Earth Friendly - SlashGear

‘earth friendly’ Stories

BMW i3 and i8 launch new Earth-Friendly sub-brand

Chris Davies, Feb 21st 2011 Discuss [0]

It's obviously the day for eco-luxury cars; in Rolls Royce's tire tracks comes BMW i, a new sub-brand by the German car manufacturer (which, of course, actually owns the RR marque) with a pair of concept cars and the promise of "sustainable, premium mobility." The BMW i3 and i8 may sound like Intel processors, but they're actually expected to launch in 2013. Read The Full Story

Rolls Royce 102EX goes all-electric [Video]

Chris Davies, Feb 21st 2011 Discuss [1]

Rolls Royce is dipping a wheel into electric vehicles, with the debut of the Rolls Royce 102EX. Described as a "working test-bed" for alternative drive-train technologies, the 102EX is based on the existing Phantom but switches the 6.75-liter engine for an unspecified all-electric powertrain. Read The Full Story

Raindrop Mini turns downspout into eco-friendly water collector

Chris Davies, Jan 24th 2011 Discuss [0]

A compact way to modify downspouts for collecting water is now available, promising eco-friendly thirst quenching for apartment gardens. The Raindrop Mini by Studio Bas Van der Veer fits in-line with the drainpipe and channels rainwater into a removable jug; rather than demanding you accomodate a water-butt, water is collected into the watering can itself. Read The Full Story

Windpower winners Vestas give $1.5m prize to runners-up

Chris Davies, Jan 19th 2011 Discuss [0]

Wind turbine specialist Vestas has surprised the eco-energy community by giving away a $1.5m prize the company won for its green innovation to the unrewarded runners-up. Vestas - which is globally the largest windpower company - took first place in the Zayed Future Energy Prize, but company execs chose to redistribute the money after realising much smaller ventures would go without. "We quickly decided that we should seize the opportunity to extend the influence of the prize through redistributing the cash award to others" CEO Ditlev Engel told the Guardian. Read The Full Story

ELP energy-monitoring system allows remote appliance control [Video]

Chris Davies, Dec 29th 2010 Discuss [0]

A new energy-monitoring system promises to make tracking individual appliance electricity use straightforward, as well as allowing users to not only view data from their smartphone but remotely shut down greedy devices. The Energy Literacy Platform, a Tokyo-based startup, use compact ELP Modules which plug inline between appliances and AC sockets; they link wirelessly to an ELP Receiver that uploads stats to the ELP server. Video demo after the cut Read The Full Story

Jelloware edible cups go from concept to Kickstarter

Chris Davies, Dec 27th 2010 Discuss [1]

Back in July we wrote about design firm The Way We See The World's Jell-O cups, which could not only hold drinks but be eaten afterwards or dropped onto the grass whereupon they'd degrade into nutrient-rich mush. After plentiful public demand, the concept has spawned Jelloware, a Kickstarter project to bring the biodegradable, edible beakers to market. Read The Full Story

Nissan Leaf CARWINGS turns driving into an eco-competition

Chris Davies, Dec 27th 2010 Discuss [2]

Nissan has found a way to take advantage of the competition between eco-conscious drivers to promote fuel-efficient use of its new Leaf electric vehicle. The Leaf's CARWINGS telematics system includes an app, the My Nissan Leaf forum discovered, that not only tracks individual efficiency but compares it with other Leaf drivers in the region. Read The Full Story

Motorola Citrus hits Verizon November 11 for $50

Chris Davies, Nov 10th 2010 Discuss [0]

It's not exactly going to shake the Android marketplace to its core, but Motorola's new Citrus should make an interesting bargain splash when it arrives on Verizon tomorrow, November 11. Priced at $49.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate, and assuming a new, two-year data contract), the Citrus has a compact 3-inch touchscreen, rear-mounted BACKTRACK trackpad and is made from 25-percent post-consumer recycled plastic. Read The Full Story

Sinclair X-1 electric bike channels classic C5

Chris Davies, Nov 4th 2010 Discuss [2]

Sinclair is best known for the classic ZX81 microcomputer, the barmy C5 mobility scooter, and the rucksack-friendly A-Bike, but British inventor Clive Sinclair isn't done yet. His latest urban transport idea is the Sinclair X-1, a £595 ($968) battery-powered (but pedal-assisted) buggy with a large acrylic bubble. Read The Full Story

AUO demo touchscreen solar laptop keyboard & tablet/notebook glasses-free 3D panels

Chris Davies, Nov 3rd 2010 Discuss [1]

Logitech were pretty proud of their K750 wireless solar keyboard, but AU Optronics is planning to best them at the upcoming FPD International expo with a 14-inch solar-powered touch keyboard solution for notebooks. Basically a touchscreen display for a virtual keyboard, integrated into a solar panel, the new tech will go on show alongside AUO's new 10.1- and 15.6-inch glasses-free 3D panels. Read The Full Story

Bloom notebook concept dismantles in 120 seconds [Video]

Chris Davies, Nov 1st 2010 Discuss [1]

It's a sad fact of life that, while we give plenty of thought to our gadgets when they're shiny and new, we don't tend to consider what happens at the other end of their life-cycle. An engineering class at Stanford and Finland's Aalto University think they've come up with a solution, for laptops at least, with their Bloom notebook: it can be disassembled in just two minutes, without tools and in just 10 steps. Video demo after the cut Read The Full Story

Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 bypasses batteries

Chris Davies, Nov 1st 2010 Discuss [3]

Logitech has unveiled its latest keyboard, the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750, and as the name suggests it relies on the sun for its power. Looking a little like an oversized solar calculator, the K750 is a 1/3-inch thick but can run for up to three months in total darkness (after a full charge, of course). Read The Full Story