Green News
You may have heard the good news that cries of 'has anyone got a charger for a Nokia/Sony/Samsung?' etc will soon be a thing of the past, as the tech world has finally produced what seems to any non-geek to be the most obviously useful gadget ever: a charger that works on any phone.
But even better is the news that this super-charger will be greener, too. According to the Telegraph, the new universal chargers will consume half as much energy when on standby as today's charging cables, and will be supported by the majority of mobile phones by 2012.
Green gadgets
Mobile phones companies are falling over themselves to get greener, and hot on the heels of Samsung's solar powered handset comes another model making use of daylight-powered technology: Chinese manufacturer ZTE has just released its Coral-200 Solar handset, billing itself as a saviour for emerging markets where electricity is scant, or not readily available.
Unlike the rather slick-looking Blue Earth, however, the Coral is a rather bog standard and decidedly old-fashioned looking candy bar design, with the solar panels on the rear. But again this is completely justified, as I can't imagine eco-friendly mobile owners wanting their phones to resemble and pack all the battery guzzling software and features that come hand in hand with a lot of the standard phones on offer these days (and if they do, they'll be waiting quite a while before that's even considered a possibility).
Related: Blue Earth: Samsung's fusion of solar power and touchscreen goodness
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Green News
Understandably, news of a solar powered touchscreen phone from Samsung was met with high levels of scepticism. But it's not April Fools Day - it's not even close, so why was my initial reaction that someone is yanking our chain? I'll tell you why. It's because, let's face it, an energy efficient, solar powered touchscreen phone sounds just a little bit far fetched, don't you think?
But scepticism aside, it appears Samsung's eco friendly phones, dubbed Blue Earth, is real and being green is at the top of its agenda. For a start, they'll be no charging via an AC outlet for this bad boy, oh no. Just like the process of photosynthesis, this phone requires sunlight via the solar panels on the back. And apparently, it'll generate enough juice to call anytime anywhere - which is an ambiguous statement to say the least! Is this after only8 a few hours of sunlight exposure, or days?
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Green gadgets
If you're a car owner who spends the occasional painful moment contemplating your pride and joy's impact on the environment, then a new GPS system called Econav is being billed as a great way of assuaging your guilt. The idea behind it is that you're purchasing a premium looking satnav, equipped with the usual features such as GPS, gear change indicators, speed indicators and traffic alerts, but you're also getting their customised Econav technology built in.
And what does that mean exactly? Well the idea is that it will help save you money on fuel and cut your carbon emissions, and it does this by analyzing various route options and giving you an eco-related readout of the potential cost to yourself and the environment.
Related: Hippyshopper reviews the ViaMichelin X-970T Sat Nav |Can Sat Nav make driving greener?
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Green gadgets
If you've ever shared space with someone with a hairdryer habit, you'll probably already be painfully aware of how much juice these things get through.They're notorious for over-heating and shorting out electricity circuits too, so if they could only invent one that wasn't so power-hungry that would be a good thing for all concerned.
Babyliss claim to have done just that with their new 'eco' hairdryer, which uses around half the electricity of a standard model. Most dryers use around 95 per cent energy for heat and 5 per cent for air flow, but this model uses a new type of motor that optimises air flow. In other words, it boosts the least energy-intensive way of drying your hair. £19.95 from Ethical Superstore
Green gadgets
With comments such as 'sounds like a jumbo jet taking off' versus 'I'd never buy a regular kettle again', Hippyshopper readers were somewhat divided on the Tefal Quick cup: is it technically a kettle or not? Does it matter that the water doesn't actually boil? Never has a kitchen appliance stirred up so much passion.
But the Quick Cup certainly has its fans, and with its ability to produce a cup of Joe in three seconds flat, its energy-saving graces are not to be sniffed at. And now, you can get a smarter, more streamlined looking model for your eco kitchen.
Related: Video review: Tefal Quick-cup fast boil kettle | Yay or nay? The Tefal Quick-Cup kettle
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Green gadgets
The trend for 'green' PCs continues apace, with this new model from Fujitsu Siemens that achieves its stated aim of rock-bottom energy consumption primarily through its lack of a standby function. That's right: once it's off, it's off, and there's no need to yank the plug out at the mains when you finish using it.
Related: Green Tech: Advent's new 'Eco' PC | New Dell PC is made of 'bamboo, bottles and jugs
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