Greener Gadgets finalists available for purchase now
Several of the finalists from this years Greener Gadgets Design competition are actually available now. Many of the design finalists are only in the concept design stage or have not made it to retailers. There are five that you can purchase: the Automan 500, the Econav 480, the EnergyHub Dashboard, the Go Mechanical Charger and the RollerGen.
Part of the Greener Gadgets Conference that was held in New York on February 25, 2010, was the design competition. The original submissions were posted online for public voting to winnow the field down to the 18 finalists.
The Automan 500 Subwoofer can by purchased by commissioning the piece from Bon ECO. The subwoofer is made from a used stock car tire. The cushions are made from locally sourced fibers and materials. Some of the versions of the Automan 500 use other recycled material such as used bicycle tires, and used truck intertubes. Used buckles are also used at times. All of the pieces are assembled by local artisans and workers. Since these are individually handmade, you can bet it is going to be expensive.
The Econav 480 can be purchased through a variety of vendors in the UK and Spain. This gadget incorporates typical navigation technology with technology that helps you optimize your driving for your particular car. You enter in the make, model, year and whether it is a gas or diesel vehicle. Then the Econav 480 will tell you the right gear to use, best speed to use at every given moment. It will also tell you if you are accelerating or braking too quickly or too slowly to optimize your gas mileage and reduce your emissions. All of this information is provided in real time and in a split screen format.
The EnergyHub Dashboard is not yet available but you can get on a waiting list to receive the technology through your electric company. The dashboard allows you to access and control smart plugs and smart strips so that you can adjust the temperature of your home, turn lights, appliances, and gadgets off or on depending on the time, or when you leave and return home. You don’t have to go around your house pulling plugs or flipping on/off switches, you can do it all with one gadget. The dashboard is connect to all of these other items using wireless.
The Go Mechanical Charger by Elephant Design in India is an inexpensive charger that will charge your phone or small gadget. There are two mechanical ways to operate the charger. You can crank it or you can roll it. It was designed so that you can use it with one hand so that you can use the other to make calls. Rolling it on your pants, a wall, desk, dashboard or any other available surface will allow you to charge your phone while using it. Using the hand crank provides a longer charge for your phone. It is made from recycled and reclaimed materials. You can buy this gadget from Gadgets.in or Home Shop 18.
The final finalist is RollerGen. It is composed of a special rear bike rack that has a “dynamo” attached. A wheel can be lowered onto the rear bike tire or raised off of it by using a convenient handlebar switch. The rack has a power module that allows you to charge a gadget and a Battery BOS, portable power source. Simple to mount. Simple to use. You can purchase the RollerGen here.
All of these innovative gadgets are available now, environmentally friendly and for the most part affordable. Can’t beat that.
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