If you’re a real wine expert you’ll be able to guess the winery this oak barrel stave chair comes from just by the tint of the burgundy highlights in the finish. Or you could cheat by looking under the seat where the winery’s name is branded. The chairs fold up flat and work great for indoor or outdoor use, where their natural oil finish will stand up to the elements. They also make a bench model for you cuddlers.
The majority of electric motorcycles look pretty much like a two-wheeled Prius. In contrast, American-made Brutus Motorcycle look like they’ve actually got some balls. With Sport-Cruiser styling, a 100-mile minimum range and 3-hour charge time, they’re taking this whole category a solid step forward.
You might not believe this but we found a battery charger/power supply for your phone, computer, & electronics that runs on water. Yup. It’s a hydrogen fuel cell that converts water into electricity. Don’t expect us to explain this weird science but we can tell you this: the futuristic little PowerTrekk unit is eco-friendly and provides power totally off the grid. Available May 2012.
The worst thing about a big ol’ boombox is how fast they chew through batteries. Plus – where those batteries eventually end up. The Rukus Solar is a Bluetooth sound system with a built-in solar panel. Could there be any boombox better for the beach? Or the landfill? Available April 2012.
GreenZero Chargers for your mobile device are more than just a cool looking charger. Its unique design turns off as soon as your device is fully charged which eliminates stand-by energy consumption. To turn it back on just give the big green button a kick. Did you even know about stand-by energy consumption? Now you do, so save yourself. Also available in a travel size shown above in black.
This compact UV water purifier gives you one more reason to stop consuming those horrible Single Use Plastic (SUP) bottles. Since UV rays kill 99% of bacteria, viruses, and other stuff like Montezuma’s revenge, you can now safely drink water from the tap or any other source previously deemed sketchy.
Stuff sacks are cool ’cause they’re easy to pack: Just stuff stuff in. This one from Killspencer is made from upcycled surplus military parachute fabric.
Instead of worrying about what toxins are leeching into your drink from your bottle, ditch plastic all together and go for glass. This double-wall insulated food-grade, BPA-free bottle leeches nothing. It also features a handy, removable tea strainer for all you tea heads.
Honda’s Civic and Insight hybrids are doing nothing to evolve the hybrid car from its current status as the dorky weakling of the freeway. But Honda is the first to introduce a hybrid snowblower. Like the cars, a gas engine charges back-up batteries for the electric drivetrain however, unlike the cars, this thing looks like it’s actually got some nuts. Source
In many instances, low-tech beats high tech. Your little lists on Post-Its and scrap paper all end up in the trash. And your digital reminders & “to-dos” seem to always get lost in the vortex. This chalkboard tablet made entirely of reclaimed oak is better than both. It keeps you on task without creating waste and unlike the screen on your phone, it’s actually pleasing to the eye. Each tablet includes a Koh-I-Noor chalk pencil.
