Each day at work while I eat my lunch, I hop on Slashdot and see what the latest buzz is in the IT world. I think I read the tech news because it's more interesting to me and less depressing than the real news. Today I ran across the results of a competition that I hadn't yet heard of and the contenders that made it to the top two positions really caught my interest. In classic Miss America form, I'll proceed with the runner-up first, then the grand prize winner:

Second Place

http://www.core77.com/competitions/greenergadgets/projects/4306/ (Hit Ctrl+A to read the description)

Behold the stunning Gravia!

The Gravia is a concept floor lamp (around 4 feet tall) that uses a falling weight to turn a generator that produces the electricity to give off light equivalent to about a 40 watt bulb. Once the weight reaches the floor (after 4 hours), you place the weight back at the top and you have another 4 hours of light.

This is one of those concepts that I wish was a reality and I wish only cost $20 so I could buy one. Because it has a beautiful design, I think this product would do very well if reasonably priced since appearance is so key in a decision to purchase. Stepping past its attractive looks, I'm impressed by the mechanism that converts the potential energy of the weight to the kinetic energy of the weight dropping, then to the electrical energy that powers the LEDs. While I would have imagined the weight falling much faster than 4 feet in 4 hours, the machine is designed to use gearing and resistance to slow the fall as much as possible.

Make me one. Now.

And speaking of making me one, a DIY project made:

First Place

http://www.core77.com/competitions/greenergadgets/projects/4621/ (Hit Ctrl+A to read the description)

This is a homemade product that plugs into your wall outlet that you then plug your electrical devices into. The display shows the amount of energy your device is consuming at any given time, i.e. if you plug in a lamp that uses a 40 watt light bulb you should, theoretically see "40" on the display. Making sure that your light bulb is consuming its proper amount of energy is not very useful but the value of the EnerJar becomes much more apparent when monitoring more complex devices such as your computer, a DVD player, a TV, etc.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to sell this thing...I'm just so excited to get started on building my own! I've been wanting a power monitor for quite some time but haven't been able to justify the cost. Now that these plans are available, I have a low-cost project that won't require as much time as if I'd sat down and engineered the circuits from scratch. Plus, not having to design the circuits gives me a bit of additional time to see if I can shrink everything to fit inside one of the hundred-or-so baby-food jars we have sitting around.

I plan to post pics of my progress once I get started on my EnerJar so check back in a couple of weeks or so!

Labels: environment, product reviews

Today, my son and I took a side-trip to Target while we were in town. We very rarely get to spend time alone together, at least not since I met Aaron. (Yes, I was a single parent for one year and seven months.) I rather miss the sound of his bright and happy chatter as we look at all the colors and shapes together in the store. Since the last time we shopped alone, nearly two and a half years ago at a guess, he wasn't able to talk, this trip seemed a little different. He pattered on about the numbers on the checkout lanes and the colors of the peaches.

While he was seemingly impressed by everything in the aisles, I was struck by one object. Now, this teapot was not expensive. If it is a brand name, it is one I've never heard of before (although this would not be unusual as I've never kept up with trends, but I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say it isn't). However, this simple little teapot is beautiful. It's elegant, even. So, what's a girl to do when she finds a teapot with a glass infuser (which she's been searching for over the past several weeks)? Well, buy it, of course. And as soon as I get my birthday present, I'll be sure to take several (hundred) pictures of it.

What other products do I have to share? Well, I've got the pot, but I'm still waiting for my tea to arrive. Jory, my friend of ten years for whom I have ridiculous nicknames like Mein Joryschnitzel, or Jorykins, introduced me to genmai cha from Adagio. I like. I like a lot.

Last, when a girl is sipping tea that makes her tastebuds sing from her beautiful elegant teapot, she must do it in style. My mother procured a $50 gift certificate to Uncommon Goods and gave it to me for Christmas. Wow. What a gift. (No, really. I love it.) It took me two months, but I found something I really wanted. And then something else I really wanted. But what I actually ended up getting... well, that's this. (The blue and green earrings, only, although I really like that necklace too.) What I love the most about Uncommon Goods is that a lot of their products are hand made by crafters using recycled materials. Pretty neat!

Wrapping up my product highlights, all I have to say is 'Th-th-th-that's all folks!"

Labels: environment, product reviews