Monday, June 06, 2011

Inhabitat's Week in Green: hybrid hydrogen hovercraft, amphibious ice cream, and the transparent solar touchscreen laptop of our dreams

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/05/inhabitats-week-in-green-hybrid-hydrogen-hovercraft-amphibiou/

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.


Solar energy supercharged our power grid and gadgets this week as Inhabitat showcased a hot solar laptop set within a transparent case that allows sunlight to shine straight through it. We also saw a team of Japanese engineers' shoot for the moon with plans for a lunar photovoltaic plant, while back on earth Seoul officially launched the world's first solar-powered floating island. Scientists also used sunlight to create the perfect cup of joe with the Helios 4 solar coffee roaster, and now that the weather is finally heating up we couldn't help but share this sexy solar bikini -- which just hit the market!

In other news, green transportation set sail this week as Volkswagen unveiled a hybrid hydrogen-electric hovercraft and the world's first amphibious ice cream truck cast anchor in the Thames. Meanwhile, a new mini electric Humvee was spotted just a few streets away in London, students at the University of Adelaide unveiled a crazy electric di-wheel car, and a group of scientists unveiled plans to harvest Helium-3 from Uranus to help propel interstellar travel. Enerkam also took a big step towards transforming municipal waste into fuel by securing a $60 million investment, and we took you for a ride on 14 of the world's most amazing subways.

Last but not least, this week we officially unveiled 40 stunning finalists in our Bright Ideas Lighting Design Competition - from a gorgeous geometric chandelier made from cut and folded Tetra Paks to a living LED light that doubles as a terrarium and a brilliant lamp made from a broken blender. We were also shocked to hear the World Health Organization declare that cell phones may cause cancer, so we rounded up 5 ways to protect yourself from cellphone radiation. Finally, we showcased a steampunk R2-D2 made from recycled materials, and if you're stepping up your exercise routine to hit the beach this summer you won't want to miss the S770 Pinnacle Trainer -- an energy-generating exercise machine that produces watts while you work out!

Inhabitat's Week in Green: hybrid hydrogen hovercraft, amphibious ice cream, and the transparent solar touchscreen laptop of our dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.!

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