Apple is known for releasing product updates every half year or so. This means that six months after you buy your newest iDevice, it’s likely to be obsolete. And with users upgrading their iPhone, iPod, iPad, MacBook and other device, every so often, Apple is finding ways to help you dispose of these guilt-free. Programs like Apple’s Reuse & Recycle program let customers turn their old, unwanted devices into credits that can be used toward the purchase of an upgrade. Even third parties have taken advantage of such a practice, by letting consumers sell their pre-owned devices at fair market value, such as Amazon and Gazelle.

In Europe, though, the program is a bit different. Apple’s partner Dataserv will actually pay in cold cash in exchange for your old, recycled device. In contrast, most other programs in the U.S., Asia Pacific, Africa, Australia and elsewhere will give you a gift certificate or credits.

European users can send back their used iDevices by keying in their details on Apple’s UK recycling site. Dataserv will then send a pre-paid shipping label, and will be the one to estimate the value of the device. The company will then deposit cash into the device-sender’s bank account once they get the gadget and estimate its value.

Apple products are accepted, including the iPhone, iPad, MacBooks, iMacs. Apple says even non-Apple products are eligible, which may include PC desktop computers, and the like. What’s certainly attractive with this model is that consumers get cash for their devices, which can be as good as selling it in the secondary market, instead of being limited to getting in-store credits. Time to take out those old iPods, iPads, MacBooks and iPhones gathering dust in your desk drawer?

Samsung plans to get these into volume production starting by the end of this month, which means you might well be seeing refrigerators with transparent LCD displays hit your electronics store of choice by, oh, Labor Day or so, possibly even earlier. The display itself, meanwhile, not only allows you to look inside the fridge without opening the door, but also offers up a 1366 x 768 resolution and a 4500 : 1 contrast ratio with a color reproduction range around 70 percent, making this not necessarily a home theater display but certainly more than good enough for basic information presentation, as that’s about the same resolution as some laptop displays offer.

We all know that opening the refrigerator door to study the contents is a move that wastes plenty of energy, but is downright necessary in order to actually use the device. However, with this technology, not only will you be able to look inside at will without need to open the door (however, based on the images, it seems some kind of light will be on at all times, though if that’s an LED light it may not be burning a lot of juice. Plus, having the LCD display allows you to do things like access recipes from your refrigerator, as well as perform a variety of other home automation tasks, assuming the necessary networking is in place. Though this fridge doesn’t seem to offer those capabilities, at least at present, it’s good to see that we’re getting a start down that road.

No prices or release dates are available as yet, though, but if they’re going to start production the end of January, I can’t imagine it taking too much longer to get them to market. You don’t just make stuff and let the inventory sit if you want to make money.

So what do you guys think here? Clever idea or a gimmick to sell refrigerators at inflated prices? No matter what your call, the comments section is waiting for you below!

Starting early in the new year–just when specifically is unclear–the New York City taxi system will get fully six new Nissan Leaf units introduced into its purview. The program is being launched with an eye toward determining if the entire city’s taxi system can be replaced by electric vehicles or if gas-powered units will still have their place.

Naturally, there are plenty of problems being eyed here, with tops on the list being the lack of charging stations located throughout the city. Others no doubt include the relatively short range of electric vehicles (the Leaf, for example, needs to recharge within a range of 62 to 138 miles), and I’m certainly interested to see how they perform in the midst of a potent New York winter, which the Northern Hemisphere is currently neck deep in (though in many places it’s been quite a bit milder than normal of late). Plus, considering that the New York taxi system currently ranks fully 13,000 cabs, finding the six electric ones will represent long odds indeed, giving you about a one in 2,166 chance of actually finding one.

Still though, it’s an interesting idea (personally, I think they should have boosted that sample size to at least 130 to make the study worthwhile) and one I’d like to see the ends of. While I certainly like the thought of charging my car on my house’s power systems, I would like it to be able to survive a proper winter and make it around 200 miles between chargings first.

So what do you guys think? Will the Leaf survive a New York winter? Or will it be back to the drawing board for the electric car? No matter what you think, we always like hearing from you in the comments section below!

The patents in question are entitled “Fuel Cell System to Power a Portable Computing Device” and “Fuel Cell System Coupled to a Portable Computing Device”, each providing an idea of how Apple looks to use fuel cells instead of batteries to power portable devices. See, Apple’s come to the realization, reportedly, that if they were to use hydrogen-based fuel cells to power devices, they could get those same devices to run for days, possibly even weeks, of continuous operations without needing to stop to refuel, and all without use of electricity or battery acid or the like.

The problem, of course, is building a fuel cell that’s both small enough to be used in portable devices and sufficiently inexpensive to not drive the price of Apple hardware up even farther than it already is. Thus, Apple’s patents look to using a fuel cell in concert with a rechargeable battery, so that the fuel cell can recharge the battery, and then shut down to let the battery take over, thus requiring the fuel cell overall to be very small and low-powered, and thus, inexpensive.

Apple, meanwhile, is interested in this technology as a way to reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy, which is smart if somewhat unexpected to hear from Apple. Still, whether you’re green or not, saving money on electricity is always a welcome development, especially if nothing changes in device functionality.

But what do you guys think of this one? Think that Apple’s got a good idea going in fuel cells for their portable gear? Or are you having a hard time getting the image of the Hindenburg out of your head? Whatever your stance on this one, we want to hear from you down in the comments section below.

There are no private offices or cubicles, writes Facebook’s global director of real estate John Tenanes, of their new office campus in Menlo Park. With Facebook’s roots in a Harvard dorm room, the company wants to stick to its small startup culture, so that it can move fast and innovate, when competitors are struggling with their gigantic corporate organizations.

