. so we can only speculate what their solution was for the mysterious Maglev wind turbine. Some are speculating that they're probably using Halbach arrays in a system like the Inductrack invented at Lawrence Livermore Labs several years ago. Any permanent magnet system would doubtless need lots of Neodymium ("rare earth") magnets, which may have questionable sustainability when mined in large amounts, but as it happens China is rich in that element--in fact, energy.buzz points out that China owns 90% of the world's market of rare earth magnets. Since July 2006 Maglev wind turbine remains a mystery with very little details and even lesser news.

Sustainable Living Tip Of The Day

2009-08-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

Sustainable living tip of the day is to shave your underarms every week instead of using cancerous deodorants.

Sustainable Living Tip Of The Day

2009-08-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

Sustainable living tip of the day is to use natural products to clean your house. It's sustainable to purchase natural clean products. Try lemon and baking soda and vinegar for maximum sustainability.

Sustainable living tip of the day

2009-08-28T05:34:00.001-07:00

Sustainable living tip of the day is turn off your cars engine while waiting for the traffic signal to go green.

SUSTAINABLE STYLE

2009-08-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

Sustainable Style for Spring 2009 has been introduced by Loyale on inhabitat.com. Sustainable Style for spring this year show cased dresses made out of organic cotton and reclaimed fabric. In her Sustainable Style posting on inhabitat.com Olivia Chen also reported that Jenny Hwa, founder of Loyale, is a recipient of the 2008 Eileen Fisher Business Grant Program. With a commitment to environmentally responsible business practices and continued use of

sustainable fabrics. Jenny’s Sustainable Style spring collection showcases flirty mini-dresses and breezy tunics, that are easy-to-wear and comfortable pieces fit for all occasions. Loyale will be offering items of this Sustainable Style collection at 25% off for one day only with coupon code, apr22loyale, on this earth day. Shop sustainably!

Kinetic Flexible Cell Phone

2009-08-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

Shape memory in Kinetic Flexible Cell Phone allows the phone’s keys to pop up when in use and blend in with the surface during downtime.
Kinetic Flexible Cell Phone can be used in its folded-up shape for simple phone calls, and unfolds to reveal a wider screen. The exciting thing about Kinetic Flexible Cell Phone is that it derives its energy from human interaction. The more you use the Kinetic Flexible Phone, the more kinetic energy turns into an electric charge through an array of tiny piezoelectric generators. In other words, you’ll never have to worry about leaving the house with a semi-charged cell phone again.
Kinetic Flexible Cell Phone is still in the early design stage, but Kyocera hopes to integrate concepts from the device into cell phones in the near future. Kinetic Flexible Cell Phone is the future of the greener phones already introduced by Samsung and LG that use solar energy to charge up.

Utah Containers

2009-08-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

Utah Container by Group 41 is a new dimension to Prefab Housing, in fact it wont be wrong to say that Utah Containers in the next generation of Prefab Housing. Shipping Containers are being used allover the world to create eco friendly Prefab Housing, but Utah Containers is innovative because it’s a housing scheme devised out of 1000 Shipping Containers. Group 41 has developed two schemes for the Salt Lake City suburb complex and is waiting for planning approval. The Two schemes of Utah Containers differ in style and layout, but not in facilities, both have large underground parking garages and a courtyard. Utah Containers will be located near a future commuter rail line and shopping center.
Projects like Utah Containers offer the right type of Sustainable Recycling on massive scale, Container and Prefab Homes are a sustainable type of recycling as they require less energy in construction compared to melting down Shipping Containers. Utah Containers is an Eco friendly solution to the ever increasing demand of sustainable green housing.

With Kinetic Flexible Cell Phone Kyocera is changing the future of cell phones. Kyocera unveiled a kinetic energy-powered phone that is capable of folding up like a wallet. Kinetic Flexible Cell Phone has been designed by industrial designer Susan McKinney, and the phone consists of a soft, semi-rigid polymer skin surrounding a flexible low-energy OLED display.

Sustainable living tip of the day

2009-08-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

Sustainable tip of the day is to save Nemo, Nemo is a Disney cartoon, but they're plenty of other fish who actually need saving. More than 90 percent of the world's swordfish, marlin, giant tuna and other large predatory fish have been caught, and 76 percent of the world's fish stocks are eaten up by man if we don't watch out, we could lose many of the world's fisheries.

