Cyber-Rain Automated Irrigation System

Instead of relying on an automated timer for your garden’s sprinkler system, Cyber-Rain uses your Internet connection to check local forecasts. It then adjusts the watering schedule to increase or decrease appropriately, saving up to 70% on landscape watering costs.

The Cyber-Rain system costs $399.99 from Smarthome.

Smart Power Strip

We’ve all been guilty of leaving appliances on standby when we could turn them off. Rather than having to remember, this power strip detects when a one device - like a computer - is turned off, and automatically switches off all the dependant peripherals - such as a printer and monitor.

The strip costs $26.50 from Amazon.

USB Version "3.0"

All you speed freaks out there look out for USB 3.0 coming soon. Apparently the connector, although looking very different, are back compatible - which is great news. The speeds we are looking at for this bad boy is 4.8 Gbit/s (600MB/s) which will make it the fastest consumer connector (Firewire S800T is a long way off). How does this compare to USB 2.0 that you will no doubt be using now? Well USB 2.0 can manage a rate of just 480 Mbit/s (60MB/s) - that is a 10 fold increase to USB 3.0. This isn’t quite as much as the jump from USB 1.0 to USB 2.0 which took speeds from 1.5 Mbit/s to 480 Mbit/s. Some other benefits to the USB 3.0 update is a much improved and more intelligent powering system. This isn’t likely to be available till the tail end of the year though.

Google Android Phones

Not long ago Google announced that the source code at the core of its Android platform would be available for free to anyone wanting to use it and develop with. This open source approach has opened up the market to more phones manufacturers and developers able to make Android based phones but it also means there will be a host of application to download for it - and I suspect we will see more useful applications than the mainly games ridden App Store on iTunes (I want a good Exchange Mail client). It looks like Asus, Motorola and Samsung will be the next to follow Kogan and the rather averagely designed HTC G1 with a Google Android phone early next year, hopefully making the most of the Android platform finally. - more info… Also look out for the new Palm iphone killer - the Pre. It looks to be a top contender in the touch screen phone market and I’m pleased that as with all the other iphone killers they have included a slide out keyboard.

#1 Gadget Of 2009 - Nokia 5800

Nokia have been the top seller of mobile phones for a long time now and want to revive the market with their Nokia 5800 / N97 touch screen phone - their effective iPhone killers (Nokia N97 N-series touch phone has already been announced and released this year).

From Q3 2007 to Q3 2008 they lost 15.4% of the market share, dropping to 35%, due mainly to the iPhone. With the release of the Apple iPhone it has caused a ripple in the market and mobile phone manufacturers have realised that they need to raise their game. Blackberry have out their Storm 9500 (bottom of top 10) which will be a hot gadget of 2009 (once it gets the firmware it needs to speed up navigation) and will be available before the end of the year. Sony have their X1 touch phone out which, if it was running Google Android, would probably be my number 1 - as it is gorgeous to look at. But since the X1 has Windows Mobile 6 and is therefore rather slow and clunky, it’s not. HTC have release their G1 which albeit has the best mobile OS in my opinion, Android, doesn’t leverage it and certainly isn’t attractive - no where near the iPhone killer it was marketed as. more information…

Specification - The 5800 has all that you would expect from Nokia including finally support for flash:

• Symbian 9.4 Series 60 5th Edition
• Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• HSDPA (3.6 Mbits) / GPRS Class 32 / Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11g)
• Bluetooth (2.0)
• 3.2 mega-pixel Carl Zeiss Optics camera
• microSDHC card slot
• 640 x 320 pixels - 3.2 inch touch screen display
• 30fps Video Recording
• Supported formats: MP4, 3GP, H.264, Flash, H.263 WMV & Real Player
• E-mail (POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, MS Exchange)
• Battery: Talk Time: 528 mins - Standby Time: 406 hrs

How Do I Make My Gadget Greem?

1. Check out what the gadget experts say before buying.
   Take a look at Energy Star ratings, EPEAT ratings, Consumer Reports, and other expert sources to help you make comparisons among gadgets before purchasing. This will help you find the most energy efficient and eco-friendly items available to you.
   
