14 Handcrafted Supercool Jewelry Finds

Mar 11, 2010 12:00 am

Check out some of the most unique necklaces, earrings, rings and other jewelry -- all made from recycled materials by the artisans of Etsy.

Toyota Denies "Ghost in the Machine," While Reports of Post-Recall Fix Sudden Acceleration Pour In

Mar 9, 2010 03:02 am

Dr. Shukri Souri of Exponent: Explaining the Toyota pedal issues on Monday. (Toyota photo)

From a public relations point of view, this one is for the record books. Just after Toyota staged a lavish webcast to try and put sudden acceleration behind it, a Prius ran wild to 90 mph on a California highway, resulting in sensational coverage on every website, TV station and newspaper in America.

But the real story was a bit more subtle: The 2008 Prius driven by hapless motorist James Sikes had not been "fixed" by Toyota (he claims he was turned away from his dealership) but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) "defects and recalls" database has recorded more than 60 sudden acceleration incidents in cars that were fixed. Here's a few, just involving 2010 Camrys:

"I own a 2010 Camry. I just had the recall done last week. Since the work has been done, I have had nothing but problems with the idle and the engine. Before the recall was done, I never had a problem. Something needs to be done before more people are killed."

"My vehicle has been recalled and 'repaired'--gas pedal, floor mat, brake override system. Prior to the recall, the gas pedal was sluggish and I would experience mini, sudden accelerations. There has been no improvement since the repairs (done March 2). In fact, it appears to have become more frequent. The sudden accelerations are not dramatic and braking does take care of the problem."

"While parking my 2010 Camry at the grocery store, I slowly turned into the parking space and my car suddenly accelerated, jumping the curb and hitting a cement surrounded light pole....I was not noticeably injured. The car had just had the replacement pedal installed on March 2, 2010 as ordered by the recall."

And here are a few involving the 2010 Prius, which has a separate acceleration problem connected with braking over broken pavement:

"Since I purchased the car in September of 2009, the brakes fail when I am braking and hit a bump, pothole or uneven road surface. The brakes fail for a second or two, and sometimes the cr lurches forward...On March 6, 2010 I had the recall software for the 2010 Prius done in the service department at the Mike Calvert Toyota dealership in Houston, Texas. On the way home, I experienced the brake failure again when I was braking and drove over a small pothole."

"I visited my local dealership for repair of the brake recall of the 2010 Prius in early February. I do not believe that this repair has fixed the problem. A few days after the fix, my car seemed to accelerate as I was braking and happened to be going over a pothole."

I'm aware there is such a thing as the power of suggestion, and the fact that runaway Toyotas are blanketing the news may make some people see problems where they don't necessarily exist. After Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast in the 1930s, many people reported seeing his Martians or Venusians or whatever they were.

The Truth About Natural Toothpaste

Mar 8, 2010 06:18 am

What you should know about toothpaste ingredients and our top natural paste picks.

Despite Economic Collapse, the Greenest Country on Earth Innovates

Mar 6, 2010 07:10 am

The news from Iceland has been all about its economic meltdown, but there's other seismic activity going on there, too. Will Iceland roll with hydrogen vehicles or, as it looks increasingly likely, plug-in battery ones?

Despite the delivery, during the Copenhagen climate talks, of 10 new Ford Focus FCV fuel-cell vehicles into the tiny country of just 300,000 people (adding to a small fleet of 10 hydrogen-burning Priuses), it's still likely that Iceland will have an EV infrastructure before there's extensive fuel cell operations. (Photo: Ford.)

Iceland is still on the ropes financially, and that complicates the purchase of any high-tech cars in what is otherwise the greenest country on earth (according to the Yale/Columbia Environmental Performance Index). After all, more than 80 percent of Iceland's energy use is from ultra-clean domestic sources, including geothermal and hydro.

Iceland already produces far more electricity than its small use (which explains the presence of those current-heavy aluminum smelters). It could easily produce hydrogen in bulk, too. So which way will it go?

The First Test Drive of the Latest Affordable Electric Car: Will It Be a Game Changer?