This can perhaps give use a sneak peek of how Facebook works. Compared with other companies like Apple, which values secrecy and closed doors, Facebook actually values transparency and openness. Here’s what Facebook’s new campus will offer its employees:

• Chalkboard paint on the walls, so that ideas can be scrawled, scribbled and discussed.
• Unfinished look and feel, to remind that “work is never done.”
• Central courtyard with two full-service cafes, two coffee shops, on-site clinics, and fitness center.
• Hundreds of conference rooms and “cozies” for discussing projects. Conference rooms have glass walls for transparency, though.
• Micro-kitchens for snacks or meals.

But perhaps another important highlight is how Facebook is focusing on being green with their new office campus. The company plans to pursue LEED Gold Certification for its use of sustainable building practices. Facebook has recycled all the doors in the campus, and is discouraging staff from bringing individual cars. Instead, employees are encouraged to use bikes, free shuttles and a social ride sharing service, Zimride. Almost half of Facebook employees use these programs as an alternative to single car sharing. The campus also offers recycling and composting facilities.

Facebook is growing fast, and may never actually return to its startup roots, in fact. With a rumored IPO coming in 2012, and an estimated value of $100 billion, they’re probably the biggest “small” company ever.

After daily and frequent use of your smartphone, tablet, notebook computer, digital camera or just about any gadget, the battery will start to lose capacity in about a year or so. What used to be 5 hours of usable notebook computer power will be steeply reduced to just a 30 minutes. A smartphone lasting two days might soon hold enough charge to last only half the day. This is because normal Lithium-based batteries can only be charged about 500 to 1,000 times or so, before losing the capacity to hold charge. And with some devices — notably Apple’s iPhone, iPad, iPod and MacBook products — having non user-replaceable batteries, a depleted battery will be difficult to replace, and can make the device unusable.

Scientists from Stanford University are currently working on new battery chemistry using Copper Hexacyanoferrate. This technology’s structure charge-carrying ions move through the electrode more easily, and is built with a rugged design. This way, degration is much slower than in a traditional Li-Ion battery. This means faster charges, longer battery life, and longer battery lifetime. Copper Hexacyanoferrate batteries are said to survive up to 40,000 charge cycles, which is about 50 to 100 times more than a Li-Ion battery.

At this rate, researchers say that batteries can be usable for 10 to 30 years!

Of course, the question here is whether your smartphone, notebook, tablet or other gadget will even last that long. With product cycles and the fast pace of development these days, devices are rendered obsolete in only a few months after their launch. Still, the new battery technology will mean less e-waste (they can probably be recycled or reused in other products) and longer usage times.

There is one problem, though. Researchers still have not found a way to create a sealed battery cell that can be adopted for commercial use. So for now, we’re stuck with Li-Ion and Li-Polymer batteries that are certain to give out after a year’s use, which make our smartphones, cameras, notebook and tablets more or less disposable after that time, given the steep cost of batteries compared to buying a new device altogether.

Suzuki has announced exhibits for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, and the theme for this year is “Small cars for a big future.” Suzuki is making no joke about cars being small, though. Among its entrants is the Q-Concept, a two-seater concept microcar meant for everyday mobility. The Q-Concept is actually positioned between a motorcycle and an ultra-compact car. With a 2.5-meter overall length, you won’t have problems parallel parking, and you might be able to park in spaces meant for motorcycles.

The car seats two in a tandem configuration, so you won’t have to be lonely riding around in the Q-Concept. Being an EV, the Q-concept can add to your street-cred among environmentally-conscious circles. Suzuki promises different seating configurations, such as a single adult up front and two kids at the back, or a single passenger, plus space for some delivery cargo. The Q-concept will have a 10-km radius (about 6.2 miles), but Suzuki argues that small cars like these are for ferrying passengers around town, anyway, and not for long trips.

The only downside, of course, aside from potential safety issues, is that you will look like you’re riding in an oversized CD or MP3 player.

Not convinced yet? Don’t fret. Suzuki will likewise be introducing more conventional cars and motorcycles at the Tokyo Motor Show, but still with focus on being eco-friendly amid today’s demands for greener vehicles.

Nokia, on the other hand, fell two places due to the lack of details about its energy criteria. It does, however, continue to score well when it comes to greenness of products and due to its sustainable operations. Taking second place is computer manufacturer Dell, while consumer favorite Apple is in fourth place, up five places since the last ranking. For the first time in the guide’s 5 year history, RIM has been ranked by Greenpeace, and came in last — the organization says RIM has to be more transparent about its environmental performance.

John Kubiatowicz, a computer scientist from University of California’s Berkeley campus says that the more data you put into your notebook computer, netbook, tablet, smartphone, ebook reader or any other electronic device, the heavier it gets. That’s right, even as you download that 4.4 megabyte Steve Jobs biography, your iPad, iPod, iPhone, Kindle or Android device becomes a tad bit heavier.

It’s a matter of energy vs. matter. While downloading software and apps does not really increase the amount of matter in your device, it changes the amount of energy stored on your tablet, smartphone or e-reader, particularly the level of energy in its electrons. And given Einstein’s theory of relativity stating that Energy equals the mass multiplied by the speed of light squared — E=mc², simplified, of course — then the difference in weight between a full Kindle ebook reader and an empty one is about 10^-18 of a gram, or what scientists call an attogram.

In the same light, a similar effect is gained when you charge the battery, due to the higher amount of energy stored in the battery cells. Granted, this will not necessarily add weight that is noticeable. Studies say that dust that gathers on your iPad’s touchscreen will weigh more than loading thousands of e-books on your device.

