Life Alternate » solar gadgets

New Toshiba Solar Powered E-book Reader

Wispa — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:13:59 +0000

E-books have been around in some form for many years now, mostly being used on desktops. With the introduction of the Kindle and Amazon they became more portable and popular.

There is still some resistance from paper print which still has a feel all of it’s own that any electronic device can’t replicate. Still the electronic reader has allowed publishing to be much easier and cheaper for the writer.

Readers like the Kindle and iPad are friendly to the environment by not having the need to chop down forests of trees to make paper. They can still go further with the devices being powered by renewable energy.

This is probably a smaller step than saving trees but reducing energy consumption is becoming more important in the 21 century.

Solar power is the obvious choice here, especially for the low energy use eInk devices. You would have thought companies would have been quick to produce a product like this. Sadly not many products have seen the light of day but this may change soon.

Toshiba seems to be taking the first steps with the introduction of the “biblio Leaf”

A solar powered E-book reader that should never run out of power. The biblio Leaf can hold as many as 3,000 eBooks that is probably more than many people have read. Read more!

These are displayed on a 6 inch electronic Ink display. Also included in the device is WiFi and 3G connections. The selling feature for life alternate is the front mounted solar panel.

This can be seen as a first generation solar powered reader. The obvious next step is to take advantage of new materials that will make the case itself a solar panel. Toshiba have made the first steps but it might be a few years before we seen the next big leap.

Smart Material Self-Powers Nearly Everything

Wispa — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 14:23:22 +0000

Scientists, Boffins Egg-heads where would we be without them. Here the Boffins from the University of Bolton from the United Kingdom are developing a super material that sucks in energy from the surrounding environment.

They have combined the power generating effects of movement together with the light properties of the sun to produce a fiber that generates electrical power. The Piezoelectric properties of the thread produce energy as the material is moved and in addition the Photovoltaic energy produces from light when the material is exposed to the sun just like a Solar Panel. Both those idea are well advanced in other areas but the team at Bolton University have combined them in a thread that is very flexible.

This flexibility opens up the door of opportunity for use in many more products that require energy. The energy produces is quite small so the obvious uses are small devices like Mobile Phones and MP3 players.

With this super material incorporated into the cases of those small devices just physically handling the device would generate power as well as exposing the case to light. Clothing is another avenue, with the material being flexible could in theory mean you might be plugging your phone into a charge point on your t-shirt to make those calls.

While the energy production here is quite small it just takes a few innovative designers to come up with ways of using them. How about those bed sheets, if your somewhat green you would have them tumbling around in your washing machine gaining energy from the movement then pop them outside to dry in the wind. Soaking up the sun and flapping in the wind. What can be done with a charged bed sheet, just think of those cold nights and feel it heating up the bed as you sleep snugly.

Solar Digital Window Thermometer

Wispa — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:43:41 +0000

Still stuck for that idea of a last minute environmentally friend gift. A Solar Powered Digital window thermometer could just be ideal to help you decide what to wear in the mornings.

No installation here, the digital thermometer just sticks on your window and happily juices itself up from the sunlight. While the sun shines it might not always be warm and while sitting inside a glance at this device will let you know instantly if you need a scarf or t-shirt today.

The large LCD display indicates the current temperature and also the Max and Min ranges. Made from recycled plastic and measuring 114mm by 25mm by 97mm the solar digital thermometer should cost around US$25.

The integrated rechargeable battery also means this little device will still work in low light condition and even at night.

This won’t save you any energy but it is a nice self powering gadget that will add a little enhancement to your life. Once you start using it you’ll know exactly the weather conditions outside without opening the door.

Solar Powered Bird Repellers

Wispa — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 11:06:33 +0000

Keep your food crops safer with another self powered solar gadget the bird repeller.

Spring is just around the corner and any respectful gardener is thinking about planting next years crops. Keeping those seedlings safe is not an easy task and the sweetness of those juicy leaves poking through the soil is just honey to some birds.

Taking scarecrows into the modern ages for gardeners is the solar powered bird repeller. These are not news devices, but what is new is the self powering features and solar energy comes to our rescue here.

