Ecobutton, the latest energy saving gadget for PCs works not by preventing your computer going into standby altogether, but instead, allows you to put it into a low-energy mode that will quickly revert to full working function.
By putting your computer into a special 'ecomode', Ecobutton saves more energy than normal sleep mode, drawing only the same nominal power as when the computer and the monitor are completely shut down. It helps you save energy while taking a phone call or a break, while doing paperwork, lunch or meetings. At the touch of any button, the computer instantly returns to where you left off and displays a splash screen showing both money and carbon (CO2) savings.
[Via Ecofriend]
It's a whopping £349, but isn't it beautiful? Best of all, for this award-winning lamp, which features in London's Design Museum and New York's MOMA collection, Herman Miller insisted on sticking to basic eco-conscious priniciples such as using energy-saving LEDs. The final product is also 95% recyclable and made of 24% post-consumer plus 13% pre-consumer recycled materials.
A proprietary heat distribution system means that the Leaf light is always cool to the touch, and it swivels up to 180 degrees so that it can be used as a soft ambient glow or focussed spotlight. Touch controls are mounted at the base and the intensity of the colour can be adjusted from a cool wash to a warm glow; it'll remember the last setting you used when you turn it off, too. There are five colours available: black, white, red, nickel and polished aluminium.
[via Shiny Shiny]
The Steaming Hot Water Tap ought to be appealing to eco-conscious caffeine addicts as it combines the sort of quick-boiling technology we saw in the Tefal Quick Cup with a normal tap. Turn on, and it delivers 98 degree hot water. Not only will that mean super-quick hot drinks, you can speed up the boiling process for boiling pasta, rice and veg as well as use less energy all round.
There is a hot / cold filtered version available too. The only sticking point is the price, at £444 for hot only and £498 for hot / cold, but if you're already putting together a budget for a new kitchen it's worth considering for the convenience and eco-friendly value; budget sites like Taps4Less also offer discounts. But don't explain why all budget retailers have a 4 in the name. Or a 2. Huh.
[via Shiny Shiny]
If you're looking for a last minute treat to give your home a bit more festive cheer before the big day, a set of eco-friendly LED lights will work a treat to brighten up those dark corners.
It's too late to order online now, but Ikea is selling some really funky colourful star-shaped eco-lights. Each tiny light uses just 0.6 watts -- that's far less than a CFL energy-saving bulb.
Outdoor light displays are the real culprits when it comes to C02 usage, but the Guardian's guilde to a low-carbon Christmas still points out that conventional Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produces "enough CO2 to inflate 12 balloons".
Need convincing? Click here for a video of us testing out Oliver Heath's fantastic colour-changing LED fairy lights to see how they compare to the traditional sort.
Another day, another wind-up lantern. It's pretty heartening that I can now think of at least three different ones, made by different companies, because it means that green gadgets are well and truly here to stay.
This Cyba-Lite Lantern gives 8-10 minutes of light per one minute of winding, but there is also an option to charge from a solar panel or cigarette lighter if your own kinetic energy isn't quite up to it. The brightness is from 15 LEDs. Just £29.99 for a handy green camping companion.
I live next door to the House of 10,000 Lights. And round the corner is the House of 1,000,000 Lights. It's scary. There are globes, and trains, and reindeer. *Sob*. Someone needs to tell these people about solar power... apart from the environmental considerations, their electricity bill ought to look a lot slimmer!
These solar powered fairy lights are $29.95 (£15) for a string of 50, which is actually cheaper than the non-solar LEDs we have wrapped around artfully arranged twigs in the living room at the moment (you try living with a designer; sparkly twigs is the least of it). They charge automatically during the day to give you eight or nine hours of pretty glowing light during the night. Sparkly fun with a conscience; how wonderfully Christmassy is that?
Alexandra Roumbas is Deputy Editor of Shiny Shiny, where a version of this post first appeared. Remember kids, everything - including gadgetry - in moderation!
The hawk-eyed eco shoppers over at Green Jellybean have tipped me off about a great deal that B&Q has on at the moment for the new dimmable sort of energy-saving lightbulbs.
Stores around the country are selling off the Varialight Digiflux bulbs - the very same bulbs that starred in Jason Bruges' 'Light Garden' sculpture back in September - for just £6.98. These state-of -the-art bulbs are the first to be fully compatible with dimmer switches, and the B&Q price is currently the best deal out there. If your house is kitted out with dimmer switches and you've been struggling with CFLs that don't get on with them at all, the time has come to make the switch!
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