retroremakes
December 22nd, 2009, 15:50
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/500x_treenewnwewe.jpg (http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/12/treenewnwewe.jpg)This week, the best concept gadgets of 2009, robots will take over our water pipes, badass Chariot Skates turns you into a Wheeler, and could Facebook ditch 75% of its servers by switching to C++?
Facebook Could Eliminate 75% of Its Servers by Changing Their Programming Code (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/facebook-could-eliminate-75-of-its-servers-by-changing-their-code.php)
Or at least that's the argument of one programmer, who writes that by switching from PHP to C++, Facebook could move from 30,000 servers down to just 7,500 servers. But as you can guess, this statement doesn't go without debate.
Robots Could Repair Nation's Water Mains, Save $245 Billion (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/robots-could-repair-nations-water-mains-save-245-billion.php)
By deploying robots, the US could both boost its water conservation efforts as well as minimize the expense of maintaining and upgrading mains systems. Plus save taxpayers billions. Plus it'd just be cool to have robots patrolling our water pipes.
Chariot Skates Let You Skate, er Cycle, er Ski...Well, Get Around Town Fast (Video) (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/chariot-skates-let-you-skate-er-cycle-er-ski-well-get-around-town-faster.php)
If you ever wanted to skate anywhere and everywhere - or be one of the freakyWheelers characters from Return to Oz for a Halloween costume - you'll have a chance with the Chariot Skates.
Avatar: Big Movie with Big Environmental Themes (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/avatar-cameron-environmental-green-themes-reviews-making-of.php)
It's pretty obvious that James Cameron's Avatar movie has an important green theme. Check out what it is, and Check out a video of the 'making of' of Avatar at Discovery.com.
Best Green Tech Concept Gadgets of 2009 (Slideshow) (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/best-green-tech-concept-gadgets-of-2009-slideshow.php)
Fascinating and fun ideas that just might become a real part of our future, from bendable cell phones, to gorgeous solar chargers, to incredible furniture that eats bugs to use as a source of electricity.
Unbelievably Cute Wind-Up Computer Mouse Uses Renewable Power (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/unbelievably-cute-wind-up-computer-mouse-uses-renewable-power.php)
Here's a design for a mouse that would use power generated from a wind-up key. It looks like one of the very old-fashioned toy with a very modern spin.
Flatpack 3D Printed LED Lamp By Dror Benshetrit (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/flatpack-3d-printed-led-lamp.php)
We certainly never tire of showing the wonders that designers are creating with 3D printing; it has gone far beyond simply printing, and into the realm of things that could not possibly be made any other way. A great example comes from Dror Benshetrit, a designer that we also never tire of. It is a lamp that folds completely flat; you just pick it up and unfurl it. Check out a video of it popping open.
LED Lamp Sticks to Windows for Solar Charging (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/led-lamp-sticks-to-windows-for-solar-charging.php)
It's not the first idea for a window-sticking-solar-style light we've seen, but it's a bit more realistic - and definitely would be a cool addition to a geek's windows.
Interactive Tool Shows Shocking Global Energy Consumption Growth Between 1980 and 2007 (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/global-energy-consumption-growth-co2-renewables-data.php)
Using a slider, you can see the growth of global energy consumption split by region (North-America, Asia, Europe, Middle-East, etc), the growth of renewable energy production (compare the size of the circles... we're a long way off, sadly), the growth of CO2 emissions, and also the human population. Some of the changes are shocking.
300 Million-Year-Old Limestone Houses Ultra Efficient Data Center 22 Stories Underground (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/ultra-efficient-data-center-housed-22-stories-underground-in-limestone-cave.php)
In western Pennsylvania, a data center is using the benefits of a very cool location. It's Iron Mountain's man-made caverns in an old limestone mine, and in room 48, an experiment in data center efficiency design and the use of geothermal environmental conditions for extra efficiency is taking place. In other words, researchers are trying to find out if putting data centers deep underground will be an ideal place for them.
