Kindle owners may never have to mains-charge their eReaders again thanks to a newly revealed cover from SolarFocus Technology on show at this years CES.

That is providing you live in sunnier climes than the UK, we mean. SolarFocus have been touting their SolarKindle case, which stores power thanks to a built-in solar panel.

One day's use in the sun gives you Kindle an extra three days worth of charge, stored in the SolarKindle's built-in battery, up to a maximum of three extra months.

There's also a mini LED light built in, good for 50 hours of use, which doesn't drain the Kindle's own battery.

"For the past six years, SolarFocus has been dedicated to developing the most technologically advanced portable solar powered solutions for consumers," said Dick Lu, EVP at SolarFocus.

"We will continuously improve the price / performance ratio of our solar powered solutions on even more consumer electronic products to reduce carbon emissions."

Hitting US shops on January 15th, you'll be able to pick the SolarKindle up for $79.99. That's providing Amazon let SolarFocus use the Kindle name, of course.

Via TechDigest.tv">Via Tech Digest

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Hippyshopper and sister site TechDigest have teamed up with the O2 Recycle team this Christmas in order to raise some money for a pair of great causes.

Collecting all our old tech gear from the Shiny Media towers, the O2 Recycling gurus are going to re-sell the items, and ethically dispose of the ones that have no value, pushing all profits made to two separate charities.

The Shiny Media profits will all be going towards the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, who work tirelessly to help our little loved ones battle illness. O2 will be giving their share to Think Big, O2 will be giving its share to Think Big, its own initiative which empowers youngsters up and down the country, giving them funding to run their own community projects.

But we can't do it alone! We need your help to raise as much cash as we possibly can for these two great causes.

According to the O2 Recycle team's research, we throw away 17.5 million perfectly usable gadgets every year, with a potential value of £750 million!

We're asking if you can pool together any unwanted gadgets lying around your house to put towards the fund raising effort. Just pop them into the post, to the address found at this link, and we'll do the rest. We'll make sure that the owner of each profitable item sent gets credited on the site, so that you're hard work is recognised.

O2 offer a full price-match service on your recyclable gadgets too, meaning if you're offered a better price for the item elsewhere, they'll match it to the penny.

The recycling scheme can of course also be used personally if you've got a charity you'd like to support, or just need a little extra cash of your own. But you'd be helping out a great cause by teaming up with the Tech Digest and Shiny Shiny teams!

For more info, check out the video below, and then head over to www.o2recycle.co.uk to get started

British Gas have begun trialing a new app service that will allow customers to remotely switch off appliances from a smartphone.

The service, designed to keep bills low by tighter control over appliances (as well as being an additional safety feature for those worried they may have left a cooker or boiler on whilst away) could be ready to be rolled out early in 2012.

A new Smart Meter, letting customers measure exactly how much energy they are consuming in real time, is also set to launch.

Jacqueline Epifanie, Head of British Gas Smart Homes, said: "We've all had that sinking feeling when we think we've left the boiler on as we disappear on holiday. Our new technology will mean people will be able to switch off their appliances when they are away rom home and thanks to new smart meters will also be able to control their energy use when in the home as well."

According to British Gas's research, these tools cant come soon enough considering the penny-pinching times we live in. The average household wastes £150 a year by leaving a boiler on all year round, a loss of £1 billion nationally, with a further £740 million lost leaving tech gear on standby.

A further 30 million Brits suffer from "appliance anxiety"; a fear that they've left potentially dangerous items switched on and unattended before leaving the house.

Here at Hippyshopper we love nerdy, geeky gadgets that can help us be even more eco-friendly and save energy. But with all the tech wizardry around, it can sometimes be difficult to filter through all the shiny gadgets to find those that can help with a greener lifestyle.

[thanks to energyrethinking.org]

By Greg Collins

There comes a time when we all go shopping for a new sound system or radio. It's a bit of an overwhelming experience sometimes isn't it? There are literally thousands of choices from hundreds of different companies. Sometimes you just want something nice and simple. This is where the cardboard radio fits in.

Sold by monsterstuff.co.uk and designed by Christopher McNicholl the cardboard radio is one of the simplest FM radio and MP3 players on the market and looks set to be a perfect christmas present for that one hippy music loving friend we all have.

