When is the last time you got excited about advances in ceramic tile technology? Get ready – Spanish tile manufacturer Ceracasa just unveiled a new breed of high-tech tiles that could cut your energy bill by 16%. The phase-changing tiles feature nano energy storage cells that excel at absorbing thermal energy – meaning they keep interior spaces comfortable for longer with less energy input from climate control systems. They’re also stain-proof and incorporate a glaze that breaks down bacteria and odors. We caught up with this promising passive building material on the floor of Cevisama 2011 – read on for an exclusive first look!
by: TreeHugger Design, 2011-02-17 15:10:11 UTC Images credit Lloyd Alter
This doesn't look like any factory I have ever been in. The interior street (curved, because architect William McDonough wanted the experience to change as it unfolded before you) is full of plants and amenities; there are no doors separating it from the factory floor. But as attractive as the pictures of Herman Miller's GreenHouse are, the real story is in the numbers, which are mind-boggling.
... Read the full story on TreeHugger
by: TreeHugger Design, 2011-02-17 17:24:40 UTC Image Credit Paul Raff Studio, Ben Rahn/A Frame
Regular readers will know that we tend to favour simple, non-mechanical methods of green design, like passive solar heating instead of, say, thermal solar collectors with evacuated tubes and pumps. One of the simplest and most elegant solutions to retain solar heat is the Trombe wall, where solar heat is collected and stored in a wall of high thermal mass, tempering the heat gain during the day and releasing it at night. One of the best modern examples is Paul Raff's slate covered Trombe wall in a Read the full story on TreeHugger
Announced recently, and launching in its first market in South Africa this week, Vodafone's Webbox is a curious halfway-house device that will, nevertheless, elicit chills of nostalgia in tech fans who are in their late 30s and who remember the start of home computing. That's because Webbox is a computer built entirely underneath a keyboard, using a standard TV as its display monitor, and which brings a whole new world to its owner. In the '80s, this "new world" was programming and the delight of 8-bit gaming, but Webbox has slightly more lofty goals--it's intended to bring the Net to emerging markets where the cost of acquiring a personal computer is prohibitive.
Reminiscent of the Asus EEE Keyboard, and even more so of the Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum, the Webbox is externally just a 14cm by 25cm QWERTY keyboard that has an RCA cable dangling from its rear--this coaxial cable will connect to a domestic TV tuned to a particular channel, and lets Webbox content appear on its screen. Inside it's pretty sophisticated, with the guts of a 3G smartphone powering it--it runs over EDGE or 2.5G networks to get its data, and leverages Opera's Mini browser suite (which compresses web pages to much smaller file sizes remotely) to ensure that the data burden on cell phone networks is low--which is good for low-income users and struggling cell networks alike--and that the device works swiftly.
Vodafone notes the "browser homepage comes with bookmarks such as news, sport, and social networking sites" to appeal to entertainment-seeking users, but also that there are "locally relevant apps such as a job search and application service. In addition, the portal comes with some games, a dictionary, and a basic text editor." Essentially these are some of the core elements of an online digital life, such as is increasingly being experienced by citizens of developed nations--and which some nations now see as a human right, with all its attendant legal protections.
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Webbox is merely a simple, cheap way to get a household online in emerging nations where TV ownership is high but the connection rate is low. In its first market of South Africa, it's selling for R750 (around $100), and comes with a 2GB SD card and a SIM card with prepaid 100MB of traffic.
Will it work? We'd like to think so. Sure, it's undoubtedly a vehicle for Vodafone to access new markets, and attract consumers into revenue-generating, long-term cell phone data contracts. But the notion that it may connect millions of folks who otherwise would have had only limited Net access, facilitating the sharing of news, social networking and education, is a good one. Its biggest potential stumbling block is high rates for mobile data in some nations--a situation that Vodafone is extremely well-positioned to improve.
To read more news like this, follow Fast Company on Twitter: Click here.
Recycling old electronics is often just enough of a hassle to keep dead phones and iPods lingering in junk drawers for years on end. EcoATM, a company that makes electronics recycling kiosks, wants to change that. And now the startup has received $14.4 million in a Series A funding round led by Coinstar and Claremont Creek Ventures to bring its kiosks to a gas station or supermarket near you.
