360 DEGREES Weblog

The Joos Orange (geddit?) promises to take portable solar charging performance to a new level by delivering up to 30x more power than any solar charger currently on the market. How? Well apparently it uses a sophisticated micro-processor controlled energy management system tied to some Ninja mono-crystalline Silicon Nitride anti-reflective coated solar cells.

It’s waterproof, shockproof, operates in very low light (including under water and in rain) and can store power for years on the internal 5,400 mAh battery. Most importantly – well done guys – the battery is user replaceable after it’s 1000 charge cycles are up. Size is 8×5 inches. Available in June at around $100.00. Sounds delicious.

In line with the “green” theme that everybody is going with nowadays, Onzo has come up with a Smart Energy Kit, that can be placed anywhere in the home (due to it being wireless), and track your home energy usage. With it in place, you’ll be able to better understand and manage your energy use, thanks to a small sensor that directly tracks energy usage and wirelessly sends it to the display unit. It can store up to 10-years worth of energy usage data, and can be hooked up to a computer to upload the data and get more detailed energy saving advance. It tracks the watts used in real time, and even allows you to set goals for your energy consumption.

Made from biodegradable and recyclable plastic, the Aqua Jar attaches to any plastic bottle that has a standard threaded opening making the beverage inside easier to pour thanks to a contoured spout and generous handle. It was created by industrial design lab GR for home accessories company balvi, and while the Aqua Jar doesn’t appear to be on their site just yet, it will supposedly be available in orange, graphite and frost colors.

While the yacht lovers are still drooling over Roman Abramovich’s “Eclipse,” the Monaco-based yacht maker, Wally has quietly gone into bed with the prestigious luxury brand Hermes to give shape to a revolutionary yacht design. WHY Wally-Hermes Yacht has an air of exclusivity to it that you would expect from this rarefied collaboration. This revolutionary yacht is developed with the latest and most advanced sustainable technologies, recycling thermal energy, as well as any organic and inorganic waste without compromising on its luxury aspects. The 38-meter-wide yacht takes the WallyIsland concept forward with dramatic silhouette that comes with a triangular hull shape that doesn’t features a superstructure. The interior of the yacht is fitted with water resistant buffalo leather using the calpinage technique. The luxuries on board include a 25-meter interior swimming pool, three decks and a 36-meter “beach” along the back.

The environmental and ecological advantages are also a strong point of WHY. The yacht is powered using a diesel electric engine and it features a surface of the photovoltaic panels measuring 900 square meters covering the roof and sides of the vessel to provide solar electricity which is sufficient to subsist the power needs of the boat. Different sources of energy are managed by a central computer. The yacht has been tested in Gothenburg, Sweden, in a specialized tank testing facility, to see how it would perform in big seas. This innovative concept was developed by president and CEO of Wally Luca Bassani Antivari, artistic director of Hermes, Pierre-Alexis Dumas and design director of Hermes Gabriele Pezzini.

Changing a lightbulb is rarely an exciting task, unless you’re trying to solve one of those age old questions such as “how many drummers does it take to change a lightbulb?” questions. (The answer is 1, if the drummer brings you a ladder.) So it’s only natural that companies are always trying to make bulbs that last longer and longer. Well now Panasonic is touting a new LED bulb that will last a whopping 19 years.

Can you imagine putting new bulbs in your infant’s room and not having to change them until they’re already in college? What’s even better is that this 60-watt equivalent bulb will only cost around $3 per year (as opposed to around $26 for a standard incandescent bulb) to operate. Even at $40 a pop, these things will definitely pay for themselves in the long-run. Unfortunately they’ve only been announced for Japan, hopefully we’ll be getting them over here before long.

In the midst of overwhelming debate over climate change - an issue that seemingly paralyzes politicians - the Chinese government has announced its intention to construct a 2-gigawatt solar power plant in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. Mike Ahearn, CEO of the Arizona-based company which will construct the plant, describes the unprecedented project as “an encouraging first step forward toward the mass-scale deployment of solar power worldwide to help mitigate climate change concerns.”

