Someone please tell me when will the fad for pseudo-futuristic retro organic idiocy go away?! Feast your eyes on this sample of architectural masturbation by Victor Vetterlein, cleverly titled Reboot (that’s what you do after too many beers or reading about this utopian tripe). Yes it’s another fully autonomous organically…
I have an addiction to solar gadgets and rechargeable batteries. So when you combine the two you have a winner in my book. This unit costs less than $24 at Amazon, and charges D (UM-1), C(UM-2), AA (UM-3), and AAA (UM-4) size batteries. The solar panel is built into the…
Far Niente, a Napa Valley winery, paid quite a bit of money for the first floating solar farm. The 1000 (plus another 1300 panels next to the pond) panels are floating on pontoons and provide about 4000 kilowatts of energy at peak. Seems wineries are very eco-conscious, or have tons…
This Dutch built solar powered boat claims to be the world’s first solar speedboat. The boat is named the Czeers MK1 and can reach speeds up to 30 knots (35MPH). The 10-meter speed boat was built by the Delft Technical University Solarboat Team. The boat appears to be about made…
If the backpack isn’t your style, you could always try the solar briefcase. The briefcase opens to show two panels rated at 13W. The unit can charge a typical cellphone in about an hour, under peak conditions. The unit is not light at 11 pounds, but seems pretty sturdy and…
We have seen power devices that use a crank, wind, and sun, but pedal power is new to me. Power up your electronic gadgets while burning some chub off of your butt. The Japanese Rakuten charger is powered by pedal energy. Use your feet or your hands to crank out…
As far as useful gadgets go… the Eton Solarlink FR500 is pretty handy. You get a radio, rechargeable batteries that recharge from the wall, solar, or hand crank, and a flashlight, NOAA weather, and more… Not bad for under $80 at Amazon. AM (520-1700 KHz), FM (88-108 MHz), Shortwave (6000-12100…
I love just about everything solar… and oddly enough I really like air purifiers… which is why this gadget made it up on the site. Even though it is a a neat idea for a “vehicle” air purifier, I don’t think too many people are going to stick something this…
HyMini is a handheld universal charger, for those too cool for solar. The gadget starts charging at a minimum wind speed of 9 MPH and a maximum wind speed of 40 MPH. Speaking of MPH, I imagine this thing implodes at 41 MPH shooting Chinese plastic shards everywhere. Be careful.…
Sure solar roof tiles are not exactly new… however SRS Energy has taken the solar roof tile to the next level. They have taken a smart approach to the reality of “what it takes” to get them installed, by making the tiles more contractor friendly. The tiles are delivered to…