EcoATM uses electronics diagnostics, artificial intelligence, and machine vision to scan devices, wipe personal data, and stick them into an on-site bin. Users are offered the choice of a coupon, gift card, cash, or charitable contribution for their old electronics. And unlike with Coinstar, there isn't a processing fee. The company's website explains:
ecoATM shops worldwide channels for the best prices we can find for each
individual phone model. Because we deal with dozens of buyers all over
the world, we generally find better pricing than individual consumers
can find on their own. In a sense, an ecoATM acts as an “eBay-in-a-box”
without the added hassle to the consumer of listing, packaging, shipping
cost, potential return, etc, of eBay or other online methods.
So far, EcoATM only has kiosks in 11 locations throughout the U.S., including the Nebraska Furniture Mart in Omaha, Microsoft's corporate campus in Redmond, Wash., and the Westfield Horton Plaza shopping mall in San Diego, Calif. The new cash infusion will allow the company to better identify and assess electronic devices deposited into kiosks--and to spread the kiosks to even more locations.
"EcoATM's systems must quickly learn and then accurately identify
thousands of different models of phones and other devices and then
precisely assess any cosmetic or internal damage in order for the system
to work," said Chairman and CEO Tom Tullie in a statement.
"This requires us to continually push the boundaries on a unique
combination of artificial intelligence and non-traditional machine
vision technology."
EcoATM claims that it has already collected thousands of cell phones, laptops, digital cameras, GPS systems, and more in its existing kiosks. If the company can keep that momentum going with a larger rollout, it has the potential to become the go-to spot to ditch dead devices.
Follow Fast Company on Twitter. Ariel Schwartz can be reached by email.
I am very grateful for the presence of the eneloop glitter edition in my life. If it were not for this rechargeable set, then I’d be at the store every other day, buying stock for my iMac peripherals! In an alternate situation, I wouldn’t mind giving these Spark Winners, Charge Battery a chance. They’re like the old fashioned winding toys; a few good twists to charge and I’m ready to go. So simple!
Designers: Yeon Kyeong Hwang & Mieong Ho Kang
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Yanko Design Timeless Designs - Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Yanko Design Store - We are about more than just concepts. See what's hot at the YD Store!
While Toyota is going to launch a plug-in hybrid version of the Prius soon, the company isn’t backing away from all-electric cars. We recently learned that Toyota will be showing off an all-electric prototype version of its popular iQ model at the Geneva auto show next month.
Read the rest of Toyota to Unveil All-Electric iQ at Geneva Auto Showhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
by: Reuters: Green Business News, 2011-02-16 14:41:13 UTC
LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union's executive Commission will call for a 60 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 2050, in a draft paper to be published in the summer, an EU...
Lenovo has become the first company to earn the highest rating in the laptop category of UL Environment’s Sustainable Product Certification (SPC) for high-tech equipment, the company has announced.
The ThinkPad T420, to be launched later this month, won a Gold SPC rating.
The UL determined the product’s compliance with the IEEE 1680 sustainability standard and with Energy Star 5.0 requirements. It assessed product documentation, physically examined product samples and conducted onsite audits of manufacturing facilities. Criteria included the elimination or reduction of certain hazardous substances.
The T420 exceeds Energy Star 5.0 requirements by ten percent, Lenovo said. It includes post-consumer recycled content (PCC)
“Companies like Lenovo that choose third party certification to environmental standards are not only encouraging customer peace of mind, but they are raising the sustainability bar for their industry peers,” said UL Environment president Steve Wenc.
The T420 is part of Lenovo’s Environmentally Conscious Products program. Lenovo says it has used more than 9,500 metric tons of PCC since September 2005 to reduce use of raw materials, and all of its laptops contain PCC, with several upcoming models containing more than ten percent.
Lenovo’s ThinkCentre desktops and ThinkVision monitors use an average of 65 percent PCC.
