Put green power in the palm of your hand!
Having trouble keeping your gadgets charged on a daily basis? Ever had your cellphone run out of juice on you in the middle of an important day? You’re in luck – we’re giving away one incredibly handy HYMini charger so that you’ll have access to clean green energy anywhere you go! This handheld universal charger and adapter harnesses the power of the wind and sun to recharge almost any mp3 player, cell phone, or camera, and all you have to do to win is tell us what your favorite green gadget in the gallery below is!
TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:
1. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE >
(We’ll be announcing the winner in our newsletter, so if you want to find out who the winner is, you’ll need to receive and read our newsletter)
2. COMMENT BELOW and tell us which Greener Gadget (see the gallery below) from the Greener Gadgets Design Competition is your favorite and why. The deadline for this fabulous giveaway is Monday, January 18th. We’ll pick the comment we like best and announce the winner in our newsletter, so make sure you’re signed up!
And don’t forget to stay tuned for the Greener Gadgets conference taking place in NYC on February 25th – it’s going to be packed with influential speakers from the green technology sphere and all the most innovative sustainable gadgets and gizmos.
I LOVE the solar blinds idea! For years people have said they “don’t have time or know how to be green”, now there’s no excuse. Just hang these blinds in your home and “voila!”.. you’re instantly GREEN and saving our environment with ittle to no effort at all! Brilliant.
I like the solar blinds. Living in the desert these blinds seem very practical. Keeping the hot afternoon sun out while soaking up the radiance from our amazing sun to help reduce my dependence on big business.
I like the HY Mini because of its great versatility
I love the dryer rack because it is low-tec – K.I.S. = Keep It Simple. Sometimes it is the simple little things that make the most difference. And it is beautiful to-boot! I would love to have something so lovely to look at as I hang my son’s organic cloth diapers, cotton flannel baby wipes, and our reuseable, washable, cotton rags! Just beautiful.
I want to see the coffee grounds printer! It’s amazing and i would love to use it.
I think the solar Venetian blinds is the best concept. It seems like such a great idea. We all have plenty of window space in our homes and what a better way to maximize on that during the hot summer months. Imagine, you could close your blinds in the summer to keep the hot sun from coming in while creating energy to cool your home.
If it’s not walking distance, I’ll ride my bike virtually everywhere. I love the idea of getting generating energy while I ride!
The solar blinds are a great example of creative eco-design. people buy blinds already, it is not a new product, so by adding solar cells to them, you make them even better. change the styles and colors and people will be more likely to find something they like.
I love the indoor drying rack. Electric dryers use so much electricity, not to mention destroying clothes lint-piece by lint-piece! When I dry my clothes and linens “the natural way”, I don’t use chemicals such as dryer sheets or static-cling spray; I add years to the life of my clothes, because the structure of the material is not broken down, my cottons don’t shrink, and the dyes aren’t faded by constant heat and friction; and of course I save a lot of energy! I like to hang-dry outdoors on a line in the fresh air and sunshine, but an indoor drying rack is an oft-used alternative in the rainy Pacific Northwest — or by city dwellers. And I can’t ignore the appearance of this particular indoor rack, with its lovely organic shape and beautiful wooden construction. It sure beats the fold-up rectangular plastic (gasp!) one I use today!
The Hymini portable wind + solar gadget charger is just what I have been looking for since my cousin joined the Peace Coprs this past September and is stationed in Togo! While the larger cities have electricity the small village where he resides does not; so when he journies to the city, he charges his cell phone (a practical and safety means of technology) and his ipod (not a means of survival, but certainly helps!). Cell phones have taken on new rolls in developing countries allowing farmers to sell/buy with those they otherwise wouldn’t be able to network with as well as allowing villages to be in contact with larger cities/resources for safety purposes; however the ability to charge cell phones (and in a sustainable way) is lacking. So this Hymini would go to good use…and certainly its capabilities tested!
The solar blinds are simple and something almost anyone can take advantage of without much though or effort past install. People always seem to love out of sight out of mind ideas. This is perfect for everyone, we all need blinds why not get more out of them.
I am a huge fan of the RITI coffee printer. Such a great idea.
The Venetian Solar Blinds are the perfect accessory for every home in America! Every one knows that the cost of Solar Panels is coming down but for people in a fixed income or low income household the costs are well out of reach for the foreseeable future. Everyone could benefit from having these. The President wants to have a Green future and this is something that will be a low cost start to that future. I think it’s a fabulous invention, cutting our own energy costs while staying cool at the same time!
