Plant Tells You What it Needs via Twitter

Twitter, the social networking site that allows you to keep your friends updated on what’s going on in your life in 140 characters or less, is all the rage these days – and not just for actual humans. The Tweet-a-Watt blew the competition out of the water in the Greener Gadgets Competition, and now a new gadget allows your houseplants to communicate with you electronically, letting you know when they need attention.

Pothos the houseplant has over 2,300 followers on Twitter, who wait with bated breath for earth-shattering updates like “URGENT! Water me!”

From Discover Magazine, via The Huffington Post:

Granted, all it wants is water, but when plant owners are forgetful or just don’t have a green thumb, their green friends often go thirsty. The solution? Botanicalls, a device that sends wireless signals to Twitter. It’s made of soil moisture sensors that transmit information (too much moisture? too little?) through a circuit board to a microcontroller, just like a mini-computer.

The software has settings that allow you to program specifically for the type of plant and the unique qualities of the soil, and the language sent to Twitter can be customized—so the message can vary in tone from the polite “please” to the urgent “I’m desperately thirsty”—or, as Mr. Ikea Plant will tweet, “I’m wicked thirsty.”

Check out a sample of Pothos’ updates below:

So, now computers can allow our houseplants to talk to us. Kind of creepy, kind of amazing.

Link [Discover Magazine] via [The Huffington Post]

Hymini Hand-Held Green Power Generator

What if you could have a source of solar power and wind power, right in the palm of your hand? Believe it or not, the technology is already here. A handy little green gadget called the Hymini offers a handheld source of green power wherever you go.

It stores energy collected from a wall plug, renewable DC input, wind and sun. The energy stored in the internal battery can be used to recharge your cell phone, MP3 player, iPod®, PDA, digital camera or other 5V devices. It’s cute, too – it looks like a little handheld fan. It’s so small, you can fit it in your pocket.

The easiest way to use the wind power function on this fun little gadget is to pair it up with this optional bike adapter kit so it can generate power while you ride your bicycle around town.  Hip, smart and green – quite a nice little example of just how far green technology has come.

Link [Hymini]

Greener Gadgets: The Lightimus Solar LED Light

There were a lot of amazing eco-friendly inventions unveiled during the 2009 Greener Gadgets Design Competition, and ultimately, there could only be one winner: The Tweet-a-Watt. One design that didn’t make the top 4 but was brilliant and eye-catching all the same was the Lightimus, an indoor solar light that acts as a constant reminder of the cycle of life.

From Core 77:

Light, Time & Us… All we are sharing the same time and the same planet to which the sun gives life. However, modern life makes us self-focused, and causes us to forget that we are a part of total life chain on our planet. Global warming, enviromental pollution and biological pollution threaten this chain and a sustainable lifecycle.

Lightimus is a decorative lighting design emphasizing the importance of the life cycles of our planet by keeping on its own life cyle during its usage. The product is in the form of an hourglass. One side is composed of solar panels and accumulates energy during day time. The other side is composed of a series of LED lights to lighten its enviroment during night time. When fully charged, its NiMh Battery can illuminate 12 LED bulbs (3mms) for up to 8 hours. When the lights fade away in the morning, you rotate the other side and put it under the sun; in the night it will be ready to illuminate its enviroment again. And the cycle continues – there is no switch on this product.

The LED bulbs on the Lightimus fade away gradually, mimicking the setting sun and representing the passage of time. It may not be the next amazing piece of eco-technology that’s gonna help us save the world, but it’s a slick piece of green design that we’d love to see go into production.

Link [Core 77]

Greener Gadgets 2009 Delivers Buffet of Awesome Green Tech

Greener Gadgets 2009 kicked off yesterday in New York City, letting forth a deluge of brilliant green technology and gadgets that address the issues of energy, carbon footprint, health and toxicity, new materials, product lifestyle and social development. The Greener Gadgets Design Conference, a collaboration between Greener Gadgets and Core 77, included the debut of fascinating advancements in green consumer tech and the live-judging of the Greener Gadgets Design Competition.

Inhabitat live-blogged the whole thing, giving us virtual front-row seats that almost make up for being unable to attend in person. Inhabitat’s Jill Fehrenbacher is co-founder of Greener Gadgets, along with Marc Alt.

The keynote speech – delivered by inventor, entrepreneur and tech guru Saul Griffith – was lively and fun. From Inhabitat:

He gave a broad overarching talk that visualized our out-of-control energy consumption in a series of easily understandable graphs and charts, focusing upon the ways that climate change and energy problems are design issues.

