And it is comfy!

The heavily touted Minimus features the same sock-like liner made to endure bare feet as the NewSky, but this lighter shoe is not a runner (unlike most of New Balance’s specialties, folks).

The NewSky shoes are specifically meant for normal everyday walking and living with barefoot goodness and it only weighs upwards of 4 ounces and change, as its crafted using 73 percent less material than the average New Balance running shoe.

And damn they look sexy in both the men’s and women’s models (just do not buy them if you’re afraid of gray, because that’s New Balance’s thing and the spectrum of colors are nearly all based on that).

The hipsters and minimalists will adore these extremely comfortable and supportive shoes that feature a 4mm drop from heel to toe with the foam sole, just like the minimus, and eye-jarring laces that contrast aptly with the sleek gray exterior made from 95 percent post-consumer recycled PET (plastic) bottles that feels like velvet.

New Balance actually intends these bad boys and girls to be worn as recovery shoes, so that you would come home from a gnarly run and slip into these snazzy NewSky shoes to travel the less strenuous day-to-day walking.

The bottoms even resemble a similar nub-happy design to the minumus, which brings to mind the acorn-stepping commercial and some of the best New balance comfort that I’ve enjoyed over the years (running, hiking, and walking). The only gripe that I have is the current ninety dollar price tag, so I would suggest getting NewSky at the outlets.

Rossiter is no stranger to biological robots, in fact he has created robots (EcoBots) that contain a microbial fuel cell that mimics actual digestion and can process things like fruit instead of running off things like fossil fuels or batteries. On top of that, the cells also mimic respiration where oxygen is provided to an electrochemical half-cell to create useful energy.

Since the bots don’t require any recharge, they are completely autonomous and will stop working once the work is completed (or if/when food supplies run out).

With $350,000 worth of funding from Leverhulme Trust, Rossiter and partner Ioannis Ieropoulos from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory plan on making these bots even more suitable for the “release and forget situations” by making them biodegradable. This element allows for these bots to be used perfectly for things like environmental cleanup as they will work until the job is completed then “die” and biodegrade into harmless material.

In addition, companies that employ these bots will, in the long run, end up saving a lot of money since there will be no need to track, reclaim, and dismantle them.

At the moment, there’s no real word on what materials these robots are made of and while there have been trial tests on the microbial fuel cell, the technology is still in its infancy. Still, with all the potential applications of these biodegradable robots, it wouldn’t be surprising to see environmentally minded scientists pursue this course of study.

Most recently, the CFL (the ones that looks like curly pig tails) has been the most accessible replacement but, despite its energy savings, CFL’s require proper disposal because the bulbs contain mercury. Should the bulb be thrown out normally, the bulb could break and the mercury could leak into the ground and eventually make its way to the water supply. This is NOT the future.

In 2011, The Department of Energy announced that the Phillips LED bulb won the L Prize competition (Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize). On Earth day it will be available in various stores in New York City while supplies last, though the bulbs will be sold online nationwide.

The 60W bulb actually only uses 10 watts of energy and and has the same color quality as a standard incandescent. The bulb itself is touted to have a lifespan of 25 years, which would offset the initial cost of $49.97 and on top of that, the bulb would give back an energy savings of $6/year.

Plus you get to have a really cool lightbulb. Everyone has cool sneakers, computer or whatever, but how many people can say that they’ve got an awesome looking lightbulb?

Despite the positive response to the light, Phillips hasn’t sold nearly enough to be able to redeem the $10 million prize and most likely won’t be able to unless they drop prices, though they are working with several utility companies to offer $20-30 rebates on the bulbs.

There’s certainly a way to go when it comes to lighting and $50 is a pretty hefty price tag for a single lightbulb. Still, as technology advances and other companies begin to create more energy efficient bulbs, it shouldn’t be too long until the price tag drops to more affordable prices.

Want to go to the Amazon rain forest and sketch the myriad nuances that such a unique and beautiful environment can provide?

Bring along a book that can withstand the rain, being dropped in puddles, or taken into the pool, accidentally, for a swim.

Rite in the Rain notebooks come in all different shapes, sizes, and page patterns (from blank to lined to grid).

