If you pound the pavement every day for your commute or just a little exercise, you can use some of your stride to power your electronic devices. The SolePower is a shoe insole that allows the wearer to generate electricity as they move. Able to be slipped into a piece of footwear, the system runs a wire to a rechargeable battery worn around the ankle or clipped to the shoe. Power is generated and stored as you stroll and can later be used to charge phones, GPS units, music players, and other gadgets. Using mechanical linkages and generators, the SolePower works much like a smaller, slimmer version of a hand-cranked flashlight.

Read the rest of The SolePower Harvests Energy from Walking to Charge Your Gadgets

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Post tags: carnegie mellon university, charge, developing nations, first responder, hiker, insert, insole, iPhone, kickstarter, kinetic energy, pennsylvania, pittsburgh, podiatrist, shoe, solepower, walk

Engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a wedge-shaped cradle that turns any iPhone into a sophisticated biosensor that can detect and analyze bacteria, toxins, proteins, viruses, and other molecules using the phone’s built-in camera and processing capabilities. The iPhone’s GPS can even help to map the spread of pathogens and provide on-site evaluations of environmental conditions.

Read the rest of Cradle Turns iPhone into Incredible Biosensor that Detects Pathogens and Environmental Toxins

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Post tags: analysis, Android, biosensor, cradle, gps, iPhone, nsf, pathogen, photonic crystal, portable, scanadu, spectrophotometer, star trek, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Post tags: "natural materials", clean tech, Daylighting, eco design, green design, iPhone, Justin Capra Foundation for Investments and Sustainable Technologies, modular design, natural light, Prefab, remote controlled, renewable energy, romania, smart energy, Soleta zeroEnergy One, sustainable design, tiny home

Apple released its annual supplier responsibility report this week, which detailed a number of labor and environmental violations in the company’s supply chain. The most troubling revelation, and the one that is getting the most media attention, is the discovery of multiple cases of child labor, as the internal audit found that 106 children were employed at 11 factories that produced Apple products in the past year. But that isn’t all; the audit also found that many of the company’s suppliers failed to properly store and handle hazardous waste, and that over 100 facilities failed to recycle or properly dispose of hazardous waste.

Read the rest of Apple Supply Chain Report Reveals Labor and Environmental Violations

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Post tags: apple, Apple audit, Apple Computers, child labor, china, corporate accountability, environmental destruction, environmental regulations, foxconn, hazardous chemicals, hazardous materials, internal audit, iPhone, labor, labor violations, mac, shenzhen, Steve Jobs, stormwater runoff, supply chain, tim cook, transparency

Since 2009, Apple has been working on creating an even more affordable iPhone for its millions of users. To keep the new model wallet-friendly, the lower-end smart phone could be made partially from recycled materials. Additionally, by using a cheaper polycarbonate plastic outer shell instead of the iPhone 5′s aluminum housing, Apple could reduce the new smartphone’s cost from $149 to $99.

Read the rest of Apple Could Launch a More Affordable $99 iPhone This Year — By Using Recycled Parts

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Post tags: affordable iphone, apple, eco design, green design, iPhone, recycled iphone, sustainable design

From nanoflower solar cells to plant-based computer interfaces, modern technology often looks to nature for design inspiration. The Electree+ designed by Vivien Muller is a bonsai tree-shaped solar charger that can power your cell phone from your desktop. The sculptural gadget captures light through the 27 mini solar panels that adorn its branches. The Electree+ is proudly made here in the USA and it just launched on Kickstarter, starting at $199.

Read the rest of Bonsai-Inspired Electree+ Solar Charger Launches on Kickstarter!

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Post tags: charger, Electree, galaxy s3, iPad, iPhone, kickstarter, nanoflower, qi wireless charging station, smartphone, solar panel, tablet, usb ports, vivien muller

mu mu, a design and manufacturing workshop based in Cambridgeshire, UK, has made a business out of creating sustainable accessories for iDevices. Run by a three-man team, mu mu works with creatives that design, craft, hand finish, package and ship each one of their products. They use local suppliers where possible, and when not, they keep sourcing within the UK to not only keep their carbon footprint down, but to keep money in the local economy.

