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Justin

Non-Toxic Indoor/Outdoor Lounge Chairs

March 12, 2010

These polymer-based chairs can be used both indoors and outdoors. The Bubble Club Chair by Kartell (shown above), is made of non-toxic materials, and it has all its plastic parts printed with an identification mark to determine the correct recycling classification. It sells for $680. The Heller Mario Bellini MB1 Armchair (below) is constructed of [...]

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Efficient Urban Bikes: Felt X-City 1 & Dahon Jack

March 12, 2010

Versatile urban travel: the Felt X-City 1 bike, and the folding Dahon Jack bike for under $600.

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An Efficient Spring 2010 Icebreaker Polo

March 11, 2010
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How soon the warm weather is here. Icebreaker has released a new line merino clothing for spring. Available from Moosejaw.

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Ultrafine Yak Wool Clothing: Efficient

March 11, 2010
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Khunu is a start-up company that aims to be the first to bring yak wool clothing to the global market. They offer a range of athletic clothing that is made with 100% Himalayan yak wool. What are the advantages of yak wool? Khunu says that independent lab tests have shown yak wool to be 10-15% [...]

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Three New Electric Bikes For 2010

March 10, 2010
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Now that the e-bike market is maturing in the U.S., I think we’ll be seeing some sophisticated electric bikes released this year. Here are three intriguing e-bikes that have become available so far:

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Looptworks: Products Made Of 100% “Excess” Material

March 8, 2010
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I’ve been testing some Looptwork products, and they are amazing. Here’s why: the company makes all their products from 100% industrial “excess” materials. That means every zipper, button and thread used in their designs was about to be thrown out. For example, the Hoptu Laptop Sleeve shown above is made with 100% upcycled nylon neoprene [...]

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Ovopur: The Art Of The Water Filter

March 6, 2010
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I’ve been testing an Ovopur water filter from Aquaovo, a company based in Montreal. This filter is certainly the most attractive I’ve come across. My eye is often drawn to its porcelain ovoid shape sitting in my ktichen. I’ve come to think of it as a piece of art that also happens to filter water.

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The Best Water Filters Of 2010

February 17, 2010
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There are a lot of misleading claims about water filters. Many filters are marketed with general statements like “improves taste and odor”. But filter manufacturers don’t mention the specific amount of pesticides or chloramines removed, for example.

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The Most Efficient Snack: Pure Organic Bar

February 16, 2010
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A MetaEfficient snack bar. Unlike other nutrient bars I’ve tasted, this one’s delicious. My topic pick is the Orange Cranberry Bar. It’s made by a company called PURE, based in Holland, Michigan. 

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MetaEfficient Keyring Tools For 2010

February 15, 2010
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Here’s a MetaEfficient Keyring. It’s a collection of lightweight, mini-tools suitable for carrying on a keyring.

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A MetaEfficient Men’s Winter Outfit For 2010: Continued

February 15, 2010
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I neglected to mention a few more items for the MetaEfficient Winter 2010 Outfit: a belt, a pair of shoes, and some snow pants.

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A MetaEfficient Men’s Winter Outfit For 2010

February 11, 2010
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In this new series of posts, I will be reviewing the top MetaEfficient Products of 2010. For a product to be considered MetaEfficient it must be: green, functional, durable and reasonably priced. Where possible, the product should be made by a company with high environmental standards and good manufacturing ethics.
Our featured Men’s Winter Outfit is [...]

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Nutrients Are Efficient

January 30, 2010
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Enzymes are metaefficient. My top picks are raw pistachios and raw cacao. Both have optimal enzyme levels when unadulterated.

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The Best Rated Headphones Under $100

November 25, 2009

I’ve tested a lot of headphones in the Reactual Labs. I’ve discovered that there are, in fact, great quality headphones priced under $100. The three of the best rated headphones are: Sennheiser, Grado Labs and AKG. Other popular brands found in electronics stores tend to have inferior sound at this price level. Here are the [...]

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The Best Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers Of 2010

November 13, 2009

Today, the best rechargeable batteries are the new hybrid Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) cells. These hybrid batteries have a lot going for them: they come fully charged (like alkaline batteries), and they can hold their charge over may months (unlike regular Ni-MH rechargeables). Because they can hold their charge for so long, they are suitable for [...]

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The Best Shower Filters Of 2010

October 26, 2009

I just replaced my shower filters, so I thought I’d update my best shower filter review from earlier this year. Each update to the review generates a lot of useful comments. So I’m incorporating what I’ve learned from those comments into this latest review.

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The Best iPhone Battery Pack

September 28, 2009

The iPhone can be power-thirsty. For many people a battery extender is an essential iPhone or iTouch accessory. Here are four of the best backup iPhone battery packs.
Note: iPhone battery performance times vary widely based on individual usage habits and applications. Wherever possible we have tried to give details of a backup battery’s capacity relative [...]

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Liquid-Filled LED Bulbs: 360 Degree Light

September 13, 2009

I’ve been testing a new LED bulb called the HydraLux. These unique bulbs are filled with a clear liquid coolant (a non-toxic paraffin oil). Other LED bulbs use large metal fins or fans for cooling purposes. The advantage of using a liquid coolant is that the LED bulb can produce 360° light like a regular [...]

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How To Build A Deep Bass System For $750

July 23, 2009

In this article I will describe how to build a high-fidelity, bass-intensive sound system for under $1000. The secret ingredient of the system is the use of tactile transducers. These transducers effectively eliminate the need for expensive woofers or subwoofers. It’s an efficient method of producing deep, high-fidelity bass for a fraction of the usual cost. Many [...]

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Updates From The MetaEfficient Kitchen Labs

July 5, 2009

This summer I’ve been working on food-related optimization projects, here are some updates:
I now have subscriptions with two local farmers (through a CSA or Community Support Agriculture). One farmer provides me with raw milk, raw butter and eggs, the other farmer provides vegetables and fruit. They both happen to deliver to same street in my neighborhood, so [...]

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