I think the Hymini Portable solar + wind gadget charger rocks! I would love to own one. I work with a company that is into developing and providing green energy (here in Toronto), and this is one fantastic gadget!
I have to go with the solar blinds idea! Very practical idea and one so many people would use..
Love the solar blinds. An incredibly easy way to make an impact.
The Blight is the best idea I have seen. One of those why didn’t I think of that kind of idea. I have a very dim house and trying to find a plug or space for a light in our little loft like home is extremely hard. These would brighten up our home and are green. It’s a win win situation. I’d love to win the Hymini. I purchased a solar iPhone charger but it takes a very long time in the sun to charge and has to be attached to the cell phone at the time it charges. This would be great because you can charge by wind power along with solar.
The SunNight flashlight sounds so neat. What great inventions.I love them all.Thanks you for the chance to win.I am a fan on facebook as Carolyn Barnett and i subscribe via email as carolynishis
I would love to win the Fastronaut Robots for my 4 and 2 year old boys. They would go nuts over them and I can teach them about the uses of solar power in something they are interested in.
Solar blinds=LEED points!
The coffee grounds printer sounds awesome!
I love the blinds. (But I admit the Coffee grind printer has my curiosity.)
The Blight Solar Blinds are the most proactive energy saver of the lot. We have a houseful of windows that should have blinds collecting solar energy. They could even put these solar panels on the blinds inside the patio doors to minimize the dust for those with allergies. The other items are interesting while the blinds are a true winner.
Use the hot sun to cool your house on sizzling days? Brilliant! The Blight Solar Blinds are not only good for generating electricity on hot sunny days when you tilt down your blinds, but also in specialized applications applications such as greenhouses. Now you can shade your house on summer afternoons while generated electricity to power fans and even air conditioners. With so many power utilities typically overwhelmed with air conditioning power demands during the hot months, these Solar Blinds turn a challenge into an opportunity. Utilities in hot states likely will provide rebates for these innovation blinds.
Loving the kiddie toys here. What a great idea, a great toy for discovery. Learning what and where to push to get a response. And on top of that it doesn’t use batteries. Not only are batteries unenvironmentally friendly but are also toxic for our children in case they decide that their toy is a yummy snack. Good stuff!!!
I was WOWED the Riti Coffee Ground Printer. It finally solves the problem of running out of printer ink while finding a useful purpose for old coffee grounds. A+
I like the Hymini because it can help the people in Haiti during this disaster.
WOW! The Riti Coffee Ground Printer is awesome! I drink alot of coffee, this bad boy would come in handy.
The HYMINI would be my choice as it provides for essential needs that I value, and allows me the availability of charging items from a renewable source. All the items have great value, this would be my choice.
I just love the smell of coffee in the mornings, or on my documents in the (hopefully) near future!
You’ll never have to worry about buying print cartridges anymore.
RITI Coffee Printer to win please.
While I’d love the Hymini for myself (for the cell, ipod, and camera) I’ve been trying to motivate my dad and 17-year old brother towards greener, more environmentally friendly lifestyles. They’re both huge techies, and especially computer crazy, so I think the coffe-grinder printer is exactly what they need. My dad already makes his own coffee every morning, and now those grounds can actually be put to some use instead of into the garbage (still working on the idea of composting there.) Just need get the recycled paper and they’ll be all set!
my favorite is the Coffee grounds printer, it’s genius! so many people buy printers that come with ink and when they run out they just buy a new printer because most of the time you can find a decent printer with a deal thats cheaper than buying the ink alone. even more people drink coffee so to give the waste a purpose like this is amazing. now places like tim hortons or starbucks could use them. maybe even find a way to use their grounds to print their receipts or just sell them, therefor making money and saving people money from buying new printers or ink cartridges. maybe giving people extra money to buy some green products
The printer is great. I enjoy freshly ground coffee so I have plenty of grounds to repurpose as ink.
Blight Solar Blinds – a great retrofit solution (if they can be reasonably priced).
I personally think the RITI Coffee Ground Printer. Since I always throw away my coffee grinds and frequently run out of ink. It’s the perfect solution. Does that mean everything I print will smell like coffee and perk me ( & others) up when reading it ?? *lol*
I really love the solar blinds idea! I think that it might help a lot by upgrading a simple office to a energy producing facility!
Ode to the Power Hog:
This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy used too much energy,
This little piggy used none.