This is an odd fact, of course, as devices will not individually weigh more, with more data. But consider the amount of data being transmitted around the world, such as through broadband cables, datacenters and ISPs. Does this make the world substantially heavier?

Energy-consciousness is the name of the game for technology companies, and businesses are scrambling to be among the greenest. Among these is Facebook, which announced plans to build its datacenters at the edge of the Arctic Circle to save on electricity costs for cooling.

The server farm facility will be established in the small town of Lulea, North Sweden, and will be Facebook’s first ever data center built outside of U.S. soil. Facebook is encouraging other companies to follow suit, in an effort to turn the place into a so-called “Node Pole.”

Statistics show that for the past 50 years, the temperature in the city has not exceeded 86F (30C) for more than 24 hours. The average temperature in the region is about 35.6F or 2 degrees Celsius — quite near the freeezing point of water.

Facebook plans to build three football field-sized facilities that will house three server halls, and cooling will rely mostly on air from the environment. The facility’s servers will still require about 120MW of power, though, which will be supplied by hydroelectric power from the nearby Lulea river. Aside from the cool climate, Facebook engineers were said to have been attracted by Sweden’s high penetration of residential fiber, and is a good place for the company to establish a foothold on European nations like Finland, Russia and most of Europe.

Facebook will be running a press conference sometime this week to further detail their plans for the Arctic data center.

Tony Fadell was among the designers of the original iPod way back in 2001. After the success of his brainchild, and after serving as apple’s senior VP for iPod, Fadell left the company and took a year-long vacation in Paris. During this time, he conceptualized his next big project: a learning thermostat.

Fadell’s new company, Nest, is involved in creating what is perhaps the home appliance world’s equivalent of the iPod. It’s beautiful, technologically advanced, and it just works. And the new device, the Nest Learning Thermostat, is already available for pre-order through Best Buy or Nest.com. The new thermostat promises to help save the world by reducing energy wasted from inefficient use of the HVAC system, both in households and commercial establishments.

Nest plans to rid the world of old thermostats, which are clunky, ugly, and difficult to program. The Nest Learning Thermostat has a simple interface — push it in to open the menu, and turn the knob clockwise or counter-clockwise to set. The thermostat has sensors to detect the presence of occupants in the house or office. After a few days of use, the Nest Learning Thermostat will adjust itself according to usage patterns, which negates the need to make constant adjustments that are often costly and energy-wasting.

Users can also control the Nest through their smartphones and through the web, as it is WiFi-capable. Once installed, Nest will also build up a profile of your electricity usage, and will help point out how you can save on energy from your home heating and air conditioning. You get a green “leaf” as a reward for setting the thermostat to power-saving settings.

In iPod fashion, all this comes in an interesting product, from the way the thermostat is packaged, to installation (even basic DIY-ers can install the Nest) to use. What else can we expect from someone who designed the iPod?

The folks at Ford, GM, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen all got together and have agreed on a standard charging mechanism for all their forthcoming electric cars, using a single-port fast charging system to handle most everything from the quick charger to the full-on Level 1 system. And to top things off, they’ve even agreed to use HomePlug Green PHY, reportedly, as the standard for communications to hook things into Powerline Smart Grid applications.

And for you early adopters out there who find yourself with a Nissan Leaf or the like, it turns out that these new chargers, according to reports, will be backward compatible with the standard J1772 connector.

All fine and well, of course–one standard to refuel a vehicle is very important to let economies of scale take over–but there are still a whole lot of problems between electric cars and their full implementation. Tops on the list is weather performance; the thought of driving an ultra-light electric car on icy roads in high winds makes me shudder, and not because of how cold it would likely be in the cabin of one of those. The thought of taking one through a three-inch snowdrift makes me shudder possibly stronger. And perhaps the strongest shudders of all come from thinking about the price–I can buy a regular car and gas for it for a good long while on the strength of what one electric car sells for, and that’s before recharges and possibly new batteries.

But what do you guys think? Has the coterie of auto makers solved the wrong problem? Or is it good to get as many problems with electric cars solved in the near term as possible? Would you buy one even with the changes in charging? The comments section is waiting below to get some discussion going, so head on down and tell us what you think!

A strange, but fairly simple, idea, the EcoATM essentially allows you to take your device of choice, offer it to the machine, which then conducts an analysis of said device for things like condition (yes, it will even take broken devices, so if you broke your iPhone’s screen, you can still get some cash for it) using a series of cameras and connector cables to conduct electrical testing, and ultimately tenders you a cash offer. You then drop your device into the machine to signify your acceptance of said offer, and the machine takes your device and forks over loot in return. The devices are then recycled, and sometimes broken down into their component parts to recover the plastics and precious metals used in their construction.

Privacy wonks, meanwhile, will no doubt be horrified to discover that the machine demands not only a scan of your drivers license but also your thumbprint before making the transaction.

It’s a clever idea, actually, and does make things move a bit faster than the various other alternatives you’d have. Word is they’re planning to put these in shopping malls, so not only will you be able to sell your device, you’ll also be able to go right from selling your device to buying whole new devices. Admittedly, the trade rates seem a bit low (they were offering $99 for an iPhone 3GS in perfect condition), but then, we are pretty much in a buyer’s market for most everything, so that goes a good distance towards explaining that. Plus, there’s the convenience factor for those of you without the time, skill, or inclination to try your luck on eBay.

