Today I learned one use for human pee and debunked a myth about it while I did my research. Respectively, they are as follows:
I don’t think I need to cover the second point, since it’s pretty straightforward. The first point, on the other hand, is a different story.
Movies often depict how little girls look forward to their wedding day, even though it’s probably still decades away. That’s not always true because some women couldn’t care less how their weddings went, just as long as they ended up with the man (or even woman) of their dreams.
Then there’s women like Stephanie Watson. She planned and looked forward to her wedding for almost ten years, but with good reason: she was still collecting the ‘material’ for her wedding dress. It’s extravagant, it’s custom-made, and it’s truly one-of-a-kind. That’s because she made it herself using over 10,000 recycled bread bag clips.
When you saunter over to the field of human-powered two-wheeled locomotion, you realize that the options are plentiful. From the efficient speed machines of the road bike, to the spongy spring masters of the mountain bike, and everything in between. The Donky bike falls somewhere along this spectrum, becoming the urban dweller’s best friends. If you’ve eschewed the pleasures of an automobile for the more environmentally friendly bicycle, you’ll still need to ferry some loads form time to time. The Donky bike features a strong beam that bisects the frame and distributes weight evenly. None of that weight is carried on the handlebars like regular baskets, which means you’re free to transport relatively heavy loads without impairing ride dynamics too much. This, along with a tight turning radius, make it an obvious option for anyone wishing to live a greener, more efficient city life. It comes at a price however, as the Donky will set you back a hefty $800.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]
We feel that riding the hipster hate train is getting a little old. Not because we like them any more, but just because we get it already. So it’s with a little bit of nonchalance that we bring you news of what we would normally consider outrageous: £245 oak handlebars. Yeah, that’s about $387 for a wooden stick. Granted, it’s a very pretty stick, shaped properly and made to fit an over-sized (31.8mm) stem. Made by London-based Deer Runner, it is “crafted from 4mm plied oak oil treated for weather protection.” And the brakes? Hipsters don’t need no brakes, guys. They ride fixies, remember? That’s those bikes with just one gear and where deceleration is accomplished by pushing your feet in the opposite direction, in case you’re not familiar.
So yeah, $400 wooden handlebars. Hit the jump for more pictures and links.
By David Ponce
We’re putting the word amplifier between quotation marks because what you see above isn’t technically an amplifier but more like a horn. Although we do suppose it amplifies the sounds coming from the phone, so we’re just being a little pedantic. Whichever way you feel about the use of the word, one thing is certain: the Eco Amp is green. It’s completely made from FSC Certified 100% Post Consumer paper. You simply fold along some creases and in no time you have a little horn that fits right over the mouth of your phone and boosts sounds levels up by about 30dB. Unlike other iPhone amplifiers we’ve written about before, this one is very portable, very eco conscious and maybe even more importantly, very cheap: $8.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmag ]
By David Ponce
Recycling is usually a pretty boring business, one where newspapers will be turned into “70% post-consumer recycled toilet paper rolls.” Fun. But sometimes it can be pretty in an unexpected manner. The above iPhone back cover is made from leftover material from industrial skateboard manufacturing. Allegedly, the waste material from just one such factory can fill up to one city bus each week. Grove, a Portland, OR company takes some of that waste and carves and hand-finishes each back cover, ensuring that no two are exactly alike. It sticks to your iPhone 4/4S with 3M double-sided tape and will give your phone an eco-friendly technicolor vibe while protecting it from damage. It’s $50 a pop and ships in 2 to 4 weeks.
[ Product Page ]
By David Ponce
Gas electric hybrids don’t mean “pedestrian underpowered gas sippers” in the world of luxury race cars. The Porsche 918 Spyder is a prime example of this. While word of its existence is not new, early prototypes are now hitting the track and getting ready for production. The car now officially gets from 0 to 62mph in less than three seconds, and sets its top speed at a blistering 200mph. The combined power of the 4.6 litre V8 and the electric motors work out to a staggering 770 bhp, which propels the car through the Nurgburgring in 7 minutes and 22 seconds. This is a full 10 seconds faster than the Carrera GT. The body is light and rigid thanks to its carbon reinforced plastic monocoque and of course braking regenerates the battery while the ceramic brake system takes care of the bulk of the stoppage. And while these kinds of numbers would normally be associated with some serious gas guzzling… the 918 Spyder sips 3 litres per 100kms. This works out to 94mpg! Yeah, you’re not going to get that figure if you drive with your pedal to the metal, but no mileage figure ever refers to that driving style.
Now for the fun bit. Porsche is only making 918 of these, and chances are, you won’t be able to afford one. It’s expensive highway robbery: $845,000. Yeah, that’s almost a cool million.
[ Porsche's Website ] VIA [ Engadget ]
By David Ponce
We like to think of our planet as made up entirely of water. After all, over 70% of its surface is covered in H2O. But the truth is that there’s comparatively very little of it. We’re not saying there isn’t much water. Just that if you put all the water (the oceans, the lakes, the water in the air and frozen up in ice and snow) in one place and compare it to the volume of the entire planet, it ain’t much. As you can see in the image above, created by the US Geological Survey, all the earth’s water would make up a ball with a diameter of 860 miles. The Earth itself in comparison has a diameter of about 7,900 miles. 860 miles isn’t much: it’s the distance from Salt Lake City, Utak to Topeka, Kansas and represents a volume of 332.5 million cubic miles (mi3).
The USGS article that gave us the above picture also has a fascinating lists of water facts. Here’s one: “About 3,100 mi3 (12,900 km3) of water, mostly in the form of water vapor, is in the atmosphere at any one time. If it all fell as precipitation at once, the Earth would be covered with only about 1 inch of water.”
Want more, and links, hit the jump.
By David Ponce
BMW is going to town with their i8 cars. The above is the third instalment in their electric-gas hybrids: the i8 Spyder. It’s a shorter car, and one with two less spots for passengers. And one less roof. And while some might find it ugly, we think it looks awesome! Some specs:
96 kW/131 hp on the front, coupled with a 164 kW/223 hp gasoline engine on the back, which accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5 seconds, with a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
As far as fuel consumption goes, BMW claims 3 liters per 100 km (62 miles), with 30 kilometres (19 miles) of autonomy on electric power alone.
There’s even a rumour that BMW will stash two electric scooters in the trunk, though there aren’t much details on these. The New York Auto Show is coming up, and so is Beijing’s so we should have more information then. Considering BMW plans to make the other i8 cars, pretty much as-is, there’s a good chance that the Spyder version will see production at some point in the future, unlike so many such futuristic looking concepts.
VIA [ DVice ]