Mar 5, 2010 06:33 am

The Wheego Whip Life: 90 miles on a charge. (Credit: Jim Motavalli)

ATLANTA--We've reached the make-or-break point for electric vehicles. As many as a half dozen different models will be on the road by the end of the year, and when it comes right down to it we have no idea if people will line up to buy them.

There are several big hurdles, including price (EVs will be significantly more expensive than we're used to -- small two-seat cars will start around $25,000), unfamiliarity (people will be plugging in at night, instead of going to the gas station) and range anxiety (most of these cars will go only 100 miles between charges).

Last week, I talked to Mary Ann Wright, managing director of the business accelerator at major battery maker Johnson Controls (they're supplying lithium-ion packs to both the BMW and Mercedes-Benz hybrids), and heard about the "EV gap." She said the industry worldwide has the capacity to produce four million cars, but the actual demand might be only two million.

Wright was among several witnesses at a Senate hearing last week asking the feds, specifically the Department of Energy, for help closing that gap -- with one popular concept being the mass purchase of EVs for government fleets, which could include more than a million vehicles. It makes a lot of sense, particularly because fleet cars come back to central depots that make recharging a cinch.

Wright also told me that EV costs will come down with desperately needed volume. "Scale won't get us all the way, but it is going to be a significant driver," she said.

Freezer Freaks: 10 Weird Things I Freeze to Save Money

Mar 4, 2010 07:35 am

It's official: I've become my grandmother. I realized it the other morning when I opened the door to our freezer.

That icy vault was packed to the brim. But -- in the finest tradition of my Grandma Yeager -- it wasn't filled so much with leftovers, like you'd find in most household freezers. You see, my Grams had a few deep frozen secrets. She knew about weird stuff; weird stuff you can deep-six in the freezer and maybe save some money in the process.

* Candles: Keep your wax candles in the freezer and they'll burn longer. It's especially good for slim table tapers that normally burn very fast.

* Batteries: A number of studies have shown that storing batteries in the freezer helps them retain their charge longer. This is less true for alkaline batteries (freezing extends their shelf life by only about 5%) than it is for NiMH and Nicad batteries often used in electronics. Keeping NiMH batteries in the freezer can boost battery life by 90%.

* Plant Seeds: Many (but not all) types of plant seeds will keep longer and germinate more successfully when stored in the freezer. Consult a copy of Seed Storage of Horticultural Crops, by S.D. Doijode, for more than you'd ever want to know about this fascinating topic. Many of the planet's most important seeds are being stored in the chilly "doomsday" seed vault in Norway.

* Cheap Booze: In the interest of full disclosure, my Grams was a teetotaler. Me, I need an attitude adjustment from time to time, and I've found that storing cheap booze -- not just vodka, but all types of distilled spirits -- in the freezer makes it taste smoother (and more expensive).

* Wine Cubes: Speaking of keeping alcohol in the freezer, when you have a little leftover wine from dinner, pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it. "Wine cubes" are perfect to use in making stock and other cooking.

* Plastic Soda Bottles Filled with Water: Grandma knew that keeping her freezer chockfull helped to insulate it and perform better, and kept things cold longer if the electricity failed. I like to fill empty plastic soda bottles nearly full with water, and put them in the freezer to take up any vacant space. Plus they make convenient "drip-less ice cubes" to use instead of real ice cubes in my ice chest.

OK Go's New Video Shows a Better Way to Recycle Your Trash

Mar 3, 2010 12:04 am

This new video from OK Go shows you an elaborate way to recycle your trash.

You May Soon Be Able to Charge Your Electric Car for Free, While You Shop

Mar 1, 2010 09:18 am

Best Buy parking lots are ideal for EV charging. (Flickr/NCReedplayer)

For electric vehicle (EV) advocates, it's a no-brainer: Big-box stores have huge parking lots, and it's in their interest to keep you shopping as long as possible. Given that, why wouldn't they be friendly to installing EV charging in their lots? And, hell, won't they just make it free (a $2 to $4 value) so they'll have an advantage over the competition?

For some reason, however, the usually publicity-friendly big boxes are curiously unwilling to say much about the idea.

