Gadgets Blog

According to recent studies, Pizza is a $30 billion dollar industry. That’s a heck of a lot of cardboard boxes in our landfills. But a Pizza box company has come up with a very simple pizza box design which recycles and reuses the box the pizza comes in with a simple tear along the serrated lines. Bet you didn’t think a simple square box could be redesigned, did you?

Dubbed the Green Box, the topbreaks down into 4 serving plates, while the bottom of the box folds into a convenient storage container to keep leftover pizza warm, or for storing into the refrigerator for later.

Cool video here -

This is a fantastic idea which shows what one an do just by asking the question, what can do I to this to make it better for Mother Earth? No real raise in price or quality control, just a few serrated lines and folds in the right spot and you have a multi-tasking box that not only cuts down on paper plates in our landfills, but becomes even more efficient in keeping the heat in for what’s leftover.

Just don’t forget to recycle it when you’re done.

Hat Tip - Asylum

I don’t have a dishwasher in my house, other than my wife and myself, of course. Many people complain that dishwashers waste too much water between cycles, but there isn’t a better to way to wash them other than spraying them with gallons of scalding hot water.

It would appear that there is another way to clean dishes with this concept device known as the Electrolux Wind Washer. It does this by using air and UV rays for cleaning.

Yeah, don’t ask me how air and UV rays can clean a dish, unless there is some serious high pressured air going on. I would imagine that you would have to affix this to a big and loud air compressor to make that work.

Also, it seems to be made for just two plates. What kind of pathetic dishwasher is capable of just two plates?

Okay, this is only a concept for now, so I’m not going to be too picky. Hopefully someone will eventually create a full-sized dishwasher, but I’m not certain how it will get the angles on all the plates. Since the plates are sandwiched in there, I am assuming that this process only works if the plates are hit on both sides by air and UV rays.

While we’re at it, lets talk about glasses and silverware. How is it going to do those? Okay, this new technology has a lot of bugs in it, but you have to give credit to these innovators for trying to save water and doing something different.

Source

Wind power is a viable alternative for green energy â€" particularly in arid areas where there’s plenty of wind, but little of anything else. Trouble is, that wind turbines aren’t as efficient as they should and need to be. A company named Leviathan Energy seems to have a very simply way to improve the efficiency of wind turbines … and it involves donuts.

Based on computer models, Leviathan has designed a plastic and metal don’t skirt which, after affixed around the base of each turbine, will direct air flow directly into the optimal area for the Wind Turbine blades to operate. The result is more air going across the blade airfoils and more energy being harvested as a result. How much more? Leviathan estimates that power output of an average wind turbine can be increased on order of magnitude from 15-30% and at lower wind speeds. Meaning that in light wind conditions that Wind turbines may actually be still and unused, they can now harvest enough energy to increase outputs by up to 150%. And that makes it very attractive.

The downside, however, is that according to Leviathan, each skirt has to be custom engineered and fit to reflect the size and height of the wind turbine, the blades they use, even the position of the turbine on the wind farm. But with an estimated return of 4-5 on investment, it could be a very good accessory that yields powerful dividends.

Hat Tip â€" Oh Gizmo

If there is one thing that I can’t stand, it is changing out the printer cartridges. Usually it goes off without a hitch, but there are times where the ink gets all over your hands. Of course, it is impossible to wash off because it’s well…ink.

Xerox has discovered a way to revolutionize printing cartridges with the ColorQube 9200. These cartridges are solid ink, which is a fancy way of saying that they are big crayons.

The user has put these big square crayons into the machine, and the printer will melt and squirt them in the proper places. Three of the slots are for the primary colors, so the red, blue, and yellow should be capable of making any color on the page. There is also a separate slot for black, which will probably need to be replaced often.

Speaking of the replacements, the ink cubes have to be replaced every 55,000 pages. The ColorQube can print up to 150 million drops of ink per second, which is good enough “to print at 38 ppm up to 85 ppm”.

Xerox says that this new solid ink cartridge system can reduce the cost of printing pages by 62 percent. Of course, you have to ask if saving two-thirds is worth it, as the printer for this solid ink system costs about $22,000.

Source

Anti War activists hate cluster bombs â€" mostly because they can be used to deploy anti personnel mines which don’t get picked up long after the last bullet has been fired. And when they go off, even children are victims. But can the technology be harnessed for more constructive and green purposes? Designer Hwang Jin Wook seems to think so and as such, he came up with the “Seedbomb.”

