Gadgets – Fabulously Green

Category archives: Gadgets

LIFE.STYLED | For Spring Showers

03Apr08

Happy Spring! Even in balmy Los Angeles we must deal with a light shower now and then (just last night in fact). And while no one really talks about umbrellas and the landfill let’s face it — we’ve all thrown away our share of cheap, black umbrellas in our lifetimes (present company included).

How the folks over at Brelli pondered the idea of designing a sleek, earth-friendly umbrella remains an interesting mystery but the results are fabulous. Launched just in time this Spring, the Brelli is a beautifully sheer little number that shelters you while protecting the planet from further waste. Sturdy and sustainable thanks to a bamboo frame that will withstand the gustiest of winds, and a material that is 100% biodegradable.

The Brelli is sold in limited distribution through Fred Segal in Santa Monica, Jussera Lee in New York. However, you can order one via the Brelli website. Available in two sizes, the Brelli is priced between $28 and $38USD.

Via Inhabitat via Ecofabulous

Filed under Gadgets, Lifestyle Tips| Tagged biodegradable umbrella, Brelli, cool umbrella, eco friendly living, Eco-friendly | 4 Comments

Unplug, Recharge | Solar Juice Bags

09Jun07

Thanks to Fab Green reader Carly for turning us on to these sporty, sun-powered bags and portable chargers by Reware. The Juice Bag (shown above) gets is “juice” from the sun, thanks to thin, flexible solar panels stitched to the bag’s exterior. Perfect for charging up mp3 players, cell phones, PDA’s and digital cameras while you’re on the go. How cool.

Geek Chic: According to the website, the fabric behind the ES Series Juice Bags is made from recycled 2-liter soda bottles then stitched to meet military standards for virtual indestructibility. Juice Bags are available in either a backpack or a day pack, either can hold your laptop, but not charge it up. Yet. It’s in the works. Prices run from $229USD and up.

The Pocket Charger is a folding charger for your gadgets that can fit in your glove box, or bag. Lie back, enjoy the sun, and listen to the music.

See the full line of Reware products on their website. For other sun-squeezing alternatives check out the Solar Backpack by Voltaic Systems.

Thanks again Carly for the fab find!

Filed under Bags, Fashion - Men, Gadgets, Lifestyle Tips, Recycled| Tagged Eco-friendly, Energy Savers, Juice Bag, Recycled, solar powered accessories, Solar powered bag | No Comments

Scent Test: aroma pill by method

05Jun07

Let me be honest: I wanted to love this purple pill. I wanted it to deliver the aromatherapy I sorely needed and that was promised to me by the company. In truth, the new aroma pill by method falls very short of my expectations. Although a delight on the eyes, it’s been an assault on my nose.

Many of you know out there know of my personal love for method cleaning products, which sit proudly on the countertops in my kitchen and baths. I fell hard for their “good looks-meets-good cleaning” approach. So what went wrong this time?

THE UPSIDE
Design: visually flawless (Karim Rashid impresses again). Who thought an air freshener could look sophisticated, elegant, and fun-loving? Bravo.

Green Factor: Biodegradable, non-toxic ingredients, recyclable packaging, and a “no animal testing” policy have made method a favorite company of mine.

THE DOWNSIDE
Function: a promising idea that failed to deliver. You plug it into an outlet and miraculously, the fragrance wafts into the air. It plugged in easily, sorely needed fragrance control. After an hour in the socket my nose was overwhelmed. I plugged it in a second time hoping for different results. The aroma had enough of a “deodorant” smell to be grating. Out it came.

Price: an eye popping $10. Steep for air fresheners, but since method did promise aromatherapy it seemed worth the price. I’m hopeful that perhaps the Eucalyptus + Mint refill might prove me wrong.

Anyone else tried these? If there’s one you recommend I’d love to make the switch.