The beauty of big box plug-ins, the thinking goes, is that fast-charging an EV (with 480 volts, which big boxes will have but you won't) will take 15 to 20 minutes, and those consumers aren't going to sit in their cars and watch the juice flow. They'll go into the store!

Jonathan Read, CEO of fast-moving charging company ECOtality, offers a vision of consumers holding swipable "charge cards" (get it?) and for 60 cents or $1 getting topped off with electric power as they sip their Starbucks latte. "We think charging will be stimulated by the government, but ultimately it will be offered by the private sector," he said. "Soon the charging will be ubiquitous in the retail landscape, and companies will be at a competitive disadvantage if they don't offer it."

There are complications, of course. My colleague Matthew DeBord of Slate's "Shifting Gears" blog agrees that Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Best Buy and the others "have the lot space," but unless they offer charging at every spot (probably cost-prohibitive) congestion could occur. "It isn't hard to imagine ‘charge lines' forming, or the need to employ service personnel to act almost as valets, if people are going to shop while charging. It's also unclear whether fast-charge stations would need to be carefully attended during the charging process, to prevent vehicles from staying hooked up to the chargers once they're fully re-juiced."

One way of avoiding the need for EV valets is a charging solution proposed by a new company called Evatran, which starting late this year will offer hands-free electric fill-ups. Using the concept of inductive charging, cars will drive into a parking space and draw the front of their vehicles over the concrete barrier at the end of the space. A charger embedded in the barrier will connect with a "vehicle adapter" on the car, and the charge can jump a half-inch gap (without presenting a shock hazard, they say).

I was hoping to talk about this with the retailers themselves, but most didn't reply to repeated queries. From Target's Amy Reilly: "I understand you called Target seeking information about electric car chargers in our parking lots. We've got nothing specific to share regarding this topic."

She told me my story wasn't "specific to Target," whereupon I offered to make it so. "I'm sorry, but no," she said.

Paula Baldwin at Best Buy, which is already selling electric Brammo motorcycles, was a bit more forthcoming. "Thanks for tapping us re: the EV charging station story you're working on," she emailed. "Best Buy is testing a number of options in the e-vehicle space, but has no definitive plans around EV charging at this time."

They directed me to the Best Buy EV website, where the following video about their work with plug-in Brammo motorcycles resides:

Click to See Where Everything Comes From

Feb 25, 2010 12:51 am

Live blogging from the Greener Gadgets Conference 2010 (#GG10 on Twitter)

Ever wondered where your iPod actually comes from? Actually, the flash memory comes from South Korea, the HDD input comes from Japan, chips come from Taiwan, assembly was most likely done in China, and design happened in California.

Looking a bit like Jimmie Kimmel in a black blazer over a black cotton shirt, Leonardo Bonanni showed the Greener Gadgets audience a map that showed the above supply chain, as well as the carbon footprint of an iPod (9.84kg). Bonanni is a PhD candidate at the MIT Media Lab, where he researchers and teaches sustainable design. Through the lab he is the founder of Sourcemap.org, an open source site where anyone can share the supply chain of products or activities.

Bonanni talked briefly about the big impact of mining around the world, especially how it is driven by our insatiable appetite for electronics. "Each computer is a treasure of materials, it's a really awesome thing and we should recognize and respect that," said Bonanni. "Every product we only own for a brief time in its lifecycle. It was touched by many people before us, and it's probably going to end up with lots of other people, in lots of other places, when we are done with it. These materials in a sense don't belong to us."

Bonanni said he originally conceived of Sourcemap to help designers understand where materials and products come from, but he says it is finding the biggest use among big global companies, which have struggled to keep on top of increasingly complex supply chains, and which are increasingly being scrutinized for environmental and human rights issues at every step. Tesla Motors has posted an entry of their electric cars, and another company uses the software to track meetings and staff movements, and the associated carbon footprints.

When Bonanni looked to get business cards for his site, and the largely volunteer staff that helps him out, he checked out Moo cards online. He discovered that the printer offered two kinds of cards, and he wondered which had a lower carbon footprint, half-size cards or regular-size cards made from recycled paper. It turns out the half-size cards were a bit better. "This shows that we know little about the carbon footprints of things," he said. "We don't want there to be any excuse for people not to know where things come from."

