Six of the best green gadgets (From Halesowen News)

Six of the best green gadgets

7:00am Saturday 4th July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Six of the best gadgets and gizmos on a theme. This week: six of the best green gadgets.

By Peter Jenkinson

If you've ever misplaced your mobile phone, you'll be aware of the panic and sheer sense of loss at not being able to access this limb-like device even for the shortest amount of time.

We've become hugely addicted to technology, yet at the same time we're aware of its environmental impact - but can we have it all?

Of course we can. The big manufacturers of electronics and the car giants are making moves - in some cases they're racing - to become greener and capture our cash.

Even in our everyday lives, there are simple rules to follow on saving energy and a handful of devices to help us along the way.

Smarter Charger - Eco Charger - £19.99 from www.carphonewarehouse.com We waste a staggering amount of cash leaving our mobile plugged in even when they've been fully juiced.

Push the button on the front of this charger and it'll glow blue, then when your handset is fully charged it switches off, this makes it an impressive 90% more efficient than your standard socket-dweller.

Green Routes - Econav from £159.99, see www.vexia.co.uk This is a first in the SatNav market, and plenty will follow suit into the eco-friendly sub-category soon.

Enter some details about your car and it'll give you the route that's best for your fuel consumption, and also advise on gear and accelerator pedal usage to get the most from your tank.

Overall, the system reckons it could save up to one-third off the average driver's fuel bill, and so pay for itself in six months.

Energy Eye - Wattson - £99.99 from www.firebox.com Not just an impressive-looking device, but one that really delivers and gives you and the family a clear idea on where to save cash.

It hooks up to your electricity meter and then, in a combination of cool blue and red glows as well as numbers, shows you on an LED screen how energy efficient you are and how much you are spending.

Small Savings - Eco Button - £12.99 from www.iwantoneofthose.com With it plugged into your PC's USB port, just give the button a tap each time you step away from your workspace and it will engage a powersave mode.

No matter whether it's a meeting or a quick visit to the loo, just tap it upon your return and it'll show you how much you've saved, inspiring you to switch off other stuff, we hope.

Planetary Power - Freeloader Pro - £69.99 from www.iwantoneofthose.com Early efforts to solar-power gadgets were okay, but this one is noticeably better - possibly the best harnesser of the sun's power we've seen so far.

You'll get 10 adaptors in the kit that fit most of the big, branded electronic items. You can either charge them directly when the rays are shining or let your Freeloader soak up the sun to its internal battery and power up after dark.

Light Fantastic - Firewinder - £99.95 from www.firebox.com Showing the pure awesome power of mother nature, this colourful creation lets you marvel at the beauty that can be created without a single watt of electricity.

Hung outdoors, the Firewinder spins in the lightest breeze and its light display is mesmerising as it 'visualises' the wind's energy.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)