Go Greener Tips

When most people think “green” they picture solar panels and fancy energy saving gadgets. It doesn’t have to be this way.
My very first green gadget was a sava plug that I wired to an old freezer that was used to store my allotment produce. The old freezer saw its demise a few years ago and has been changed with a super-efficient model, but it was the start of my love affair with green gadgetry. Wow, haven’t things moved on, but don’t go expecting technical specs and other techno-bafflement. This is my pick of green gadgets for the masses.

Freeplay Energy compact DAB wind up radio & flashlight I’ll admit a bit of a penchant for wind-up stuff, so this one’s first on the list. The latest radio contribution from Freeplay is a lot smaller than previous wind-up radios, and as the lovely Richard from Freeplay puts it in this video, the radio gives you more reward for your wind with an better cranking mechanism.

Green Plug This little baby has been getting all over the green blogosphere. It’s a super clever plug that actually facilitates communications between power sources and electronic devices, reducing energy usage by placing an end to “phantom power”.

Voltaic’s range of solar bags that can power a laptop Most bags with solar panels will power hand-held gadgetry, but Voltaic has succeeded in ramping that up to power your laptop.
Charge your computer while you’re on the move, or charge your smaller electronics, camera, digital video camera, laptop, MP3 player, GPS or PDA. And, to make them even greener, Voltaic bags are made from recycled fizzy drinks bottles, using less energy than nylon and producing a demand for recycled materials.

United Pepper webcams & USB hubs Who ever heard of a Fairtrade and biodegradable computer accessory, and no plastic. Only united pepper makes webcams and USB hubs that are really, really cute, and are more eco-friendly and people friendly than anything else in the same category. Apple and Dell have some catching up to do.

Fashionation’s recycled speakers, these speakers are made fromrecycled materials, and can be folded flat for easy storage and portability.
They actually sound great, and cost little or nothing. They come in a wide range of colours, from functional brown to girlie purples and pinks.

The Trevor Baylis Eco Media Player This is my latest, and favourite, eco-toy. In fact, I’m listening to Phill Collins in crystal clarity as I sit here writing this blog post. They are larger than the iPod and probably not the coolest looking gadget out, but as far as function and adaptability goes, it beats the others hands down. In my house it’s fondly referred to as the ecopod, and those with a mere iPod look on in envy when their batteries run down on a weekend away from their PC.