It’s hard enough being tied to your cell phone without having to worry about getting the “Low Battery Icon of Death” right in the middle of an important task – and charging up via wall outlets takes forever. Eesha Khare of Saratoga, California has invented a device that could wipe away battery bothers with a supercapacitor that can charge your phone in 20 seconds. Her research won her a $50,000 prize in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

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Post tags: Arizona, battery, California, cell phone, charger, eesha khare, intel international science and engineering fair, led light, phoenix, saratoga, supercapacitor, tesla, young scientist award

The Window Socket is an idea so fabulously simple, it’s slightly amazing that we haven’t seen one before. Designed by Kyuho Song & Boa Oh, the charger sticks to a window and draws solar power to an internal battery, which enables one to either plug in small devices to the outlet right there and then, or save the stored power for use during night time hours.

Read the rest of Window Socket: Portable Solar-Powered Outlet Sticks to Windows, Charges Small Electronics

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Post tags: Boa Oh, green energy, Kyuho Song, off grid charger, off grid living, portable outlet, portable socket, portable solar, solar battery, solar charger, solar devices, window socket

Out in the wilderness, there are few places to charge electronic devices. Those who are looking to slim down their packs and consolidate their GPS, maps, books, and radios into  one rugged machine may want to check out Earl, the world’s first backcountry survival tablet. Solar powered and able to withstand dust, mud, and shock, this hearty companion is currently looking for some crowdsourcing support to get it out onto the trail.

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Post tags: android application, backcountry, bluetooth, crowdsourcing, e-ink touchscreen, earl, epub, frs, gmrs, gps, mobi, murs, NOAA, pdf, radio, same, survival tablet, wilderness

Read the rest of 13 Things We Learned from Some of the World’s Smartest People at Fortune Brainstorm Green 2013

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Post tags: adam lashinsky, andy ruben, andy serwer, aron cramer, Bea Perez, Beyond Meat, brian dumaine, brightfarms, Clarence Otis, Coca Cola, coca cola Chief Sustainability Officer, Cynthia Warner, dan akerson, Darden Restaurants, dean kamen, ebay, Fortune, Fortune Brainstorm Green, fortune green, Fortune Magazine, General Mills, geoff colvin, GM, hannah jones, harrison ford conservation international, Harrison Ford harrison ford green, ikea, iPod inventor, jib ellison, Joe Taylor, John Donahoe, Ken Powell, leigh gallagher, linda greer, marc gunther, natalie allen, nest, Nike, NRG, panasonic north america, Patagonia, Peter Seligmann, pk clean, priyanka bakaya, Procter & Gamble, rick ridgeway, Robert McDonald, Rosalind Brewer, Sam's Club, Sapphire Energy, Steve Howard, surepure, teresa law, Tony Fadell, will sarni, Will.i.am, Yerdle

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Post tags: eco technology, energy-efficient homes, green home, green technology, green your home, healthy homes, home solar panels, LED bulbs, solar panels, ways to cut your energy bill, ways to green you home, ways to reduce energy use

Where there’s smoke there’s heat, and Point Source Power has figured out a way to harness that heat to charge your cell phone. The company’s new VOTO charger converts the heat generated from a fire to create power. It’s an amazing solution that could provide a power source for those who live in areas without power and backcountry campers alike.

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Post tags: camping cell phone charger, camping fire charger, camping light charger, fire cell phone charger, fire charger, fire light charger, heat charger, Point Source Power, Point Source Power VOLO, Point Source Power Voto, renewable energy charger, VOLO charger, VOTO, VOTO charger

From genetically-engineered glowing plants and 3D-printed food, it often seems that our technological reality had finally entered the realm of science fiction. But the way we interact with our computers and mobile devices hasn’t changed radically. Anew device from Thalmic Labs aims to change that. Meet the Myo, an armband that uses the body’s natural movements to manipulate electronics.

Read the rest of Myo is a Wearable Computer that Converts Movement into Digital Commands

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Post tags: 3d printed food, armband, digital command, Electricity, forearm, gesture, glowing plants, Google Glass, haptic feedback, microvolt, movement, muscle, myo, stephen lake, thalmic labs

If you prefer to keep your phone on silent but end up with a bunch of missed calls and unread messages, you will love this bendable smartphone! Designed by researchers at Queen’s University Human Media Lab in Canada, the MorePhone is a paper-thin smartphone that flexes when it receives a text or call. It is based on thin-film, flexible display technologies and organic user interfaces that allow computers to take any shape or form.

