Papier-mache, beloved craft medium of elementary school art classes everywhere, has found a new life in designer Debbie Wijskamp‘s recycled paper-pulp cabinets. I can’t imagine that this furniture is too sturdy, but the recycling element is definitely eco-friendly, and the cabinets have an undeniably interesting look to them.
[via Inhabitat]
For those interested in sustainable computing, it can be frustrating and difficult to determine the amount of energy actually being consumed at a given time. Korean computer manufacturer Moneual has finally addressed this problem, designing a PC with a prominent LED display that tracks how many watts of power the system is using. The computer is set up so that you can keep track of the energy used by peripheral devices, too – yes, monitoring your monitor. It’s a great invention for any conservation-minded tech enthusiast, and should be on the market in about three months, according to the company.
[via Technabob]
Solar power is being hyped as the next big trend for cell phone chargers – especially with solar-powered messenger bags like Timbuk2′s FLAP bag getting ready to hit the market – but many of us phone-junkies tend to forget that we do a lot of our talking at night. When our phones run out of juice after sunset, it’s a looooong time ’til morning when we can power up again with solar chargers.
Designers Song Teaho and Hyejin Lee were thinking ahead, however, and came up with this cool idea for a twirlable cell phone battery that recharges as you spin it around on your finger – that’s two minutes of precious talking time for every 130 spins (expect to build some serious finger muscles!) or 25 minutes of standby power. It may sound like a lot of work, but it’s an important step in eliminating our dependence on the electrical outlet – as much as we’d like to, human beings still can’t control the weather enough to keep our solar-powered devices perpetually well-fed.
[via Inhabitat]
