Ariel Schwartz | greenUPGRADER

Stay Warm with the Brick LEGO Radiator

by Ariel Schwartz on October 17th, 2008

If your hankering for LEGOs hasn’t diminished since childhood, this LEGO-style radiator may be for you. Aside from just looking cool, the radiator is actually very efficient.

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Posted in Home+Decor 3 Comments

Hulger’s Plumen Bulbs Turn CFL’s Into Art

by Ariel Schwartz on October 7th, 2008

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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Posted in Home+Decor 2 Comments

Fuel Cell-Powered Cell Phone Coming Soon

by Ariel Schwartz on October 2nd, 2008

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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Posted in Gear+Gadgets 4 Comments

iYo Yo-Yo Makes Charging Electronics Fun

by Ariel Schwartz on September 23rd, 2008

Swedish designer Peter Thuvander has thought up one of the most interesting gadget charger designs I’ve seen in awhile. The iYo Yo Yo is—you guessed it—a yo-yo that charges electronic devices. The yo-yo, which is still only in the concept phase, stores energy in a lithium-ion battery which can be used to charge your iPod [...]

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