Is your car a fuel-guzzler, whilst you mourn about every extra single penny spent by you on refueling it every time? Well, before you let your wits out, digest this: -As per the statistics from the United States Energy Information Administration, around two gallons of crude oil leads to production of one gallon of gasoline, that in turn is further used inefficiently to fuel cars. The buck does not end here! Here comes the other shocker: - Out of the total fuel pumped into a normal car, meager 15% of it gets converted into the actual run of the vehicle on the road or is used in powering the accessories such as air conditioning, power steering and windshield wipers. But the rest, big, fat chunk or the unconsumed energy gets transformed into a gigantic wastage in terms of engine, driveline inefficiencies and Vehicle idling. This leaves a big room for developing and nurturing fuel efficient car engines that not only lead to a better usage of the available fossil fuels but also stimulates a platform for a greener milieu!
Need for change
Well, the call for the next fuel efficient car engines is surely not to be missed as the reasons for it are multifaceted. To start off, with the current speed of fuel consumption in cars, the scarcity of fossil fuel is unavoidable, especially notwithstanding the sky crapping fuel prices hike every now and then. Add to it, the rising hazard of pollution due to increased Carbon Dioxide omissions by the engines that form as one of the root-cause for climate change at extreme levels. And not to forget- the fear mongering threat of carbon credits!
What’s in the pipeline?
1. Mercedes-Benz’s V6 and V8 fuel-efficient engines
What’s new:
The new V8 4.7L and 3.5 L V6 engine from the German car manufacturer are touted to deliver a fuel efficiency by 24% and 22% than any conventional turbo engine. This also takes into account the start-stop system installed by the company. However as of now, these figures lack the authenticity of the official EPA report, but the engine is luminous enough as it bears the capacity to deliver a striking 435 horsepower and a torque of 516 pound-feet making it the right pick for eco-conscious buyers.
What difference will it make:
The twin turbo engines- V6 and B8 have ancillary units that not only cut down the power consumption of the engine, but also provides a fuel mileage at par to the hybrid versions particularly gas and electric engines.
2. Controlled Combustion Engine by Revetec
What’s new:
This one certainly makes to our list of prudent fuel sippers as we tell you why!Revetec- an Australian based venture is working to introduce Controlled Combustion Engine (CCE). As the name suggest, CCE is predominantly a cam-drive gasoline spark-ignited internal combustion engine that banks on the functioning of a pair of counter-rotating trilobate (three-lobed) scissor along with cams. This produces forward motion and avoids crankshaft, that eventually mounts a mechanical advantage around 60-70deg ATDC, once the piston has covered 40% of its travel, shedding off around 50% of the cylinder pressure. This saves an enormous amount of fuel as the turning distance in any conventional engine is almost half of the piston stroke.
What difference will it make:
Besides saving big time on fuel cost, the engines does not even burn a hole in the manufacturer’s pocket also. And kudos to its small size that eventually leads to a higher torque followed by a lofty mechanical transfer as compared to normal engines.
3. Mazda’s line up of New Fuel-Efficient Engine
What’s new:
Japanese Automobile major- Mazda has earmarked a goal of 30% improvement in its models by 2015. Thus the company is not only busy developing a new range of automatic transmissions for its diesel-powered engines but is also strictly concentrating on its four-cylinder petrol engines. As apart from fetching high volumes for the petrol engines this will also lead to a probable halt of usage of V6 motors from Ford for some of its models. Also,16x rotary, a new direct-injected rotary engine with a 30% more fuel efficiency is also believed to be in the pipeline.
What difference will it make:
The real bliss is the fact that the fuel efficiency of the Mazda engines is minus the gains from start stop systems. Additionally, the flexible valve timing clubbed with an enormous use of direct injection is enough to fatten up your lean, cranky wallet!
4. GM’s spark-free fuel combustion technology
What’s new:
A common occurrence in Diesel engines due to heat and pressure is combustion and Spark-free combustion curbs this phenomena. Thus General Motors is attempting to replace the technology in Gasoline engines that work on the engineering of timed sparks. Thus by amending the combustion process the company believes that through HCCI (Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition) around 15% of fuel saving can be achieved over non-HCCI engines.
What difference will it make:
The technology appears promising for the fact that the process of creation of the air/fuel mixture in an HCCI engine’s is non exhaustive. This not only boosts the fuel efficiency but also is free from an “after-treatment” system.