Another example of a use for Sourcemap is shown by the caterer who serves local food, and who prints maps of the farms that source his ingredients on his menus. He uses Sourcemap's easy interface to locate the farms and keep track of the impact. The end result, is that customers are really ordering from the place, and they can go to that place if they like the food.

Sourcemap is a great web 2.0 application to help us learn more about our increasingly global footprint, and to become smarter, greener consumers and businesses.

Don't Miss the Greener Gadgets Conference Tomorrow!

Feb 24, 2010 12:47 am

The Greener Gadgets 2010 conference is tomorrow, February 25, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST (at the McGraw-Hill Conference Center @ 1221 Avenue of the Americas in NYC. Incidentally, I have been working on a pair of green tech books for McGraw-Hill over the past few months). Registration is still open for Greener Gadgets, so come on by! It's only $75 for students for the day, or $395 for attendees.

This year the conference is being managed by the very capable folks of the Consumer Electronics Association, having taken over the operations from founders Jill Fehrenbacher of Inhabitat ("green design will save the world!") and green designer Marc Alt. Last year's Greener Gadgets conference had some great moments, such as the suggestion that Coke and Pepsi start using their cans as energy collectors, a lesson on how Dell is ramping up recycling of used products, and how super-efficient BoGo lights are helping people in the developing world.

The year before, I learned how Nigerian five-year olds are gaining valuable skills by teaching themselves to repair their OLPCs, the cheap, efficient laptops that are being distributed to help reduce the digital divide.

You won't want to miss the annual green design competition, which is a fountainhead of inspiration and fresh ideas from around the world. Register for Greener Gadgets -- and use the discount code "BLOG10" -- hope to see you there!

Finding the Best Fuel-Efficient SUV Crossover

Feb 24, 2010 06:35 am

With even Porsche getting into the hybrid SUV crossover game, there are more and more options (many of them affordable) for buyers looking for fuel-efficiency in an SUV.

Top 5 Money-Saving Tips

Feb 23, 2010 03:20 am

Happy America Saves Week! Whatever you do, don't run out and buy me a present. That would defeat the whole purpose of the holiday.

America Saves Week 2010 (February 21-28) is a nationwide campaign involving more than 1,000 nonprofit, government and corporate groups that encourages individuals and families to save and build personal wealth. Their website is loaded with free resources and advice, including a nifty calculator that allows you to track your net worth. (WARNING: The calculator is easy to use, but the results might be hard to take.)

America Saves Week is a perfect time to start getting your financial house in order and maybe jump-start that flagging New Year's resolution to spend less and save more. Here are my top five tips to help get you started:

1.) Go on a Fiscal Fast:
Swear-off all spending for a couple of days - or ideally an entire week - as a sort of "spending detox." It's time to use it up, make it last, or do without. A fiscal fast will save you some money (put it into savings or pay off some debt with what you save!), and teach you about how you spend -- and probably waste -- money in a typical week. It'll also remind you of how many terrific things in life are free.

2.) Practice Spending Procrastination:
When it comes to discretionary spending, it usually pays to put off buying until tomorrow what you're tempted to buy today. Studies have shown that we have regrets about nearly 80% of the discretionary purchases we make within the first year of making the purchase. Force yourself to wait at least a week between the time you see an item in a store and when you go back to purchase it. Chances are great that you'll reconsider and never go back to buy it.

3.) Put Your Finances on Autopilot:
To paraphrase Jack Nicholson's character in A Few Good Men, "The money? You can't handle the money!" Have your paychecks and other income deposited directly into your bank account(s), including automatic allocations into designated savings and investment accounts. Then authorize your creditors (e.g. credit card companies, mortgage lender, insurance company, etc.) to automatically withdraw your payments every month from your account. By putting your finances on autopilot, savings becomes automatic and you'll never have late fees or missed payments again.

Going Green? Now There's an App for That!

Feb 17, 2010 12:12 am

In an idea that predates the popularization of the Internet, green maps have been around for years, highlighting many eco-friendly features in local areas, from parks to health food stores, bike paths, environmental ed centers and clean power installations. One of the great things about green maps is that they are locally developed, so they feature whatever each community feels is important. Coordination, technical help and resources have been provided by New York City-based Green Map Systems, led by the talented Wendy Brawer.