And this little piggy went…
“Wee wee wee” all the way to the GREENEST home…
Fastronaughts are Fantastic! What a great toy for younger kids, and can learn about energy and be physical at the same time. Really Kool!
I love the Fastronauts! I have a 2 year old and 5 year old and they are both obsessed with robots so this would be a sneaky way to teach them about energy consumption…
nice gift and happy to see the solar power getting smaller and cheaper for the consumers to take a crack at it and purchase one.
I vote for the Kill-A-Watt. Conservation is the low hanging fruit. It’s not pretty, but it’s a bunch more effective than any gadgety solar cell.
The solar blinds!!! They’re so universal and make a lot of sense – a lot of people already have blinds, why not make them work for you!!
The solar blinds are the ticket ,how easy can it be made for everyone!
I own a kill-a-watt that I forget to check, so the auto-updates is a great idea.
The Riti Coffee Ground Printer is genius! I have already convinced my boss (in charge of IT to purchasing) to start buying them as soon as they’re manufactured! I’m always trying to convince people to print less and what better way to remind people than with a stunning full bodied coffee bean aroma. Positive feedback loop!
I LOVE the Fastronauts! You gotta start teaching ‘em young about how to take care of the world we live in – through the use of less-harmful energy sources. I think these would be fun for adults too, not just kids, as a small-scale demonstration of what can be done with kinetic power, and a great teaching tool (for example, a high school project to build your own Fastronaut)!
I love the solar blinds! I also love the Hymini charger.
The Indoor Drying Rack impressed me with its beauty & simplicity. Greener can be this easy. I want one.
Difficult to choose! I like all the items, however, with the amount of coffee we go through I gotta go with the coffee-powered printer.
I think they are all Super.
Do I really have to choose one.
The Solar blinds are simply amazing idea, and I need to replace my ugly custom fit mauve blinds anyway.
I love the idea that it will collect energy and have a another use.
I love the Hymini, because the wind is such a terrible thing to waste!
It seems like a lot of Green ideas that are invented have to also invent their own markets. This can be tricky, since buyers usually have to be convinced to purchase the new Green item in place of something already tried and true. Rather than inventing something new and creating a market for the item, the Blight improves upon the Venetian blind and capitalizes on the large market already in place.
As more people hear about the Blight, it would be no surprise to see renters and businesses start to demand that their landlords install Blights instead of regular blinds. Given the numerous rentals in any given metropolitan area, the potential for energy savings for a single city- for a single BUILDING- is enormous. I can’t believe how much energy is being wasted RIGHT NOW because our businesses and condo buildings don’t have Blights installed.
The Blight is one of the most realistic and miraculous ideas that I’ve seen in Green gadget design. I can’t believe it wasn’t designed sooner!
I am a gadget guy so it is up the Hymini to keep my Droid charged, solar and wind is the way to go. I already own and use the Watts-a-Meter and the next version should include to ZigBee chip so you can get direct monitoring on your computer or google device.
Hard to choose between the drying rack (I already use one as well as outdoor lines) and the “Blight” (an unfortunate product name if I ever heard one).
Having just installed 6kw of solar panels on my earth sheltered home, I advocate putting some kind of photovoltaic device on every available surface. South facing blinds are one possibility to be used for all those small gadgets that otherwise make up the phantom load which too few people appreciate.
The solar blinds are pretty fantastic.
I want it!!!!!
spiffy gizmo, send me one for further examination
The coffee grounds printer is a great idea! I could keep an office full of these supplied without blinking an eye.
Cheers -
As printer ink is more expensive by weight than gold, i’d have to say that the coffee grounds printer is the gadget i would most like to have. It also makes obvious a key element of sustainability; do more with what you already have.
I love the Hymini. I gave away my van that was necessary to haul the wheelchair I left for a bicycle. Because I now generate my own wind-power on my bike, the Hymini makes perfect sense.
I’ve been looking for an idea like the SOLAR BLINDS for years
! even painted some ceilings with luminescent paint, but the light doesn’t last very long.
I want to install these passive green blinds in all of my windows. what a brilliant idea!
My favorite is the fastronauts (http://www.inhabitots.com/2009/02/17/fastronauts-action-figures-powered-by-play/). How great to have children learn about green technology by using it themselves. This creates a new generation of green-thinking citizens.
I think RITI coffe printer is a wonderful alternative to deal with the problem of coffee waste, as it currently is a waste of difficult management produced in huge quantities, I’m from Colombia on the best coffee producing country in the world and here have sought solutions that although they have won international awards fail to be as versatile and compact as this also solve the problems of printer ink sn very expensive here compared to per capita income, excellent concept, hopefully it goes on sale soon, I’ll be waiting!
