I’m doing my best to be more eco-friendly, but sometimes it gets a little frustrating because I don’t know what to do. I mean, I already do most of the things that people suggest as easy ways to reduce my carbon footprint, so where am I supposed to go from here? I was at the bank today and there was a commercial talking about how turning off the water while brushing your teeth saves 80 million gallons of water per day (figure may be slightly exaggerated). Great! Except I’ve been doing that for years. It’s like saying that you can lose weight with little to no effort if you just stop drinking soda – but I don’t drink soda, so what about me?
I already try to turn off extraneous lighting when it’s not in use, but one place I don’t like to skimp is on outdoor lighting. I hate coming home to a pitch dark house and not being able to see my path to the door, but I also hate killing the planet. Luckily, the Solar Lighted Walkway Tiles (Hammacher Schlemmer, $99.95) doesn’t make me choose between the two. Sold as a set of four tiles, each one features a solar panel protected by tempered glass. This solar panel powers four inlaid LEDs, which are rated for 20,000 hours of lighting. The tiles themselves are actually made of PVC, but designed to look like flatted hardwood so they’re 100% waterproof and won’t rot or fade. Because they interlock on any side, you can lay the modular tiles out in any pattern you wish, connected or otherwise.
So instead of leaving a light on all night because you don’t know when your son will be getting home from a friend’s house or if your husband is going to be working late, you can just put a few of these tiles out. Not to mention, your yard will look pretty snazzy and everybody will applaud your eco-activism. I don’t really see any downside here.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 11″ sq x 1″ each
-Weight: 1.5 lbs
-Set of four tiles
-Modular tiles interlock on any side
-Solar panel protected by tempered glass
-Four inlaid LEDs on each tile
-LEDs are rated for 20,000 hours
-100% waterproof
-Made of PVC fashioned to look like slatted hardwood
Lately I’ve been really trying to reduce my environmental impact. It’s pretty tough though, considering that I’m more than a bit gadget obsessed and have so many electronics it could only be classified as an arsenal of But the point is, I’m making an effort. I’ve said before that it only takes a small gesture to make an impact and I’m holding strong to that. It’s just like dieting: it’s all about portion size. So instead of playing video games for three hours a night, I’ll only play for two and read for the extra hour, thus saving energy and expanding my brain power (an added bonus).
It’s always easier to do a good deed when it’s also fun, which is the ethos of the Global Warming Candle (Perpetual Kid, $10.99). Shaped like your generic 60 watt, this bulb-shaped object is actually a candle. Get it, because they both give off light? I thought it was cute. Anyways, this candle has a metal base that screws into a light socket (just like a regular light bulb), allowing it to act as the base. The candle is made of 100 grams of paraffin wax, which means that it has a burning time of approximately five hours. So it would appear that you’re creating light as usual, but in reality you’re saving energy!
I’m not saying you should use candles instead of light bulbs all the time. For one thing, this isn’t the 1800s, so let’s not pretend like we don’t electricity. Also, it’s not exactly safe to leave a burning candle unattended at all hours, but I’m hoping you already knew them. And the last glaringly obvious but necessary point here is that candles do not give off as much light as a 60 watt light bulb. Crazy, right?
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 4″ x 2″
-Screws into socket like normal light bulb
-Creates light while saving energy
-5 hour burning time
-100 g of paraffin wax technology.
While I like to think of myself as a person with fairly sophisticated tastes, usually it’s the simplest things that make me happy. I’m not saying that I’m gonna go out and trade my PS3 for a pet rock, but every once in awhile, it’s nice to just sit back and enjoy a break from a technologically dependent existence. This is not one of those times.
A lot of everyday items are just better with a little scientific nudge from gadget community, regardless if there’s anything wrong with their current state or if an upgrade is even necessary. Take a look at these Neon Coasters (Drinkstuff, £14.99), for example. Does a coaster really need a light-up base? No, most definitely not. Is it all the more awesome for having one? Uh, yeah! Add in the fact that the base is pressure sensitive and phases through three different colors, and you’ve got one kick ass coaster. Just imagine the look on your friend’s face as he sets his drink down on a seemingly innocuous coaster, only to have it emit a crazy colorful glow.
I’ll be the first to admit that this seems a little excessive, since coasters are basically only necessary to protect the integrity of your table. Seriously though, how could you not want a set for your next party? Sure, you might have to hire a little extra security to make sure that none of your friends walk off with your new toy, but that’s a small price to pay for greatness.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 90mm x 90mm x 5mm
-Weight: 56g
-Set of 4 coasters
-Color phasing coaster
-Pressure sensitive
-Requires 2 CR2032 batteries (included)
-Not available for delivery in Canada
Most people I know have trouble making it through the work day (myself included). It’s almost as if time ceases to exist and you think that you’re going to be crunching the numbers forever. I mean, how is it possible that the first few hours of the day pass by so quickly, but that as soon as you realize the day is half over, it slows to a crawl? I find that one of the best ways to pass the time and beat the working day blahs is to surround yourself with amusing objects. Unfortunately, in order to utilize this method in the workplace, your toys are going to have to serve a legitimate purpose.
So not only does the Mummy Mike Rubber Band Holder (Perpetual Kid, $12.99) actually help keep your desk a little more organized, it’s also a fantastic time waster. I mean, what fidgeteer wouldn’t love a silicone mummy to play with? You get to wrap your rubber bands all over his body under the guise that you’re cleaning up your workspace. And when you’re done, you can take them off and start all over again, claiming that it wasn’t done right the first time. And if that doesn’t waste a minute or two on the company dime, I don’t know what will.
Seriously though, the next time your colleague wants to show you the monster rubber band ball he made, just show him this. He’ll be totally jealous.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 5.5″ x 3.25″
-Includes rubber bands
-Made of silicone
I’ve recently started redecorating my place, well, “redecorating” is probably an overstatement – more like decorating for the first time. I decided that I didn’t want to constantly look like I had just moved in and it seemed like a lot less effort than actually finishing unpacking and/or getting rid of the box mountain in my living room. One very simple (and you know I’m all about that) way to make your place look more lived-in is to rock some awesome decor. It can be as easy as hanging a painting on your wall or as difficult as doing some rewiring to install the new light you bought. Guess which one of these I’ll be talking about today…
That’s right, we’re going with the easy-peasy option and that means showing off some personal photos with a little help from the Crossword Puzzle Picture Frame (Plasticland, $15.00). You could just go out and buy some boring normal picture frame, hang it on your wall, and call it a day, but what would be the fun in that? Wouldn’t you rather invest in a photo frame that was not only awesome in itself, but also had an interactive element to it? Shaped like a crossword puzzle, not only does this frame house a photo of your choice, but you can also jot down notes about the picture using the included dry erase pen. Because the crossword puzzle is a dry erase surface, you can change the message as often as you like to correspond with the picture or your mood at that moment. And if you were thinking about giving this frame as a gift, you could even customize the frame to reflect the occasion.
This frame is also a good way to see if people are really paying attention to the things around them. Try writing a weekly trivia question on yours or perhaps something ridiculous about a friend right before they come over. Pretty soon, everyone will be wanting to come over to your place to check out your awesome crossword frame. You’re welcome.
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 10″ x 7.25″
-Holds one 4×6 photo
-Includes dry erase pen
-”A” frame stand in back
-Made of molded plastic
