Author Archives: Nigel

Full Name: Nigel Powell Website:
Info: Nigel is the managing editor of the Red Ferret, as well as a freelance columnist for the Sunday Times newspaper in London. Loves tech and fancies himself as a bit of a futurist, but then don't we all?
Eco Friendly November 21, 2021 posted by Nigel

Yara Birkeland – world’s first autonomous electric containership launched

Those clever Norwegians have gone and built the world’s first electric autonomous containership. Which is a big deal. The 80 metre long Yara Birkeland had its maiden voyage last week, and when operational will apparently cut the emissions of 40,000 truckloads of freight per year. Initial routes will be very local, delivering fertilizer from a factory to distribution depot down the Norwegian coast.

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Yara Birkeland – world’s first autonomous electric containership launched
Bizarre October 21, 2021 posted by Nigel

Walletmor – the implanted credit card that lets you pay with a wave

Anyone who’s ever forgotten their purse or credit card and found themselves embarrassed at a check-out till, now have a new option. The Walletmor is an implantable wallet which uses NFC tech to let you pay for stuff with a wave of your arm. The developers boast that the implant is accepted worldwide and cannot be hacked. The implant is apparently ‘painless’ to insert in a 15 minute session and costs €199. 

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Walletmor – the implanted credit card that lets you pay with a wave
Electric Cars October 15, 2021 posted by Nigel

Stella Vita – van life gets the perfect solar electric makeover

Oh how we love this! The Stella Vita is the world’s first completely self sufficient mobile home. And it’s not just some remote concept, it actually works. The vehicle has been developed by am amazing student team in Eindhoven, Netherlands and has just completed an astounding 1800 mile run down from Holland to Spain using solar power and electric mains charge.

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Stella Vita – van life gets the perfect solar electric makeover
Electric Cars October 13, 2021 posted by Nigel

Electric Double Decker Bus – updates the London scene with zero emissions

Let’s say you’re the owner of a small to medium size city. And you want – no need – to improve your finances as fast as possible. You could turn it into a gambling metro. You could offer tax advantages for doing business there. Or you could, with a bit of imagination, invest $240,000 in this glorious rip-off of a London double decker bus. But electric. And run tours around your city all day long. Wowwee.

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Electric Double Decker Bus – updates the London scene with zero emissions
Electric Cars September 23, 2021 posted by Nigel

Nio ET7 – this flagship 1000 km range EV points to the future

So it looks like a Tesla, sounds like a Tesla and goes like the wind. The new flagship Nio ET7 electric car really points the way to a sea of classy looking rivals for the title of posh EV of the year. We like the design and the range from the 100kWh battery looks magnificent. But like everything else, the real proof will be in the reliability and support services.

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Nio ET7 – this flagship 1000 km range EV points to the future
Electric Cars September 18, 2021 posted by Nigel

Will solid state batteries trigger a magic new EV age?

It’s pretty common knowledge that upgrading battery tech is going to be crucial to mass adoption of electric transportation of any type.  Lithium Ion is an establish tech, but it’s too volatile and inefficient to encourage a breakthrough in electric vehicles. The betting currently seems to be on solid state batteries, which is why this solid state battery post outlining the pros and cons is interesting.

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Will solid state batteries trigger a magic new EV age?
Eco Friendly August 31, 2021 posted by Nigel

Buoyant – air freight just got interesting

Freight is a problem as far as the environment goes. Every mode of transport for goods has serious emissions, whether it’s boats, planes or trucks. Good then to see a new initiative, which if it takes off (heh) could dramatically reduce the environmental and financial cost of freight services. The Buoyant Aero freight blimp promises 250 mile all electric range and a payload of 650 lbs. All at half the operating cost of a Cessna light aircraft.

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Buoyant – air freight just got interesting
cool tech August 22, 2021 posted by Nigel

Chargie – worried about damaging your phone battery by over charging? This neat gadget has you covered.

Most of us have this secret fear of over-charging our phone battery, right? That’s why we unplug when we can, try not to leave the phone charging overnight and make sure to charge up before the battery has drained completely. But it can be hard to keep it up, which means that our phone battery often degrades faster than it could or should. Now there’s a new gadget which could solve that problem nicely.