So what do you guys think? Would you use an EcoATM if you had the opportunity? Or do you have a preferred method for getting rid of old devices? Either way, we want to hear about it, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

3M, out at the CEATAC show in Japan, was showing off a new line of see-through solar film, which was intended to be used to cover windows. What happens then is that the solar film also generates a small amount of power when the sun makes contact with it. The film itself is made up of five individual layers, with an organic photovoltaic substance added to it. Not only does the panel generate energy in sunlight, but it also serves as a heat-blocking layer. Reportedly, there was a difference of 13 degrees Celsius on one side of the panels as compared to the other, which was being demonstrated via a set of high-powered lamps. So not only will the panels generate power, they’ll also reduce your need for power (at least in the hotter months) by blocking light. I’d figure they’d also do a job against cold and wind, too.

The down side, of course, is the relatively low power generated by said panels–reports suggest that a three foot by three foot square is required to generate sufficient power to charge a smartphone–but still; considering the sheer amount of window space most people have–let alone rooftop space–something like this may be just what’s needed to put a little extra punch in a power generation plan.

Certainly a city that covers its windows–including skyscrapers–with this film would see some pretty impressive power generation capability. Better, these are said to cost half to two thirds less the cost of installing traditional solar panels, so even if the efficiency is substantially less, you’ll be able to install a lot more of it.

So what do you guys think here? Would you like to see a layer of power-generating film over your windows? Or would you wait until the efficiencies got better before taking that plunge? Either way, the comments section is waiting, so head on down and tell us what you think!

However, Google maintains that if you consider the large number of people who use their services every day, each person’s consumption comes out very little. A typical Google user (and we assume people who depend on several of their services like search, email, documents, video streaming, and so on and so forth) consumes in a month what a 60-watt light bulb consumes in three hours.

Google decided to be more open about its consumption, as it has become a trend for other data center operators like Facebook to disclose how much energy they use. According to Google’s new green site, however, the company is looking to start buying more from clean energy companies, with the goal of using 35% clean electricity by 2011. Hit the source to see more of Google’s green plans.

Recently, a number of environmental groups published a report that accused Apple of using more than 20 suppliers with public records of environmental violations. The organizations say Apple is taking “advantage of the loopholes in developing countries’ environmental management systems.” Apple quickly offered to start dialogue with one of the report’s authors to clear things out. But the person who met with the Apple reps says Apple only told him that the company doesn’t use that particular list of suppliers the report indicates. No other details or explanation were given out.

To be fair, Apple very rarely discloses its list of suppliers, and the environmental groups only got their list from court document and other public information. Additionally, other companies also use the suppliers in question.

Samsung’s NC215 netbook comes with photovoltaic cells on its lid, which, when exposed to sunlight, can send power to the netbook’s battery. Reportedly, the NC215 will get you an hour’s charge for every two hours of solar exposure. With Samsung’s Power Plus technology, the netbook is rated to last 14 hours on a single charge.

Initially intended for emerging markets, particularly in regions without a steady supply of electricity, the NC215 was also launched in the US, Europe and other markets, aimed at users fond of the outdoors and green technologies. Now Samsung is launching the NC215 in South Korea. While we’re sure the Korean market is not lacking in terms of a secure and consistent power grid, going green is definitely in the agenda of Samsung, as with their Green memory chips and other environmentally-friendly products.

The NC215 launching in Korea has the same specs, including Intel Atom N570 dual-core processor running at 1.66 GHz, 10.1-inch 1024×600 screen, 1GB DDR3 RAM, and 250GB 5400 RPM hard drive. The netbook also comes with Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, an SDHC card reader, and three USB ports. The NC215 will come shipped with Windows 7 Starter edition.

Setting land speed records is nothing new. In fact, the current land speed record for a wheeled vehicle is about 470 MPH. But for electric vehicles, getting up to speed — and sustaining it — is made difficult with the limitations of battery-powered motors. The team from Ohio State University was able to clear 291 MPH in August 0f 2010 with the Buckeye Bullet 2, which is a bit disappointing after version 1.0 reached 314 MPH in 2004 (the team partly blames the use of hydrogen fuel cells for the lack of speed). Still, this is already a big feat for an EV. This year, they’re aiming for 400 MPH.

Version 3.0 of Buckeye Bullet will feature a newly-designed body and fin shaped for better aerodynamics, as computed by the Ohio Supercomputer Center. The design also incorporates new tweaks, such as a new driver position, wind deflectors and the like. While version 2 of the car used hydrogen fuel cells, the team is reverting to their original battery-only setup (likely with NiMH batteries), for more sustainable power. Currently, Buckeye Bullet version 2.5 has reached 307.7 MPH over the Bonnevile Salt flats, where these high-octane, high-adrenaline folks do their speed tests. Buckeye Bullet 3.0 will make its run sometime before the year ends. Will the Buckeye Bullet break 400 MPH as planned?

We’d last heard about the Fisker Karma back in April, with the expectation that they would start shipping orders in June or July. They’re a month off, but they are indeed shipping this summer as had been projected. And the first ones to get hands on them are some pretty big names. You already know Leo DiCaprio’s getting one, because I spilled those particular beans up in the headline. But also set to snag one of these is Colin Powell, as well as Nobel Prize winner, former Vice-President, and ManBearPig detractor Al Gore.

The Fiskar Karma got into production back in March, and after a few delays, is finally shipping out, with sales of the $100,000 car fully booked until early next year. The sales, according to Fisker, seem to be evenly split between early adopters of hybrid vehicles and those folks who just like the relative novelty the Fisker Karma Lux has to offer, especially those who realize that electric cars aren’t quite ready for prime time yet, but like the fact that they can infuse their drive time with slightly greener electricity.