Jerry Darling’s earliest version of Rite in the Rain paper was crafted to survive the rigorous tests imposed by the Pacific Northwest logging industry in the 1920’s. Over ninety years later, the all weather notepads coming out of Rite in the Rain are still made in the good ole USA.

These bad boys and girls go for anywhere from $3.95 up to $19.95, depending on the size and type of notepad, though there are twelve-packs and even loose-leaf packages to help the consumer save a bundle.

And Rite in the Rain is very green (in reality the pages are white, actually).

The paper is certified Archival Paper that will survive hundreds of years. Rite in the Rain uses a unique “Polydura” cover and reference card substrate [that] contains post-consumer recycled materials and is recyclable. The process involved in the manufacture of Rite in the Rain paper was designed to have ultra-low impact on the environment. The water based coating process emits only steam and all mill off-cuts are recycled back into the paper-manufacturing stream. All printing plates and processing liquids are recycled. 100% of printing inks are soy based. The modern facility and equipment are designed to be energy efficient

So how do they do it?

Rite in the Rain utilizes a patented substrate created for use in outdoor writing situations, and the notebooks use a “paper impregnation” process (which is less risque then it sounds) to force a mixture of water-based protectants into the paper while it’s still in giant rolls. The recyclable paper remains soft, but doesn’t tear, even when wet.

For anyone that likes to hike and bike, study animals, precocious plants, or people (for that matter) in their natural habitat and write (and I am one of these, folks), the Rite in the Rain notebooks and pads are a must-have.

The buscycle works pretty much like a tandem, and allows for 8 children aged 4-12 to pedal, one adult buscycle driver, and room for 3 freeloaders. It’s got some nice guards on the sides for added protection, especially for the younger children and comes in, of course, school bus yellow.

While the power of 9 people pedaling furiously can overcome most obstacles, there is a small built-in engine that can be turned on to help out for those especially difficult hills. On top of that, the bus features a built-in sound system and an awning to protect the passengers on those rainy days. The bus is currently being used to transport children from their schools to after school care.

The ingenious buscycle is built by Tolkamp Metaalspecials and sold by De Cafe Racer. While there are currently only 25 that are in use, Tolkamp hopes to export more to other countries. Currently, the going price for one of these contraptions is around $15,000. While this means of transport might not be the most sensible in every country around the world, it certainly is an environmentally friendly way to get children outside and exercising!

Tolkamp isn’t the only one who has come up with this idea. There are several other varieties out there for people to peruse. There’s the actual Buscycle, a 15-person pedal-powered bus. Unlike the Dutch counterpart, this vehicle has the people facing outwards and does not have a just-in-case engine.

Another pedal-powered bus is the Human Powered (HP) Bus, designed and created in the Netherlands. This bus is even larger and fits 32 people and, of course, a driver.

While there are other people who have similar ideas, Tolkamp was able to produce these pedal-powered vehicles for consumers. Although they have only sold 25 to date, it is far and above the most popular vehicle of its kind… aside from an actual bike of course.

There isn’t a lot of detailed information showing us exactly how these mats work, but the gist is, each time a person steps on a rubber mat, energy is captured, a light glows on, and users get immediate feedback showing they are part of the renewable energy process.

The excess energy is stored in a lithium polymer battery or used for off-grid applications like lampposts and advertising. Each step, produces around 2.1 watts-hour of electricity. Not much, but in areas with high foot traffic like shopping malls, subways, busy streets, or airports,  it could be enough to provide electricity for the entire building.

The tiles are incredibly eco-friendly with the casing made out of marine grade stainless steel and recycled polymer. The top portion of the tile is made out of 100 percent recycled tires and is touted by Pavegen to be extremely weather-resistant.

PaveGen has already installed its tiles back in 2010 at a school of 1,100 students and reported great results. More recently, PaveGen (in conjunction with Nike) has installed their tiles at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. They are also scheduled to install these tiles at the 2012 Olympics site in London.

The camping trip always looms large as a battery-sucking deterrent. I’ve personally had friends running parked cars for hours just to keep their phones alive and stay on the connected Facebook grid.