If you already have a device that works but are fed up with changing the batteries or want to go green then solar is a solution. Scaring the birds is more of an art than a science. Using sound and in particular ultrasound which we cannot hear can be effective along with irregular flashing lights. A third option which can help is motion. Like that old scarecrow blowing in the wind, solar powered motion devices are something that might just make the birds pass up that easy meal in your garden.

The Bird-B-Gone Bird Repeller is a deterrent that uses motion to keep the birds at bay. Using a 5 foot in diameter rotor which rotates once every 2 seconds to prevent the birds from settling. This is powered solar energy via a photovoltaic solar panel. In addition the panel can charge onboard batteries that enable the device to work during darker conditions and even at night.

Using sound or light is the other options and these can be combined in to one unit. Again solar power is the energy source so no cabling is needed here. Like the Bird-B-Gone repeller these provide the same unattended benefits of solar energy. Emitting high frequency ultrasound with extremely irregular patterns is enough to annoy some birds and they will head in the opposite direction for some quietness.

Each of those methods may work better than others for your situation. These are not just restricted to the garden. Any place where birds are undesirable can benefit from solar powered bird scaring systems. Having no need for electrical cabling makes them much more versatile and can be used in remote locations.

Solar Powered E-Book Reader from LG

Wispa — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:54:39 +0000

E-book readers have given a step up to the dying art of book reading. By removing the need for forest to be cut down and pulped in to paper, the E-book has already put one foot forward towards being environmentally friendly.

LG Displays has proceeded with taking another step in their announcement of the solar powered E-book reader prototype. With the aid of a small 10cm by 10cm thin film solar panel that has a time 0.7mm thickness, LG claims that with just four or five hours exposure you can have a whole days worth of use.

The thin film technology has an efficiency rate of 12% and LG are working to increase the power output. They hope by 2012 to have improved the panels to 14%. This might not seem like much, but combine that with the advancement in electronic chips that will consume less power and the 2% solar efficiency will feel like much more.

E-books, the electronic form of books, have been around for a long time and now with more companies taking notice of make portable readers it will not be long before they become as commonplace as mobile phones. Screen technology developments that will include flexible screens that can be folded or rolled up will arrive.

There is no doubt that the traditional paper book and newspaper has some attraction, the feel of flipping pages and the ability to open up a book in bed or while we are commuting. I even hear some people take books to read while they are on exotic beaches with clear blue seas. Wherever your preference of reading places may be, E-book readers still cannot compete yet. LD is beginning on the road to show that these devices can be self-powering and removing them from having to be near a source of electrical energy other than the sun.

While, not quite in production yet. The reader is being showcased at the International Meeting On Information Display (IMID) in Seoul, South Korea. How much it will finally cost and when we will be able to purchase one are unknown, but you now know what kind of advancements in technology to expect and maybe hope for a truly paper media clone in the years to come.

NTT Docomo Solar Powered Phone

Wispa — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:52:43 +0000

NTT Docomo has recently announced the development of its latest mobile phone. A solar Hybrid phone that will go on sale in Japan around September 2009.

The solar hybrid as well as being able to charge like recharge like any regular phone has a built in solar panel that will enable one minute of talk time for every ten minutes of exposure to the sun.

The Solar Phone also comes equipped with an amazing 8 mega-pixel CCD camera build in along with having a waterproof body that can be submerged up to depths of 1 meter.

While powering you phone by solar power is nothing new, which usually entailed carrying around a separate solar charger, this combines them together in one unit.So while other phones may have problems with overheating in the sun. This little mobile phone loves it, in fact you could say it grows more powerful in the sun.

Thinking of a new phone, try the solar hybrid, ideal for those that like to be out and no worries about being away from your charger left at home. Or not ready yet, still go solar with a solar phone charger

Sunnan Solar LED Lamp From IKEA

Wispa — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:50:56 +0000

The Sunnan LED desk lamp, from IKEA, is something worth considering. Both for its innovative solar design that helps up save our environment but for also the added bonus from IKEA called the SUNNAN LAMP CAMPAIGN.

For Every Sunnan Lamp sold by IKEA, they will donate a similar lamp to UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens Education Fund. The fist set of donations will go to UNICEF in Pakistan to help help children that were displaced by unrest and a recent major earthquake.

