Monday, June 6, 2011

Inhabitat's Week in Green:hybrid hydrogen hovercraft, amphibious ice cream, and the transparent solar touchscreen laptop of our dreams




Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. 
Solar energy supercharged our power grid and gadgets this week as Inhabitat showcased a hot solar laptop set within a transparent case that allows sunlight to shine straight through it. We also saw a team of Japanese engineers' shoot for the moon with plans for a lunar photovoltaic plant, while back on earth Seoul officially launched the world's first solar-powered floating island. Scientists also used sunlight to create the perfect cup of joe with the Helios 4 solar coffee roaster, and now that the weather is finally heating up we couldn't help but share this sexy solar bikini -- which just hit the market!

In other news, green transportation set sail this week as Volkswagen unveiled a hybrid hydrogen-electric hovercraft and the world's first amphibious ice cream truck cast anchor in the Thames. Meanwhile, a new mini electric Humvee was spotted just a few streets away in London, students at the University of Adelaide unveiled a crazy electric di-wheel car, and a group of scientists unveiled plans to harvest Helium-3 from Uranus to help propel interstellar travel. Enerkam also took a big step towards transforming municipal waste into fuel by securing a $60 million investment, and we took you for a ride on 14 of the world's most amazing subways.

Last but not least, this week we officially unveiled 40 stunning finalists in our Bright Ideas Lighting Design Competition - from a gorgeous geometric chandelier made from cut and folded Tetra Paks to aliving LED light that doubles as a terrarium and a brilliant lamp made from a broken blender. We were also shocked to hear the World Health Organization declare that cell phones may cause cancer, so we rounded up 5 ways to protect yourself from cellphone radiation. Finally, we showcased a steampunk R2-D2 made from recycled materials, and if you're stepping up your exercise routine to hit the beach this summer you won't want to miss the S770 Pinnacle Trainer -- an energy-generating exercise machine that produces watts while you work out!

No comments:

Post a Comment