Read the rest of MorePhone: Paper-Thin, Flexible Smartphone Curls When it Receives a Call

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Post tags: flexible display technologies, flexible displays, flexible smartphone, green gadgets, human-computer interaction, MorePhone, organic user interfaces, Queen’s University Human Media Lab, smartphone technology, ultra thin smartphone

Just under a year ago, the brains over at the Morpholio Project released Morpholio, a mobile and web-based app that created a new platform for presentation, critique and collaboration. They then followed this up with Trace, a digital design tool that allows creatives to instantly draw on top of imported images or background templates and layer comments or ideas to generate intelligent sketches to be shared. Now they’re back again with Morpholio 2.0, a new suite of seven forward-thinking design tools. The app re-imagines the portfolio as a design utility, providing a means to share, discuss and get feedback on work from a global community of users.

Read the rest of Morpholio Builds on Their Design App with the Launch of ’7 New Tools for the Creative World’

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Post tags: 7 New Tools for the Creative World', architecture portfolio, columbia morpholio, custom portfolio, design a portfolio, design portfolio, digital portfolio, drawing apps, drawing software, modern portfolios, morpholio, morpholio 2.0, portfolio app, portfolio software, portfolios for architects, presentation and portfolios, presentation app, presentation for architects, trace, trace app, trace by morpholio, tracing apps, tracing software

BotObjects just unveiled the world’s first full-color desktop 3D printer – the ProDesk3D. Instead of producing monochromatic objects with a single piece of filament, the new ProDesk3D allows designers to pick a desired shade and quickly print the final product with a 5 color PLA re-usable cartridge system.

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Post tags: 3d printer, ABS, botobject, cartridge, color, desktop, fabrication, PLA, plastic, prodesk3d, pva, Rapid Prototyping

Inhabitat is reporting live from the Fortune Brainstorm Green conference today, where Verizon just announced a massive $100 million solar and fuel cell energy project that will provide power to 19 of its U.S. facilities. The project is expected to be complete next year, and it’s poised to generate more than 70 million kilowatt-hours of electricity – that’s enough to power more than 6,000 single-family homes each year.

Read the rest of Verizon Announces $100 Million Green Energy Project to Power 19 US Facilities

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Post tags: "solar energy", eco design, fuel cells, green design, green energy, Solar Power, sustainable design, verizon, verizon fuel cells, verizon green energy project, verizon launches green energy project, verizon solar power, verizon sustainability, verizon wireless

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Post tags: authority, body art, christ, etsy, found objects, goof vermeulen, jail, Netherlands, prison, punishment, spam, tattoo machine

A new bike-powered generator can help cyclists power their lives, “one pedal at a time”. The Siva Cycle Atom clips directly to your bike and harnesses your pedal-pushing energy, storing it in a rechargeable battery. Urban bikers can easily power their devices on the go by connecting them to a usb cord. Cyclists can nab their Atom by supporting the creators’ Kickstarter campaign.


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Post tags: bicycle generator, bike powered generator, eco design, green design, kinetic energy, lithium batteries, rechargeable kinetic generator, Siva Cycle Atom, sustainable design

The Singapore-based team behind the Portabee 3D printer recently launched a new personal Panther 3D printer made from parts of CNC machines. Touted as a “personal 3D printer that takes personal 3D manufacturing to the next level,” the cheap, entry-level device is built for precision output, utilizing a rigid and durable chassis constructed of aluminium with stainless-steel components.


Read the rest of Super Precise Panther 3D Printer is Made from High-Grade CNC Components

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Post tags: 3d modeling techniques, 3d printer, 3D Printer ideas, 3D printing, 3d printing technology, Design Software, digital fabrication, Panther 3D printer, personal 3d printer, Portabee 3D printer

UK teenager Patrick Kane just became the first person in the country to be fitted with latest version of Touch Bionics’ i-Limb Ultra- a prosthetic hand so advanced that it can be controlled via a smart phone app. The i-Limb Ultra can assume 24 different grips with the option of gradually increasing the strength of its grasp, and—according to its makers—it is currently the most advanced and anatomically correct artificial limb on the market.

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Post tags: artificial limbs, artificial skin, i-Limb Ultra, i-Limb Ultra prosthetic hand, innovative technology, prosthetic device, prosthetic fingers, prosthetic technology, prosthetics, smart phone apps, Touch Bionics

Carrera’s foldable bicycle helmet is a stylish piece of safety gear that neatly folds up to fit in your bag! The innovative helmets are made up of adjustable strips that provide a custom fit, making it more likely that the helmet will stay securely fastened should an accident occur.

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Post tags: bike helmets, bike safety, Carrera foldable bicycle helmet, eco design, green design, green transportation, sustainable design

At this year’s International CES, LG debuted its curved OLED TV to much excitement, although there was some initial uncertainty as to whether or not the technology would ever hit the market. LG’s Vice President of Home Entertainment Europe has now confirmed that the TV will be available for sale some time in the second half of 2013. With a five-degree turn of the panel, the screen helps to fill in the viewer’s peripheral vision, creating a more engaging experience.