Filed under Gadgets, Kitchens+Baths, Lifestyle Tips| Tagged Eco-friendly, Non-toxic, Recyclable | No Comments

Sunday's "It" Store: Zanisa

06May07

Zanisa is an online boutique well-stocked with green and gorgeous gifts for him, her, baby–even for your pet. Founder Susan Lawrence launched Zanisa as “a labor of love” and it shows. A beautifully drawn symbol legend helps shoppers understand the degree of “green” characteristics in each product. There’s a broad range of green style gifts to suit economical and extravagant budgets.

Who: Zanisa, a derivative Shona word meaning “to restore harmony and be in balance”
What: Online, one-stop source for high style, socially conscious gifts presented in drop-dead-gorgeous packages.
Best Bets:
Luxurious, handmade, organic soaps and spa kits
Restyled wallets, bags, totes
Organic, fair trade chocolates
Green gifts under $25

Extra: Catch the stories of artists/designers behind the goods in the Profiles section.

Know Before You Go: If you want to search products by green category (i.e. see what is “fair trade” or “recyclable”) you need to rollover the “Show” button to pop up the menu. Zanisa also stocks some “handmade only” items so not everything on the site is considered “green.”

FAB GREEN PICKS

Bottlecap Bracelet by Laura Beamer, $159
Made from recycled Oopp juice bottle caps

Chocolate Wafers, Kathy Moskai, $15
Organic, fair trade chocolate from sustainably grown and harvested beans in the Ecuadoran rainforest. Topped with crushed espresso, pink peppercorns, or chipotle-roasted organic pumpkin seeds. A daring delight!

Filed under Budget Decor, Gadgets, Gifts+Gifting, Gourmet, Lifestyle Tips, Sales+Shopping, Skincare+Beauty| Tagged Eco-friendly, Laura Beamer, Organic, Unique Gifts, Vere Chocolate, zanisa | No Comments

Gift Guide p.2: For Gadget Loving Guys

28Nov06

Here are some green gifting ideas for your favorite urban hipster, technophile, High Fidelity-loving boyfriend, husband, brother or guy pal. Happy hunting.

Movie Billboard Wallets by ModuLab, $19USD, spotted at re:modern
Refashioned from Hollywood’s cast off vinyl billboard posters, these wallets have been a popular eco-style item this year. Chile-based Modulab also makes a wide variety of bags.

The Fab Factor: Supporting recycled style and landfill rescue (pat yourself on the back). One-of-a-kind giving for your special someone.

Headphone Tee by Modern Planet, at elsewares.com
NY-based designer Danielle McGurran is the self-proclaimed “smarty-pants underachiever” behind the Modern Planet collection. Her designs are hand-illustrated sans computers and printed on American Apparel tees.

The Fab Factor: Tees are sweatshop-free (thanks to American Apparel). There’s also the added benefit of supporting an indie designer and domestic manufacturing.

Portable Bamboo Speaker, $129-199 at AudioCubes.com
Japanese genius strikes again. These speakers by Bird Electron use no electricity–not even solar. Say what? I’m too electronically handicapped to explain it, but apparently it optimizes the natural resonance of bamboo to create quality sound. Comes with a stereo-mini plug that can connect to a laptop, computer, iPod.

The Fab Factor: renewable, sustainable bamboo (what CAN’T you make bamboo), energy-efficient, sleek and portable. cutting edge sustainable design.

Dragnet Messenger Bags by FREITAG, on sale $139 at hivemodern
These ingenious bags by Swiss-design duo Daniel & Markus Freitag are made from used truck tarpaulins from European freight trucks. The tarps are virtually indestructible and colored with various logos and images that are cut down to create Freitag’s bold looks. No two bags are alike. You can also shop online or at Freitag.com for thousands of bag styles and wallets. Or design-your-own using Freitag’s handy Bag Cutter design tool.

