LED-based lightbulbs are superior to incandescent and even CFL bulbs when it comes to energy efficiency and overall eco-friendliness, but they’re not a perfect alternative, at least not yet. In order to produce the equivalent amount of light as other bulbs, they use a cluster of small LEDs to boost the overall luminosity. But apparently those clusters create multiple shadows, and a projected silhouette (when the bulbs are shining on a wall for example) that’s not as aesthetically pleasing as incandescents or CFLs. Not exactly a huge issue plaguing most consumers given LED bulbs are still considerably more expensive than the alternatives, but apparently enough of one for Panasonic to dedicate some R&D dollars to improving their design.
What they came up with is a new LED bulb that features a single core resulting in cleaner shadows and more aesthetically pleasing silhouettes. Something I’m sure most consumers will demand one day. As far as I can tell they still use a multiple LED technique on the inside, they’re just being brought together in a new way that improves their overall performance. Like most LED bulbs the One-Core uses about 50% less power than a CFL, but apparently they also use about 15% less power than a traditional LED bulb, so the improvements are win-win all around. They’ll be available starting April 21 in two versions, with more options including different color temperatures and dispersion types coming later on.
It’s probably not going to get the job done if you spent your day wallowing around in a pigsty, but for reasonably soiled garments, this washing machine from Russell Hobbs has a ‘super rapid’ mode that can clean an entire load in just 12 minutes! The secret is apparently a twin jet system which blasts the load with water and detergent at the same time using two separate nozzles.
Not only does it apparently offer a better wash, but it can also reduce water usage by 15%. And since it’s running less, it also reduces energy consumption by 30%. That equates to saving the average family about 212,415 gallons of water over a lifetime, and 2 years and 4 months of time spent waiting for the washer to finish. That’s time that can be better spent living life and dirtying more laundry! ~$400(£247) for the 7kg model pictured above, and ~$520(£320) for a 9kg model.
They might not be the best accessory for really long bike trips, but if you only cycle to get to work or around the city, Blackburn’s FLEA bike lights will save you from ever having to replace batteries again. They come with a small USB dongle that attaches to any standard USB port, and once again thanks to the power of magnets you simply need to dock either the front or back light to charge them up.
On a single charge the front light, which spits out 40 lumens thanks to a set of 4 super-bright white LEDs, will run for 3 hours steady, or up to 5 hours flashing. While the back light with its 4 super-bright red LEDs will keep on keeping on for 6 hours steady and up to 12 hours flashing. In addition, an extra set of LEDs hidden under the logo on top of the lights will glow green, orange or red indicating their current charge level. ~$30 for the front and rear lights, sold separately.
I’m having a little trouble seeing why the Laundry Pod is better than just hand washing a couple of garments in your bathroom sink, but as an alternative to using a washing machine when you don’t have enough laundry for a full load, I guess it has merit. If you’ve ever used a salad spinner you pretty much get the idea of how the Laundry Pod works, and except for a larger capacity and a handy drainage tube, I don’t really see a difference between them.
The Laundry Pod can handle up to 6 garments at a time, presumably a mix of larger and smaller items, and once you’ve filled it with water and detergent you simply have to turn a crank on top for 2 to 3 minutes to clean a single load. The same process is done for rinsing, minus the detergent, and then once again for the ‘drying’ mode which is really just for wringing out as much water as you can before hanging them to dry. It’s probably a lot more useful when camping or traveling as a means to clean clothes between visits to a laundromat, and is expected to be available sometime in the late Spring.
What a difference a weekend can make. I came across this mobile power unit last week and kind of put it on the back burner, but after the events that have unfolded in Japan over just the past few days it seems like it could be one of the most useful tools for many parts of the country. Created by OS, a Japanese company with an expertise in retractable projector screens, the GSR-110B uses flexible solar cells developed by Fuji Electric Systems to create a mobile power unit that can be deployed in just seconds.
At just 3kg the GSR-110B is lightweight and easy to transport, but thanks to its retractable solar panel it can be set up anywhere, providing up to 40W off power in the right weather conditions. (16W directly from the solar panel itself, plus an additional 24W from the unit’s built-in rechargeable battery.) That’s enough juice to keep a netbook running for about two hours, and is definitely enough to charge a mobile phone. But if you need even more power, two of the units can be connected together for a combined output of 80W when needed. The GSR-110B started shipping back in January, and sells for ~$730 (¥60,000).
Eco-friendly reusable water bottles seem to be the preferred way to stay hydrated while saving the planet these days, but if you miss the simple pleasures of drinking out of a can, rest assured you haven’t been forgotten. Dig out those foam can cozies again because these Eco Cans are some of the first reusable cans on the market.
While it might look like a regular soda can, instead of aluminum they’re made from a biodegradable corn starch-like material called PLA. And while it’s safer for the environment when disposed of, these cans are designed to be used again and again. They’re actually double-wall insulated so they keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot, are microwave and dishwasher-friendly and even have a pop-up lid that looks just like a soda can ring pull. Though the top does screw off making it far easier to fill. Available from Firebox.com for ~$21 (£12.99).
The Easy-Bake Oven will probably go down in history not for its role in enforcing gender roles in children (why was it always pink? boys like baked goods too!) but as a testament to how horribly inefficient incandescent light bulbs were. All it took was the intense heat from a single 100 watt bulb to bake up miniature cakes and cookies, but starting in 2012, in the U.S. at least, aspiring pastry chefs won’t be able to get a replacement should theirs burn out.
It’s the result of a 2007 law that requires lighting to be more energy-efficient, something incandescent bulbs were never designed to be. But the ban hasn’t put the last nail in the Easy-Bake Oven’s coffin just yet. Definitely not. In the fall of this year Hasbro will be releasing the Easy Bake Ultimate Oven which comes with a dedicated heating element instead of a light bulb. Besides being more eco-friendly, the new version of the Easy-Bake will function more like its real-life and full-size oven counterparts, expanding a tiny chef’s repertoire to include dishes like pretzels and pizzas. A fine example of turning lemons into lemonade!
Sometimes mother nature doesn’t always deliver rain, or enough of it, when it’s needed. But instead of tapping into your city’s water supply to keep your begonias blooming, the RainPerfect kit is a completely self-contained, eco-friendly watering solution.
Well, technically you do need to provide a water barrel for collecting rain, but the RainPerfect kit comes with everything else you’ll need including a solar-powered rechargeable pump that’s capable of sending 100 gallons of water at 13PSI through your hose on a single 8-hour charge. The kit will set you back ~$150, but when you consider that it theoretically won’t be adding to your water or electrical bill, it’s probably one of those things that will pay for itself over time.
I feel the same way about kid-sized furniture as I do about kid-sized designer clothes. Sure they both might look adorable, but what’s the point of spending all that money when your child is going to grow out of them in just a few months? But easy-to-assemble yet disposable cardboard furniture? Well that makes a lot more sense. This simple table and stools set can be put together without the need for any glue or adhesives, and when assembled the table can support up to 315lbs, while the stools can each support up to 750lbs! So adults are able to use them right alongside their kids.
As an added bonus, you have no reason to flip out if your progeny takes a black Sharpie to them to create their own custom designs, since refinishing cardboard furniture is a lot cheaper than refinishing the real thing. I just wish this set didn’t run $150 which pretty much cancels out all the advantages of buying cardboard furniture in the first place…
Related Tags: Eco-friendly, LEDs, Lighting
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