Beginning with an easy-to-understand explanation of energy using simple measurements, Saul went on to characterize his own energy usage in terms of travel by air and car, the requirements of his household and work, the food he consumes, the physical stuff he owns, and the society he lives in. By tallying up all of these, Saul found that his personal energy footprint amounts to 18,000 watts. Next, he took a broader look at the energy use of the rest of the world, quipping “I’m a planet fucker – all of you are too”.

And then, of course, there was the moment we were all waiting for: when the design competition winner was announced. There were a lot of amazing creations among the top 50, but ultimately, it was… drumroll please… the Tweet-a-Watt! The Power Hog came in second place, with the Indoor Drying Rack snagging third and the Laundry Pod making fourth.

Check out Inhabitat and the Greener Gadgets website for more details and to see the designs of all 50 finalists.

Link [Greener Gadgets] + [Inhabitat]

Tweet-a-Watt? Gadget Twitters Your Energy Use

A new gadget, revealed at the Greener Gadgets competition, has the power to embarrass you into improving your energy consumption habits. For less than fifty bucks, you can hack a Kill-a-Watt power monitor so that it automatically reports your energy use to all of your Twitter followers. It’s an interesting combination of creative gadget hacking, social networking and environmental accountability.

From Core 77, via Inhabitat:

Using “off-the-shelf hardware”, we have modified a Kill-a-Watt(TM) power meter to “tweet” (publish wirelessly) the daily KWH consumed to the user’s Twitter account (Cumulative Killowatt-hours). We are releasing this project as an “Open source hardware” project – in other words, anyone can make these, modify them and make a commercial product from the ideas and methods.

Here’s how it works: The modified Kill-a-Watt uses a “super-cap” to slowly recharge itself. Once there is enough power it turns on the Xbee wireless module which transmits thedata to a nearby computer (or internet connected microcontroller, like an Arduino). Once the power usage for the day is recorded it uses a predefined Twitter account (it can be your own) to publish your daily KWH consumption for the day. Multiple units can be used for an entire household.

This is pure genius. The whole process is explained in detail, including photos with notes, at Ladyada.net so you can DIY. This kind of gadget not only enables you to keep track of energy use trends in your household, but keeps you honest by telling all of your Twitter buddies every time you use a lot of energy.

Link [Core77] + [Ladyada.net] via [Inhabitat]

The Ultimate Fantasy Green Holiday Wish List

There are a growing number of green millionaires and billionaires out there, who have amassed their fortunes by doing good things for the earth. And, after giving a good portion of that money to charities that help preserve the environment, they’ve still got plenty of money to spend on ultimate eco-luxury items like the 7 on this ultimate green holiday wish list. But even if you’re not among the eco elite, you can dream that someday Santa will bring you a few of the following green fantasy gifts.

Tesla Roadster

Why not splurge on a James Bond-worthy, 100% electric, $100,000 Tesla Roadster, the sexiest eco-friendly car on the market? It can travel 244 miles on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack and goes up to 125 miles per hour. The 100th Tesla Roadster was sold just last week to the guy whose shoulder Oprah cried on during Obama’s victory speech, and if you get one for yourself, you’re joining the company of fellow owners George Clooney, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Luxury Eco Vacation to Dubai

The Presidential Suite at the Al Maha Eco Resort in Dubai will set you back a paltry $8,400 a night, appointed with all the luxuries an oil baron might enjoy – only they’re eco-friendly. Guests that stay here will enjoy three large bedrooms, a lounge, a private courtyard and swimming pool, fully appointed kitchen, two mini bars and your very own private staff including housekeeper, security and chef. A trained naturalist acts as your own private guide, taking you on tours of the Al Maha reserve. Al Maha preserves the desert habitat of Dubai and its native species, and has helped protect the formerly endangered Arabian oryx.

Biodegradeable Diamond-Studded LCD TV

The world’s most expensive television is available to you for just $130,000, and the good news is, its glass, aluminum and iron components are all either biodegradable or reusable. The bad news is, it doesn’t seem to use any less power than a normal television. But, hey, it’s studded with brilliant white V VS1 diamonds and white gold, such an important feature to have on a television. When you’re done with this luxury TV by Shaub Lorenz, you can strip it down and have them made into a necklace or something. It’s entirely handmade and has a 40-inch LCD display.