5. Ethanol-boosted engine by MIT
What’s new:
A bunch of researchers at MIT are contemplating the design of a new Ethanol based engines. These engines have the efficacy of a Hybrid engine and that too at half a size. With a little extra investment of $1000 the user can avail the benefits of higher fuel advantages. As this engine is subjected to use less than five gallons of ethanol for every 100 gallons of gasoline that relieves the driver from the job of refueling the tank every now and then. Pegged to hit the market in five years timeframe, these miniature engines will be high performers without the dependency on high-octane gasoline.
What difference will it make:
Aplomb to this engine as it’s vouched as one of the most real solution to the problem of low mileage. In a unique way, it is clean as it uses biofuels instead of oil. And who minds to pay a little extra when the engine delivers 30% more fuel efficiency.
For ages scientists have been wondering of a right mix of Gasoline and diesel. But now it’s not more than a bygone. Researchers at University of Wisconsin are conducting tests in order to come up with an engine that can fuse the two elements together in the combustion chamber in various ratios. And the results shall be compelling with an average fuel efficiency of 20%, lowering of combustion temperatures by 40% and above all- an obvious adherence to EPA 2010 emission regulations. However a pre-requisite for such a heavy performance engine is of two fuel tanks, but considering the brigade of advantages it holds including a minimum saving of 20% of fuel, it looks like a petty thing, indeed!
What difference will it make:
This highly efficient combo of Gasoline and Diesel banks as one of the cheapest engine mentioned in our list and is capable of generating 20% more fuel efficiency than traditional engine. Imagine, if every engine in US is injected with this technology, it might actually end up by saving a gigantic 4 million barrels of oil daily.
7. Internal combustion engine by MIT
What’s new:
Volvo has made a hybrid system that can alter to normal spark ignition and HCCI. Similarly Researchers from MIT have developed a prototype wherein the technology of an engine can be changed or altered. This prototype works on any available fuel and can be made of standard auto parts. HCCI or homogeneous charge compression ignition replaces the traditional spark ignition and salt away gas also.
What difference will it make:
The engine can halve off the fuel consumption by 25% and simultaneously lowers the carbon emissions also.
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-26 02:52:50 UTC
ECOCARAT tiles, made by INAX known for it's paperless toilet, contains a mineral "Allophane". It's natural clayey mineral contained in the volcanic ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-25 01:47:06 UTC
The Biodegradable TinCan is a green resolution for the future.
* Thermal double wall: it is safe for serving hot and cold drinks. You can microwave ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-24 01:01:42 UTC
Ceracasa introduces one of the most significant product innovations of recent years. The tile body is reduced to half of the thickness ( the 11 mm ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-22 00:21:38 UTC
This kitchen brings back into view everything that one normally hides away these days. It thus contrasts a lot with the usual modern-design kitchen ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-20 07:36:52 UTC
Danish design duo Komplot is the first to create an industrially produced chair made strictly from textile. The chair Nobody is molded in one piece ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-19 09:51:41 UTC
This product changes the user into a co-designer. It comes in a flat pack and can be changed into any shape, again and again. The shade can take whatever ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-18 05:19:49 UTC
With colored polypropylene bodywork and recycled-steel trestles, the chairs in the Catifa 53 and 46 collections may look like any other chair but ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-18 04:23:08 UTC
BIONICTILE ® by CERACASA is a porcelain tile with the capacity to destroy harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) which are in the air. These NOx are present ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-18 03:50:41 UTC
Flex/the Innovationlab helped We Beat the Mountain with their go-to-market strategy and product design.
We Beat the Mountain:
VISION
We Beat ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2011-02-17 01:37:56 UTC
SL17 BASKETBIN is a waste-paper basket with a small integrated rubbish bin, which is hooked into the mounting of the larger waste-paper basket and ...
Images credit Lloyd Alter
This doesn't look like any factory I have ever been in. The interior street (curved, because architect William McDonough wanted the experience to change as it unfolded before you) is full of plants and amenities; there are no doors separating it from the factory floor. But as attractive as the pictures of
Image Credit 
Reminiscent of the Asus EEE Keyboard, and even more so of the 
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