Here’s an interesting take on sustainable furniture. It’s called the “Expose LED bed” and it’s made up of a bed-frame, 2 bedsides, and 2 wall lights. What makes this furniture suite sustainable are the construction materials used. The furniture itself is constructed out of rotting teak planks which is then filled with energy-efficient LED lighting and clear epoxy material resulting in a funky lighting effect. Sure – the bed isn’t exactly for everyone out there but you gotta admit – it’s pretty “green”.

[Check it out via Born Rich]

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The Sony Ericsson MW600 is a new Hi-Fi Bluetooth Wireless Headset with a built-in FM radio tuner. Features of the MW600 includes:

• Built-in microphone, call answer key, 3.5mm jack to swap headphones
• Compatible with all Sony Ericsson mobile phones and Bluetooth enabled handsets from other
• Connect to two wireless devices simultaneously
• Mirrored OLED display
• 10 meter Bluetooth range
• Bluetooth A2DP profile support
• 3.5 mm plug
• 2 hour charging time with 170 mAh battery
• 8.5 hour battery life for streaming

[Check it out]

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Although USB 3.0 is technically still in its infancy, this hasn’t stopped Super Talent Technology from announcing a new USB 3.0 compatible portable drive called the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAIDDrive. With support for transfer speeds up to 10x faster than USB 2.0 drives, the new RAIDDRIVE can deliver transfer speeds up to 200 MB/sec with USB 3.0 ports. If you use a separate UAS Protocol driver with a USB 3.0 port, the SuperSpeed drive can reach speeds up to 320MB/second/

SuperTalent’s SuperSpeed drive is available in three storage capacities – 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. The drives measure 95 x 37 x 13.5mm and are fully compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 protocols.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Super Talent Technology, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAIDDrive

Wish Bluetooth headsets didn’t look like they came out of a Star Trek episode? That’s exactly the challenge that Maverick Lifestyle gave to the design firm Speck Design; design them a Bluetooth headset that wasn’t so Star Trek like but more like a piece of jewelry that was comfortable and effortless to use in a car. The end result? The Maverick Nica – the only compact open-air headset currently available on the market.

Features of the Nica include:

• Pure round shape which “enhances the way you look instead of intruding onto your face”
• Open-air acoustics which means there’s no ear insert. A soft inner pad gently rests against your ear for maximum comfort
• Spring loaded ear clip keeps the headset securely attached to your ear
• Comes with a desk dock and car dock which the headset attaches to magnetically. Simply place the Nica on the charging dock and the magnetic system pulls the headset into position
• Noise canceling technology
• 13mm speaker
• Receive calls while the headset is charging
• Rechargeable lithium polymer battery
• Sliding power switch
• 4 hour talk time and 150 hour standby time
• Charge in 1 hour
• Weighs 0.5 oz
• 30 feet operating range
• Bluetooth 1.2 compatible

The Nica headset and dock bundles are available now at select Apple stores and on the Apple website. The nica is available for $119 while the desk dock sells for $19 dollars and the car dock for $39 dollars.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Maverick Lifestyle, Nica Bluetooth Headset, Speck Design

The JVC XV-BP11 is a new entry-level Blu-ray player available immediately for a price of $199.95. Features of the XV-BP11 include:

• BD Profile 1.1
• Playable Discs: BD-Rom, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, Audio CD, CD-R/RW
• Playable Formats: AVCHD, WMV, JPEG, MP3, WMA, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus, Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS HD Master Audio/Essential
• Connections:
  • Video: HDMI V1.3, composite
  • Audio: Analog L/R, coaxial, HDMI V1.3
  • USB Host (front panel)
• Convenience Features: Quick loading, cinema zoom (x16), parental lock, slim design
• 1080/24p Playback
• HDMI with x.v.Color(TM)/Deep Color

Yeah.. no Profile 2.0 support but then again this is an entry level player.

[Check it out]

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Introduced earlier this month for the European market, TomTom announces today the U.S. availability of the TomTom car kit for iPhone which can be purchased either on the TomTom website or at the Apple online store. Just to recap the features, the TomTom car kit for iPhone comes with:

• Secure mount which docks the iPhone in the desired position on the car windshield or dashboard, using a twist-and-lock motion
• Adjustable mount securely rotates iPhone to either portrait or landscape mode
• Easily removed with one twist upon arrival at a destination
• Built-in GPS receiver reduces the chance of signal drop in areas where GPS reception is limited, such as cities with tall buildings or forested areas
• Significantly improved positioning accuracy in all areas
• Built-in speaker for clear voice instructions
• Integrated microphone and speaker allowing hands-free calling
• Charges iPhone while on the go, so it stays fully charged
• Plays your iPhone music through the AUX OUT port over your car stereo

The TomTom car kit for iPhone is available now for $119.95. Keep in mind you’ll still need to buy the TomTom application for the iPhone.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: TomTom, TomTom car kit for iPhone

Solar-powered chargers just got very sexy and very cool thanks to the upcoming ReNu product line from Regen. The product line is basically made up of two parts – the ReNu panel which consists of a solar panel charging a built-in Lithium Ion battery – and an accompanying accessory such as an iPod dock, an iPod sound dock, or a side light.

