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This ground breaking technology from Cunning Labs could be the most promising alternative energy innovation yet.  The system taps into the vast energy potential of the “High Five” to generate electrical energy. 

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For those who like to compartmentalize, French company Pinel & Pinel bring you Zen in a box with the Kibako Green Trunk.  Part of their collection of trunks that put everything you’d need in a box of some kind, the green trunk lets you garden in a trunk.  Outfitted with an 80w Osram horticultural light, two collection trays and a small arsenal of Bonsai cultivation tools, you’ll be stylin like Mr. Miyagi… only in a trunk not the motel maintenance room.

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Plug-in hybrids are exciting not only because they can reduce the cost (financial and environmental) of driving, but also because they could potentially lower the cost of powering a home and strengthen the power grid.

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Forest fires cause terrible devastation every year — not to mention the release of huge amounts of greenhouse gases. Stopping forest fires is hard enough, but what about detecting them before they get to be a problem?

Scientists at MIT have a possible solution. They propose creating a network of wireless sensors that would detect nascent fires and help prevent them before they get out of control.

Here’s the kicker: the sensors would be powered by the trees themselves.

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CFL bulbs may be energy-efficient, but they aren’t exactly known for their aesthetic beauty. Hulger rids CFL’s of their uninteresting reputation with Plumen bulbs. These energy-efficient bulbs, which were spotted at the UK’s 100% Design exhibition, are named for the “plumes” that hang from their pendant fittings.
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Fed up with reading about the current news? Take a moment to send a humorous e-card to your friends. The added bonus: e-cards are a great way to show people you care, without creating paper waste. Get this polar bear card, or check out the whole line of witty cards at someecards for any occasion.

Studio OOOMS, a quirky design firm from the Netherlands has come up with a way to bring nature back into the office with their Wooden USB stick. At just over a hundred dollars, they aren’t cheap, but consider it a functional piece of art. They can be found here in the U.S. at the Cooper Hewitt Design Shop. For another option, the MOMA design store has a realistic looking Squid USB Stick currently on sale. I think I might have to buy one for myself.

It’s still apple season on the east coast! Take advantage of this wonderful time of year and go apple picking this weekend! Many local orchards have ‘Pick Your Own’ hours, a wonderful opportunity for a family field trip. Supporting local orchards is a benefit to your community, and it also protects the varietals of apples by continuing to grow seed lines which have been preserved over generations. Rather than choosing from a few different kinds of apples at the supermarket, I stop at my local orchard, Applecrest farms, which grows more than forty different varieties of apples.

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Toshiba demonstrated its upcoming fuel cell-powered cell phone recently at the CEATEC Japan 2008 conference. The phone will use methanol fuel cells that charge with a dedicated cartridge. Apparently, the use of fuel cells combined with secondary batteries will make the overall battery life approximately double what it would be with a secondary battery alone.
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Switching over to reusable bags is a necessary change that we should all be making both a habit and a rule. Unfortunately, at times many people still find themselves with some extra plastic bags on their hands when they forget their reusables or from an unplanned shopping trip. Instead of guiltily throwing them out (Yes! I’ve seen people do that!), there are so many different ways to reuse them. *Ideally, the best methods of reuse are ways that will keep these bags out of the landfill the longest.*

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