The concept is amazingly simple and represents the coolness of out of the box thinking. Instead of tiny bombs known as “bomblets” or anti personnel mines, the SeedBomb has Seed capsules aligned in a cluster configuration. Each cluster of capsules is packed into a single bomb with dozens of others and when the bomb reaches optimum altitude, the clusters are released to embed all around the impact area. Each capsule contains soil and seeds housed in a biodegradable plastic. The soil is packed with plant rich nutrients and moisture enough to allow the plant seed to germinate (the plastic canister acts as a defacto greenhouse) and grow until the plant can sustain itself. As the plant matures, the biodegradable plastic canister deteriorates until there’s nothing left.

The idea is brilliant for deploying to areas stricken by desertification or deforestation. And It’s easy to see the Forestry department using them to reseed areas that have recently fallen victim to wildfires or bark beetle infestation. But can just planting plants change an environment? Not on it’s own, but if you consider that with all the golf courses it has, that the average temperature of Palm Springs has DROPPED 20 degrees in the last 25 years, it’s worth looking at.

Hat Tip â€" Our friends at Yanko

After a short holiday (due to dead server, moving server and conferences) coolest gadget of the week is back. Check out the gadgets, vote for the one you think is coolest and leave a comment for a chance to win a $50 Amazon voucher. Good luck and have a great weekend.

Digi-Mug - Digital Photo Frame Mug

Here’s a travel mug with something a little different - a digital photo frame is fastened to the side allowing you to share your photos with your co-workers and friends, and anyone else within sipping distance. Made of impact-resistant plastic and insulated with 18/8 stainless steel. 1Mb of memory lets you save 45 photos and carry them anywhere you go.

The full post can be found on Single Serve Coffee.

Trongs: Making Finger Food Less Messy

Description: If you’re hosting a BBQ this summer then Trongs will have to be the ultimate must-have accessory for your finger licking feast. Made from plastic with teeth like ends, Trongs allow you to cover your mitts but still give you the chance to get stuck into your food without feeling the least bit guilty that you’re actually eating with your hands!

The full post can be found on Gaj-it.

The Necktie Spy Camera

Here is a fun spy gadget for all the James Bond fans, the Necktie Spy Camera.

The Necktie Spy Camera is the ideal accessory for your latest spy mission, you are bound to go undetected with this covert necktie, apart from the fact that everyone will realise you don’t normally wear one.

The full post can be found on Geeky Gadgets.

Bacon Genie

Finding the perfect way to cook bacon is difficult. This microwave bacon cooker allows the grease to drip off while cooking. The bacon is drapped over a hanger and the grease drips into the pan. The pan has a spout to allow you to pour off the grease.

The full post can be found on Kitchen Contraptions.

Truecall: Stops Nuisance Phone Calls

trueCall will filter out nuisance phone calls from telemarketers and (better still) debt collectors.When someone calls, trueCall checks the number against a stored list of friends. If the number checks out, the call goes through. If not, it will ask the caller for their name and put them on hold while trueCall calls your phone. When you pick up, you can decide if you want to take the call, but by this stage most telemarketers hang-up. Reclaim your phone again!

The full post can be found on Gaj-it.

Face recognition tap

The SmartFaucet is a touchscreen tap with face recognition. Stand in front of it and it will automatically remember your preferred water temperature and pressure and run you your perfect bath or shower. You can also use it to catch up on a few emails or find out how your calendar’s shaping up for the weekend.

The full post can be found on Decide What to Buy.

Yellow Bulldozer PC

Check out this cool PC case mod from Russian moder, Megalex, the Yellow Bulldozer PC.

Megalex built this custom case around an Asus P3B-F motherboard, an Intel PIII 700MHz processor, 512MB of Ram, and a 500GB Seagate hard drive.

The full post can be found on Geeky Gadgets.

Nerf N-Strike Wii Blaster

If you know Nerf then you will know that they are the source of endless foam dart fun. This new Nerf product is a “pull pin to cock, pull trigger to shoot” foam dart pistol. This is the Nerf N-Strike Wii Blaster, it comes with 3 darts and a useful instruction book that tells you not to shoot your weapon at someone face (made us laugh). It also has a second, slightly more useful use. You can remove the barrel of the gun and replace it with a Wii remote allowing you to use it with your Nintendo Wii.

