Bill backs one out at Reinventing the Toilet fair
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2012-08-16 06:06:08 UTC

In an effort to improve conditions for the more than 2.5 billion people worldwide with no access to safe sanitation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last year awarded grants totaling US$3 million to eight universities to reinvent the toilet. At the two-day “Reinventing the Toilet” fair held in Seattle this week, where Bill Gates was on hand with 50 gallons (189 l) of fake feces made from soybeans and rice to put the various designs through their paces, a California Institute of Technology (Caltech) team claimed first place for their solar-powered toilet... Continue Reading Bill backs one out at Reinventing the Toilet fair

Section: Health and Wellbeing

Tags: Bill & Melinda, Caltech, Gates Foundation, Solar-powered, Toilet, University of Toronto, Waste

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NanoSteel promises lighter and more fuel efficient without compromising safety
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2012-08-16 06:27:21 UTC

With fuel costs continuing to rise, the search is on for ways to make cars lighter and improve fuel efficiency, without compromising strength and safety. NanoSteel, a Rhode Island-based company recently announced the development of new nano-structured advanced high-strength alloys whose strength and ductility meet automotive structural demands. The company plans on marketing its sheet metal products in 2013 and has recently received investment from GM suggesting they could soon be appearing in production vehicles... Continue Reading NanoSteel promises lighter and more fuel efficient without compromising safety

Section: Automotive

Tags: Fuel efficiency, NanoSteel, Steel

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Book: Cause and Effect, Visualizing Sustainability
by: mocoloco, 2012-08-13 15:18:41 UTC

Researchers produce ink and dye-free 100,000 DPI images
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2012-08-14 10:46:09 UTC

Researchers at Singapore's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), have developed an innovative method of creating sharp, full-spectrum color images at 100,000 dots per inch (DPI). The method achieves this without need of ink or dye and bests the current crop of industrial inkjet and laserjet printers which are only able to offer up to 10,000 DPI. The new research also promises to outperform research-grade methods, which are able to dispense dyes for only single color images... Continue Reading Researchers produce ink and dye-free 100,000 DPI images

Section: Research Watch

Tags: A*STAR, Image, Nanoparticles, Printer

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Hybrid Bus Transit Hub
by: VEIL - Victorian Eco Innovation Lab, 2012-08-08 04:28:05 UTC

The Hybrid Bus Transit Hub: Transforming the experience of Sunshine as a tranport interchange.

Read more...

Critter, A Movable Kitchen for Culinary Nomads
by: Core77, 2012-08-14 10:00:00 UTC

More than any other room in the home, the kitchen has undergone the most dramatic changes in the last century. From the large basement battleships de cuisine of the early 20th century to Margarete Schutte-Lihotsky's space saving 1920s Frankfurt Kitchen that embodied all the rigor of the Deutsche Werkbund, the kitchen has now evolved from a pure work space to a hub for socializing and entertaining. I spent half of my time at a recent party in the kitchen with my host and our friends, making drinks, prepping food and, when that was done, gathering around the countertop to chat.

Milanese designer Elia Mangia has anticipated the future of our ever evolving kitchen with Critter, a free-standing mobile unit with a cooktop, sink, garbage disposal and work space. Even if you keep Critter in your kitchen where you do most of your cooking, you can easily lift it like a wheel barrow and move it outdoors for a backyard cook out. Unlike a traditional barbecue (which you don't need to buy now), you can position Critter anywhere you like—the patio, the edge of the yard or down wind from the outdoor seating. True, most readymade barbecues can be wheeled around, but even if your unit has more than the standard, plastic wheels that weather and crack, how many of us ever actually move it anywhere on a regular basis? With Critter, the mobile function is a central part of its design. In fact, the entire kitchen can be taken apart in just a few simple steps. Because Critter is fastened with only eight screws and the components are modular and freely interchangeable, it wouldn't even be a pain to pack it up in the back of your car and take it camping. And its solid ash wood, stainless steel and cast iron construction make it practical for outdoor use and beautiful enough to bring inside.

Available soon from Skitsch.

(more...)

Introducing The Battery Made Out Of Wood Waste
by: fast company, 2012-08-13 16:41:16 UTC

Batteries require a lot of metal, and metal is something we don’t have an infinite supply of. We do have a lot of trees, however…

Just what we needed Dept: an $8500 Wobbly Chair
by: TreeHugger Design, 2012-08-13 11:50:00 UTC
Evidently your butt is connected to your brain, and this chair will make you happy.

Adidas Rolls Out Waterless “DryDye” T-Shirt
by: Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit, 2012-08-09 09:12:11 UTC

Adidas is in the race with Nike and Puma to manufacture athletic apparel more responsibly and sustainably. To that end, the company recently produced 50,000 DryDye t-shirts that were dyed without using any water.

The post Adidas Rolls Out Waterless “DryDye” T-Shirt appeared first on Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit.

Is Air Conditioning Heating Up the Planet?
by: Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit, 2012-08-10 09:00:21 UTC

Stan Cox is a senior researcher at the Land Institute. His book, Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air Conditioned World, describes the threat that our ever-increasing need for air conditioning poses to efforts to maintain our planetary climate within its natural limits.

The post Is Air Conditioning Heating Up the Planet? appeared first on Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit.