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August 2004

Weatherproof Outdoor Speakers: Polk Audio Atrium Self-Powered Loudspeakers

The Polk Atrium loudspeakers are rugged, weather-resistant, self-powered and portable. Many outdoor speakers are suitable only for sheltered locations. The Atrium speakers meet industry & military specs for full exposure to the elements. The speakers are constructed of stainless steel and brass components to resist rust and corrosion. The cabinets are completely sealed to enhance [...]

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Book Review: Portable Houses

When some people vacation, they take their homes with them. Those are the people Irene Rawlings and Mary Abel write about in Portable Houses, a book devoted to all sorts of movable shelters and the people who created or renovated them. The examples featured in the book range in elaborateness from a canvas miner’s tent [...]

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An Efficient Portable Amplifier: The Boostaroo

The Boostaroo is a pocket-size portable amplifier for your earphones. It amplifies the sound coming out of your iPod or MP3 player by 100%. I’ve tested this device, and it certainly does amplify quite well, and two AA batteries it uses last for weeks. It also functions as a splitter and allows you to share [...]

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Teflon: Strong Indications That It’s Toxic

Teflon contains a toxic chemical called C8 or PFOA which has been linked to cancer and birth defects in animals. Its effects have never been formally tested on humans. The chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid, is a soaplike material. It is used to make many widely used products, such as non-stick cookware, fast food containers, clothing, Gortex [...]

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More Efficient Ceramics by Heath

Ceramics are a renewable material, and are generally an eco-effective choice over materials such as plastics. Treehugger points out that HeathCeramics use only half the energy to create their ceramics because they only fire them once and use matt glazes, which do not contain the questionable materials in some glazes. Home Page: Heath Ceramics Available [...]

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VosPAD: Apartment Lit Solely by LEDs

I’m not sure if I’d want to live here, but interesting nonetheless — an apartment lit solely by LEDs. The light is supplied by 120 color-changing RGB LED fittings, using 360W of power total. A customized Lutron system control system changes intensity and hue of the light in various room and can be used to [...]

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3D LED Reactual Sculptures by James Clar

< James Clar makes 3D sculptures out of LEDs. They can function as a 3D spectrum analyzer or act as a primitive camera. Clar says "Each LED acts as one pixel in the spatial array and can be refreshed at a rate of over 60 frames per second creating a low resolution 3D television." We [...]

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Non-Toxic Infant Toys and Teethers

Infants absorb chemicals more easily than adults — their bodies run at a higher metabolic rate, and their skin is ten times thinner. Infant toys and teether made of PVC plastic often leak phthalates (pronounced “thay-lates”) and other toxic substances (see more details in this report on 2003 PVC Report Card on Kid’s Toys Manufacturers).

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Efficient Canister Vacuum: Dyson Telescope DC11 All Floors Bagless Cyclonic Canister Vacuum Cleaner

This is a canister vacuum with the longest name we’ve seen so far. Designed by James Dyson in the U.K., this vacuum has only recently become available in the U.S., and it has a impressive list of design features, including the claim that it is “the first vacuum that doesn’t lose suction.”

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Grapefruit Seed Extract: Efficient Disinfectant

Grapefruit Seed Extract is a powerful disinfectant. It can be used to disinfect wounds, sterilize fruit and vegetables, purify drinking water, sanitize dishes, countertops and cutting boards and inhibit bacteria growth in pools and spas. The active ingredient of grapefruit seed extract is synthesized from the seed and pulp of certified organically grown grapefruit. The [...]

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