Gearfuse

If I didn’t live in a cardboard box I might consider installing some sort of monorail system which could easily transport me around my vast estate. Since I’m such an awesomely eco-friendly guy, my monorail system would be totally pedal-powered. No motor needed.

The Shweeb is exactly that. An awkwardly named pedal-powered monorail system which simultaneously saves the Earth and tightens your buttocks. Since you’re on a track, there’s no reason why you can’t freely use your phone while getting from point A to point B, which sounds just snazzy to me.

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Check out these laptop bags from designer Giles Miller. He does wondrous things with cardboard, attaches a leather belt and calls it a laptop case. While I love the look, it’s still a cardboard case. What happens if it rains? In fact, scratch that. Who cares. Didn’t your laptop come in a cardboard box? If you hung onto that, why not just attach a piece of rope on each side and voila! You’ve got yourself a case. Last I checked, Apple’s box design is more chic than half of the laptop bags out there today but I think Giles’ design wins overall due to the street cred.

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So this isn’t really anything extravagant, but sometimes the best gadgets are the ones that operate in a simple fashion. This AM/FM radio has a bit of a DIY look with the old-school silver button on the top and the solar panel feeding it energy. There’s also a hand crank in case you live in Seattle or Alaska. It can’t do anything special, it just cranks out some classic tunes from the radio. Perfect for listening to WHYY whilst working at your desk. At $25, it’s a nice little bargain and a fantastic gift idea.

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Even if you turn your computer and electronics off, they still suck power from your outlets. This is known as vampire energy and it can really add to your electric bill if you’re like us and own a lot of consumer electronics. For $100-130, this power strip from Monster lets you tap a button to switch it into sleep mode. A test was done with 200W worth of equipment. After hitting sleep, the outlets only drew a combined total of 6 watts. Impressive. The GreenPower Center might be on the expensive side for a power strip, but it could save you some serious bucks, essentially paying for itself.

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The LA Times is running a piece about how flat-screen televisions aren’t energy efficient and how California is going to impose rules on energy consumption and all that other hippie shit. I call bullshit. Know why? Because less than 5 years ago, no one had a flat-screen HDTV except the extremely wealthy. Everyone had those old, shitty, big ass CRT television sets. Using Google, I compared a 30-inch Samsung flat-screen display to a 32-inch Samsung CRT. Here’s what I found:

Samsung SyncMaster 305T – 30″ Display
Power Consumption Operational: 130 Watt
Source: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Samsung+SyncMaster+305T&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&cid=2349199014125518526&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&resnum=4&ct=result#ps-sellers

Samsung TXM3298HF – 32″ CRT
Power Consumption Operational: 190 Watt
Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/direct-view-tvs-crt/samsung-txm3298hf/4507-6481_7-20461179.html?tag=mncol;rnav

Now don’t get me wrong, there is a 2-inch margin of error here and a bunch of other shit you could throw at me, but it’s a general fact that those old CRTs are way less efficient than newer, thinner television sets. Perhaps California should try going with the flow instead of fighting the tide.

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Here’s an idea that really benefits you as a homeowner. A removable kitchen sink that can be taken outside and the water drained over your garden. Genius. And the nutrients the plants will get from food waste will benefit your crop for sure. The design comes from Hughie of Australia and believe it or not, it’s not a concept! You can net one of these bad boys for a measly $25 and it comes in an assortment of different colors. Tres chic!

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Anyone interested in DIY, energy or our ecosystem should most definitely check out the Alternative Energy Gift Guide from MAKE. They cover some key issues that we as Americans must confront head on, such as our dependence on foreign energy and oil. There’s a bunch of a kits you can browse through that will have you using the Sun as your new battery pack in no time.

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A mobile home is hardly a house. It’s a truck with a bed inside. On the other hand, the N55 WALKING HOUSE is the premier modular dwelling system. In addition to its ability to slowly troll surrounding landscapes, it collects energy by using solar cells and small windmills. There is even a system for collecting rain water and another for solar heated hot water. Of course, let’s not forget the crapper and the fireplace, the WALKING HOUSE has both.

Unlike a mobile home, you’re living a pollution-free life but you’re still a nomad. Roaming the countryside with nothing more than your own bedroom sounds great, then you realize you have to eat. Not a problem considering a small greenhouse unit can be added to the basic living module, eliminating the possibility of a food shortage. When we find ourselves in a post-apocalyptic future caused by mankind’s irresponsibility to maintain mother Earth, we’ll all wish we were living in the WALKING HOUSE.

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Just in time for the 2008 Green Design Festival in Athens, Greece comes a fresh look from Athanassios Babalis. Keeping it eco-tech, Athanassios created a shopping bag and a stool from recycled bottle caps. Think it was an easy task? Oh my friend, you are quite mistaken.

Babalis collected the caps from his workmates and an extended network of friends using 370 to make the bag and 1250 for the stool.

That’s a shitload of bottle caps but it probably wasn’t too hard acquiring them. Unlike Pringles, caps aren’t incredibly hard to design things with. Hit the link below to see a diagram that explains the entire process.

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The ultimate eco-rumor has been making its round this morning. Nikkei biz daily in Japan is reporting that the next-gen Toyota Prius, due out in 2010, will have solar panels to power accessories and amenities like air conditioning and the radio. Getting excited ’cause you were thinking about getting a Prius? Not so fast.

Apparently, only high-end versions of the 2010 Prius are receiving the solar panel treatment. To boot, Toyota is exploring the option of charging a costly premium for the paneling. For now, we’ll have to wait and see whilst Toyota barrels ahead in the auto industry.

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