Fiskar’s total production run is 3000 strong, with 300 units per week being produced, meaning your chances of getting one before the end of the year are pretty much out of the picture. However, you may be interested in hearing that they’re also preparing a lower-cost version, though not much is known about it right now, that will sell for half the Karma Lux’s current price, or $50,000.

Sounds like a good run to me, and I’m actually becoming pretty enamored with the idea of hybrids (especially in that they solve so many of the current problems of pure electrics), but what do you guys think? Think the hybrid can catch on? Or is there something–like price–preventing it from really making a splash in the market? Either way, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

You can find out more concerning the Fisker Karma Lux here whilst, if you fancy availing yourself of one you can peruse the online brochure here (PDF).

Audi’s new A4 looks to be both bigger and lighter, which may sound like a contradiction in terms, but as it turns out is quite possible. It will pack a rear-axle electric motor with a range of 19 to 37 miles (30 to 60 KM for those of you who favor the metric), and will pack a gasoline engine to switch to when the range on the electric dies out. There’s not much mention of the specs on the gas engine, however, but you can probably figure it’s going to be about par for the course, and may well boast the same 211 horsepower engine that the current A4 uses, but that’s just speculation.

This may well be one of the better ideas I’ve seen in green transportation. The car is clearly geared toward performing like an actual car would, with support for rain and snow and the like, but it also means that short trips become a whole lot greener, and for most people, short trips are some of the most frequent trips they make. It removes a lot of the problems associated with the pure electric models, and at the same time, deeply slashes gas usage which in its own right is a sorely welcome development. Now if they can get the prices down to the level of reasonable people, then we might be in for a whole new paradigm in transportation.

But what do you guys think? Think the new A4 might represent a better chance for the hybrid segment to get some respect? Or do you think that this is going to price itself out of the market, like most of its predecessors, and end up going nowhere fast? Either way, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The folks out at GM made the announcement only recently that their new Cadillac ELR would be what many likely thought was impossible before today; an electric Cadillac. But you might well recognize its earlier name; it was previously called the Converj.

The Cadillac ELR will, reportedly, use the same powertrain system that the Chevy Volt is currently using, as well as a lithium ion battery pack and electric motor. But for those times when you just don’t have enough charge left, the ELR will also boast a four cylinder gas engine, which apparently will not serve as the motor itself, but rather as a backup generator to provide power to the battery that would run the electric motor.

There’s no word yet on prices and release dates for this one just yet, though that’s currently said to be on the way soon. This is almost certainly going to be in the upper five figures, would be my guess, as it’s got all the price of an electric car coupled with the name value of Cadillac.

Development, however, is under way, so hopefully in the next year or two you’ll start seeing these come out.

Personally, I’m torn on electric vehicles. Sure, they’re a good idea in general, but they’ve got way too many flaws in the execution in their current state. Forget about winter driving with them, let alone having any kind of cargo space.

But what do you guys think? Is the Cadillac ELR the first step toward better electric cars for all? Or is this just a sop to the environmental lobby? However you feel about it, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

Electric vehicles can help reduce one’s dependence on fossil fuels, but this only goes as far as reducing the need to actually buy gasoline (or Diesel) from the pump. But when you plug in at night or while at the office, consumption from the grid will still lead to some carbon being burnt up. Some alternatives have been proposed or marketed, such as solar EV charging stations. But a new charger from Sanya recharges EVs from wind power.

Sanya Skypump’s wind turbins have dual axes, which are inherently more advantageous than turbines with only a horizontal axis (problems with multi-directional wind) or vertical axis (premature bearing failure). The design can harvest wind power from any direction, and can charge a typical EV in about 6 hours. The 42 foot-high Sanya Skypump comes with a GE-provided turbine that outputs 4 KW. The technology can be mated with a WattStation control panel for car-charging applications. Pilot programs are already underway in Barcelona, New York City and Beijing.

The bad part is the cost. At $29,995 each, it costs as much as a brand new electric vehicle or hybrid, which might defeat the purpose of buying a green car for gas savings (unless you’re a hardcore green tech enthusiast). Chances are that building owners, educational institutions and commercial establishments are the best clients for this kind of device.

A study has determined that New York Upper West Side motorists spend 366,000 miles a year just looking for parking space. Imagine the fuel and time savings you can get knowing just when and where you can park. Will you be willing to pay a dollar or two for this kind of information?

A web app called ParkingAuction does just this. The service lets motorists “sell” their parking spot online. The winning bidder gets to park in one’s space as you vacate. For instance, if you’ll be leaving the store or cafe parking in 10 minutes, you can put the space on the auction block for the next patron wanting to park. Both the “seller” and “buyer” get text messages indicating the vehicle make and color so you can exchange parking spots at just the right time.

Users don’t exactly get a share of the money paid for the spot, but instead get credits toward their succeeding uses. The service also works for unused garages or parking spaces that property owners might want to rent out. The more users the service has, the more useful it will become, although the service mostly works in New York City. Users can access ParkingAuction on any computer or mobile device that can browse websites or mobile websites.

While a bit later than the announced July 3 release, Samsung has recently made its NC215 solar-powered netbook available through retail channels and online. $392 gets you the base setup, which has the following specs:

• Intel Atom N570 dual-core 1.66 GHz dual-core processor
• 10.1 inch screen, at 1024×600 display
• 1GB DDR3 RAM
• 250GB hard drive at 5400 RPM
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 3.0
• SDHC card reader
• VGA out
• Ethernet port
• 3 USB ports (one can be used for charging devices while the computer is turned off)
• Windows 7 Starter edition

Samsung earlier announced its solar-powered netbook for release in developing markets in Africa, where the use of solar charging will come in handy in places without a regular power outlet. However, solar charging would also be useful in the developed world, too. We figure that people fond of the outdoors can benefit from this technology. Leaving the NC215S out in the sun for two hours gives you an equivalent of one hour charge. The powered USB port will also come in useful for charging other devices, like smartphones, which makes the solar-charging option all the more useful.