The Fab Factor: Freitag not only uses recycled materials in their products, but to build their retail store as well. Their Zurich flagship stort was designed using 17 recycled freight containers. Shipping container architecture and interior design isn’t necessarily new (think the Nomadic Museum by Shigeru Ban and the Pallotta TeamWorks Headquarters by Clive Wilkinson Architects) but it does perfectly reflect the spirit of Freitag. Read what the NY Times had to say about the brothers, the brand and the store.

ixi collapsible bike by ixi $799-999 new, or $599 for factory seconds
Foldable, collapsible bikes are ideal for apartment dwellers who are short on space, but light on their feet. The ixi is an FG standout for its smart design AND stunning looks. My husband and I have been drueling over these for months (I almost bought a used one on ebay). But owning a second bike seems excessive so for now I’ve committed to using my mountain bike to get around town. If the ixi price tag seems too steep, there are other optionc. Check out this article by San Francisco Chronicle that covers various bikes with their owners, along with a list of other manufacturers.

The Fab Factor: A lightweight, portable bike like this makes it easier and enjoyable to leave that car behind. Indirectly helps the planet through use of smart, efficient design.

Filed under Bags, Fashion - Men, Gadgets, Gifts+Gifting, Lifestyle Tips| Tagged Eco-friendly, Organic, Sweatshop-free | 2 Comments

Gifting Ideas: for the Modern Home

22Nov06

Welcome to the first in a series of five fabgreen gift guides for the holidays! These gift ideas are made with love for design and the planet which makes the act of giving truly special. Enjoy! And if you’ve got a great gift idea you want to share I’d love to hear from you.

Today’s Fab Five: Gifts for the folks who love their digs at home or the office. Modern, minimalist, eco-friendly style.

Art Clock by Andrzej Bialuski, $35USD
Bialuski is an independent designer and photographer based in Brooklyn who makes these felt clocks by hand (which means they’re happily biodegradable). The art clock arrives in its own gift box and is powered by one AA battery (for more green power, you can always opt for the rechargable kind). Great way to style up someone’s office or home. Five colors are available . Spotted at elsewares. Gift tip: think twice if your recipient is Chinese. Why? Some of us believe that giving a clock to someone means “your time is up.” My relatives do anyway.

Splash Umbrella Stand by Yasuhiro Asano, $75USD
Can Japanese design get any sleeker? These punchy umbrella stands will definitely make a splash at home or the office. Made of sustainable rubber and available in a bunch o’ colors. Love how diminuitive it is, and if you live in rain-deprived California like I do you can always use it as a vase. Or a pencil holder. Although for $75 you hopefully have some seriously fine pencils. Spotted at generate.

Hanging Vines Table Linens by Lotta Jansdotter, $34USD
I spotted these on sale at Vivaterra. I first fell in love with Lotta’s work five years ago at the National Stationery Show in New York and have been a fan since. Her Hanging Vines is one of her bestselling prints. Handprinted on undyed, natural linen.

Stone Cairns + Vases, $49-55USD for a pair
Another great gift item on sale at Vivaterra. A serene, minimalist accessory for a desk, window sill or tabletop. Cairns-shaped rock traditionally evoke safety, hope and friendship. The stone vases help bring a touch of the outdoors inside when filled with sprigs or buds from your back yard.

Two-Tone Tray by Molly Kinney, $35USD
These handmade bamboo trays are sleek, serene and sustainable. Found at Zanisa.

Filed under Gadgets, Gifts+Gifting, Interior Design, Office Style, Small Space Style| Tagged Eco-friendly, Tabletop | No Comments

Fab Finds at Hi+Lo Modern

01Nov06

Oops. I had saved this entry for Halloween (an homage to orange is the best that I can do) so it’s being served a tad bit late. I found these pumpkin-colored beauties at Hi+Lo Modern, an excellent vintage boutique for modern wares. Many fab finds to be had if you particularly like Scandinavian style pieces.