A responsible human being will no doubt already have jumped on board with eco-friendly products and companies, like Apple – which went from being notoriously bad to one of the greenest and conscientious producers of electronics in the twenty-first century, and all of their batteries last a heck of a lot longer than anyone’s.

What else can the consumer do to enjoy the perks of reading the next Neil Gaiman page-turner on their Nook tablet, no matter the circumstance and lack of a wall outlet?

Buy a Solar Charger kit from Changers.com, and change your luck!

It is true that the price tag – just shy of a hundred and fifty bones – is steep, but Changers makes it well worth your money.

Their starter kit includes everything one needs to revel in the power of the sun and keep the smartphone, iPod, tablet, and laptop alive. The Kindle-look-alike solar panel (complete with suction cups for window hanging), portable solar battery, and USB (and micro-USB) connection complete with eight adapters to fit thousands of devices are all in the Starter Kit.

The software that accompanies the solar charger even measures how much carbon is saved with each charging attempt. While the online marketplace lets your chart your savings, share your stats, and compete against your friends.

Reports suggest that at least a few hours are needed to really power up a smartphone, but the sky – even when cloudy – offers us the sun for many hours throughout each day.

Save electricity and save the environment and save the dying batteries of all things gadgetry!

The sculptures bring together tossed items that most of us might not glance at twice and creates something entirely new and entertaining. While much of Gould’s sculptures don’t move, there are some that incorporate the use of motors to create a very cool diorama.

It’s interesting to see the combination of technology and art together in such a seamless way that they are one and the same. While simpler than many of the steampunk laptops, Gould’s work looks as though it could really belong in a steam-themed Victorian era.

One of my favorite examples of techno-art is his Firefly sculpture. The mashup of piano parts, violin neck, flicker bulb, furniture parts, an old radio, brass, gears, motor, lamp hardware and knobs really give this a distinctive look that still hearkens back to an actual firefly, while the clever use of motors and gears make this little animatronic creation even more whimsical.

While still on the low-tech side, these pieces of art just go to show how you can take the mundane (or even trash) and transform them into something larger than the sum of its parts.

The SolarKindle cover takes the already paperless green nature of the Kindle to the next level by providing up to 3 months of unplugged use with just a “normal sunlight environment.”

Charging times do vary depending on the weather but, the guys at SolarFocus say one hour of charge time in direct sunlight can provide almost three days of reading time.

After charging the on-board e-reader, the SolarKindle automatically switches over to charge a built-in 1500 mA battery used to power the swing out LED reading light and provide extra power for the Kindle.

At $79, it does seem strange to spend as much money protecting an item as the item is worth itself but, with other leather lighted Kindle covers coming in at around $50, the extra $29 seems like a small price to pay for infinite uptime and one less cord dependency.

Whether you need a cover for that new Christmas Kindle or want an upgrade to show up your eco-conscious-know-it-all-book-loving friends, the SolarKindle will be in stores later next week.

The company Sunn has created an easy to build and use solar powered car, perfect for small country roads and drives around campgrounds. While the “car” appears more like a cart than anything else, it certainly works and is pretty cheap considering all those solar photovoltaic cells. All in all, the cost of the kit comes to about $6,500 (batteries not included… seriously).

The little car can travel up to 25mph with a range of 3 miles on the solar panels alone and up to 30 miles with a set of batteries. 25 mph is not very fast nor is 3 miles very far, most people can bike faster than 25 mph and travel distances much further than 3 miles so, what’s the point? Well, with most solar-powered cars, the batteries are the trick here. Traveling up to 30 miles is pretty good, even if you’re going rather slow, it makes for a nice scenic ride along some country roads and could be used by eco-conscious rangers to cart around a national park.

Of course there are other solar cars out there, but many of these have been created to decrease drag and weight as much as possible in order to reach speeds of 42 miles/hour. These too still use a battery, but for everyday use, they are not nearly as comfortable looking as this little car.

While there currently isn’t any way yet to run cars completely from solar photovoltaic cells, technology is slowly progressing forward and more and more companies are focusing on hybrid cars and creating solar charging stations for the onboard batteries. Will there ever be solar powered cars that do not require batteries? Probably not likely in the near future.