Green Gadgets

Top gadgets to save the planet!

DIY Kyoto Wattson

With both numbers and colours, wattson shows you how much electricity your home is using at any given moment. Wattson can also store up to 4 weeks of energy-use history which can be downloaded to your computer. Information from a transmitter attached to your electricity meter or fuse box is beamed directly to your wattson which instantly displays your current usage. In fact, for such an ingenious device, wattson is really easy to install and even easier to use and the instructions are completely free of techno-babble. Wattson 01 can now show energy use in Euros, Dollars, Stirling and Yen as well as Pounds, making it a truly international product. It can measure single and also 3 phase systems, making it suitable for large houses and even small businesses.

£149.50, http://shop.diykyoto.com/

Solio

Solio™, the Universal "Hybrid" Charger is powerful enough to charge all of your handheld electronic products at home or on the move, anywhere under the sun. Solio is a Hybrid because it can accept power from either the wall socket or Sun storing this energy within Solio's internal rechargeable battery.  Solio then uses this energy to power your gadgets at the same rate as if they were plugged into the wall.  Solio will also hold its charge for up to a year. Solio limits your need to purchase and carry around multiple chargers for all of your gadgets and is your one stop charging solution for all of your products from cell phones and iPods, to digital cameras, game players, and GPS. One hour of sun will give you enough juice to play your iPod™ for about an hour or provide up to 25 mins of additional talk time on most mobile phones. When fully charged Solio can store enough power to charge a typical mobile phone or an iPod Nano at least two times. Have you plugged into the Sun lately?

From £49.95, http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/products/better-energy-systems/solio-mobile-phone-and-ipod-solar-charger/?gclid=CMH58di46ZACFQtGQwod1SXfWQ

Tefal Quick Cup

Have you ever been gasping for a cup of tea but can't be bothered to boil up the kettle? This time is over thanks to Quick Cup, an extraordinary invention that serves hot or cool water in 3 seconds. It only heats the water you need and uses only a third of the energy of an ordinary kettle - so a great time, energy and money saver. The Quick Cup features a Claris filter cartridge for fresh, filtered water on tap; stainless steel control panel; flowstop system for manual or automatic flow; 1.5L removable water tank allowing for easy filling; and an anti-dust tank lid.

£59.97 from http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500000701&langId=-1&searchTerms=quick+cup

Standby Buster

Standby Buster is a remote controlled electrical socket that lets you switch appliances off completely so that they use no electricity. Leaving them on standby unnecessarily uses electricity costing you money and contributing to Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions. Standby Buster requires no installation, simply plug into an existing socket to convert it to remote control. Standby Buster is the only consumer electronics mains switch to be recommended by the Energy Saving Trust. Standby saving is highlighted by the Energy Saving Trust as the key energy saving tip.

From £8.99, http://www.standbybuster.com/home.php?cat=249





Siemens Eco-Dect Gigaset Landline Phones

The world has just gotten a little greener, thanks to new energy-saving ECO DECT cordless phone technology from Siemens Gigaset. As the issue of climate change gains momentum in terms of public awareness, consumers and businesses alike are beginning to take action to combat it – some more quickly than others. Gigaset has wasted no time. Their new range of eco-friendly phones challenges complacency everywhere.
The motto Gigaset has chosen to promote ECO DECT technology is “make a little difference.” Gigaset has certainly done just that by making it possible for anyone to have an environmentally-friendly phone at home. Consumers who buy one will be grateful for the financial savings that goes along with reduced energy use. They’ll also find that ECO DECT phones are every bit as graceful and operationally intuitive as the Gigaset phones they’ve already come to rely on. The benefits of this new technology, for Gigaset, for consumers and for the planet, are clear.

Various phones and prices, http://gigaset.siemens.com/shc/0,1935,hq_en_0_149051_rArNrNrNrN,00.html

Wind Up Eco Media Player

Wind up technology just has no bounds! Trevor Baylis – the original inventor of the wind up radio has taken the technology to a whole new level. Listen to your favourite music and radio stations; watch movie clips and browse photo albums; all powered by wind-up technology or USB port.
One minute of winding gives 40 minutes of play which makes it perfect for commuters, holiday makers and anyone on the move.
You also have the convenience of alternative charging via USB port on your PC orLaptop. Fully charged, the eco media player will provide around 20 hours of constant music or around 10 hours of video play. A 1.8” colour LCD display together with the very latest in 24bit digital audio processing and carefully designed state of the art in-ear headphones (included) brings concert-hall experience right where you are – any time, any place. With or without power!

£149.95, http://www.naturalcollection.com/natural-products/windupecomediaplayer.aspx

Tapmagic

Save water with these ingenious tap inserts. The Tapmagic cartridge is unique in offering dual flow - opening the tap a little gives a strong but water-saving spray for hand washing or cleaning teeth; opening the tap further by-passes the spray mode to fill the basin quickly. The benefits of this product speak for themselves: Up to 70% water saving and associated energy, fitted in minutes, unique automatic dual stage outlet, suitable for hot and cold water applications, suitable for mixer applications and easily removed for cleaning and de-scaling if required. Tapmagic fits standard M22 and M24 threaded tap outlets. The M22 version fits externally threaded taps; the M24 fits internally threaded ones (which are more common).

£4.75, http://www.naturalcollection.com/natural-products/Amazing-Water-Saving-Tapmagic.aspx