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Thanks Gizmag

The Kinesis K3 Charger is what’s known in the biz as a “tribrid”, a hybrid with three parts. It’s a solar charger, a wind generator and a plain battery charger. If the sun’s out, lie the K3 on it’s back and the solar cells will charge the internal battery, if it’s windy stand it up and let the wind generator do all the work. If it’s sunny and windy then you’re all set and both will do the recharging. If you’ve got AC or a PC, plug it into the mains or a USB port and recharge it the old fashioned way. A row of LEDs along the side will tell you how full the battery is.

When you’re out in the field, you can recharge most things via the swappable recharging tips which stow neatly into the base of the unit. The built-in battery can put out 5 Volts at 1 Amp and the battery has a massive 4,000 mAh rating which will recharge a mobile phone 10 times (apparently). And because it’s an emergency charger it will work from -20°C (-4°F) to 55°C (131°F). You can pick one up from here for US$99.95

We’ve all been there at one time or another–just as you’re on your daily walk in the park, your iPod goes dead, or your digital camera runs out of juice, or something you’re carrying just can’t work up enough spark to, you know, work.

Enter the Free Loader, a highly portable device that allows you to recharge any of your portable devices anywhere the sun happens to be shining.

The device works by continually absorbing charge in a set of small onboard batteries.  From there, you can tap into the device’s accumulated power at any time to recharge your portable devices.  While you’re enjoying the iPod sound or making your phone calls or what have you, the Free Loader is continually recharging its OWN batteries, and holding that charge for as long as three months before it loses the charge.

You can actually get one of these right now over at ThinkGeek.com for the low price of fifty bucks.  It’s actually a great idea when you think about it, and you’ll never be without juice again.

Barry Zekelman paid the full $1.55 million price up front on a 2009 Bugatti Veyron, but days after Bugatti told him they weren’t building one, he demanded a refund. Eight months later he’s filing suit to get his money back

After placing his deposit of $427,935 on the $1.55 million vehicle, he paid in full last December. A few days later he was sent an email by the selling agent in Troy, Michigan he would not be receiving his 2009 Bugatti Veyron in Italian red, ever, they weren’t making any more. To add insult to injury, Bugatti offered a 2008 model in place of his ordered 2009. At this point Zekelman decided he’d had enough and demanded his money back, and has gone on demanding for eight months with no satisfaction. He’s had to file a lawsuit naming Bugatti, who’s kept his cash in their coffers for the entire time, and is seeking a complete refund and all court and lawyer fees. This isn’t the kind of thing you ever expect to hear about the buying process of the most exclusive supercar in the world.

On Wednesday, Siemens, the electronics and electrical engineering global powerhouse, unveiled the Smart Chopper it commissioned from the renowned custom motorcycle outfit. Siemens claims the bike has a 60-mile range and a 100 mph top speed. An onboard charging unit can be plugged into any 110-volt socket to charge the bike in five hours, and Siemens says it’ll charge in as little as one hour when plugged into a higher-voltage station. A single-speed, clutch-less transmission delivers the power from a 27-hp electric motor.

The Smart Chopper joins the growing ranks of electric motorcycles, including the Brammo Enertia, Zero X and the Mission One.

Steve Conner, CFO of Siemens’ Energy Service Division, sees the venture as a way to showcase the company’s innovative and environmental awareness along with the current state of technology.

“We already have what we need to make it a reality,” Connor told Wired.com. “This isn’t Star Wars.”

Siemens CEO Daryl Dulaney with Paul Teutul, Sr. of Orange County Choppers. Teutul’s the guy with the tats.
Don’t worry about the bike lacking that distinctive OCC look and feel. The 350-pound bike is long and low, with an massive 300mm (10.5 inches) rear tire. With an outrageous 120-inch wheelbase and overall 45-degree raked front end, you’ll need four lanes to make a U-turn. Sounds like an OCC bike to us.

Of course, the entire bike is outfitted with LED lighting by OSRAM Sylvania, a Siemens subsidiary. Along with the lighting supplies, Siemens has also provided the electric motor, charging system, power management system and wind turbine blade fiberglass for the Teutuls to integrate into their design, in keeping with the family’s knack for tying form with function and theme.

Over the next year, the Smart Chopper will make a countrywide tour to promote sustainable and green technology. But if you want the Smart Chopper’s last tour stop to be your home garage, get your checkbook ready and cross your fingers that Jay Leno doesn’t show. This chopper hits the auction block in 2010 with all proceeds going to a yet to be determined charity.