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The Sony XEL-1 is the thinnest OLED television, measuring at 3mm in thickness for the 11 inch screen.  What is OLED? OLEDs (organic light-emitting diode) are solid-state devices composed of thin films of organic molecules that create light with the application of electricity. There are about 5 layers combined to make the image on the display panel. There are 2 unique and important layers, the Conduction layer and the Emissive layer. Both are made with organic plastic molecules.

OLED is so thin and flexible that you can roll it up or even integrate a monitor into clothing or any other creative applications. Once this technology matures it’ll replace today’s set top televisions currently made from LCD and LED.  The element is as bright as or brighter than regular light bulbs.

OLED is great for the environment because it only uses about 30watts of energy while on and does not consume energy while off.  One of the reason why OLED does not use much power is that unlike LCDs, it does not use backlighting which uses much of its power to operate. Most of the compounds are bio-degradable.  

The downside of OLEDs now is the lifespan expectancy of the colors used. Although red and green colors have a longer life span (about 46,000 to 230,000 hrs), the blue color has a very short duration time (about 14,000 hrs). Since the device is new, it’s will cost an arm and a leg, maybe more. And it is easily distorted by water.  The benefits outweigh the minor imperfections though.

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It’s hard enough having expenses when you’re alive, but have you ever taken into consideration of the cost of a funeral when you die?  It can be in the thousands of dollars.  Why go through the added burden of selecting an expensive metal casket that not eco-friendly when you can go with affordable green coffin.  Hazel Selina created the Ecopod from influences of her interest in Ancient Egypt ecology and concern for the environment. 

A well made product that’s compact, light, and earth friendly.  It’s made from 100% recycled paper. This product is non-toxic and can be buried or cremated. Leaving this world in the bio-degradable Ecopod is the most perfect way to give back to the planet as your last good deed that you can express in your will.  So don’t forget to look into putting it in writing (your last will and testament).

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Turn algae into fuel? You’ve seen it, the dirty green scum that grows in bodies of freshwater ponds.  Anastasios Melis, a professor at University of California in Berkeley and his researchers’ created mutant algae that can produce hydrogen through photosynthesis. This hydrogen bio-fuel is clean, renewable and economically viable. Since algae grow best in high CO2 environments, it’s the perfect solution to apply this cleaning method at coal power plants to scrub the air of pollutants. The byproduct is a health drink that’s good for the body. Humm I might pass on that.  Here’s an interesting video on MIT’s Algae incubator. 

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To my surprise the overall shape of the production Chevrolet Volt doesn’t look all that bad.  The front looks smoother than the angular lines of the concept car.  GM’s aerodynamist found that it had the same drag coefficient of their Silverado pickup and so the Volt had to spend over 500 hours in the wind tunnel to streamline everything from the wiper blade housing to the rear crease to improve air flow.  Consumers usually install after market trunk spoilers for appearance, except those who bolt on those huge wings for greater down force for racing purposes, GM on the other hand incorporated the Volt’s tail to function as a sharp cut off to prevent turbulent vortices.  Visually the 17-inch wheels provide an aggressive stance, but wouldn’t smaller, thinner, lower rolling resistance tires extend the electric driving range?  Looking inside was also a pleasant surprise.  I’m usually not a big fan of GM’s cheap looking plastic interiors, but this one is acceptable. 

The three spoke steering wheel was a plus, giving it that sporty look.  The dual 7-inch LCD displays are redundant though.  We’ll see if having both screens on will blind your eyes during night driving.  Eliminating one would save on electric power consumption, not to mention cost.  The center console looks more like an MP3 player then that of a typical stereo system in a $40K car.  The T-shape Lithium Ion battery stack runs within the center of the vehicle for better balance and handling.  For all those major car manufacturers who said Lithium Ion batteries aren’t ready for the car market, THINK again.  Testing of the battery pack has been non-stop to stress the unit to the breaking point to find its failure ratings.  So far so good according to Bob Lutz Vice Chairman of Global Markets.  The ICE this time won’t drive the Volt as that of the parallel system in the Prius.  Instead its used as a generator to recharge the batteries to extend the range to 400 miles.  It’ll be able to reach 100mph and split time of 0-60 in about 9 seconds.  I’m not sure why GM didn’t include a diesel, that would make it more flexible to run on cleaner vegetable oil.  Prices and drag coefficient figures aren’t disclosed to keep the competition guessing.  GM may have a hit on their hands.  Heck I might even trade in if the price is right.