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Chargie – worried about damaging your phone battery by over charging? This neat gadget has you covered.
cool tech August 5, 2021 posted by Nigel

Elroy Air Chaparral – this cargo drone could change the face of delivery in the future

Automation is still happening in full force, and the latest example of this is the Elroy Air Chaparral hybrid cargo drone. The craft is designed to deliver 300 to 500 pounds of cargo up to a range of 300 miles without an on-board human pilot. It’s a hybrid electric aircraft because it adds a generator to the electric power mix, to maximise lift during takeoff.

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Elroy Air Chaparral – this cargo drone could change the face of delivery in the future
Eco Friendly July 22, 2021 posted by Nigel

MoEa – sneakers made from fruit offer a low carbon alternative to leather and plastic

Cool footwear is not so much a fashion thing, more a religion. Which is probably why so many eco shoe projects end up failing miserably. This latest effort, from international company Mother of Earth (MoEa) may buck the trend. Their MoEa Sneakers are apparently crafted from only the finest fruit and vegetables. Not sure whether they’re organic (artf!), but we applaud the concept wholeheartedly.

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MoEa – sneakers made from fruit offer a low carbon alternative to leather and plastic
Electric Cars July 9, 2021 posted by Nigel

Lightyear One – solar car travels 710 kms (440 miles) on single 60kWh charge

Dutch electric car maker Lightyear has passed another milestone this week, with the announcement of a test run which completed 710 kilometres (440 miles) at a speed of 85 km per hour. The Lightyear One vehicle has long been marketed as a super efficient EV and this latest coup proves the point. The car features embedded solar panels, super efficient electric in-wheel motors and a bunch of other software and hardware enhancements focused on maximising the vehicle’s range. The results…

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Lightyear One – solar car travels 710 kms (440 miles) on single 60kWh charge
Eco Friendly July 1, 2021 posted by Nigel

This Song Plants Trees – add this 31 sec song to your playlists and plant a tree every 100 listens

Really clever idea. A new service which lets you stream a simple 31 sec ‘song’ (actually just a short description read aloud) in your playlists which earn enough money after 100 plays to plant one tree. The world’s first MP-Tree. Yeah clever, like we said. This Song Plants Trees is basic, easy to understand and a really interesting way to raise awareness of the need to tackle climate change.

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This Song Plants Trees – add this 31 sec song to your playlists and plant a tree every 100 listens
Eco Friendly June 26, 2021 posted by Nigel

Boxabl Casita – one hour folding home for just $49,000 including kitchen bathroom

We’ve seen some pretty innovative house designs recently, including 3D printed ones etc, but this new Bosabl Casita takes the biscuit. It’s pre-assembled on the factory floor, folded up into a package measuring 8 feet on one side, then shipped to the destination site. Once there, it can be unfolded in around an hour, and customised, connected to services and finished ready to go in a day. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the makers are offering it at a…

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Boxabl Casita – one hour folding home for just $49,000 including kitchen bathroom
Electric Cars June 9, 2021 posted by Nigel

Dartz FreZe – $4500 EV is super cheap in China, not so much in Europe

Apparently battery prices have plummeted over the past few years, and you can tell by the reduction in EV prices coming out of China. This Dartz Freze retails at around $4500 in China at the moment, and now it’s come to Europe. Named after a pioneering Russian EV from 1900, the Freze features a 9.2kWh or 13.8kWh battery, giving a range of around 124 miles and a top speed of a sprightly 62 mph. The price in Europe is reportedly…

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Dartz FreZe – $4500 EV is super cheap in China, not so much in Europe
cool tech June 1, 2021 posted by Nigel

New lozenge may rebuild tooth enamel the painless way

Researchers at the University of Washington have announced clinical trials of a new lozenge which is designed to rebuild and repair damaged tooth enamel. The unnamed product works by depositing a thin layer of new enamel using a specially formulated peptide while you suck. Dentists of the world watch out. The team claims that two lozenges a day will restore lost enamel, while one lozenge a day will maintain a healthy layer.

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New lozenge may rebuild tooth enamel the painless way