Read the rest of mu mu Handcrafts Sustainable iPhone Cases That You Can Also Trade in Later

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Post tags: Cambridgeshire UK, handcrafted in the UK, iPhone, iphone 5, made in the UK, mu mu, refurbished cases, reusable packaging, SLIDE 2.0, sustainable hardwood, Sustainable Materials, trade-in program, united kingdom

Wanting to make a unique and affordable iPhone skin, San Diego-based designer Robert Magno decided to work with what he already had: boxes. “I’ve been noticing that there are a lot of products that have packaging with great graphics,” Magno writes on his Kickstarter page. “This is a way to extend the life of the artwork on those boxes.” Magno hand-cuts the skins from actual boxes and applies a removable adhesive; and he says the skin still leaves plenty of clearance for the camera port and flash. Sure, they may look like ads for Hershey’s and Kellogg’s, but they’ll keep your phone from getting scratched!

+ Magno Designs

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Post tags: cardboard iPhone skin, DIY iPhone skins, green gadgets, handmade iPhone skins, iPhone, iphone case, iPhone skins, recycled boxes, recycled cardboard, Robert Magno, smartphones

Who says that energy-saving LED light bulbs need to be boring? The LIFX light bulb is energy-efficient, has a 25 year life span, and changes colors via smart phone application. The bulb is currently available on Kickstarter, and has already far exceeded its target fundraising goal.

Read the rest of The Futuristic LIFX LED Bulb Changes Color Via Wi-Fi and Lasts for 25 Years

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Post tags: Android, color changing, iPhone, kickstarter, LED, lifx, music, phil bosua, wi-fi

The iPhone is undoubtedly a beautiful piece of industrial design – but poll the masses on what happens when you drop one and you’ll see thousands of shattered screens. While a shattered phone may be a frustrating (and costly) experience on the personal level, the big picture is much worse – a study released by San Francisco-based consumer electronics protection plan provider SquareTrade has revealed that the broken iPhone industry has cost Americans $5.9 billion since 2007.

Read the rest of Study Finds Broken iPhones Have Cost the US $5.9 Billion

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Post tags: apple, broken iphone, industry, iPhone, iphone 4, iphone 5, iphone cases, protection, squaretrade, us trade

If you’re a cyclist, you know that even wearing a helmet doesn’t keep you completely safe from the perils of the road. With that in mind, ICEdot has created the ICE (In Case of Emergency) Crash Sensor. The tiny device fits to your helmet, and when it detects a significant impact it notifies emergency services after a 30 second countdown.

Read the rest of ICEdot Bicycle Helmet Automatically Calls for Help When it Detects a Crash

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Post tags: cycle, cycling, emergency services, ICE Crash Sensor, ICEdot, ICEdot crash sensor, iPhone, outdoor pursuits, safety, smartphone, smartphone application

One of the coolest finds we spotted at last week’s Dwell on Design was this line of iPhone accessories made by Bad Beetle out of the dead remains of trees infected by the Mountain Pine Beetle. Deemed “nature’s graffiti artists,” the beetles create blue tinted designs on the pine, making each case unique.

Read the rest of Bad Beetle iPhone Accessories Are Made from Beetle-Poisoned Wood

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Post tags: Apple Accessories, Bad Beetle, beetle, Dead Forest, dod, dwell on design, eco design, green design, inhabitat, iPad, ipad case, iPhone, iphone case, macbook, Macbook Air Case, mountain pine beetle, Recycled Case, recycled design, sustainable design

By now you probably know that LED bulbs are the wave of the future, but we just came across an update that makes them even more technologically advanced – the world’s first LED light that can be remote-controlled right from your smartphone! INSTEON, a home automation manufacturer, just debuted their high-tech new bulb and demonstrated how it can be turned on, off and dimmed with as many controllers as you want – including your smartphone and tablet.

Read the rest of World’s First Remote-Controlled LED Bulb Can be Turned On Via a Smartphone!