   
2. Buy used gadgets.
   Buying a pre-owned electronic accomplishes two excellent goals. First, you help to extend the lifetime of the gadget, lowering its carbon footprint, and secondly, you save money. With the rate at which manufacturers churn out new gadgets, buying barely used gadgets in great shape is an easy task and usually is much less expensive, even for the latest gear. There are great buyback companies such as TechForward that sell refurbished electronics, and places like Craigslist and eBay are also good places to look. Of course, the manufacturers usually offer refurbished gear at reduced prices as well. You might even find what you're seeking free of charge on networks like Freecycle.
   
   
3. Buy recycled and recyclable gadgets.
   Check out what materials are used in the product and go for gadgets that use low impact materials that are recycled or sustainably obtained. It is tough, so far, to find new gadgets made of recycled materials, but not impossible. If it lacks that element, ensure that it is recyclable. If you want to go a step further, write to the company that makes the product you're after and let them know you're only interested in purchasing if they make greener choices in their production.
   
   
4. Charge your gadgets with renewable energy.
   Nope, you don't have to invest in solar panels on your house, or a wind turbine in your yard. There are small, personal charging devices that use solar or wind to power your gadgets. Check out the Hymini wind turbine that can charge your cell phone or MP3 player just by sticking it out the window or taking it with you on a bike ride. There are also a wide range of small portable solar chargers that can charge up your gear in no time while you relax in the sun. Note: Most everything today is rechargeable. But just in case you're checking out something that isn't, be sure to go with rechargeable batteries, and ditch the alkaline. Go with Lithium Ion.
   
   
5. Zap vampire power.
   For true gadget lovers, this may be the most fun tip because you get to green your gadgets with more gadgets. Vampire power is the energy used by devices when they're plugged in but not turned on. Prevent wasted energy first by unplugging any devices not in use or that are fully charged. Then, try using devices like smart power strips that cut the power supply to devices that no longer need it.
   
   
6. Make full use of a gadget's features.
   This helps not only extend the usefulness of a gadget and make it fully worth the money you put down for it, but it also cuts down on the number of gadgets you feel you need or want in your life. Additionally, it cuts down on how many things you need to continually charge up. For instance, most cell phones can now act as alarm clocks, calculators, PDAs, cameras and music players. There's five gadgets no longer needed by making full use of your cell phone.
   
   
7. Use the gadgets you have for as long as you can.
   While some technology changes so quickly that this might not be possible, for the majority of gadgets, you can get a whole lot of years of loyal use out of them before it is time to upgrade. This is especially true with cell phones, handheld gaming devices, PDAs and similar gadgets. While it is tempting to get a new phone when you renew your contract, or a new laptop when the faster, smaller version hits stores, ask yourself if you really need it and weigh your options before replacing your gear.
   
   
8. Use old gadgets as money makers.
   Buyback programs aren't only great places to look for new gadgets, they're also a perfect place for getting rid of your old items if you've decided to upgrade to newer versions. Buyback programs buy your old gear, refurbish it and resell it. It keeps gadgets in the loop much longer, and puts a little green in your pocket and your heart.
   
   
9. Recycle gadgets when they've kicked the bucket.
   If you have a device that has reached the end of its useful life, you definitely don't want to toss it. Avoid hazardous e-waste by utilizing one of the growing number of free recycling programs. Many manufacturers like Toshiba will take back old gear for free, helping to make disposal easy on you and the earth. Check out local electronics stores, or check online for free recycling programs in your area.
   
   
10. Offset your gadgets' carbon footprint.
    Even if you implement all the tips above, it's likely your gadget will still make a carbon footprint. You can offset this by purchasing carbon offsets online. Your money goes directly towards programs that reduce carbon emissions. Some manufacturers make is super easy by allowing customers to purchase carbon offsets when they buy their new device.

Why Should I Focus On Green Gadgets?

The North Pacific sub-tropical gyre has a massive spiral of floating plastic crap floating over an area estimated from the size of Texas to bigger than the continental United States. Most of this plastic is from run-off from rivers and streams from around the world, much of it gradually breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces that eventually become as small as plankton. Already in vast areas of the ocean these plankton-sized particles outnumber the real particles by greater than 7 : 1.

This plastic can also act as a chemical sponge soaking up and concentrating all kinds of nasty chemicals which then enter the food chain with devastating impact to all kinds of marine life, birds and perhaps eventually returning back to us in new deadly forms. This is an complex and urgent issue we should all learn as much as possible about and put pressure on politicians to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution as much as possible and to launch campaigns to start to clean up the oceans.