I like the idea of the solar shutters if they could be applied to the existant shutters in my home; however, I don’t know what they power or how. So, I’m going to have to vote for the coffee printer, tho’ my roses may disagree
The Blight Solar Blinds are the best – no fuss, no muss setup that would be easy to install and use by home owners. I love the fact that these are multi-purpose blinds, functioning as traditional window blinds, while storing solar energy that can be utilized by small appliances. I’ve always felt there must be a way for people to install and apply solar energy cells without the [prohibitive] expense [for most people] of mounting solar panels on roofs or building eco-friendly homes. I imagine that this could be a cost effective way to increase alternative energy use and decrease dependence on whatever standard energy utility a residence [or even company] is plugged into. This product illustrates the cliché, “Act local, think global” and transforms it to “Act green at home, save energy nationally”. And, the blinds are nice to look at, too.
the solar blinds are definitely the coolest thing
so practical and useful!
Inhabity and Greener Gadget,
This decision for me was a very tough one, and yet I would like to utilize two products.
First place, the photovoltaic Blight Blinds are an ingenious idea. I live in Arizona where we have an abundance of light from the sun and it pours in every window because I think we actually have more than one sun in Arizona. The thing is every house here has blinds on their windows and this would just be an amazing way to still allow passive light IN while capturing the energy from the rays. Secondly I think the incorporation of lights in the blinds is ingenious. Not only do you get passive light (without the blinding direct light) you also get a great soft light at night when there is none. Personally I use very little light at night and this would allow me to use practically NONE! I would like to purchase this item when and/or if it becomes available.
Second place, the drying rack. More and more do I realize I need one of these. We have a washer and dryer and neither are efficient. We are definitely looking in to getting an efficient washer, but we very seldom use our dryer. Our parents still use a clothes line outside, but I think 2 or 3 these guys in home would save a ton of energy as well as keep clothes fresh, help the not fade, and not wear them out as fast. Again I would like to own some of these and may possibly DIY it.
Greener Gadgets is doing a great job of getting young (and old) minds to create new and useful items.
Inhabitat you continue to amaze me and are by far my favorite site. I check it religiously. Being a Sustainability Major at Arizona State University, I love seeing what the rest of our country and world are doing to further out sustainable future.
PS I WANT A HYMINI FOR MY BIKE!
Oh my goodness–the coffee ground printer is my favorite because I have a home office. I drink lots of coffee and though I use the grounds for compost, I would love to get rid of the nasty chemical laser printer. How cool is this? Extremely cool.
They are all pretty intriguing, but the solar blinds are the most “elegant.” They would integrate seemlessly into a living environment, adding value without taking up alot more space.
It was down to the Hymini and Solar Blind, but I’d say the favorite is the solar blind. From a practical stand point anyone can benefit from it which also means it’s not limiting to specific items for recharge.
The Riti coffee ground printer is a great concept. Would love to get my hands on one!
I love the HyMini Portable Charger! With all my gadgets I have it would be so eco-friendly to be able to charge them without worry. I would get so much use out of it and be helping the planet out at the same time, can’t go wrong with that!
Love the Blight Solar Blinds! You need blinds anyway, why not use them to generate some energy!!
If I win this I will send it to India where it will be more useful than for me here in the US.
The coffee grounds printer is amazing! My husband and I are both coffee drinkers, and could definitely put those grounds to good use with the printer. What a great, innovative idea!
All of your Green Gadgets are wonderful in their own way. The Indoor Drying Rack is especially relevant
for me. We can not have clotheslines where we live. In our other two homes, I hung almost all of my
laundry outdoors to dry. It is an old-fashioned efficient and greener way to dry laundry and they smell
wonderfully when brought inside! Your “Indoor Drying Rack” is a favorite of mine. I would use it
on a daily basis. Many thanks…..Cindi
They are all such great products! But my favorite would have to be the drying rack. Due to having 3 daughters who constantly are changing their clothes resulting in constant loads of laundry this would save me so much money which is a great thing in this economy today! And I love the fact it helps save on the environment.
I’m a green gadget geek, and I really love this HYmini gadget!
I speak alot at conferences on clean tech and green software, and would love to have this as a part of the presentation to help people understand how easy, fun, and affordable it is to be green. Thanks!
