This week on TreeHugger, how ants and other animals will change our computers, cars and commute, we visit Maker Faire, buildings shaped like Nintendo DS, showers that heat their own water, and more! More »
TreeHugger – Nintendo DS – Games – Maker Faire – Best of Treehugger
This week on TreeHugger, the newest electric cars, solar powered dogs, cardboard computers, self-assembling solar cells, and how Apple will control your energy in the near future.
LG Unveils New Flexible e-Ink Newspaper, No One Gets Excited
LG, for reasons no one has been able to really guess yet, decided to wait until after CES to announce their newest digital contraption intended to take the place of newspapers – a 19″ flexible digital display.
Hi-Tech, Satellite-Controlled Robot ‘Gliders’ to Scour Ocean Depths Up to 3,280 Ft
Sure, they look like torpedoes. But they’re so much more useful. They cruise the ocean, exploring depths of over 1000 meters (3,280 ft)—and they use only as much energy as bike light in the process. A fleet of these robot gliders, which move across the ocean’s surface like a sailplane, is being massed for their first ‘swarm’ mission in the tropical Atlantic.
Acer Unveils New Aspires As Their Greenest Laptops
Acer has launched two new notebooks, Acer Aspire 3811TZ and Aspire 3811TZG. They’re part of the Timeline series, which touts a 40% energy efficiency improvement over traditional laptops, and these two notebooks are free of two toxic materials that many companies either have, or are working to eliminate from their laptop lineups as well.
Advocates for Electronics Producer Responsibility Speak Out Against NYC e-Waste Lawsuit
The e-waste collection battle heats up in New York City. Get the latest information from those who are backing the city’s plan to have gadget producers pick up the tab – and the devices – from city residents who want to recycle.
Apple May Help Slice Home Energy Use With Smart Grid Project
Apple is going after the low-hanging fruit, and mulling a move into the energy management market. The company is developing a system to help you regulate and decrease the amount of power you use in your home.
2010 Detroit Auto Show: BMW ActiveE Electric Car
Most of you probably know about the MINI-E, an electric version of the MINI made by BMW to do real-world EV testing (and exploit a CARB loophole, some say). BMW says that it will repeat the experiment, but this time with the ActiveE, a converted BMW series 1 coupe. Get the latest on this, and many other electronic and hybrid car information from the Detroit Auto Show
Cardboard PC Concept Case Becomes Reality, Goes Into Mass Production
Remember a year ago when we showed you the ReCompute cardboard PC case dreamed up by designer Brenden Macaluso? We didn’t think it was too hot of an idea but it looks like it got the support from elsewhere because the ReCompute has gone into mass production.
The Causeworld Mobile App: Go Shopping, Earn Karma, Save the Planet
It’s called Causeworld and here’s how it works: download the app for your iPhone or Android device, walk into a store and “check in” on your phone (geotagging helps determine where you’re at), as you earn Karmas you spend them on causes like carbon offsets and tree planting. You don’t actually have to buy anything, just divulge that you’ve set foot in that particular department store, grocery, hardware store, Abercrombie, etc. Corporate sponsors pony up the dough, you just decide how it’s divvied up.
Self-Assembling Solar Cells Take Cue From Salad Dressing
The principle behind these self-assembling solar cells is one which I imagine every person who reads this is familiar with: Until you mix it together salad dressing stays neatly separated. Now take that idea—the hydrophobic and hydrophilic qualities of two liquids—apply it to manufacture of solar cells and you get a glimpse of the genius of this. Heiko Jacobs and Robert Knuesel, writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate that it can be done.
Solar Powered Dog Sweater Gathers Power From Your Pooch (Video)
How can you make your dog earn it’s keep? Tape a solar cell to its sweater and add a battery pack to its collar, then send it outside. That’s what Erik Schiegg has done with his Solar Dog prototype invention. Check out how your dog could be the solution to your charging woes.
TreeHugger’s EcoModo column appears every Tuesday on Gizmodo.
This week on TreeHugger, the most awesome maps that are making us change how we look at the world, scientists try to mimic cockroach’s brainless running, turning pee into hydrogen power, and more!
Yellow Power: Making Hydrogen From Pee
We do go on about the benefits of urine separating toilets, and how we have to redesign our plumbing systems to scale up dry composting and pee separation. Now we have another great reason to convert to urine separating toilets: It might become a great source of hydrogen.
22 Most Amazing Maps Changing How We See The World
we’ve gathered up some of the most impressive maps we saw over the year, from interactive maps, to those that please the eye, to those that tried to make a difference in the world. Enjoy!
Microsoft Debuts Environmental Atlas of Europe
From shipping routes opening up through the ice of the Baltic Sea to a massive plankton bloom off the coast of Ireland, from diminishing reindeer herds in Finland, satellite images of the changes global warming is bringing to Europe are being deployed online.
Just What We Needed Dept: Birdwatchcam Takes Pictures For Birdwatchers Short On Time
Touted as a device for avid birdwatchers who don’t have time to get out in the field, the Birdwatchercam can be mounted to a tree to track your feathered friends. But, if you’re an avid birdwatcher, wouldn’t you rather see the birds? Well, if you lack the time, here’s a gadget you might be interested in.
LED Light Bulb Aims Light Only Where You Want It
Designer Seokjae Rhee has come up with an interesting idea for an LED bulb that can light up a room only where you want it to. With a remote control, you can aim the light in a particular direction or adjust the range of the light.
Scientists Look to Cockroaches as Biomimicry Solution for Super Powered Running Robots
It isn’t just the capability of getting over rocky areas or moving quickly that scientists want to mimic – it’s also a cockroach’s brainless ability to zip from here to there that the researchers are after.
Guy Adds Boat Tail to Car, Increases MPG by 15.1%
Darin Cosgrove has increased the fuel efficiency of his car by 15.1% by adding a homemade boat tail made from cardboard, aluminum and duct tape to the vehicle.
10 Top Techy Tools for Easy Sustainable Eating
Luckily, in our tech-savvy world, we have access to some great online and electronic tools that help us eat more eco-friendly without adding any hassle to our daily lives.
TreeHugger’s EcoModo column appears every week on Gizmodo.
