Go Green! - Latest Eco-Friendly Gadgets

Nowadays, people tend to become more environment conscious. But who doesn't, i mean, we are already experiencing the horrifying effects of global warming. Effects such as climate change, now when i think of it, probably, snow will fall in the Philippines. And then we'll have winter, then will have winter events and then probably, the Philippines will be hosting Winter Olympics. Now that's what you call day dreaming.

Anyway, since people are now becoming more Greener, literally and figuratively, big multinational companies are trying to take advantage of this opportunity. They are now trying to infuse their latest technology into earth-friendly materials. And here are some of these cool gadgets.

SimpleTech [re]drive

You don't normally associate external hard drives with eco-friendly technology, but that's exactly where this SimpleTech [re]drive comes in. It promises a 25 per cent cut on your energy consumption and comes with a case made from a mixture of tree-hugger's favourite bamboo, and recycled aluminium. It should even make your local environment a teensy bit nicer - it's been designed to work without a noisy fan. The SimpleTech [re]drive can store up to 500GB's worth of files and is Mac OS X and Windows compatible, sporting a Turbo USB 2.0 connection. - techradar.com


EarthDrive

ATP is claiming a double-first for its EarthDrive - its the first USB stick to be made from recycled materials, which in turn can also be recycled themselves. That's in part due to the fact that the EarthDrive's housing is made from a biodegradable polyester called Polylactic Acid, which in turn is derived from corn. The EarthDrive is available in wide range of sizes from 1GB to 16GB and is USB 2.0 / 1.1 compliant. It's also been designed to be completely waterproof, dustproof and shockproof. It's a winner, then, all round. - techradar.com


MOTO 233 Renew

First shown at CES 2009, the MOTO 233 Renew boasts eco-credentials aplenty. Its case has been made from recycled plastic bottles, and is itself 100 per cent recyclable; and it's the world's first first phone to be truly carbon neutral - Motorola offsets the environmental impact of its manufacture, distribution and use thanks to an alliance with the Carbonfund.org. Key features include a 4cm colour display, 2GB of removable memory and, dual-band GSM network connectivity and a built-in MP3 player. Motorola says the battery will last for up to 19 days between recharges; or 9 hours if you make a lot of calls. The MOTO 233 Renew is currently only available in the US, but it should make its debut here within the next few months. - techradar.com

Sony Vaio W series' Eco

For a start, the laptop no longer comes in a box but a bag. And not just any bag but one which is made from recycled plastic which saves on CO2 emissions in production. So far so green.

The Sony Vaio W series' planet-saving attributes don't just end there, though, as the computers chassis is made from 80 per cent recyclable material. Essentially, most of what you see has been either a CD or DVD at some point in its life.

As this means that the polycarbonate is a big feature on this Vaio – a material set to rise significantly in price – it will be interesting to see what price-point Sony will come up with for the diminutive device. Something the company is so far hush-hush on.

The computer itself houses a 10.1-inch screen but is not a netbook – well, not in Sony's eyes anyway.

Coming equipped with an Intel Atom N450 processor (1.66GHz) and 1GB of memory, for its size the computer is a speedy little thing.

The screen is bright, using LED technology and packing resolution of 1366 x 768 and when it comes to weight, it's a rather lean 1.32kg.

The overall look of the machine is definitely desirable. Although the slight green tint may put off some punters it will remind you constantly that you are being GREEN! - techradar.com

KIA Ray Concept

The 4-door, 4-seat Ray concept is a compact sedan based on the Forte platform. It’s the fifth vehicle to come from Kia Design Center America in Irvine, California, over the last year. The Ray concept uses lightweight materials throughout (many which are recycled) to aid in the car’s efficiency, along with solar cells embedded into the roof-top glass panel that power the climate control system. The roof also features glazing materials said to “dramatically” reduce heat in an effort to keep the interior cool.

The Ray’s exterior shape was inspired from aircraft design to achieve the utmost in aerodynamics, while a one-piece integrated underbody panel and narrow tires (195/50-20s) contribute to its drag coefficient of 0.25. Other notable features include driving lamps which slide rearward to form air intakes for the Ray’s internal combustion engine, and a rear decklid which extends at higher speeds. Sideview mirror and door handle duties are taken care of by flush-mounted motion-detector cameras.

If built, Kia says the Ray’s drivetrain could consist of a 153-bhp 1.4-liter Gasoline Direct Injected (GDI) 4-cylinder, a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and a 78-kW electric motor fed by lithium-ion polymer batteries. Power can be sent to the front wheels via the electric motor, the gasoline engine, or both. Kia claims the Ray concept can drive 50 miles on pure electric power. As a plug-in HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), the Ray, according to Kia, delivers 202 mpg; as a pure HEV, it returns 77.6 mpg. Total range is 746 miles. Top speed is 109 mph. - yahoo! autos

Now, imagine a city of fresh air, tall trees, blue and clear skies, clean waters.... definitely not Manila! Let's do our share in rebuilding our planet by reducing our carbon footprints! Go Green!