The ideas pretty straightforward. While you’re out, you leave the ReNu panel in direct sunlight where the Lithium Ion battery gets charged. Once you come back home, simply place the ReNu panel into the appropriate accessory to charge/power the accessory – whether it’s the iPod dock, the Sound Dock, or the side light. Each accessory has a slot where the ReNu panel easily slides into – providing the necessary power to the accessory.

According to Regen, the ReNu takes 9 hours to fully charge battery in direct sunlight outdoors and 20 hours to fully charge battery in direct sunlight indoors. Once fully charged it takes 1.5 hours to charge an iPhone from a ReNu.

Other specs to the panel include:

• Measures 8.85 x 8.85 x 0.748 inches and weighs 1.1 pounds
• 3.7V 4Ah Lithium-Ion battery capable of > 2 iPhone charges when fully charged
• USB A socket (power only)
• Custom connector for connecting to dock and other accessories allows both power and data transfer
• 3.7 hours to generate enough power to fully charge an iPhone in direct sunlight outdoors
• 7.3 hours to generate enough power to fully charge an iPhone in direct sunlight indoors

Prices for the ReNu product line are as follows:

• ReNu panel – $199 with pre-order deposit of $50 dollars
• ReNu panel + iPod dock – $249 with pre-order deposit of $75 dollars
• iPod dock – $89 dollars with pre-order deposit of $25 dollars
• Sound dock – $149 with pre-order deposit of $149 dollars
• Side Light – $89 dollars with pre-order deposit of $25 dollars.

Regen expects the ReNu product line to ship between February and March of 2010.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Regen ReNu solar-powered charger

This funky looking headset is the latest Jabra Bluetooth headset to come from the folks at GN Netcom. Known as the Jabra STONE, the headset employs a unique design which wraps behind the ear and eliminates the near-standard on-ear microphone. The Jabra STONE will be available exclusively at AT&T retail stores starting on November 9th for a price of $129.99.

The STONE also comes with a unique touch-controlled volume pad on the outside of the headset. All you’ll need to do is simply slide your finger up or down to control the volume. The STONE comes with a portable charger which also acts as a compact carrying case that fits into the palm of your hand. Features of the Jabra STONE include:

• Noise Blackout Extreme noise cancelling technology which uses dual microphones to capture sound while filtering background noise only
• Supports Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR & eSCO
• Up to 8 hours talk time and 12 days standby time
• Jabra StatusDisplay makes it easy to check battery level and Bluetooth connectivity
• Connect two Bluetooth devices at the same time with Multiuse capabilities
• Touch volume control, answer/end button, voice dialing, and streams music from A2DP enabled handsets
• Weighs only 0.25 oz
• micro USB and AC chargers

[Check it out]

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We’ve been waiting for Powermat to introduce their wireless charging solution and we’re happy to say the devices are finally available for purchase at locations such as Best Buy and Amazon.com. In fact, if you’ve been watching TV recently, you’ll have probably noticed a commercial here or there for Powermat.

Have you forgotten about Powermat? Well the concept’s pretty straightforward. You purchase one of their charging mats (say the Powermat Home & Office mat for $99.99 dollars) and then a wireless charging accessory which you connect to the portable device at hand. When you’re ready to charge your device simply place the accessory and the mat and you’re good to go. No wires to connect whatsoever (although the mat needs to be connected to the outlet). For devices such as mobile phones, Powermat offers the wireless charging accessory as part of a phone case thereby providing two solutions in one.

PC Magazine is one of the first publications out with a review of the system – giving the Powermat Home  & Office 4 out of 5 stars and saying:

“The Powermat Home & Office does exactly what it claims to do—charges your portable devices wirelessly—but the technology’s future potential in broader applications is what has us really excited.”

The only real downer to the Powermat is the cost factor.  The Powermat itself typically runs you $99.99. Each charging adapter will run you around $29 dollars – $39 dollars making this wireless charging solution a bit pricey.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Powermat Home & Office, Wireless Charging, Powermat, PC Magazine Review

Owners of the TomTom app for the iPhone will be interested to hear the company has announced a new car kit for the iPhone in Europe. The TomTom car kit for the iPhone is designed to provide a safer driving experience with the iPhone as well as increased GPS performance thanks to a built-in GPS receiver. The full feature list includes:

• Secure docking using the EasyPort mount
• Built-in GPS receiver enhances the GPS signal especially in areas where GPS reception is limited
• Built-in speaker and volume control
• Hands-free calling via built-in microphone
• Charges iPhone while driving
• Rotates for optimal viewing
• Line out port to connect to car audio system
• Compatible with iPhone 3G and 3GS

If you’re living in Europe, you can purchase the TomTom car kit for the iPhone at the TomTom website or at the Apple online store for $99,99 euro. The car kit will be available in the U.S. in the near future. Note – the car kit does NOT come with the TomTom app – you’ll still need to purchase the app for the iPhone.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: TomTom, TomTom car kit for iPhone