Debra Atlas, Author at The Red Ferret Journal - Page 2 of 26The Red Ferret Journal

Eco Friendly February 12, 2016 posted by Debra Atlas

Fashionable watches combine a little retro and eco-friendly fashion

We’ve gotten used to living in a digital world, but maybe it’s time for a little retro combined with natural beauty. That’s what Analog Watch Co.’s beautiful timepieces offer. Made from wood and stone, these use wood from off-cut lumber, straps made from genuine leather, and recyclable packaging. And they’re also naturally 80 percent biodegradable. A small independent businesses based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Analog’s watches draw inspiration from Nature – leaves, trees, rocks, trickling water falls, even crickets at night.They’re…

Awesome January 29, 2016 posted by Debra Atlas

Aerofloat’s innovative technology lets houseboats clean their greywater

Clean water is a precious commodity. Rigorous restrictions mean cleaning greywater is becoming more imperative. Australian family-owned and run Aerofloat™ Pty Ltd. is making a big splash with this. Aerofloat designs, manufactures and installs simple, affordable systems that treat industrial wastewater and greywater using Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) principles. Its patented system is compact and mechanically simple. DAF systems normally utilize a chemical coagulant mixed with the wastewater, causing the pollutants to bind together. Air is added to the treated…

nice idea... January 22, 2016 posted by Debra Atlas

Matador creates two new pocket outdoor gear essentials

Whether you’re in work, fun or workout mode, the right kind of gear makes all the difference. You may already be familiar with Matador and their durable products. But for those work-out mavens and those of us who want a comfortable way to enjoy the outdoors, they’ve created two new cool, easily-portable products – Matador Pocket Blankets and Droplet Keychain Wet Bags. Available in regular and mini sizes, the Pocket Blanket’s lightweight material is equally at home on sand, grass…

Bizarre January 14, 2016 posted by Debra Atlas

Could there be dragons in our future – and do we really want them around?

Graphuc by by Baltasar Vischi, flickr Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you should. That truism stands with the recent announcement that scientists just might consider using a targeted gene-editing system known as CRISPR-CAS9 (a new genome editing tool) to create real dragons in our lifetime. Seriously? An essay in The American Journal of Bioethics penned by co-authors Professors Hank T Greely, director of the Centre for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford Law School, and R Alta…

cool tech January 8, 2016 posted by Debra Atlas

Wearable AMPY turns motion into energy to charge your special devices

For better or worse, being plugged in at all times has become practically an obsession in our society. That means we’re constantly seeking new and easier ways to charge our many devices. The AMPY MOVE is a wearable motion charger that could be your next best choice. https://youtu.be/26vstO2J2Js We produce energy when we move – be it walking, jogging or even nervously tapping one foot. AMPY is a portable smartphone battery that captures and charges the kinetic energy we produce…

Eco Friendly January 8, 2016 posted by Debra Atlas

New floor heating system – the next step in “smart home” technology

A leader in “smart” home heating, Nest integrated thermostat now has a new friend. Launched in 2014, Nuheat Signature Floor Heating Thermostat – the first wifi-enabled thermostat for electric floor heating systems – now can effectively be paired with the Nest system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LVRP9zrm3U A good marriage of smart technology, Nest’s combined sensors, algorithms and machine learning prompt the Nuheat SIGNATURE program to react whenever you’re home or leave. You’ll get comfort and energy savings. Home unexpectedly? No worries – you’ll…

hmm..interesting January 2, 2016 posted by Debra Atlas

Could a bikini be the next step to managing water pollution?