EcoMobile

If you’ve already got a Tesla Roadster and need something a little more streamlined to get around in, you might want to check out the EcoMobile by Swiss automaker Peraves.  This enclosed motorcycle, which can reach a top speed of 202 miles per hour in turbocharged mode, is ultra exclusive: Peraves only manufactures 100 per year. The $77,000 EcoMobile has stabilizing ‘training wheels’ that retract once the vehicle gets moving. It features a gull wing door with integrated sunroof and inside you’ll find everything you would expect from a luxury car, including air conditioning.

Lab-Grown Diamond Stud Earrings

Get the sparkle of diamonds without the guilt by purchasing eco-friendly, conflict-free lab-grown diamonds. These man-made diamonds are actually pretty rare, as only a handful of gem-quality diamonds are grown each month. No giant pits in the earth, no slave labor. This set of Ritani ‘Endless Love’ lab-grown diamond stud earrings feature .67 carat fancy blue diamonds surrounded by .15 carat white micro-pave diamonds set in platinum for $5,160.

Solar-Electric Hybrid Robot Lawnmower

The Husqvarna Automower runs on solar power and electricity to automatically roam your land and cut your grass for you while you lounge around sipping organic cocktails. Depending on light conditions it can handle 1,100 square meters without you lifting a finger. It’s ultra-quiet, can manage rough terrain and it even returns to its charging station on its own. It’ll set you back around $4,000.

Nature Preserve

(image via Forbes Traveler)

For the green millionaire who has everything, perhaps a parcel of land that you can turn into a nature preserve is just the thing you need this year. Follow in Leo DiCaprio’s footsteps by purchasing a private island with the intent of turning it into an ecotourism destination – Blackadore Cay in Belize only cost $1.75 million. Or, you could buy a few hundred thousand acres of rainforest and either manage it yourself or gift it to the country’s government for use as a national park.

A Look at the Paperless Newspapers of the Future

A Cambridge, Massachusetts company called E Ink is setting its sights on the future of newspapers, which they believe will be entirely electronic. E Ink has created a special viewing screen that doesn’t just contain text, like the Amazon Kindle and other e-readers – it can show 4-bit grayscale photos and videos as well, producing an effect similar to that seen in the movie ‘Minority Report’, and in those ‘magical newspapers’ in the Harry Potter movies.

From The Morning Sun:

The company, which has 120 employees in Cambridge, produces kits that other companies can adapt to their own e-reader devices — for example, the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. The most recent electronic paper, low-power screens feature black-and-white text and images.

Perhaps the company’s biggest coup was Esquire magazine’s October issue — its 75th anniversary issue — which featured an E Ink display on the cover with the blinking words: “The 21st century begins now.” The inside cover featured an E Ink-designed display featuring an advertisement for Ford Flex.

The display received accolades and plenty of press: The New York Times and Boston Globe did stories about the feat. But not all reviews were glowing. Wired magazine wrote on its blog, “…what is presented as the future of digital/print convergence is little more than ink mashed with some underutilized circuitry.”

E Ink believes that their technology will be a considerable asset to newspapers, which have seen their readerships decline and have been forced to lay off employees in huge numbers.  The technology could also be applied to books, including textbooks. The device allows for two-way interactivity, meaning you can write on the display and it will recognize what you write.

E Ink is currently testing its first all-plastic display, which they say has held up to military tests. They also plan to unveil screens capable of showing color video.

As a kid who grew up in the ‘80s, it’s so cool to see all this futuristic technology finally become reality. It seems like we’re really picking up the pace with all of this amazing tech that used to seem so far away. Exciting times!

Link [The Morning Sun]

Go Manual and Go Green!

In the last 50 years or so, most of us have gotten incredibly lazy – at least, in developed countries where automated and/or electricity-powered gadgets are readily available.  We don’t wash dishes or clothes by hand anymore.  We stand around while escalators and elevators lift us up to the next floor.  It makes one imagine a future where we’re all giant blobs floating around on moving platforms and can’t even walk for ourselves anymore.

Sure, all of these modern inventions save us time, but it’s cool to take some pride in manual work every now and then and actually make something happen with muscle power.  That’s why manual gadgets are so awesome.

You don’t have to hook up a crazy invention like the bike-powered washing machine above in order to take on some human-powered activities.  Manual lawnmowers, hand-operated paper shredders, coffee-bean grinders, hand-crank popcorn poppers and this stationary bike blender are all great examples. Save electricity and get some exercise all at once – go manual and go green, baby!

Link [PriceGrabber Blog]
Photo credit: Homeless Dave