Read the rest of LG to Begin Selling Curved OLED TVs Later This Year

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Post tags: curved screen, ea9800, high dynamic range, international ces, lg, OLED TV, smart touch control, wrgb

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Post tags: Coralie Bonnet, Design Stories, designersblock, designersblock Milan, Graffiti Embroidery, Helga Matos, Jorunn Hostoft, Meital Tzabari, Michael Randall, Milan Design Week, Milan Design Week 2013, Milan Furniture Fair, milan furniture fair 2013, natalie sampson, Nnuroj, Reconnect Suspension Lamp, Salone del mobile, salone del mobile 2013, The Cass London, WalterWorks

If you’ve always had trouble finding the perfect pair of headphones, this new 3D-printed iteration just might be music to your ears. Made with just a few simple elements, they combine 3D-printed parts with raw materials such wire, tape, solder and magnets. The designer, J.C. Karich, 3D-printed the speaker pieces, ear parts and even the plug, which can fit a standard jack connector. Although the headphones need a power amplifier to play music from a smartphone, Karich claims that the sound quality is actually better than expected.


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Post tags: 3D Printed Headphones, 3d printed products, 3D printers, 3D printing, 3d printing technology, digital fabrication, eco design, green design, J.C.Karich, J.C.Karich 3d printed headphones, jc karich, sustainable design

Read the rest of Take a Virtual Tour Through the 2013 HGTV Smart Home + See How You Can Win It!

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Post tags: energy monitoring, energy usage, green home, green interiors, green technology, hgtv, HGTV Sweepstakes, home monitoring, ipad home, Jack Thomasson, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, know your carbon footprint, locally sourced materials, native plants, paradise key, reclaimed wood, recycled carpet, Savant Systems, smart home, Smart Home 2013, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, zero-voc, zeroscaping

In the market for a new pair of headphones? Before you reach for those overpriced Beats by Dr. Dre (which are also made in China), consider wrapping your ears in a pair of LSTN’s gorgeous reclaimed wood headphones that also do good for the world. Ditching conventional synthetics, LSTN Headphones harness the acoustic properties of wood to create sounds as pure as those that come straight from a guitar, piano or violin. Each pair is individually handcrafted from reclaimed wood, and best of all, for every pair of LSTN Headphones sold, the company will donate proceeds from the purchase to one of their charity partners for the deaf — meaning one child with hearing loss receives medical attention and a custom fit hearing aid on your behalf. Purchase LSTN’s earbuds, on-ear headphones, or get a pair of their brand new Troubadour over-ear model (seen above) at www.lstnheadphones.com.

+ LSTN Headphones

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Post tags: cool headphones, eco friendly headphones, green electronics, green technology, high quality headphones, LSTN headphones, reclaimed wood headphones, wood earbuds, wood headphones

Ever wonder how hard you are cranking it on your bike? Matt Richardson knows exactly how fast he is going with his Raspberry Pi Dynamic Headlight that projects his speed in front of him. His prototype takes advantage of a sensor located on the wheel, Raspberry pie mounted on a balsa board hanging from the frame, and a projector clamped onto the handlebars. A USB charger powers the Raspberry Pi and the headlight. Richardson plans on adding some new visualizations to his next model, and possibly GPS capabilities. Just be careful to focus more on traffic than your personal best in a time trial!

+ Matt Richardson

Via Geekologie

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Post tags: bicycle, DIY, gps, matt richardson, projector, raspberry pi, raspberry pi dynamic bike headlight, speed, usb

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: We Talk to Lumio Folding Book Lamp Creator Max Gunawan

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Post tags: green lighting, kickstarter, kickstarter project, LED, lithium ion battery, Lumio, Lumio lamp, Max Gunawan, Sustainable, sustainable design

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Post tags: Biomimetic Design, BionicOpter Festo, BionicOpter robot dragonfly, festo, Festo flying robot, german design, German robotics, germany, Interactive Objects, remote-controlled robot, robotic animals, Robotic design, robotics, ultralight robot

The Apple rumor-mill is buzzing again, this time over plans for a new device that will really have legs. Actually, mostly arms: Apple’s iBot is still in early prototype stages, and focus has centered on the robot’s extraordinary upper body dexterity, which will enable it to be used not only in the Apple manufacturing process, but the device will also be made available to consumers themselves as an extension of Apple’s move into the home entertainment market.

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Post tags: "april fools", apple, apple ibot, Apple robot, apple robots, kid robots, manufacturing robots, robots, robots take over world