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High fuel costs are not only affecting the average consumer, but it’s also hurting businesses from around the world.  Companies from your local lawn & garden to the big Airliners are feeling the pinch.  Its even taken hold on the rich and famous Sean Diddy Combs.  The rapper, actor, entrepreneur, record producer, and fashion designer has resorted to flying coach in order to cut costs for his $300 million plus empire by not flying in his private jet.  Imagine how the lower class and middle class feel now that the well off is being hit with high gas prices.  That’s funny, but not really.  At lease he’s voicing that there is a huge problem that needs immediate attention.  Or else the economy will tank further into a recession.  Will it ever end?  Share your story, are you having to scale back on spending?  Vacations? Eating out?  Post your thoughts. 

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Long haul truck drivers pretty much live, eat, and sleep in their cabs. So when they pull in the rest area for some zzz’s, it would be nice to have the amenities of home to recuperate. A.C. Smith of Tennessee has met that need by providing IdleAire to duct in heating, cooling, internet access, cable tv, and phone service into the cab. All you need is an adapter plate to make a good window seal. There are different pricing packages based on your membership levels. It’s cheaper to use this service then to waste fuel running your engine all the time to heat and provide electricity as it was done in the past. Plus it dramatically cuts down on the air pollution. The company is launching nationwide and I hope it available at ALL truck stops.  You can view the YouTube video from “Truckertwotimes” on the installation of the unit.

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There’s been alot of T. Boone Pickens commercials lately on the 7 o’clock nightly news.  It’s on all of the networks from ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN.  I’ve even seen him on C-SPAN testifying to the house about how much the U.S. imports foreign oil.  According to Pickens Plan, he wants to cut 20% of our energy consumption by using wind power and transition over to natural gas for our transportation needs.  Imagine that the oil man himself is looking to alternative energy to fuel our nation.  He’s got billions invested in wind & natural gas so no wonder he’s pushing for those.

I think it’ll take a great deal more, but it can be done in 10 years.  It’ll take public demand for Congress to pass an energy bill that will make a difference rather then bickering back and forth, which eventually creates a stalemate. We can substantially reduce our oil consumption by utilizing all forms of alternative energy such as geothermal, tidal, wind, solar, algae, and natural gas.  So who do you think can lead us to oil independence for the 2008 Presidential Election?  Who’s the greenest?  You decide!  Take action and VOTE.

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How cool is this new Winglet released from Toyota?  It’s the Mini-Me of the Segway Human Transporter.  This electric glider is perfect for short three mile jaunts at the mall, museums, airports, or getting around town.  The gadget takes one hour to fully charge its battery.  Small enough to throw in the trunk of your car for a roll through the park.  Let’s hope it’ll make it way across the ocean to our shores. 

User testing will take place in Japan for now.  No words on production.  It comes in three different flavors (S, M, L).  Depending on the size its range is 3 to 6 miles (weight 21-27lbs).  Speed is 3.7 miles per hour, which is about walking pace.  Will they allow these in buildings or offices is another matter once it launches.  Throw in a USB port and you can carry a solar backpack to charge it will you’re traveling.  Cities dwellers could benefit greatly without having to jump down the tunnels to catch the subway.  Make it with a remote control so I can command it to pick me up to get a drink from the frig.

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There is a new show on cable’s Planet Green channel.  It’s “Living with ED“, a team of husband and wife, that will keep you entertained while providing tips on how to be green.  Ed is the environmentalist while the wife just makes fun of him.  Both are hilarious.  The funny part is when Ed and his neighbor the Science Guy tries to out do each other on who has the most impact to conserve energy.  They compete to have the latest and greatest green gadgets such as one will have a first wind turbine installed. 

One of their other great recommend is the Cool-N-Save.  It’s a simple plastic tube with a flapper as a on/off mechanism to mist the condenser when the fan blows the flapper to turn on the water.  Misting the unit can help lower the electricity usage by 30% according to the Tulsa University study confirming the energy savings.  Commercial buildings have been using this misting to cooler down the condensers for years just that it’s more robust, complex, and costly to incorporate.  Give it a go and see for yourself. 

 ”…cooler air will able to circulate throughout a house and this will decrease the time the condenser unit runs, thus reducing electricity cost to the user.”

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