CES: Green Gadgets Part 2

A question: disposable batteries. Do we really need them?

I remember a childhood full of Costco-sized packs of batteries of all shapes and sizes. Batteries for cameras, toys, flashlights, remote controls. Batteries for emergencies. For the comfort that portable power brings. Batteries tossed casually into the trash. To spread their toxins and outlive us, like cockroaches or Wall-E.

But today we have lithium (still toxic) batteries, rechargeable batteries, LED flashlights that can be powered by hand-crank. The only conventional batteries I would still use would be for the remote control of the TV I don't have. But I think the answer to my question above is yes, most people still use disposable batteries. A necessary evil if you will. Well now there's a solution...

2) Green Batteries: For the first time ever at the 2009 CES convention, two companies unveiled the first ever Eco-friendly bats.

First up is Enviromax batteries from Fuji. As far as I'm aware these are the first ever, eco-friendly consumer batteries. What that means is they are made in eco-responsible factories in Japan, without the toxic materials like Mercury, Cadmium, or PVC found in most conventional batteries, and are packaged in recyclable materials. Add to that the fact that they last as long as regular batteries and are priced competitively... and you have a simple revolution in power! And they should soon be in stores everywhere and near you!

There's no reason to ever buy any other (toxic) brand of battery, ever again. Unless of course that brand is Aqua Power Systems No Po Po (non pollution power battery).

The No Po Po does everything Fuji's Enviromax does and then takes the innovation one step further. These batteries too are eco-friendly, safely disposed of in the trash when done, and are powered by WATER. Or soda. Coffee. Even Urine.

How does that work you ask? In truth, I don't really know, but after seeing, lord I do believe! Water is injected into a small tube in the batteries middle, or you can simply drop the battery in a cup and then dry it off. Plug it into a low-powered device like a clock, or small flashlight... and voila! Power. When it runs down, you can even recharge the battery with fresh fluid (though battery life and power decreases with each usage). It's pretty amazing technology, the catch of course being for now it can only power low wattage devices. But Aqua Power Systems out of China is right now using the same tech to build a 110 w battery that will be capable of powering an entire house for over 24 hours... on water.

The No Po Po is currently only available in Japan, but will be hitting our shores very soon. Exciting stuff!

Best of CES: Green Gadgets

Searching for green gadgets at a consumer electronics convention quickly narrows the field. With thousands of items on display at CES and over 140,000 attendees, sprawled over 2 separate full convention centers, and the meeting rooms of two separate hotels... narrowing the field is not necessarily a bad thing.

The simple challenge I faced in my search for truly sustainable gadgetry was the "electronics" aspect. By nature, electronics are man-made constructs composed of largely not naturally occurring products. They require industry and energy to produce and a power source to run.

Still I'm proud to report that "going green" was a big thing at this years' CES with major companies like Sony, Samsung, LG, Lenova, etc... touting their greener TVs, computers, washing machines, and so forth. I found what this translates to in today's market is "energy efficient" products. They use less energy and often less toxic or more nature friendly materials and packaging. These are great steps forward towards the hopeful future of fully sustainable, eco-friendly consumer electronics.



Still, there were a pioneer few with their eyes on that prize, looking to bring that future of sustainable innovation about today. And finding these planet consious products was like finding diamonds in the rough. So here are my green gadget highlights for which we can all get overly excited about! The issue they all address is eco-energy consumption.

1) The nPower Peg: On the last day, in the last 5 minutes of the convention I found what I think takes the prize for greenest gadget. The PEG, that little green pogo stick is really a Personal Energy Generator that harnesses the kinetic energy of human motion. Strap it to your hip, throw it in your backpack, go out for a walk or run, and the PEG converts your human power into electric energy that will charge your ipod, your cell phone, etc! What this means is never needing to plug your gear into an outlet again! It means endlessly sustainable power! Even motivation for a healthier lifestyle! We want it, we need it now.

For the sustainable minded start-up company nPower, the PEG just a beginning. Next they plan to use the same technology to harness wave power. For their commitment to sustainable energy SuperForest gives nPower our Greenest Gadget award.

SuperForest goes to CES!

The words Las Vegas hold a powerful association for most people. The mere mention of the eponymous Nevada town tends to ignite images of the illicit in most of us. If New York is the city that never sleeps then Vegas is the town time forgot. Hopes run high 24-7 under the neon lights and dreams slide from the fingers of millions of migrants every day and every night, across every table-top in town.

Love it, or hate it... Sin City can be a polarizing place. But if there's one thing most people would be united on it's this... when you think of Las Vegas, sustainability is probably last thing that comes to mind.

Which is exactly what SuperForest went in search of -- throwing ourselves into our country's capital of consumption culture, into the heart of one of the world's largest conventions: The Consumer Electronics Show. CES for short.

Over the course of 72 intensive hours we scoured thousands upon thousands of exhibitor booths, miles upon miles of showroom floor, in search of the greenest gadgets, the coolest innovations for 2009.

We uncovered so much awesomeness, it's impossible to post all at once. Instead we'll be breaking it into categories stretched out over the course of this week. So if you're interested in best and future tech, green gadgets, and amazing innovations... stay tuned for SuperForest's top picks from CES.