We just wonder whether the NC215S is built sturdily enough to withstand the heat of direct sunlight, and if the screen won’t be washed out with outdoor use. Otherwise, the solar power feature is a good charging solution that we, as green tech enthusiasts, hope will appear in other gadgets as well.

Nissan has recently unveiled a system that enables the LEAF to supply power to residences using its onboard Lithium-Ion batteries. This system is meant to augment the grid in an effort to contribute to a zero-emissions society in Japan. Through the new power supply system, the LEAF can be used to store emergency power that will be enough to supply a household for two days, or about 24 Kilowatt-hours.

You might wonder if this system will be useful at all, considering you would also need electricity to power up the LEAF for trips. But the point here is that the LEAF will now be able to be part of the grid. The system allows the LEAF to be smart enough to choose when it draws power from the grid, such as during nighttime or off-peak hours. If there are alternative sources — such as solar — these can be used, too.

The new Nissan LEAF power control system will be available to both new and existing LEAF owners. While initially rolling out in Japan, Nissan is likely to implement the system in international markets, too.

It seems that once again, Top Gear has shown an electric car being pushed to somewhere due to running out of charge. In this case, it was Jeremy Clarkson who found himself behind the wheel of a Leaf out in Lincoln, when he ran out of charge and thus had his car pushed by several helpful folks who got him to a charging station.

The problem with this, as Nissan was quick to point out, was that data from the car is automatically sent to Nissan, and revealed that not only did Clarkson begin his trip with 40 percent battery power, he also drove in circles for some distance to drop his charge to zero. Meanwhile, Nissan can show that they delivered the car to Top Gear with a full battery charge. Clarkson said he was attempting to show what would happen to a hapless electric car owner who ran out of juice, but this was somewhat distracted from by the fact that, later, James May drove a Peugeot Ion along the same course and was not shown to run out of charge.

It’s hard to actually try and go after Top Gear for this sort of thing; they’re a wonderful combination of education and entertainment, so most anything they do can be promptly filed under the one side or another. Chances are, this will go nowhere, and explains why Nissan’s likely just complaining about its portrayal as opposed to sending in the lawyer brigades like Tesla did.

So what do you guys think here? Is Nissan right in crying foul over Top Gear’s less than enthusiastic portrayal? Or is Top Gear welcome to carry on its brand of hilarious car-based comedy and education without concern for hurting carmakers’ feelings? Either way, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The folks out at SolarCity got together with the folks out at ClipperCreek to offer up a line of solar-powered electric car chargers that will actually work with any electric model currently available, by virtue of a standard charge cable, the SAE-J1772. Adding one of these car chargers–specifically a 240 volt Level II charger–will run about $1500 all told, and will allow a car to charge to full capacity in about four hours. That’s before, of course, the cost of the solar panels, and SolarCity will install panels as well, or can make the charger work with existing panels.

This puts paid to earlier troubles with electric cars, in that many noted that while the cars themselves have no real emissions, the power sources that generate the power in question often did. A solar power system pulls that issue right out of consideration, though many, many more such issues (reliability, performance, expense, and the like) are still as yet unanswered.

Interestingly, though, the expense issue does get a note of support here. Currently, if you’re in San Francisco, you’d pay about $107 a month on average to charge your car via the power grid. A leased solar system from SolarCity, meanwhile, would run about $54 a month. And both of those are actually less than the cost of driving with gas for many people. Still, though, that’s San Francisco, where you don’t have to deal with snow, ice, or frequently cloudy days.

So what do you guys think here? Think this is a good start toward cutting way back on oil as a fuel source? Or is this still only just a start, and nowhere near being able to solve our immediate problems? No matter what you think about all this, the comments section is waiting for you below, and we love to hear from you guys!

We all know that Apple has already taken out a patent on a solar-powered iPhone, as we’d heard about this back in January. And we all know about the spectacular array of solar charging devices on the market for our tiny friends. But Apple is currently evaluating a wide array of possible panels to include in their devices, and according to the current reports, most of these are Taiwanese makers, which makes some sense given earlier reports that Taiwanese integrated circuits were looking to be a big part of the iPad 3.

There will, according to those same reports, be a bit of a lag in getting the solar cells into devices. We all know that Samsung has been doing something similar already for some time now (and Samsung is the imitator?) with their solar powered laptop, but to get those small solar cells integrated into, say, an iPhone will likely take some time.

I like the idea of a phone or similar device that charges itself when you leave it in the sun, but at the same time, I’m familiar enough with solar charging apparatuses to know that you’re not going to get much of a charge out of something sufficiently small to put on the back of, say, an iPhone. They’d need some better panel technology in general to really get a spark, if you’ll pardon the small pun, out of me. And considering the number of solar powered bumper cases geared toward charging the iPhone, is this even really necessary?

But what do you guys think? Think this is just Apple’s attempt at jumping on a bandwagon? Or do they have a good idea here whose time has more than clearly come? No matter what you think about this, we want to hear from you, so head down to the comments section and tell us what you think.

What’s unusual about the 32 inch Toshiba Regza 32BC3 is several fold. One big thing is the unusual resolution: while most televisions come your way at 1080p, or occasionally anymore, 720p, you’ll get the Toshiba Regza 32BC3 showing at something more like a computer monitor’s resolution of 1366 x 768. Odd, I know, but this resolution lends itself well to the second major point of the Toshiba Regza 32BC3: the power savings.

