We've all heard the catch phrases and the theories, the arguments and the advantages, but until recently buying "green" accessories limited you to organic cotton and lots of patchouli scented stores. In all seriousness, the market has caught up with demand and we're seeing a number of ecologically sound--and stylish--choices coming to the forefront of the scene. We've gathered a few of our favorites together here; choose them, and products like them, and you're voting with your wallet for products and companies that aim to make the earth a better planet for us and all the gadget-loving people that will come after.
It's small, it's comfortable and it gives you an excuse to take your calls outdoors...really, what could be better?
www.iqua.com/product/iqua-sun | Price: $79.95
Voltaic Solar backpack
http://voltaicsystems.com/bag_backpack.shtml# | Price: $249.00
Available in seven sizes to fit anything from a netbook (iPad anyone?) to a 17" screen, and two contoured zippers open and close the case. Oh, and the outside is waterproof...so that occasional coffee mishap? No problem.
http://www.greensmart.biz/sleeve-neogreene.html | Price: $25.00-$40.00
Each briefcase comes with a sticker showing the energy savings in terms that make sense: this Ultralight case uses ten 16 ounce plastic bottles in production and saves 6,380 BTUs...that's about 75 hours of power for your laptop.
http://www.greensmart.biz/brief.html | Price: $ 30.00
Iqua 603 SUN
When we got this review sample in, MacTribe editors were excited to get it up and running, and after a quick charge (less than two hours) the headset was ready for pairing. We paired it to a number of phones and it switches between the handsets easily--it can handle up to eight handsets one at a time--offering great volume and crisp sound for each model we tried it with. The Iqua Sun is small, light and is a great investment for the nine hours of talk time each charge gives, but if you have even a patch of sunlight near you during the day, just pop the headset into the rays and rest assured you won't be plugging in to charge at all--the talk time is unlimited in sunshine. The Iqua Sun is the grand-daddy of solar powered Bluetooth and its pedigree is impeccable; it garnered a prestigious honoree award at CES 2008. Even the ear clip is comfortable, fully adjustable and easy to keep on.
Well designed and incredibly useful, Voltaic's Solar Backpack is just as happy carrying your laptop around town as it is housing your weekend hiking gear. With almost 2,000 cubic inches of storage space, there's room for all your gadgets in there, and the 4.5 watts of solar power it harnesses can charge iPods, iPhones and other small electronic devices. A lithium-polymer battery comes with ten adaptors for a wide range of gadgets, holds solar power until you need it, and outputs at five volts. When the weather turns nice we need to be outside and we're going to love being able to recharge our handheld gear without going back indoors--and the fact that the pack is made out of recycled plastics only bolsters its appeal. Available in black with a choice of charcoal, green, orange or silver contrast on the solar panels.
GreenSmart Sleeve
Laptop sleeves may very well be the best carrying case for your computer: they're slim but protective and they instantly transform any bag into a "laptop bag." Factor that in with the knowledge that this GreenSmart sleeve is made out of neogreene, not neoprene, and you've got yourself the ultimate in laptop protection. Neogreene is a water based material that is a lot easier to produce than traditional neoprene; it uses petroleum, less energy and absolutely no toxic adhesives so your purchase doesn't just help your laptop...it helps keep the earth clean and green for future generations. Love it.
Bottles to Bags Ultralight Brief
Also from GreenSmart, this black recycled PET bag is a great casual carrier if you prefer your laptop case to have handles. Each bag is made of heavy duty textured fabric created from recycled plastics and weighs in at about a half pound so you're not lugging a whole lot of bag around town with you. There's room inside for a few files, a legal pad, your power supply..you know, the basics. Lime green lining peeks out and matches the two bright green and sleek aluminum zippers to make sure your personality shines through; this bag may be basic, but boring it isn't.
More Apple
More News
iPad Costs
iSuppli Corp., which generally waits until it can actually get the new Apple product to estimate its production cost, has decided to forgo hands on examination in the case of the iPad. They have--from just looking at it, it's amazing--decided the base model only costs $219.35 for Apple to produce. According to AppleInsider the base model won't make Apple anywhere near as much profit as the 32 GB model with 3G wireless priced at $729...that one reportedly costs only $287.15 to produce.
That's some profit! No wonder Apple execs have said they'd stay nimble on pricing! With demand for the iPad under scrutiny and this week's news that the "Take Picture" hint was removed from the Address Book app in the iPad simulator even we are starting to wonder if it's not worth waiting for the 2nd generation.
Trust us, it's painful to say.
Google Challenges the Internet
"Think Big" indeed. This time, Google is setting its sights on the very way we transmit information and asking people from around the country to nominate their city or state to be included in an ultra-high speed open internet network of Google's building. Set to include anywhere from 50,000 to 500,000 people, this network will boast 1GB per second fiber optic connections that Google reps are hoping will bolster developer creativity, test new ways to build the infrastructure and challenge internet service providers to band together to create a better internet instead of shunning change to maintain their bottom lines.
This is huge news, and we hope our city is on the receiving end of the new interwebs...here's the official Google Blog if you want to read it all in detail or submit your community.
Dogs on Twitter
From the country that's given us karate and karaoke comes the newest iPhone app: that's right, Japan's Index Corp. has announced the release of "Bowlingual," the dog emotion translator. Latest in a long line of technological advances, this app (to be released this summer) analyzes Fido's bark and puts it into one of six categories, like "needy." Or "happy." Then it adds a caption based on the emotion and allows you to snap a photo of your pooch in its current mood; as if that weren't enough it can modify that photo to enlarge your pet's eyes...oh...so cute.
Seriously, the app is set to sell for $5 and will post your pet's barks to Twitter. Silly? Yes. Fun? Probably!!
Will you let your dog speak his mind? Tell us here.