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Post tags: dimmable led bulb, green design, green interiors, green lighting, insteon, iPhone, iphone led bulb, LED, LED light bulb, LED lighting, light emitting diode, remote control led dimmer, remote control light bulb, remote controlled led bulb, smartphone controlled lightbulb, sustainable design, worlds first remote control light bulb

Read the rest of iTree is an iPod Docking Station Made out of an Entire Tree Trunk

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Post tags: design week, Docking Station Made out of an Entire Tree Trunk, docking stations, gadgets, hifi speakers, ICFF, international contemporary furniture festival, iPhone, iphone accessories, ipod, iPod accessories, itree, itree dock, kmkg studio, new york design week, not so green gadgets, wooden ipod dock

iPhone users aren’t exactly at a loss when looking for a place to dock their phones these days. But even in a market that’s flooded with a myriad docking and music amplification systems, the iBamboo Speaker by designer Anatoliy Omelchenko of Triangle Tree manages to separate itself from the pack. The simple-yet-chic design consists of a single piece of bamboo — one of the world’s greenest natural materials — with a slot cut into it where the iPhone is placed. The natural shape of the speaker amplifies the tunes, producing a pseudo-stereo effect that requires no electricity.

Read the rest of iBamboo is an Electricity-Free iPhone Speaker Made from a Piece of Bamboo

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Post tags: Anatoliy Omelchenko, apple, bamboo, green gadgets, iBamboo, iBamboo Urban, iPhone, iphone 4, iphone 4S, iPhone speaker, zero-energy speaker

OK, early adopters: You want to spring for the latest phone or tablet, but your old one is still in great condition. What to do? Instead of holding onto those old electronics, or trying to pawn them off on friends or family, you can sell them back to an electronics wholesaler for cold, hard cash. With Instant Sale, eBay’s electronics buy-back site, you can unload your unwanted gadgets for fast money, and your old electronics will be resold or recycled. Even really old gadgets that can’t be resold (because they are so old) can be recycled at Ebay’s Instant Sale site, so you know they’re going to a good place (at least a better place than that cardboard box in your closet).

Read the rest of Get Fast Cash by Recycling Your Used Gadgets with eBay’s Instant Sale Site

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Post tags: apple, Apple Computers, cell phone, ebay, Ebay Instant Sale, electronics recycling, electronics swap, gadget recycling, instant sale, iPad, ipad wifi 64gb, iPhone, iphone 3g, iphone 4, mac, macbook pro, magic mouse, mobile device, mobile phone, recycling your gadgets, sell your used electronics, smartphones, trade up your electronics, trade your gadgets

Read the rest of New Infographic Shows the Human Cost of Apple’s iPhone

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Post tags: apple environmental destruction, apple factories, apple factory workers, apple human rights, apple workers, foxconn, foxconn apple workers, foxconn workers, graphic, human rights issues at apple, ikill, infographic, iPhone, iphone destruction

Looking to mix up your wardrobe this year and get rid of some of those old outfits that are just collecting dust? There’s an app for that. The “Closet Swap” iPhone app enables you to trade clothes with friends without having to host a clothes swap. The app encourages users to upload photos of unwanted clothes or tag existing Facebook photos featuring them. The tool also features a ‘Fashion Finder’ that helps you find nearby vintage and secondhand stores.

READ MORE >

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Post tags: Ada Zanditon, channel 4, Closet Swap, Clothes, eco-fashion, Fashion, iPhone, mobile app, secondhand, vintage

Nissan envisions a world where you’ll only have to buy one iPhone case for the life of your precious device – and they just launched the world’s first self-healing iPhone case to bring that vision closer to reality. The case is coated with a special self-healing paint that was developed in partnership with the University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials Inc. and originally intended for Infinity vehicles. When damage occurs, the coating on the iPhone case undergoes a chemical reaction that fills in any unwanted scratches and brings it back to its original form.

Read the rest of Nissan Unveils World’s First Self-Healing iPhone Case

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Post tags: apple, best iphone case, cool iphone case, gadgets, great iphone case, green iphone case, green tech, green technology, high tech iphone case, iPhone, iphone case, mac, self healing iphone case, self healing phone case, sustainable iphone case, sustainable technology

At one point we’ve all done it – spilt a drink over a laptop, gotten our tablets soaked in the rain, or even dropped our phone in the toilet. Water has always been the bane of electronics, however American company Liquipel just announced that they have developed a way to completely waterproof our devices against the elements. Using a revolutionary process, Liquipel applies a hydrophobic nanocoating to your devices that completely waterproofs it and protects it against accidental exposure to liquids.

Read the rest of Liquipel’s Hydrophobic Nanocoating Makes Gadgets Completely Waterproof!

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Post tags: cell phone, iPhone, liquipel, liquipel waterproof, mobile phone, mobile phone samsung, nanocoating gadgets, waterproof cell phone, waterproof nanocoat, waterproofing gadgets