See, this one can actually drop its brightness level down a good bit without sacrificing image quality. One of the big points of a television’s power consumption is its brightness level. If you’ve ever watched television in the dark, you know full well that you can actually read by the light of a television unaided. It’s not very comfortable, granted, but it’s possible. But with the Toshiba Regza 32BC3, you can actually drop the brightness level in half with one press of the remote’s Power Save button, and then drop it down another half step (to 75 percent less) with a second press, thus conserving a whole lot of juice.

Of course, conserving juice on an epic scale is never cheap to start with, and these will be selling starting in Japan for fully 65,000 yen (about $830 US).  Not much else is known about this one just yet, sadly, and its appearance in the United States is far from being a sure thing.

But what do you guys think about this one? Would you drop that kind of money on a relatively lower-resolution television to save some cash on your power bills? Or would you pay less for a better resolution television and take the hit every month? No matter what your choice is, we want to hear about it in the comments section below!

Samsung’s latest Class 10 SD card set includes 12 cards that have HD-capable data transfer ratings. The new SD card range includes microSD cards meant for smartphones and tablets and SDHC cards for digital cameras, which can also be used to add portable storage to notebooks, netbooks and other portable devices. These enable data transfers capable of full HD video recording, with data-transfer speeds of up to 24 Mbps, beating the speed capabilities of Class 6 and Class 8 cards.

Samsung’s Class 10 microSD and SD cards feature 3-bit NAND flash memory chips and have proprietary data controllers for optimal speed and power efficiency. These memory cards are also compliant with Samsung’s Green Memory initiative, which focuses on reducing power usage in memory chips.

These SD cards come in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities. Pricing ranges from $49 to $99 apiece, depending on capacity.

OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte has announced that the foundation is currently developing its next-generation tablet meant for the developing world. The tablet will feature an ARM-based processor, Pixel Qi display (for optimal viewing even when outdoors), camera, USB port and audio jacks. The OLPC XO-3 tablet wil run either Android or another Linux variant especially customized for the OLPC’s needs.

Now the good news doesn’t stop there. The XO-3 will also come with a couple of features that users from emerging economies will appreciate: solar charging and satellite internet connectivity. When you’re out there in place without a reliable power source and where Broadband is the least of a family’s concerns, having a tablet is probably the last thing in your mind. But OLPC believes in the education opportunities that tablet computers can provide.

Of course, these features will also come in handy when trekking, as any gadget-loving outdoorsman would find useful. Getting power and internet connectivity in the middle of nowhere would be a great deal for a $100 device.

Negroponte says the OLPC XO-3 tablet will be available by early 2012, although OLPC has been known to miss launch and pricing targets in the past.

What TomTom and Coulomb are cooking up, according to reports, is basically what TomTom already does for restaurants and gas stations and the like, only for public car charging stations. But you’ll also get a little more information, like the cost to charge up, what kind of connections are available at said charging station, and so on.

For its part, Coulomb and TomTom aren’t talking about just when this will be available, though it is currently showing out at the Plug-In 2011 conference out in North Carolina this week.

Obviously one of the biggest problems in getting people to adopt the electric vehicle concept is an issue of recharging; finding a gas station isn’t exactly difficult, but finding a charging station for your electric car, well, that could be a lot more complicated. And with a service like this one in place–word is it will also be coming to other navigation systems eventually as well, not just TomTom–it will take a good chunk of people’s worry out of the equation.

Of course, there are still plenty of other hurdles involved with getting people to take on the electric car concept; price is still a huge factor, as is availability, and in a lot of places, performance is a big issue. But taking one problem out of the mix may well improve sales, and at this stage of the game, electric cars need all the buyers they can get.

So what do you guys think about this? Was the availability of–not to mention the ease of finding–chargers what was keeping you from buying an electric car? Or was one of the other issues holding you back instead? Either way, head on down to the comments section and let us know what you think!

Because “fuel-efficient” is something of a catch-all term, I’ll be a little more specific. Specifically,FedEx is planning to bring in a set of diesel trucks for long-distance driving, as well as some hybrids and, in the New York, Chicago and Memphis markets, an extra 43 vehicles completely powered by electricity.

The biggest addition–and the bulk of the 4000 number mentioned–comes from the clean diesel “Sprinter Vans”, which FedEx says are at least 100 percent more fuel efficient than their standard gasoline counterparts. FedEx added on a few other statistics, too, adding that their Sprinter fleet has 1.4 billion miles on it, and saved fully 66 million gallons of fuel since their inception back in 2000.

At this point you can say what you will about global warming and global cooling and corporate citizenship and the like, but this is undoubtedly going to put some punch back in FedEx’s bottom line. And in an environment where even the post office is a money-losing proposition, it’s not surprising to see FedEx look to not only buy some goodwill, but also save some cash by not having to buy near as much gasoline. If you consider that 66 million purported gallons of fuel savings and average it out at maybe $3.00 a gallon over the last ten years, well…the savings speak for themselves in the nine-figure neighborhood.

So what do you guys think here? Planet saving or money saving…or both? Or just a sop to the environmentalists? No matter how you feel about it, let us know down in the comments section!

Researchers at Duke University have been working on a way to extend wireless gadgets‘ battery life by turning off the Wi-Fi radio during those times it’s not actually needed. Wi-Fi radios usually work harder in the presence of multiple access points, during which they stay awake indefinitely until the radio gets the chance to transmit and receive data. This becomes especially worse when there are other devices vying for the same spectrum.