Remote villages and refugee camps have a severe lack of electrical power and when the sun sets there is no means of generating light economically for those affected. The Solar Led Lamps ingeniously charge themselves through the day and will enable children to continue their education and do their homework after the sun sets for around 3 to 4 hours each night. Using LED lights consumes 70% per-cent less energy and have a lifetime use of up to 4 time longer than incandescent bulbs.

While there is no doubt that these lamps will benefit children in need, the Sunnam Led Solar Lamp will also benefit you. It is ideal for any desk or table to give that illumination when you need and being IKEA it has that Scandinavian style that we all just love.

Powered totally by solar energy and requiring no mains electrical input. The Sunnan Led Light sells for US$19.99 in IKEA stores, so for under twenty dollars you can be helping yourself go solar as well as helping the education of a child in need.

Sunnan LED Light From IKEA.

Solar Powered Barn, Hat and Weather Station

Wispa — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:13:30 +0000

Solar powered Barn.

Architects Gray Organschi of Connecticut have designed and built and ecological barn that utilizes renewable energy. The scrap lumber barn has solar panels installed on that roof for lighting and ground source heat pumps that heat the building using geo-thermal energy.

This off-grid bard was constructed with raw materials in the erection and with a manner that minimized its environmental impact.

Now we can have off grid buildings powered by renewables that before would have had either costly cabling for utility power or used CO2 polluting generators.

Solar Powered Weather Station.

The latest from Oregon Scientific is the desktop weather station. Jumping on the solar powered bandwagon this little gadget will monitor up to four locations around your home, office or outdoors. It operates on remote wireless sensors which can feed temperature and humidity back to your desktop.

The low powered devices can operate for up to three months on a single solar charge of only eight hours, so even in the dark rainy season this should perform without a glitch.

Coming in at just under US$120 this is quite and expensive little device and although Solar powered it probably wont save you much CO2.

Solar Powered Cap.

Increasing the range of wearable solar gadgets is the Solar powered LED light cap from SelectSolar in the UK.

Just wearing the cap charges itself up, Initially the company says the first charge will take three days but after that only eight hours a day exposure to sunlight will keep the hat topped up on power. Fully charged the Led Cap will give you five hours of usage.

For this you get two led lights under the brim that can shine up to 6 feet or up to 30 feet with a head tilt. Ideal for taking that look in the garden at night or when situations need both hands free, no more slipping your torch between your teeth.

Solar Powered Welding Helmet

Wispa — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:34:19 +0000

Now this is just what everybody needs in their quest to protect our environment.

Wuhan Welhel Photoelectric, a company in China, has just launched a solar powered welding helmet.

The electronic shield darkens automatically when exposed to the arc of welding and running on a full charge can operate for 5,000 hours. The time delay and shade are fully adjustable to suit any need.

What more can be said, If welding is your thing then go green or geek and check it out.

Solar Powered Oddities

Wispa — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:16:44 +0000

Solar Bird House

Solar Bird House

Birds need their comforts too. This little solar oddity, designed by Studio Oooms in the Netherlands, was designed for our little garden friends. It works no different from energy saving solar set-ups. Mounted on the roof is a small solar panel which, during the day, tops up a small rechargeable battery built in to the box. When dusk arrives the glowing perch lights up to add that bit of comfort to whatever is inside.

Solar Bus Shelter.

Solar Bus Shelter

San Fransisco has plans to convert 1,100 of its bus stop to solar power. With photovoltaic solar cells built in to its roof the hope is that this will provide the power for low energy Light Emitting Diodes for night time use. Also as part of the plan, solar powered Wi-Fi access which will please a lot of Franciscans.

Each shelter comes in at a hefty $30,000 with the costs being recouped by feeding excess electricity back in to the grid and on site advertising.

Solar Powered Police Car.

State troopers in Ohio are having their police crusiers fitted with small solar panels. The tiny 5 watt solar cell is hoped to intervenor battery performance and help power radios and other onboard equipment when the engine is turned off.

The panels each cost $37 and could possibly last 5 years. The hearts may be in the right place here, but at 5 watts the capacity might just be a little bit too low to be much use.