TreeHugger's EcoModo column (http://gizmodo.com/tag/ecomodo/) appears every Tuesday on Gizmodo.
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Facebook Could Eliminate 75% of Its Servers by Changing Their Programming Code (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/facebook-could-eliminate-75-of-its-servers-by-changing-their-code.php)
Or at least that's the argument of one programmer, who writes that by switching from PHP to C++, Facebook could move from 30,000 servers down to just 7,500 servers. But as you can guess, this statement doesn't go without debate.
Robots Could Repair Nation's Water Mains, Save $245 Billion (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/robots-could-repair-nations-water-mains-save-245-billion.php)
By deploying robots, the US could both boost its water conservation efforts as well as minimize the expense of maintaining and upgrading mains systems. Plus save taxpayers billions. Plus it'd just be cool to have robots patrolling our water pipes.
Chariot Skates Let You Skate, er Cycle, er Ski...Well, Get Around Town Fast (Video) (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/chariot-skates-let-you-skate-er-cycle-er-ski-well-get-around-town-faster.php)
If you ever wanted to skate anywhere and everywhere - or be one of the freakyWheelers characters from Return to Oz for a Halloween costume - you'll have a chance with the Chariot Skates.
Avatar: Big Movie with Big Environmental Themes (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/avatar-cameron-environmental-green-themes-reviews-making-of.php)
It's pretty obvious that James Cameron's Avatar movie has an important green theme. Check out what it is, and Check out a video of the 'making of' of Avatar at Discovery.com.
Best Green Tech Concept Gadgets of 2009 (Slideshow) (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/best-green-tech-concept-gadgets-of-2009-slideshow.php)
Fascinating and fun ideas that just might become a real part of our future, from bendable cell phones, to gorgeous solar chargers, to incredible furniture that eats bugs to use as a source of electricity.
Unbelievably Cute Wind-Up Computer Mouse Uses Renewable Power (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/unbelievably-cute-wind-up-computer-mouse-uses-renewable-power.php)
Here's a design for a mouse that would use power generated from a wind-up key. It looks like one of the very old-fashioned toy with a very modern spin.
Flatpack 3D Printed LED Lamp By Dror Benshetrit (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/flatpack-3d-printed-led-lamp.php)
We certainly never tire of showing the wonders that designers are creating with 3D printing; it has gone far beyond simply printing, and into the realm of things that could not possibly be made any other way. A great example comes from Dror Benshetrit, a designer that we also never tire of. It is a lamp that folds completely flat; you just pick it up and unfurl it. Check out a video of it popping open.
LED Lamp Sticks to Windows for Solar Charging (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/led-lamp-sticks-to-windows-for-solar-charging.php)
It's not the first idea for a window-sticking-solar-style light we've seen, but it's a bit more realistic - and definitely would be a cool addition to a geek's windows.
Interactive Tool Shows Shocking Global Energy Consumption Growth Between 1980 and 2007 (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/global-energy-consumption-growth-co2-renewables-data.php)
Using a slider, you can see the growth of global energy consumption split by region (North-America, Asia, Europe, Middle-East, etc), the growth of renewable energy production (compare the size of the circles... we're a long way off, sadly), the growth of CO2 emissions, and also the human population. Some of the changes are shocking.
300 Million-Year-Old Limestone Houses Ultra Efficient Data Center 22 Stories Underground (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/ultra-efficient-data-center-housed-22-stories-underground-in-limestone-cave.php)
In western Pennsylvania, a data center is using the benefits of a very cool location. It's Iron Mountain's man-made caverns in an old limestone mine, and in room 48, an experiment in data center efficiency design and the use of geothermal environmental conditions for extra efficiency is taking place. In other words, researchers are trying to find out if putting data centers deep underground will be an ideal place for them.
TreeHugger's EcoModo column (http://gizmodo.com/tag/ecomodo/) appears every Tuesday on Gizmodo.
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