At Inhabita, the Week in Green is a new item. Inhabitat geared up for the Greener Gadgets Conference this week as it shows some of the most exciting gizmo s from this year’s design competition. First I looked at the IllumiCharger, a handy wall-mounted solar charger that one-ups your standard outlets with two usb ports. Then I looked at the Fair Energy Clock, a fool-proof adapter that vanquishes vampire power by staking out times to pull the plug.
The week was also big for solar power because technological advances produced photovoltaic cells that are smaller, more versatile and more efficient in their applications. IBM launched a new breed of thin-film cells which are 40% more efficient than previous prototypes, while the University of Michigan announced the world’s smallest solar-powered sensor, which measure a scant 9 cubic millimeters.
Finally, I was flat-out by Porsche’s latest supercar- a 911 hybrid that will be taking on the competition this May at the 24 hour Nürburgring race. The vehicle is based on the tried-and-true 911 platform but features some race-ready tricks under the hood: a kinetic energy recovery system and front wheel hybrid drive that stores braking energy in a flywheel that delivers a 160hp boost of speed with the press of a button.
I hope you had also liked the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news.
