Genius just took a big step forward for computer peripherals by launching the world’s first wireless battery-free mouse. The mighty mouse eschews wasteful AAAs and heavier lithium-ion batteries in favor of an electric double-layer ultracapacitor that requires just a quick 3 minute charge each day. The Genius DX-Eco runs on a 2.4 Ghz connection, is rated to last for 100,000 charges, and is expected to hit store shelves soon at a price point of $39.99.

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Via Tech2

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Post tags: battery-free wireless mouse, clean tech, clean technology, electric double-layer capacitor, genius dx-eco, green design, green technology, Greener Gadgets, supercapacitor, sustainable design, ultracapacitor, wireless mouse

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Post tags: "clean energy", "sustainable development", Blueseed, clean tech, Dan Dascalescu, eco design, energy generation, floating silicon valley, googleplex of the sea, green design, max marty, paypal, Peter Thiel, renewable energy, San Francisco, sustainable design, visa free city, waste treatment

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Post tags: "natural materials", adaptive reuse, alternative energy, Ábaton, Caceres, clean tech, Converted Stable, Country Estate, eco design, extremadura, green design, green renovation, Hydro-Powered, low environmental impact, Solar Power, Spain, sustainable design

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", "wind power", Best COP 17 Pavilion, clean tech, Climate Change, Climate Smart Cape Town, cop 17, durban, global warming, green design, green pavilion, Milk crates, rainwater harvesting, Recycled Materials, Solar Power, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

A unique, two-blade wind turbine that features a helicopter landing pad will soon be rising off the eastern coast of Scotland. Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing announced this week that the Scottish government has approved the construction of the innovative 6 MW wind turbine at the Fife Energy Park in Methil, which will be located about 70 feet offshore. Scotland has set an ambitious goal of sourcing 100 percent of the country’s power from renewable energy, and the two-blade design will be part of a test to develop new offshore solutions.

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Post tags: "wind turbine", 2-B Energy, 6 MW, clean tech, green energy, green tech, Offshore Wind Farm, renewable energy, Scottland, wind energy

London-based designer Paul Cocksedge has transformed old vinyl records into ingenious low-tech amplifiers that give your smartphone’s volume a solid boost without the need for wires or electricity. This stylish pieces are made simply by heating and molding recycled 12” records into a sound-enhancing conic shape. Recently unveiled at London Design Festival 2011, the ‘Change the Record’ will turn your smartphone’s tiny speakers into a sweet sound system you can use to share your favorite tunes with others.

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Post tags: Art, british design, clean tech, green gadgets, green products, london design festival 2011, Recycled Materials, smartphone amplifier, Zero energy

Apple CEO Tim Cook just officially unveiled the iPhone 4S – instead of the much-anticipated iPhone 5 – at today’s live keynote in Cupertino – and although the next-generation device features the same retina display and glass-backed enclosure as the iPhone 4, the multi-tasking powerhouse packs an impressive set of new features under the hood. The latest edition of the iPhone features the company’s new dual-core A5 chip (which is twice as fast at CPU tasks) and a 7x faster dual-core graphics chip, however they were able to actually increase the device’s battery life to 8 hours of talk time by using more energy-efficient components. It also features an impressive 8 megapixel f/2.8 aperture camera with 1080p HD video recording that closes the gap on point-and-shoot cameras and video recorders, reducing the need for consumers to purchase additional devices, which incur a heavy cost on the environment. Read on to learn more about how the new iPhone 4S fares in terms of its environmental footprint – from material use and production processes to features, applications, and recyclability at the end of its life-cycle.

Read the rest of Apple Unveils New iPhone 4S Instead of iPhone 5 – Is It Green?

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Post tags: 2011 iphone, apple, apple computer, apple inc., apple keynote, clean tech, green cellular phone, green design, green iphone, green phone, green products, green smart phone, green tech, Greener Gadgets, iPhone, iphone 4S, iphone 5, smartphone, sustainable cell phone, sustainable design, tim cook

MIT researchers just officially unveiled a device that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The device builds upon a breakthrough hydrogen producing technology developed in 2008, and they are calling it an “artificial leaf” because of it capacity to create chemical fuels directly from sunlight. The cell is also made from common materials like silicon, cobalt and nickel, which means that the “leaf” could potentially be mass-produced. If the technology proves itself it could create hydrogen fuel directly from the sun, which could be used for transportation, heating, and running fuel cells for electricity. Check out a video of the leaf’s bubbling action by reading on.

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Post tags: "sustainable energy", artificial leaf, artificial photosynthesis, biomimicry, clean tech, fuel from sunlight, green design, green technology, massachusetts institute of technology, MIT, photosynthesis, renewable energy, sustainable design

From smartphones and e-readers to laptops and tablet computers, today’s high-tech devices put a wealth of information and utility at our fingertips – however it can be a real challenge to keep these power-hungry gadgets charged while you’re on the go. Fortunately, solar technology has kept step with the pace of consumer tech and there’s a great set of devices out there that will keep your gadgets charged with clean, green energy anywhere the sun shines. From solar iPhone cases and energy-generating photovoltaic trees to hi-fi audio systems powered by the sun, read on for 10 solar gadgets to charge your life!

