Foot Pump Phone Chargers
Festival goers at Glastonbury, in the U.K., can charge their cell-phones through using a standard airbed foot pump, the type normally found all over festival sites. The Orange Gotwind power pump’s turbine is rotated at speeds of up to 2000 rpm from the air flow generated by the foot pump, this turbine [...]
July 2, 2009
10 Eco-Innovations From Around The World
July 1, 2009
(Pic) 70’s Porsche Motorcycle Concept
Bike Exif has posted an intriguing, obscure motorcycle concept design that Porsche came out with in 1979. The model was created to call attention to the motorcycle’s superiority in energy use, air pollution and traffic space.
Porsche describes the concept:
Comfort, safety and protection from mud and water were prime considerations, not the usual fascination with speed: [...]
June 30, 2009
Revisiting the Premium Small Car: Aston Martin Cygnet
Earlier this year we took a look at two small cars that emphasize design sensitivity and quality of finish. Both the VW Polo and the Ford Fiesta show the new ways small cars are being reborn as premium automobiles. The trend hasn’t gone unnoticed even at traditional luxury car manufacturers. Aston Martin is preparing a [...]
June 29, 2009
From Cup Holders to Navigation Systems, The Evolution of the Car Interior
Whether or not you agree with Big Money reporter Matthew DeBord’s assertion that automobile exteriors are approaching some kind of idealized uniformity - in the pursuit of safety and efficiency - it’s hard to disagree with his claim that the real engineering and design innovations are moving inside our vehicles. And not under the hood [...]
LightLane Coming Soon
Back in February we reported on a conceptual product called LightLane that would create a virtual bike lane using lasers projected behind the rider. Due to the overwhelming response from bikers around the globe and its success at design competitions, the folks behind the idea have decided to put it into production. As of right [...]
June 26, 2009
YouTube Joins Forces With Formula One?
If the deal gets confirmed, it will be the first time a major internet-based company is represented on the track. It also opens some potentially interesting content producing avenues for YouTube in the sport of Formula One.
June 23, 2009
Brands Go Bike Crazy In NYC
Marketers and PR-folk take note, free bike rides just might be the next “pop-up shop” for their universal ability to lure in the general public and it appears retailers are catching on. Topshop and Whole Foods recently gave their customers more reason to turn to the alternative mode of transportation, with two bike-centric store events [...]
June 22, 2009
Photographer Michael Schnell Beautifully Captures Museum Geometry
Both the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz museums in Germany are elegant examples of contemporary architecture. Lots of images of both have circulated around the internet. Plataforma Arquitectura features the photography of Michael Schnell who really captured the stunning geometry of each project. Michael’s photos succeed in being both architectural portraits and abstract studies of lines and [...]
June 18, 2009
Mercedes Safety Research Car Returns
In the 1970s, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a range of experimental vehicles to research the future of safety system at the newly organized Enhanced Safety Vehicles conference. Those safety research cars gave rise to modern innovations we take for granted like airbags and anti-lock brakes. Now, Mercedes-Benz is bringing back the Experimental Safety Vehicle, hoping to once [...]
June 17, 2009
Kinetic Plates to Power Sainsbury’s Checkouts
Utilizing the weight and motion of cars entering its parking lots, Sainsbury’s will generate a portion of its electricity through kinetic plates embedded in their parking lots. These plates will capture approximately 30 kWh per hour - enough energy to run each store’s checkouts.
Guardian: “Sainsbury’s brings green power to the checkout with ‘kinetic plates’”
June 15, 2009
Street Peeping for the Automotive Set
There are a number of fashion blogs such as the Sartorialist and Street Peeper that have risen to prominence over the past couple of years. These sites typically feature photos of ordinary people who are doing something special with their personal style. Photos are often submitted by a wide variety of contributors, and [...]
June 11, 2009
Repair, Reuse & Cycling Up At Halfords
Green activists have been asking the rest of us to repair, reuse and recycle for years now but it looks like it’s had to take a recession for us to listen. A car parts chain called Halfords in the UK says that it’s growing sales in this economy is due to people deciding to [...]
June 8, 2009
Going Fast Inspires Sitting Still
Here’s a couple of new examples of automotive aesthetics inspiring furniture. Maybe if parking a car in the living room to admire is out of the question, one of these chairs might be a good substitute. The series above is from Laisr, a Switzerland based company created by bicycle designers Torgny Fjeldskaar and Javier Alberich. [...]
June 5, 2009
AT&T Debuts in-car Satellite TV
AT&T’s CruiseCast service has emerged out of beta and will now be available to the general public. The service weighs in at $1,299 for the requisite hardware and $28 a month for service, and will allow access to 33 channels of TV, including weather, news, sports, and kid-centric offerings, along with 19 satellite music stations.
[via [...]
June 4, 2009
Coda Automotive Unveil Their 2010 Affordable Electric Sedan
Is California destined to become the electric-motor city of the future? Add Santa Monica based Coda Automotive to the growing list of new eco minded car companies calling the west coast home. Yesterday the company previewed their new affordable all-electric sedan that will go on sale in the California market next year. Coda hopes to [...]






