The Zen Zone

Creating an atmosphere that preserves and generates energy is one benefit of living in a modern an innovative world!

Finding ways to prevent exhausting the resources we rely on, means a reserve of energy for more creative and productive endeavors. So how do we go about designing the ultimate eco-living space and our own personal zen zone?

Here is a list of innovative equipment sure to minimize wasted energy around the home or in the office:

The following devices will help ‘Home Theatre Fan’s’ who want to minimize their electrical bill without sacrificing their entertainment experience.

Video Eyewear or Virtual Reality Visors are a great alternative to flat-screen plasma TVs providing the same quality experience for watching movies, playing video games or surfing the Web.

Vuzix Corp.’s latest entry in the video eyewear market is its iWear AV310 Widescreen, which fits over the wearer’s eyes like a virtual reality visor should and replicates the effect of watching a 52-inch (130-centimeter) screen. The visor connects to PCs, portable media players, gaming consoles, cell phones and laptops. Vuzix offers five different visors that range in price between $200 and $400.

Or consider Headplay Canada Inc.’s visor is designed to let the wearer surf the Web, play video games or watch movies through a video console that fits over the head like a tennis visor. The price tag for Headplay’s device, which connects to XBOX, PlayStation and Wii gaming systems as well as PCs, DVD players, satellite TV systems and iPods: around $500.

If you still prefer the old fashioned picture theatre atmosphere of a projector then perhaps it’s time to downsize and invest in a mini digital projector otherwise known as a “pico” projector.

Mini digital projectors the size of an iPhone are sprouting up to provide “big-screen” viewing of movies, videos and other visuals stored on iPods, PCs, gaming systems and other devices.
Microvision SHOW–Microvision expects its mini projector will be available for iPods and PCs by mid-2009. The company plans to deliver a version of SHOW that can also project content from mobile phones. The company estimates the device will cost at least $300 on the low end.

For the Book Buff’s conscious about cutting down trees to fill up their library, it’s time to swop over from paperbacks to digital devices. Not only will it give you peace of mind about your role in conservation but clearing your living or work space will help keep you focused and unencumbered by clutter. Still relatively pricey recent models are more efficient and offer a versatile storage and access unit for newspapers, journals, books and word documents.

Here are a few options:

The DIY Kyoto Wattson which is a portable wireless unit that allows instant reading of electricity use anywhere in the home. The accompanying sensor clip attaches to either of the main electricity cables leading from the meter box to the fuse box, and is plugged into a transmitter that sends information to the wireless unit. The LED digital display shows how much electricity is being used in watts. A blue glow means your home is using less energy than average, a purple glow indicates average energy usage, and a red glow means you’re an energy hog. Wattson itself uses up to four watts of energy. Price tag: about $150

Sony’s PRS-700 E-book Reader, priced at $400

Amazon.com‘s Kindle, priced at $359

Looking for Lights that won’t zap your energy?

How about Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.’s Portable Light Reading Mat. This invention is a luminous reading mat (still in prototype phase) that integrates high brightness solid-state lighting (HBLEDs) and flexible photovoltaic (solar cell) technology in a textile that weighs less than eight ounces (227 grams). With no heavy or breakable glass parts, the mat can be rolled or folded for shipping or transport and is easily carried on the body in clothing or equipment. The mat is a fully self-contained and renewable light engine powered by flexible photovoltaic panels that produce up to 12 volts of DC electrical power and 160 lumens of light in five hours of charge time. By day, users can harvest and store electrical energy from sunlight. At night, the mat emits up to four hours of white, digital light. Pricing is not available.

Or SunNight Solar Enterprises Corp.’s BoGo Light which are solar-powered LED flashlights with photovoltaic panels that gather energy during the day and store that energy in the flashlight’s battery for use at night. Each eight-hour charge will deliver between four and six hours of continuous light. The company estimates that each flashlight’s battery can be charged and recharged for up to two years before it needs to be replaced. Under SunNight’s purchase program, when someone living in the U.S. buys an SL-1 or SL-2, a second light is donated to any of a number of nonprofit aid organizations worldwide. Price tag is $39 for the SL-1 and $49 for the SL-2

Want to stay in touch with time the green way?

Bedol’s Water-Powered Clock is an eco-efficient way to tell time. All you need do to make this four-inch (10-centimeter) by 3.5-inch (nine-centimeter) clock run is fill its tank with tap water. (You might have to add a small amount of table salt, depending on the composition of the local water.) Refill the tank as the water evaporates over time; the clock’s memory retains the correct time even while it is being emptied and refilled. Price tag: $16

Bathroom Basics for the water savvy conservationist!

Avoid wasting hot water or scolding yourself with temperature controlled shower indicators. This shower temperature indicator LED will let you know the instant the cleansing cascade is ready for you to step in. Turn the water “on” and the blue light shines through the water stream. When it reaches 89 degrees Fahrenheit (31.7 degrees Celsius), the LED changes to red. Price tag: $45.