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Post tags: clean tech, green design, green gadgets, green technology, photovoltaic panels, renewable energy, solar panels, Solar Power, sustainable design, Sustainable Gadgets

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Post tags: Akousmaflore, Art, Botanical, clean tech, Gardening, Interactive Objects, london design festival 2011, musical plants

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Post tags: clean tech, eco design, eco-helicopter, electric helicopter, electric vehicles, green design, green technology, green transportation, Pascal Chretien, Solution F, sustainable design

It’s hard to get today’s kids pumped up about anything that doesn’t feature a flashing screen or a fun shape. So to shift those young eyes from the latest video game over to the merits of energy consumption, designer Elle Tweedy created the Current Chameleon, a house-shaped device that quantifies a youngster’s energy use by tracking, analyzing and making sense of the data. Using a series of wireless transmitters, the Current Chameleon charts, in real time, the power draw of each electronic device it is affixed. The energy device also features a reward system, paying out points for energy saved and keeping kids engaged.

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Post tags: clean tech, Energy Consumption, Green Appliances, green products, green technology, home energy monitoring device, Interactive Objects, Modern Kids, sustainable product design kids

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Post tags: Alex Driver, algae, biophotovoltaics, biotechnology, Cambridge University, Carlos Peralta, clean tech, eco design, green design, lily pads, London Design Festival, MoSS, photosynthesis, renewable energy, solar, sustainable design

Computer giant Apple doesn’t have the best record when it comes to being green. Known for using hazardous materials, dodging questions about sustainability, and contributing to an ever-growing pile of e-waste, the technology giant seems more at odds with nature than its iconic logo would imply. But after digging to the “core” of the matter, we were surprised to find that that Apple might be more eco-friendly than you think. Read on to see how green Apple really is.

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Post tags: apple, apple mac, clean tech, green computers, green computing, green products, green tech, green technology, how green is apple, Steve Jobs

Read the rest of PHOTOS: An Exclusive Look Inside Buenos Aires’ Greenpeace Offices

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Post tags: Architecture, argentine design, bicycle parking, brazilian fsc wood, Buenos Aires, clean tech, environmental activism, Green Appliances, green lighting, green materials, green resources, greenpeace offices, natural light, pvc free, renewable energy, skylight, solar panels, Solar Power, solar water heaters, water issues

It’s a classic story line in sustainability: dirty tech goes green. We’ve seen coal mines transformed into geothermal energy stores and dirty plants become gorgeous green buildings. Now, for the first time ever, we may see out-of-use coal mines used as pump storage for wind power in Germany. The state government of Lower Saxony is working with engineers to determine the potential for using abandoned mines in the Harz Mountains to house hydroelectric pumps to store excess wind power. If it comes to fruition, the plant would be the first of its kind in the world.

Read the rest of Germany May Build First Wind Power-Storing Coal Mines in the World

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Post tags: "wind power", clean tech, coal mine reuse, germany, germany harz mountains, Germany wind power, germany wind power storage, green energy, harz mountains, harz mountains abandoned mines, mark schmidt, renewable energy, storing wind power in coal mines, storing wind power in dormant mines, wind power europe, wind power hydroelectric storage

When the people behind the Land Art Generator Initiative heard about inventor Akinori Ito’s machine, which converts plastics back into oil, they came up with an even more interesting concept. Instead of using more fossil fuels to recycle the discarded plastic, like Mr. Ito’s gizmo, which uses 9% of the energy contained in each liter of oil it produces, they proposed to build a solar powered tower that performs the same function. The product of that thought experiment is called the Plastikoleum. Not only does the tower require zero energy to turn what is essentially a free raw material into fuel, but it also has the ability to produce at least 10 tons of oil per hour versus the 50kg maximum capacity that Mr. Ito of the Blest Corporation is able to produce.

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Post tags: "clean energy", clean tech, eco design, elizabeth monoian, emissions, green design, land art generator initiative, oil, plastic waste, plastikoleum, rob ferry, Solar Power, studied impact, sustainable design

Read the rest of Buenos Aires’ Spectacular Planetario Galileo Galilei Sparkles With Thousands of LEDs

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Post tags: Art, biomimicry architecture, Buenos Aires, clean tech, color lights, cool architecture, green lighting, green tecnology, Interactive Objects, LED lamps, planetarium

MIT SOFT Rockers are clean energy charging stations that double as rocking outdoor lounge furniture. Unlike conventional ‘hard’ urban infrastructure, The SOFT Rocker leverages its environment in a dynamic manner by using the human power of balance to create an interactive 1.5 axis 35 watt solar tracking system. Soft power electronics designed for this project charge the 12 ampere-hour battery and store solar energy harvested during the day. You can even put your body weight in play with an interactive, real-time energy harvesting feedback loop that senses how you orient the rocker to the sun. Charge or run any USB device from speakers to cell phones and bring your friends to enjoy cool lighting loops at night for social gatherings.

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Post tags: "clean energy", "green furniture", clean energy charging station, clean tech, eco design, eco furniture, green design, MIT Soft Rockers, rocking chair, sustainable design

There’s no doubt about it, Silicon Vally is in another bubble, and this time, clean tech is getting its piece of the pie. Clean-tech venture capital funding jumped 54% in the first quarter of 2011, with $1.1 billion pouring into green companies compared with $743.3 million in the first quarter of 2010. But the number of deals fell from 79 to 69, which means more money is being focused on fewer companies.

Read the rest of Clean-Tech Venture Capital Jumps 54% in First Quarter 2011

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Post tags: alternative energy, clean tech, clean-tech funding, green energy, second tech bubble, silicon valley, venture capital