The whole outer structure is made completely of card and is fully recyclable. It comes with four AA batteries and an audio input cable, making this the perfect portable music system for any office or picnic, when the weather decides to sort itself out.

The radio only costs £24.99 and is available right now from monsterstuff.co.uk. Looks like a great combination of environmentally friendly materials and technology.

Via Tech Digest

Still feeling the pinch of the recession and with increasing energy prices, it's understandable to want to invest in products that are eco-friendly and that help save pennies. However, as consumer group Which? now can reveal some of the products on the market might not be the best way to save money.

Which? has identified 10 eco products that it claims might not offer worthwhile savings for consumers. Published in the August issue of Which? magazine, the investigation claims that you can avoid wasting up to £535 by avoiding the products.

So what are the 10 eco products you don't need?

1. Freeloader Classic £40

2. Vphase Voltage Optimisation Device £300

3 & 4. Disposable Battery Chargers - Battery Wizard Deluxe and Battery Charger for Alkaline Disposable Batteries £30-£35

5. Ecotek Energy Wizard £25

6. TreeGreen energyEGG £40

7. Standby Saver £17

8. Mira Eco Shower Head £35

9. Nordic Galant Shower Head £40

10. Window Insulation Kit by Stormguard £8

Image from here.

Most of us has a tendency to cling on to things we don't use anymore, call it sentimental value, hoarder instinct or simply because we might possibly have use for it in the future... In fact, recent research found that nine out of ten hang on to items we never or rarely use.

However if you have a flat that is scattered with old games consoles, unloved toys or perhaps a wardrobe filled with clothes that you don't really wear there is hope! Of course you can take any unwanted items down to your local charity shop, or you can go online to www.netcycler.co.uk - a new swapping site - that allows you to swap and give away unwanted items for things you really want and need.

By creating matches between offers and wishes all you need to do is list what you want to get rid of and what you would like in return. In the words of a well-known meerkat: Simples!

You can also give away things for free or in return for a charitable donation.

Could it be more easy to minimise waste and clutter in your home and give unwanted items a new lease of life? Get netcycling now!

PS: there is even an iPhone app to make things really easy...

Here's an interesting eco-friendly gadget - the world's first water-pressured radio.

Designed for use in the shower, the H2O Shower Powered Radio is powered solely through water, without the need for disposable batteries.

The FM radio is powered solely through the motion of water flowing through a small H2O™ micro turbine; driving a generator that creates energy to power the radio. An integral battery recharges as the shower runs.

The radio is both economically and environmentally friendly, harvesting energy that would otherwise, literally, go straight down the drain. It simply connects to the shower hose and is compatible with 99 per cent of all showers.

Previously showcased on TV programme Dragon's Den, the radio is the brainchild of Vivian Blick, Managing Director of Tango Group, the owners of the H2O.

Inventor Vivian Blick is also a former director of Freeplay Energy Group, the company behind the commercialisation of the Wind-up Radio, which was invented by Trevor Baylis OBE in the 1990s.

Says Blick:

"Having seen huge success with the commercialisation of the Wind-Up Radio we were constantly looking into new ways that further innovations in the radio sector could be made.

Creating the now-patented micro turbine technology, that allows the radio to operate solely through the flow of water, was the key to our new innovation; and thus the world's first water-powered shower radio was created."

The H20™ Shower Powered Radio will be available to purchase from March 2011. The recommended retail price is £34.99.

TangoGroup

Via TechDigest.tv

Thinking about what to get your man this Valentine's Day that it both romantic and eco-friendly? Hippyshopper has put together this gift guide to make your shopping easier, even if buying for Mr Have It All.

The I-Green by Designer Fandi Meng, is a brilliant concept that I would love to see come to fruition.
The I-Green is a small bike peripheral that turns kinetic energy into electrical to charge nearly any portable device. Making it great for cyclists who want to keep phones or mp3 players charged on the go.

Meng has already won an iF and Good Design award for previous work and in my opinion, is definitely a designer to keep an eye on.

Barcoo a new mobile app attempts to empower ethical consumers, as well as encourage a new generation of ethical shoppers.