Sustainable living tip of the day

2009-08-28T02:35:00.000-07:00

Sustianable living tip of the day is you're not really recycling unless you're buying recycled. The most important part of recycling is buying products that contain as much "post-consumer recycled content" as possible. Look for it and ask for it when you go shopping

Sustianable living tip of the day

2009-08-28T02:19:00.000-07:00

Sustianable living tip of the day is A small, energy efficient car is less polluting than a gas-guzzling 4x4 and is cheaper to run as well,so drive less energy consuming cars, and save money and energy.

Sustainable Living

2009-08-28T02:17:00.000-07:00

Sustainable living refers to a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources. Sustainable living is an attempt to reduce carbon footprints by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet form furious consumptions to sensible choices. Sustainable and ecological living promotes living in manners that are consistent with sustainability, in natural balance and respect of humanity’s symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology and cycles. The practice and general philosophy of Sustainable living is highly interrelated with the overall principles of sustainable development. Sustainable living is all about minimizing our "ecological footprints to an extent that it dose not create an environmental impact. Proponents of Sustainable living hope to preserve the Earth for future generations of human beings and other life.
Sustainable living branches from the concepts of sustainability and self-sufficiency. Sustainability, in recent years, has been expressed as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Self-sufficiency is the core principle of Sustainable living in which individuals or societies consume only that which they have produced. It is generally a stricter ideology and practicing sustainable living in an urban world is becoming a global cause.
Sustainable living demands sustainable urban infrastructure is a form of sustainable design, which adheres to the principles of sustainable living. Its main principles are to achieve technological and governmental policies that enable urban planning for sustainable architecture and agriculture.
Sustainable living according to Lester R. Brown, a prominent environmentalist and founder of the World watch Institute and Earth Policy Institute, is “Sustainable living in the 21st century is "shifting to a renewable energy-based, reuse/recycle economy with a diversified transport system."
There a many movements that may appear similar to sustainable living, which oppose further mechanization of society vis-à-vis technological achievements. Sustainable living, however, adheres to the belief that technological progress can be effectively achieved through appropriate technology.

Sustainable living tip of the day

2009-08-28T01:07:00.000-07:00

Sustainable living tip of the day is to pick recycled furniture instead of spending at IKEA.

Sustainable living tip of the day

2009-08-28T01:05:00.001-07:00

Sustainable living tip of the day is when your printer ink runs dry, think twice before just tossing the empty cartridge into the bin,get it recycled or reuse it.

Aeroturbine by Aerotecture

2009-08-28T01:03:00.000-07:00

Aeroturbine was developed by Chicago-based Aerotecture International in 2007 and is a remarkable design in the field of renewable energy. Aeroturbine is known for its innovative design that is perfect for urban wind power generation. The turbines of Aeroturbine are designed for rooftop installation on either commercial or multi-family residences that have access to strong winds. Aerotecture started selling the commercial prototypes of Aeroturbine in late 2007.
Aeroturbine’s design has the interesting aspect of both a vertical prototype for multi-directional wind locations, and a horizontal version for locations with a steady primary wind direction. Aeroturbine has been designed to operate at slow speeds, with little noise and maintenance. The reflective finish and slow turning speed of Aeroturbine reduced the risk to birds and wildlife. A 510V Aeroturbine produces an estimated 1kW of power in 30 mph winds with the 520H produces an estimated 1.8kW from similar wind speeds. Each Aeroturbine is custom fitted to the architecture of the building with a ballpark cost for the 510V of $15,000 and the 520H of $21,000. As Aeroturbine is easy to move and install it can be easily considered as the next generation of wind energy, for our ever urbanizing world.
Potential installation locations for Aeroturbine needs to be 40 feet above ground, unobstructed by trees or other structures, with wind speeds averaging over 10mph. Many are arguing that the asking price is a too high for the Aeroturbine, but tend to forget that the payback time might be too long for Aeroturbine, but is still less then the cost we are and will be paying with our ever increasing carbon foot print.