Site Meter

Solar-Powered Christmas Lights Save on Utilities

solar-powered-christmas-lights

Al Gore, Barack Obama and now, there’s you. Trying to save the planet isn’t always an easy job, but somebody’s gotta do it. Well, these Christmas lights actually are pretty easy.

The solar panels do all of the work. All you have to do is hang the lights and enjoy. Not only do you get to save a butt load of money on your electricity bill, but you get to save the planet at the same time. It’s really win-win. Plus… hello? Bragging rights!

Link [via]

Synchronicity Island Purifies Water Using the Power of You

syn-island1

If we’re going to be enslaved, we might as well have a symbiotic relationship with our slave master. The Synchronicity Island  allows us to buff up our beautiful, if slightly flabby, bods while our cardio workout provides all of the power needed to purify water. Metaphorically turning water into wine, except the wine is actually more water.

Powered by a series of exercise machines, the Island uses our kinetic energy to pump water into four tanks, which starts the purification process. We are the bearers of clean things and we have the shaky legs to prove it.

(more…)

Necktie Made Out of Recycled Cassette Tapes

cassette-ties

All of those cassette tapes being thrown into our trash dumps are really starting to add up. Piles and piles of Journey tapes lie waste, just waiting for a superhero to come and recycle them into a constructive use.

If you don’t have the patience to create an artist’s likeness with the innards of a cassette, maybe these Recycled Cassette Tape Neckties will strike your fancy. If there’s one thing I never even thought to imagine, it was that I’d be wearing cassette tapes in the future as formal wear. But hey, whatever works, right?

Link

World’s Largest Tree House is 10 Stories High

treehouselargest-ed01

Known as the Minister’s Treehouse, Horace Burgess has created his massive tree-suspended abode which includes 10 floors of good ole’ forest living. Each floor measures on average between 9 and 11 feet in height. Between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet of flooring, completely made using reclaimed wood.

Minister Burgess has funneled overly $12,000 of his own money into the project. The home includes spiral staircases, a sanctuary, a choir loft and even a basketball court. Fact: the massive tree house is held together with a massive 258,000 nails. Burgess says he was promised by God that he would never run out of wood. And for now, God has kept his promise.

(more…)

E-Rope Modular Power Strip

erope1

Power strips usually come in one shape and size. Not much you can do to make a power strip look sexy. The E-Rope concept turns each socket into a modular cube, which allows for assembly into any shape with any number of strips.

E-Rope also helps cut-down on energy consumption. Even when a plug is plugged into the E-Rope socket, it only uses power when it needs too.

(more…)

Kinetically-Powered Rake Concept

powerake

Rury Vizcarra’s Power Rake takes the work out of yard work by adding kinetic power to the rake’s arsenal. Powered by the motion of the rake’s front wheels, the Power Rake’s conveyor belt system allows the leaves to be gathered smoothly, without the hitches of the traditional comb-and-handle rake. Oh, and you can adjust the handle height which is great for your aching back.

I’ve been trying to rake through this devices design for an inconvenience or issue but I just can’t seem to rake one in. Hardy har.

Link

Xbox Controller Chair Made Out of Cardboard

xbox-cardboard-chair

Like a lot of geeks out there I have a constant stream of crap being shipped to me from various internet companies. But I’m getting sick of just chucking all of the cardboard away. There has to be something productive we can create using all of our excess boxes.

And then I came across this and I had a “Eureka!” moment. Duh. Why not create a piece of furniture? And a geeky piece of furniture at that! I might just have to make a PS3 version. Maybe one day I’ll make a Wii cardboard toilet. We already shit on the Wii plenty anyway.

Link [via]

Solar Cell-Coated Supertower to Be Higher Than Burj Dubai

AbuDhabiSkyscraper2

We thought everything was bigger in Dubai.

Santa Monica building designer Tommy Landau created a model for a 224-story supertower which could one day stand in Abu Dhabi. Hell, the model itself is almost as tall as a man. The structure, aside from far eclipsing the 2,600 ft. Burj Dubai, would be coated in solar cells which would allow the building to power itself. The building will house over 11 million square feet for offices, shops, hotels and condominiums (but no farms that we know of). An early concept of the building includes a large clock at the same height as the Empire State Building would reach on the building.

The project is still under consideration by the Abu Dhabi powers that be, though if approved the $3.5 billion project would likely not be underway for several years to come. I imagine it takes a massive amount of planning and bureaucratic cajoling for a project like this to even break ground

Link

Super Mario Piranha Plant iPhone Case

piranha-case

Yanked directly from the screen of Super Mario Bros., the Piranha Plant iPhone case is made with a double-layer of Eco-felt, which is composed of 100% consumer recycled water bottles.

Sold out for now, I’d keep an eye on Etsy to see if any more of these are put on the block. Just remember, you have to time it perfectly. Wait for the plant to be all the way down before jumping into the secret sewer pipe level.

Link [via]

Concept Shower Uses Waste Water To Grow Plants, Purify Remainder

phyto-purification-bathroom1

The Phyto-Purification Bathroom and Shower concept uses your wasted water, unused and usually flushed down the drain, to help aid the growth of an organic system which purifies the water, right in your bathroom.

The plants are organized in such a way that they aid each other’s growth and all play a vital role in the purification of the wasted water. The plants are used as a green solution and a filtering process, ended by a carbon filter to stop any remaining particles.

(more…)