Who would have thought that a bikini could be a tool to address pollution in our oceans? Engineering professors at the University of California have created the “Sponge Suit Bikini” which repels water, absorbs oils, and is designed to help filter impurities from water. The porous material is created from a network of nanocarbons originating from sugar. With a surface area of 823.77 square meters (approximately 64 square inches) per gram, it can absorb up to 25 times its own…

Awesome November 20, 2015 posted by Debra Atlas

A vision of New York’s subways making music could become reality

New York City is famous for many things – the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, to name a few. But the city runs on its subways. Former LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy has a dream: to turn the sound of New York’s subway turnstiles into music.After over 15 years of trying to bring the Subway Symphony to life,Danish beer giant Heineken has taken an interest and is helping turn this dream into reality. <iframe…

nice idea... November 6, 2015 posted by Debra Atlas

Escape Traveler makes RVing a luxurious green experience

RVing. Whether you envision a clunky looking vehicle or a long sleek one, the designs haven’t seemed to change much over the years. But ESCAPE Traveler is turning that on its ear, and making it greener too. Handcrafted in America, the Traveler fits more into the tiny home arena. A “2015 HGTV Fresh Faces Of Design,” finalist, this innovative vehicle features a full-sized kitchen and bathroom, a large dining or work table, a nice sized living area with fireplace and…

Eco Friendly October 31, 2015 posted by Debra Atlas

Kaala Soot Printer – turning dirt into gold

It’s amazing what creative minds can dream up. But, as Walt Disney said, “if you can dream it, you can do it.” And scientist / inventor Anirudh Sharma, a graduate of the MIT Media Lab, has been working to do what some would say is either crazy or impossible – turn soot, some of the worst air pollution, into usable ink for printers and copy machines.

Awesome September 5, 2015 posted by Debra Atlas

The Smog Free Tower could help clean the air in cities around the world

Air pollution is a serious health problem and crisis in many densely populated cities and countries. We’ve all see pictures of people in places such as Beijing and India where the air is so filled with smog it looks like billowing smoke. But Dutch designer/artist Daan Roosegaarde’s air purifying Smog Free Tower could be a real game changer. This patented technology, based around indoor air purifier technology, will act like the world’s biggest vacuum cleaner, sucking up all the carbon…

future tech August 29, 2015 posted by Debra Atlas

Responsive cities of the future that meet our needs

Creative minds are constantly dreaming up amazing, fantastical things. Some of them even make it past the drawing board to help change our lives and lifestyles. Such is the case with CityScope -the city of the future created by innovator Kent Larson. Larson, part of the MIT Media Lab, has created prototypes for such amazing things as City Home, a 200 sq. ft. modern home filled with roboticly enabled furniture that can change configuration at the whim of the urban…

Eco Friendly August 10, 2015 posted by Debra Atlas

The VEXA500 – a better built electric bike

Saving gas and helping the environment are hot topics these days. There are plenty of ways to do that and electric bikes are rapidly filling that niche. One great example is the VEXA500. This e-bike, which has been available in other countries for some time, will soon be coming to the States. This commuter-friendly electric bike features a full-featured dashboard, left and right hand grip controls, a built-in alarm system, storage racks to easily stash necessary packages, fenders, mudflaps and…

cool tech July 20, 2015 posted by Debra Atlas

New bladeless wind turbine will cut bird deaths

Renewable energy use is rapidly growing across the globe. But as with every innovation, there’s always a downside which in the case of wind turbines is high bird mortality. Somewhere between 140,000 and 328,000 birds die each year from collisions with wind turbines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqcNc9bKlNY But hope is on the horizon. Vortex Bladeless is a wind ‘turbine’ without blades that was developed by a group of inventors at a Spanish tech startup. With no whirling blades and no moving parts, this…

Eco Friendly July 18, 2015 posted by Debra Atlas

Flubber Dust – the eco-friendly way to clean up oil stains

Oil spots on your driveway are both unattractive and difficult to remove. You can try using some heavy chemicals and still be left with fainter looking but very present oil spots. But Flubber Dust by Oil Lift gets the job done. This Eco certified green cleaning product safely removes oil and leave surfaces temporarily slip-proof too. It’s biological agents bond to oil, breaking the oil’s molecular bond, and naturally biodegrades the contaminates. Simply sprinkle this scentless green powder on oil,…

Author Archives: Debra Atlas