The technology, currently dubbed SleepWell, lets the Wi-Fi radio sleeps during this period. Testing the system on Android smartphones and notebook computers, power consumption was cut in half. While the Wi-Fi radio is definitely not the only item on a smartphone or other device that eats up power (there’s the screen, cellular radio, and the like), this might help contribute to significant power savings in some situations.

Samsung’s new 32 GB microSDHC cards are rated as class 10 devices, and can support read operations at 24 MB/s and write at 12 MB/s. The cards feature 3-bit NAND flash memory chips and a proprietary controller to ensure adequate performance at high read/write speeds. Samsung says the chips are created using a 20-nanometer fabrication process, which is finer than its previous 30-nm technology, which improves efficiency by 30%. With these efficiency advancements, the new 32GB microSDHC cards are part of Samsung’s Green Memory initiative.

At these speeds, Samsung’s microSDHC cards promise to improve the mobile experience by ensuring seamless storage and transmission of full HD videos, which are expected to be trend once 4G networks go mainstream. Samsung also plans to release  a 64 GB variant by early 2012.

Sure, you can get yourself a rugged case and solar charging kit, but a company called HumanEgdeTech sells ruggedized tablets and netbooks for a premium price.

The HumanEdgeTech Expedition netbook is a  modified HP Mini 110 that comes with a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom processor, 60 GB shock-mounted hard drive, and can be tethered to a satellite phone for connectivity. The base model sells for $895, although you can get yourself a kit complete with solar charger, satellite phone, data plan, rugged case and miscellaneous rugged accessories for $4,600.

Meanwhile, the company’s Polar Pad tablet is a modified HP Slate 500, sold for $1,095 for the ruggedized base model or $4,800 for a complete kit. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill netbook and tablet computer, as the company promises durability in extreme climates and terrain. At these prices, you’d expect a warranty, although sadly HumanEdgeTech doesn’t cover for any damage.

Pardon the funny name, but green-minded techies out there would probably like the concept of charging their gadgets with water. APS-J says its batteries can be recharged with a few drops of water or any liquid. It’s even eco-friendlier if you can use recycled liquid, say your own urine.

NoPoPo stands for No Pollution Power, and these batteries will give you anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes of power with a few drops of liquid, which then results in the chemical reactions within the battery cells that provide power. Each cell can be recharged thrice before they get completely depleted. These cells are best used for applications that require low current draw, such as flashlights, radios, clocks, and the like. What’s best is that NoPoPo batteries have a shelf-life of 20 years, which means you can simply pack these in your bag and activate the batteries anytime with liquid.

APS-J NoPoPo batteries will start retailing in Japan and the US this August, and will initially come only in AA form factor.

Musk told the San Francisco Chronicle that there are a “handful” of cars left to sell in the United States. He added that American customers probably have a “a month or two” to order a Roadster, while customers in Europe and Japan will have “another six months to place orders”. Tesla had promised last year that 2011 would be the last year of Roadster’s production.

Tesla is winding down production of the sports car in order to focus on their new model, the Model S, which is a more affordable (but still not cheap) family sedan. Elon Musk and Tesla have also discussed the Tesla Model X, an electric SUV, coming in the future from the company.

Some automotive bloggers and fans have suggested that Tesla’s decision to end production of the Roadster has to do with upcoming redesign of the Lotus Elise. The Tesla Roadster uses the chassis and body of the Lotus Elise sports car, and Lotus showed off a new model of the Elise at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. That new design is supposed to replace the Elise in the next year or so, and Tesla would be forced to adapt the new body to their Roadster. Rather than doing that, it seems they’re going to focus on their sedan and upcoming SUV. Lotus had already stopped production of the Elise bodies that Tesla uses, but a deal between Lotus and Tesla convinced the English automaker to produce another 100 bodies for Tesla.

The three-year production run of the Tesla Roadster will stop at exact 2,500 cars. From the beginning, Tesla has said that they would use the revenues from the $100,000 sports car to fuel the expansion of their business and the development of the more cost-friendly cars. A unique business model, surely.

Are you sad to see the Tesla Roadster go? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Toyota’s GRMN II concept hybrid car will be showcased at the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race from June 23 through June 26, held at the famous racetrack near Nürburg, Germany. GRMN stands for “GAZOO Racing Tuned by MN” with GAZOO  standing for a motorsports development program in Japan, and MN standing for “master of Nürburgring.”

GRMN II features a mid-engine layout, with the 3.5 liter 2GR-FXE engine driving power to the rear wheels. Meanwhile, electric motors up at the front drive power to the front wheels, for a stable ride and better maneuverability. The car features both hybrid and electric-only modes, which lets you choose whether to go for spirited driving or keep the emissions at (or near) zero for an eco-friendlier ride.

If you’re into cars, you probably know that “the Ring” is one of the more challenging tracks in the world. What’s more interesting is that it’s a public access toll road, so you can go ahead and time your laps for 20 Euro a pop.

The Elecom mobile battery packs are targeted at iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S users, although the device will work with anything that can charge from a USB port. Coming in either 4,700 mAh or 3,000 mAh capacities, Elecom’s external battery packs will give enough juice to power up your device for a few hours’ use. The portable battery can also be used to charge your tablet or smartphone while not using it.

These are available in Japan for 8,400 Yen for the larger capacity (about $104.35) or 7,000 Yen for the smaller capacity battery (about $87). No word if and when Elecom will start selling the mobile chargers outside of Japan, but given the popularity of tablets and smartphones, we reckon these battery packs will make it to other markets sooner or later.