Many green maps have been online for years, helping Internet browsers discover the good green things in their communities, and connect with like-minded folk. Now, green maps are going even more "webby," with a pair of new (totally free!) releases.

Green Map Systems has unveiled a new mobile website and the first Green Map iPhone App. Both are said to be ideal for locals and tourists alike, and feature the beta version of "What's Green Nearby?," a tool to connect with green resources while on the go. These releases draw from more than 600 locally led green map projects, in 55 countries. Users can explore the maps, plus videos, photos, blogs, Twitter and more.

Simply type GreenMap.org into any phone's Internet browser for the mobile website, or click over to Green Map Systems to get the App (or search "Green Map" in the Apple Store). More details here.

Give them a try, and start discovering some hidden green gems, or connect with locals in the know. Let us know what you think!

"WOW" Guests with This Funky New Toilet

Feb 17, 2010 12:34 am

Having trouble toilet training your cat? Perhaps what you need is a picture of goldfish or yarn on the ol' porcelain throne as a little extra incentive. You can now dress up your toilet in a snap, thanks to the innovative new WOW Toilets.

California-based WOW Toilet makes tanks that are clear, "allowing for insertion of specially-sized images, posters, advertisements or marketing messages," according to a press release we received. The tanks come in kits that are supposedly easy to install, including the necessary plumbing parts. What's cool about it is it comes with dual flush valves, like they have in many other countries, but haven't yet caught on in the U.S. Only need a minor flush? It's easy to use less water, which will save you money, and help pay for the toilet upgrade over time.

Is the display slot a gimmick? Sure! But there is something to be said for being able to swap out some decor with the changing seasons and your moods, versus investing in more intensive changes like paint or tile. And we could totally see how some places could make a few dollars renting the space to advertisers. Heck, some bars already place ads in public restrooms, above toilets and urinals. This would just make it easier and save on framing.

Hey, if the WOW Toilet gets more Americans to adopt the efficient dual flush option, we think that's a win for water savings. Plus, what says "Happy Birthday" like a beaming altar of porcelain?

The WOW Toilet Tank Kit also comes in a single-flush option, or the dual flush, both for $89.95. It comes with a poster insert of your choice. Additional poster inserts cost $4.95, or you can pay to print your own. Or you can stick whatever you want in there. That's what I would do.

Insert toilet humor here.

Can't Decide if It's Clutter or Treasure? Read This

Feb 17, 2010 05:00 am

Given my proclivity for adopting minimalist New Year's resolutions, I'm really pushing the envelope this year by vowing to thoroughly declutter my house and my life.

In January, I dove head over long into my decluttering campaign, rummaging through the garage, closets, and dresser drawers for items I haven't used in at least the past year or two. I've told myself that those are the things I should seriously consider parting company with. My pile of rarely used items quickly began to take over the living room floor, and when I stood back to appraise my progress, a wave of anxiety hit me. It was a veritable tsunami of materialistic nostalgia.

This is great stuff, I said to myself. I can't give it away!

My original intention had been to cart everything off to a local thrift store, or maybe post it on the Freecycle Network, as those are terrific ways to redistribute things you no longer need But I decided that my old stuff is so special, it deserves the best possible new home. Parting is such sweet sorrow, but after some online research, here's my last will and testament concerning the distribution of my stuff to some very special new homes:

* My favorite-but-now-sadly- threadbare fleece jacket: I'll drop it off at the local Patagonia store, where it'll be recycled into new clothing as part of Patagonia's Common Threads Recycling program.

* The speed-bag that nearly knocked me out last time I tried to use it: SportsGifts.org will pass it along to an aspiring Rocky Balboa, since they use donated sports equipment to create community-based sports programs for underprivileged kids around the world.

* A duplicate copy of Stuart Little, one of my all-time favorite books by E.B. White: I know it will find a good home and delight some young reader when I donate it to Project Night Night, a nonprofit organization that provides "Night Night" tote bags filled with books and other items to homeless children.