While certainly not the most practical item in the gallery, I have to say I love the Fastronauts. They defy the trend of bigger, more battery-hungry interactive toys and actively promote interaction in a new and interesting way. It’s a green toy without being didactic; the green aspect is fully integrated into how kids play with them. It helps that they look cool, too.
I love the indoor drying rack, its beautiful and well designed and unlike a lot of green gadgets will not make the growing e-waste problems worse. it’s an elegant synthesis of a low tech idea from the past and a modern design that would look at home anywhere.
I like the Solar Blinds. I live in FL and have several windows wehre these could probably save me some $.
The Riti coffee grounds printer fascinates me! I brew a pot (or more) of coffee every day, so finding a way to reuse/repurpose the grounds and keep empty plastic ink cartridges out of landfills is the way to go.
I LOVE them all but noticed the tweet-a-watt no getting much love. I think its fantastic! Nothing like tweeting your shame to get you motivated towards being more green ^_^ If all my friends could see how truly wasteful they are, and the whole world knew via tweet, they might not consider me so crazy and crunchy anymore LOL
Put green power in the palm of your hand!
Having trouble keeping your gadgets charged on a daily basis? Ever had your cellphone run out of juice on you in the middle of an important day? You’re in luck – we’re giving away one incredibly handy HYMini charger so that you’ll have access to clean green energy anywhere you go! This handheld universal charger and adapter harnesses the power of the wind and sun to recharge almost any mp3 player, cell phone, or camera, and all you have to do to win is tell us what your favorite green gadget in the gallery below is
I’M SOLD ON THIS ONE and WINNING IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER!!
Thanks for the opportunity!!
I’m a GADGET GEEK, and I would show this Hymini Portable Wind and Solar Gadget Charger during my speaking engagements on Green Business and Green Software: http://www.greenstarsolution.com Thanks!
The coffee grounds printer fascinates me. I brew a pot (or more) of coffee every day, so finding something to reuse/repurpose those grounds and also keep plastic ink cartridges out of landfills is a huge bonus!
I really love the solar blinds, I think they are brilliant! Everyone has blinds anyway, and they are there soaking up the suns rays all day anyway, why not add a second practical use to them! Aside from actually purchasing the blinds I think it would be something that would be really easy for people that aren’t that green to bring into their home and adapt to.
To me the Hymini deserves a gold medal.
Why? Well, at the moment I own a Solio charger, to charge my mobile phone and iPod, but in this gray Belgian winter season, there isn’t much sun to go around. So I’m forced to charge my mobile and iPod using the good old fashion power grid. It takes more than 4 weeks I think to fully charge the Solio battery. With the Hymini the likelihood of a full charge goes up.
Not that the Solio is a bad thing, no, just during winter time it lacks usability. By adding the ability to use wind energy to charge a battery, the Hymini eliminates having to charge via the power grid even more!
So thumbs up for the Hymini because it combines the best of both worlds!!!!
I think that the coffee grounds printer is amazing! I know that I consume a lot of coffee and using my old coffee grounds to print and my own (wo)man power to churn out the pages would be an amazing feat in my, and everyone else’s, journey to reduce energy usage. Think of how much energy could be saved and better used by reducing the amount of printer cartridges produced. Products such as these are going to change our world for the better.
I like the blinds
I like the Hymini portable solar wind charger because we live out in the country in mid Missouri and we have times we can lose electricity. So we are always looking for ways not to depend on electricity.
the indoor dryer rack looks like a PIANO!!
how wonderful to have visual music, dry clothes, save energy and enjoy this lovely artwork!
Blight Solar Blinds are so useful and practical way to collect energy.
The Blight Solar Blinds are a useful and practical way to collect energy.
I quite like the drying rack. Elegant, lo-tech, functional = good design.
The blinds are an awesome example of green made simple. and since the purpose of blinds is to block out the sun, they are already in position to soak up those good rays.
No contest, the coffee grounds printer is my favorite gadget, since I drink coffee day and night. What better than fair trade organic recycled Sumatra ink?
I sail and camp so the solar wind charger would be ideal.
Solar blinds for the ingenuity of extending usefulness.
I LOVE the Riti Coffee Gound Printer as we drink a STUPID amount of coffee and it would be great do be able to do something USEFUL with the grounds besides dumping them in the garden! I also LOVE the Blight solar blinds and if we could afford to, I’d truly love to have them in all 66 (!) windows at our Inn, the Elkhorn Inn & Theatre in Landgraff, WV!