Justin Thomas
Latest Stories from Justin Thomas - Page 8
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Ford Unveils Another Plug-In Hybrid: The Ford Edge
Ford used the Washington D.C. Auto Show to unveil a new car equipped the HySeries Drive powertrain, which is a fuel cell-based, hybrid power system. The HySeries Drive was also used in Ford's Airstream concept car. According to AutoBlog, the system
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Plastic White-Light LEDs: Cheaper and More Efficient?
A company called Cyberlux, which specializes in LEDs, plans to reveal a prototype of a white-light LED that would cost less manufacture and provide more light than conventional LEDs. These two advantages would enable light fixtures based on LEDs, which
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World's Smallest LED Goes Into Production: The PicoLED
Energy efficient LEDs are starting to crop up everywhere, and adding fuel to this fire are the new applications being opened up by miniature LEDs. Kyoto-based electronic component creator, Rohm, announced today that the world’s smallest LED, the PicoLED
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Steven Spielberg To Make Documentary About Green Architect William McDonough?
According to Business 2.0, Steven Spielberg may make a documentary about green-design guru William McDonough. Spielberg was inspired by the impact of the film "An Inconvenient Truth" starring Al Gore. McDonough says he got a mysterious call from
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Free Solar Power for Staples
Staples has unveiled the largest solar power installation in New England at its 300,000-square-foot retail distribution center in Killingly, Connecticut. The solar power installation was built at no capital cost to Staples. The 433-kilowatt DC commercial
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Mobile Solar Power For Your Purse
At first glance this Solar Mobile Charger looks like a compact mirror but it’s actually a little device that can power your cell phone or MP3 player. It can also charge your device via 12 DC power (in the car) or an AC outlet. Adapters for Nokia,
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$180 Portable Solar Power for Your Laptop, MP3 Player
Pat from Will Blog For Experience writes about his experience using a home-made, portable solar kit to power his MacBook. He says: "This kit weighs about 2 lbs, costs $180, and will power my Macbook for 1.75 hours (1.83ghz, browsing the web and
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Tesla Motors Planning New Electrifying Sedan?
There are rumors that electric car maker Tesla Motors is working on a next-generation sports electric sedan to join its innovative electric Roadster car (pictured above, see previous story). The new vehicle is said to take on the BMW 5-Series. It's a
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Plug-In Hybrids Could Help Stabilize The Grid
A recent article in Technology Review argues that plug-in hybrid vehicles could help stabilize the electrical grid. The idea is called "vehicle-to-grid" (often abbreviated as V2G). The article says: "In such a system, plug-in hybrids, rather than being
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ModeLabs Designs Three Self-Charging Phones
French designers ModeLabs has developed three self-powered cellphone concepts. The designs rely on the inherent movement of their users to regenerate power and signal the possibility of using smaller batteries or even eliminating them entirely. The
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Report: U.S. Power Grid Can Fuel 180 Million Electric Cars
The nation's existing electric power grid could fuel as many as 180 million electric cars, a Department of Energy study estimates. The study, being released today by the department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is the federal government's
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Lemur Toy Made With Soy Silk
From Xeko, the company that brought you eco-trading cards, comes this "Hairy Eared Dwarf Lemur" toy made with soy silk. This silk is made from the waste produced during the manufacture of tofu. Endemic to Madagascar, this lemur is only the size of a
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Skinny Sliver Cells Could Cuts Solar Costs by 60%
An Australian National University researcher claims to have invented a technology that could cut the cost of producing solar panels by more than 60 percent. According to Professor Andrew Blakers, director of the Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems at
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LEED Platinum: Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Headquarters
Optimal systems abound in this office complex. I recently tapinaged the Philip Merril Building of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. I found that main structure was specifically aligned the sun through several rounds of micro-adjustment to the supporting
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LG's Eco-Laptop Concept
LG Electronics, the second-largest electronics company in Korea, has created a concept eco-laptop called the e-Book. It uses a biofuel cell, and features organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). OLEDs do not need a frame around them, and they consume
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84 MPG Plug-In Hybrid Created in Europe
Lithium Technology Corporation recently announced that it has converted a Daimler Chrysler "Smart ForFour" into a demonstration plug-in vehicle in London. The battery system is the result of collaboration with Zytek, one of the world’s leading suppliers
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Williams-Sonoma's Catalogs To Be Printed On Sustainable Paper
Williams-Sonoma recently announced it will begin sourcing, effective immediately, more than 95% of the paper used in the company's seven catalogs: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Bed and Bath, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, west elm and
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Local Organic Food in The DC Area
In pursuit of optimal green techniques, I've completed a two-month long investigation into sources of local, organic food in the DC area. The food I sampled was excellent, and I ate edaciously. During this investigation, I visited numerous local farms