The free app gives consumers instant access to a brand's social, ethical and environmental profile, as well as a product's nutritional information and price comparison. Barcoo has all the usual barcode scanner features, in addition to a traffic light rating system to help the environmentally and health conscious, make better purchasing decisions.

In recent years being green has become a bit of a fad, with a lot of companies doing the bare minimum, so that they can make this claim. This app helps you instantly discover just how green these companies are. It can help you figure out if a product or company is polluting the environment and to what extent, or if your favourite fish is on the endangered species list.

Barcoo is available for iPhone, Android devices, Nokia, Samsung

If you haven't got around to planning your Christmas presents yet and are starting to feel slightly stressed out now that it's only 12 days left, this is the app for you!

Christmas Wrapped generates tailor made gift suggestions for all your loved ones. The app factors in budget, age and gender to suggest the very best possible gifts from over 5,000 products and 250 shops. It also organises it all into a handy shopping list for when you head to the shops!

And better yet, 10p of every download of the Christmas Wrapped app goes to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK, a British charity that grants magical wishes to children suffering from life-threatening diseases.

A few key features of the app include:
-Gift ideas generator
- View similar products
- Input gifts manually
- Assign gifts to your chosen contact list
- Add people to list direct from phone contacts
- Set budget for each person/total budget
- See total actual/budgeted
- Mark what's been bought and what you still need to buy
- Create a single page Christmas shopping list

The app is available now from the iTunes store for £1.19 (iPhone, iPod Touch).

Photo: PR

With news of lower iPad prices I'm guessing that one of the most wished for presents this Christmas will be found under many Christmas trees in a couple of weeks time.

If you are one of the lucky ones, or know of someone who's getting an iPad, what better way to protect it than with a soft eco iPad sleeve?!

Designed by TAPE, the sleeve is handmade in London from FSC-certified fabric-backed cork - so you can carry it with you wherever you go or keep it in your bag away from any harmful items. Did you know cork oak forests prevent desertification and are home to various endangered species and cork is completely biodegradable and recyclable?

Available from Nigel's Eco Store at £17.99 + shipping.

Photo: Nigel's Eco Store

Got a good idea which re-uses or mashes-up existing technologies and products to tackle today's environmental challenges? Well Sony and the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) want to hear from you.

They are behind a new initiative called Open PlanetIdeas which has been formed to answer questions like how do we make better use of our scarce natural resources? And how can we actively change people’s behaviour to encourage more sustainable lifestyles?

A panel of experts has already sifted through an incredible 335 of inspiring ideas. And it has pulled them together into six themes to form this challenge. These themes include: changing behaviour, cleaner by design, more with less, make it real, waste not and recycling revisited.

So now it’s over to you. Take a look at Sony's technology showcase and start thinking about how you could re-use, combine or mash-up these and any other technologies to address the challenge. You can applaud other people’s concepts or refine them further. Best of all, why not contribute a concept of your own here.

The expert panel, along with the community, will select the concepts that most excite them. Once the winning concept is chosen, its contributors will work together with these experts to make the final concept real.

To help get you started, Hippyshopper has come up with its very own concept: Fly Tip Focus. This automatically alerts you if people are dumping rubbish in your local neighbourhood. You can see the full details here.

To view the challenge brief itself go here: http://bit.ly/aMPzEV.  You can also visit http://bit.ly/ccvdpd  for more details as well as watch the video below for more inspiration.

Open Planet Ideas

Join the challenge

Find Out More About Open Planet Ideas







Sponsored Post

Here's an iPhone app with a difference. Called Cool Tree, it enables you to plant a virtual sapling and nurture it into a tropical tree, like a sort of green Tamagotchi. Neglect it and you risk losing it to loggers and bulldozers!

Costing £1.79, £1 from the app is donated to the charity Cool Earth. The idea is that your purchase protects a real endangered rainforest tree in the Ashaninka region of the Peruvian Amazon which is, handily, geo-located for you to view on Google Maps as part of this application.

Three different species are available to choose from. Take care of your tree and you can unlock the next levels. You start with the Cocoa Tree but progress apparently to the more challenging Murumuru and Capirona trees.

For more info go to www.syncstudios.co.uk/cooltree and www.coolearth.org