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The Best Electric Scooters Of 2012

Bravo EVT 168 Electric Moped Scooter

You may have been looking for our review of electric bikes. e-Zip E750 Electric Scooter by Currie Technologies This electric scooter, the e-Zip 750, is currently the top-rated electric scooter on Amazon, with an average 4.5 out of 5 stars from 69+ reviewers. It has a 12-mile range (depending on rider weight) and top speed of… [Continue Reading]

Aptera Test Drive A Success!

It’s the Aptera — a futuristic car that has generated a lot of buzz lately — and with good reason — the Aperta is a very, very efficient vehicle (just check out the video: you’ll see what I’m talking about). The car’s head-turning design has a purpose: the shape is highly aerodynamic (much like a… [Continue Reading]

Skyscraper Creates All Its Own Energy

This skyscraper, to be built in Dubai, is called the Burj al-Taqa (‘Energy Tower’), and it will produce 100% of its own power. The tower will have a huge (197 foot diameter) wind turbine on its roof, and arrays of solar cells that will total 161,459 square feet in size. Additional energy is provided by… [Continue Reading]

The Best Rice Cookers

panasonic-sr-g06fg-rice-cookersteamer

I recommend a fuzzy logic rice cooker if you eat rice every day, basically making your cooker an always-on device. Your rice will take about twice as long to cook as it does in on-off rice cookers — but if rice is part of your daily routine, that will never be a concern. In a… [Continue Reading]

Do Rechargeable Lithium-Ion AA Batteries Exist?

sanyo-eneloop-batteries-colors-row-495

Do rechargeable lithium-ion batteries exist in standard sizes like AA, AAA, C or D? They do, but they don’t operate at 1.2-1.5 Volts. According to Isidor Buchmann, author of Batteries in a Portable World: A Handbook on Rechargeable Batteries for Non-Engineers, this is due to safety concerns — people might try to charge them in chargers made… [Continue Reading]

Electric Cars Making A Comeback In 2011

Better Place

2011 is being heralded by auto industry insiders as the “year of the electric car”. Though we here at Metaefficient endorse a life free of dependency upon cars, 100% electric vehicles are certainly more fuel efficient than internal combustion vehicles and may be on their way to becoming user-friendly as well. For 2011 consumers interested… [Continue Reading]

The Greenest Cell Phones of 2008

Sony Ericsson T650i Cell Phone

Most cell phones don’t even come close to being green — their chargers are energy inefficient, they contain hazardous chemicals, and they not are designed for upgrading or easy recycling. Recently though, some the big players in the field like Nokia and Sony Ericsson are making moves towards green design. As far as assessing which… [Continue Reading]

Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Packs: 2008

A lithium-ion battery manufacturer, A123Systems, will begin marketing a kit in 2008 that will convert a regular hybrid car into a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, as known as a PHEV. Currently priced at $10,000 (with a $3,500 tax credit), these modules are still expensive for the average car owner. For example, a commuter driving 11,000… [Continue Reading]

Solar Water Heaters Now Mandatory In Hawaii

Solar Water Heater On Rooftop

Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. The bill was signed into law by Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican. It requires the energy-saving systems in homes starting in 2010. It prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Hawaii relies on imported… [Continue Reading]

The World’s First Flushable Diapers: gDiapers

gDiapers are innovative diapers invented by a husband and wife team from Australia. They are being billed as the first flushable diapers, and will soon be available in the U.S. The system consists of an outer shell (similar to a diaper wrap), an absorbent flushable insert, and a nylon snap-in liner. The whole ensemble comes… [Continue Reading]