Mod Tile Panel, Signed by Espinoza
Four beautiful decorative tile pieces square-mounted on wood with hanger. Orange, cream, brown and black, a combination of matte and gloss finishes.

Mid-early 70’s Mod Wesclox Ballmatic Alarm Clock

They just don’t make manual wind clocks anymore, but after hearing about the draining effects of sleeping in bedrooms with too much electricity, I’m thinking of going this way myself. How fun are these? Vintage and apparently unused. Available in orange or hot pink, $80

The Fab Factor: Vintage modern pieces that bring character to your home rather than the landfill.

For more beautiful vintage collectibles, ceramics, fabrics, and tableware visit hi+lo modern.

Filed under Art+Graphics, Furnishings, Furniture, Gadgets, Interior Design, Refashion+Refurb, Vintage| Tagged Eco-friendly, Tile+Stone | No Comments

Greening Your Beloved Nano

23Oct06

There’s been much Sturm und Drang (thanks Tim Gunn) over Greenpeace’s campaign to “green” Apple’s iproducts. As a loyal Apple customer since 1986 (yes, that’s right folks! I was happily inculcated as a high school junior with that first SE-30–remember those little things?), so I was disheartened to hear alleged reports that they haven’t committed to removing toxic PVCs (aka “Pretty Vile Chemicals”) from their otherwise impeccably designed computers and gadgets.

That said, many of us cherish our iPods, iShuffles, and those sleek and sexy Nanos. At least you can wrap your Nano in something green…

…or ruby, orange or aqua…

The Fab Factor: These Jimi Cases designed by Californian Mike O’Neill are made from 100% recycled plastics and are fully recyclable when you’ve moved on to the next “it” gadget. They are made in the USA (Pittsfield, MA to be exact). Plus Mike O’Neill is also a member of 1% for the Planet.

Available at Zanisa and Branch Home. Maybe Apple will take its cue from the accessory companies who love them.

Note: Want to see “green” Apples? Feel free to join Greenpeace’s tough love campaign to encourage Apple to make their products lean and green.

Filed under Gadgets, Gifts+Gifting, Recycled, Refashion+Refurb| Tagged Eco-friendly, iPod accessories, Non-toxic, Recyclable, Recycled | No Comments

How to Keep It Cool: SIGG

12Sep06

The hiker and Starbucks addict in me adores these Sigg bottles: they’re non-plastic (no funky aftertaste or leaching) and good looking to boot. True to Swiss-quality engineering, bottle top styles are interchangeable so you can change your Sigg to suit your needs–from camping in the woods or bringing coffee to the office. The dizzying array of retro-modern designs inspires a little fun for today’s on-the-go lifestyle. True marriage of form and function.

The Fab Factor: 1) According to the company, it’s the only water bottle on the market with an inner coating resistant to fruit acids and isotonic drinks. Non-toxic. 2) Made from lightweight aluminum Sigg bottles are pre-cleaned with eco-friendly cleansers, and designed using solvent-free paints. 3) Simply gorgeous.

Visit Sigg for stores. Available internationally.

Filed under Gadgets, Lifestyle Tips| Tagged Eco-friendly, Recyclable | No Comments

Retro Phones Redux

25Aug06

How gorgeous are these Sixties Style telephones? These retro originals that have been restored by hand. All the parts you can see are vintage, but with a state-of-the-art microphone, wiring and cord, they work like they’re brand new and plug into a modern day jack. Available in limited supply for $160 at Uncommon Goods.

The original Vintage 20s Phone has also been completely restored by hand, fully tested and ready to plug into a modern phone jack. The wiring, microphone and cord are all state of the art to ensure a crystal clear sound, and the phone is apparently complete with a classic clicking sound in place of a modern ring. Available in limited supply for $700 each at Uncommon Goods.

Filed under Gadgets, Refashion+Refurb, Unique, Vintage| Tagged Eco-friendly, retro phone, vintage telephones | 3 Comments

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