The full post can be found on Gadgets-For-Men.co.uk.

Scosche reviveLITE iPod Charger and Night Light

The Scosche reviveLite Scosche reviveLITE iPod Charger and Night Light is both an LED nightlight and an iPod/iPhone charger. It’s available in both white and black version, with frosted glass on the night light, which lights up automatically in low light (it can be switched off if you prefer). The reviveLite has no wires and folds up neatly which makes it ideal for travel.

The full post can be found on Craziest Gadgets.

Gorillapod

The Gorillapod offers you a unique way to capture photos whether it be on holiday or just out for a stroll in the country. You attach the Gorillapod to your camera and wrap the bendy and flexible legs around any object it will fit. This allows you to capture quality photos of everyone without having to leave someone out of the photo to take the picture.

The full post can be found on Tech Styling.

Thanks again to all the sites for their submissions now over to you guys for voting (don’t forget to leave a comment with your reason for a chance to win a $50 Amazon voucher).

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If you write for a gadget themed blog and wish to be included in next weeks contest check out the CGOTW instructions page.

Worms are taking over technology! The first is a cleaning robot that you see in this picture here. It is developed by Panasonic, and it is known as the Fukitorimushi. I don’t speak Japanese, but it should translate into “cleaning worm”. Like a Roomba, it can somehow sense dirty spots on the floor and clean them up.

It does it in an odd way, as it moves across the floor like an inchworm. I am assuming that it does this to imitate the human motion of scrubbing the floor, and captures the dust and grit in its nanocloth sleeve.

You can see a video of the Fukitorimushi after the jump, and I’ve also included a video of the other worm. This worm is not designed for cleaning per se, but some roboticists at Tokyo’s Waseda University have created some gel that also moves like an inchworm. Apparently, it is capable of independent motion, changing colors, and even performing calculations. Who knows what it could do in the future?

So why is the worm being used as a model for new technology? Personally, I think someone has been watching too many episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. In case you haven’t been watching it, there is a liquid metal terminator that takes the form of a wiggly worm.

With all these worm-like robots, I can’t help but wonder if we are seeing the beginning of robot evolution. It started with the nanobot, but will it end with the humanoid robot? And will that end be a terminator? Oh, the future looks so bright.

Source1 and Source2

Anti virus systems on your computer are so dull.  Really they just sit there and scare off all the nasty things that like to infest your computer.  That’s all well and good, but couldn’t they keep things interesting?  Even just a little?  Well this design puts a humorous take on keeping viruses out of your computer and holding onto your files for you.  Of course they show it on a Mac and everyone knows that nothing can kill a Mac.  It’s inconceivable!

Well alright, Macs might not be entirely indestructible.  This odd hard drive with an anti virus program includes an IV drip bag that blinks and flashes its lights when it’s at work.  Giving you a visual reminder that your anti virus is at work.  Of course that also means that you have yet another gadget clogging up your USB port.  This is still a concept hard drive though by Hyuh Jin Lee.  If it did ever hit the market, it might be worth the extra port it uses up.

Source: Gizmodiva

While Jedis are able to manipulate the Force to perform a great many miracles and wonders, they still can’t control the weather (although the Sith can whip up a mean Force Storm), which would mean even Jedi can get caught in the rain like you and I. Surely you don’t expect them to carry both an umbrella and a lightsaber, which is why the Lightsaber Umbrella was constructed in the first place.

At first glance it looks just like any other ordinary umbrella, but one click of the button on the handle will illuminate the shaft in a bright flash of Jedi white that’s sure to scare off those evil Sith Lords waiting to pounce in the rain. Or it might just make you look super cool on your commute to work. Stand out and be noticed the next time it rains and make your way to the office Jedi style.

Sounds like £19.99 well spent, especially if you’re a huge Star Wars fan.

The never ending battle between Star Wars and Star Trek fans continue, but this has not stopped either franchise from milking their fanbase dry with a bunch of new peripherals and products. Case in point, the Star Trek USB Communicator Internet Phone that was re-released in time to ride the wave of the Star Trek movie this summer. This VoIP handset will feature USB plug-and-play, making it compatible with most common software including Skype, MSN, AIM, Ichat and others. It also comes with a built-in microphone and earphone, alongside an integrated speaker with 21 sound effects to boot. You might not hitch a ride to space with this, but at least you can pretend you’re talking to someone else on another planet with this $43 peripheral.