On Tuesday night, we got a chance to hang out with our friends from Special Olympics of Connecticut (SOCT). YouRenew.com, in partnership with SOCT, collects cell phones that individuals can donate to raise money for our Special Olympic Heroes. We have a fundraising partnership with SOCT and donate part of the proceeds from their cell phone collections to the local chapters.

We decided to have some “summer fun at Mohegan Sun” and went to see the WNBA Connecticut Suns play the Los Angeles Sparks. We set up a table to collect cell phones and donated 50 tickets to Special Olympics athletes and their families. We thought it was important to give the athletes a chance to enjoy a professional basketball game and celebrate their own successes; some of the athletes even wore their medals.

Before and after the game we handed out bags with pre-paid shipping labels on them so fans at the game could easily send their devices through the mail.


Everyone was really receptive to the idea and many people took handfuls of bags because they had so many old phones lying around! Hopefully everyone sends their items in so Special Olympics can benefit.

It was a great night and we’re glad the fundraising portion was such a success but even happier we got to meet some very talented athletes and talk to them about their experiences with Special Olympics.

Overall, everyone seemed to have a great time and we hope to do something like this again soon.

For more information, or to donate your cell phone, check out the Web site: www.cellphonesforspecialolympics.org

Just one year after Disney’s adorable movie Wall-E was released, Italian researchers have created their very own intelligent trash collector called DustCart.

DustCart will travel from door to door collecting garbage and recyclables from citizens. It will also pick up trash, wash and disinfect the streets and provide information on air quality.

The adorable bot is part of a 3.9 million dollar research project called DustBot that hopes to use artificial intelligence to keep streets clean. DustBot started in 2006 and aims to end this year.

According to a story in the Global Post, DustCart can be called to citizens’ front doors and pick up garbage after residents punch in their identification numbers and classify their waste. The robot sorts the trash as organic, recyclable or waste then puts it in it’s belly and transports the garbage to a local facility.

DustCart is made to operate in partially unstructured environments like parks, streets and squares, says the DustBot Web site. It uses maps and external sensors to allow the robot to move around on it’s own.

DustCart is still in it’s prototype stage because it doesn’t have the quick response time needed on crowded streets but the robot has been amazing residents in it’s test town, Peccioli, Italy.

Designers anticipate “human acceptance” as one of the obstacles to premiering such intelligent trash collection. However, with such a cute and friendly looking design, I doubt we’ll have much trouble welcoming the little guy to our neighborhoods.

Check out more of DustCart’s photo shoot here.

For the past two weeks I have been biking to work in New Haven. I was skeptical about the hassle at first; the helmet, the traffic, locking the bike, storing…ack!

At the beginning, I felt awkward and clumsy; I was nervous about the cars, I wobbled slowly when starting, I couldn’t figure out how to get the bike through my apartment’s double doors. But, I have to say, it gets easier every day. All it takes is a solid effort and a well worked out routine.

The trouble of course, is getting over the excuses.

Biking to work sounds amazing; it’s good for your health, your wallet and the planet! However there are always the little “yeah buts” that keep people from actually doing it. My biggest excuse was clothing choices, surprisingly though; biking in a skirt is quite easy.

So here are some great answers to 10 of the most common bike commuting excuses, courtesy of League of American Bicyclists. Read ‘em if you dare, but be warned you might have no excuses left!

1. I ’m out of shape
• Ride at an easy pace; in a few months you will be in great shape.
• Ride your route on a weekend to find the easiest way to work.
• You will improve your fitness level when you become a regular bike commuter.

2. It takes too long
• The average commuter travels at 10 mph; the more you ride, the faster you will become.
• Trips of less than three miles will be quicker by bike.
• Trips of five to seven miles in urban areas may take the same time or less as by car.

3. It’s too far
• Try riding to work and taking mass transit home, then alternating the next day.
• Combine riding and mass transit to shorten your commute.
• Ride to a coworker’s house and carpool to work.

4. No bike parking
• Look around for a storage area in your building or office.
• Stash your bike in a covered, secure place such as a closet or even your office.
• Formally request that your employer provide bike parking or lock it up outside.

5. My bike is beat up
• Tell a reputable bike shop that you are commuting and have them tune up your bike.
• If you can’t maintain your bike yourself, identify bike shops near your route.
• Make sure that your bike is reliable and in good working order before you ride.

6. No showers
• Most commuters don’t shower at work; ride at an easy pace to stay cool and dry.
• Ride home at a fast pace if you want a workout; shower when you get there.
• Health clubs offer showers; get a discounted membership for showers only.

7. I have to dress up
• Keep multiple sets of clothing at work; rotate them on days you drive.
• Have work clothes cleaned at nearby laundromats or dry cleaners.
• Pack clothes with you and change at work; try rolling clothes instead of folding.

8. It’s raining
• Fenders for your bike and raingear for your body will keep you dry.
• If you are at work, take transit or carpool to get home; ride home the next day.
• Take transit or drive if you don’t have the gear to ride comfortably in the rain.

9. The roads aren’t safe
• Obey traffic signs, ride on the right, signal turns, and stop at lights.
• Wear bright clothing.
• You are at no greater risk than driving a car.
• Wear a helmet every time you ride.

10. I have to run errands
• Bolt a rack to the back of your bike to add carrying capacity.
• Make sure that you have a lock to secure your bike while you are in a building.
• Allow extra time to get to scheduled appointments and find parking.
• Encourage your employer to provide a bicycle fleet for office use.

Have you ever looked out the window of your office and felt the urge to get away from all the cars and buildings, move out to the country, and live off the land; off the grid?

Well maybe that’s a bit extreme, but creating your own energy to lessen your burden on the planet certainly isn’t.  With the new nPower Personal Energy Generator you can create your own electricity simply by walking around.

The nPower PEG is a small cylinder that you plug your cell phone, MP3 player, GPS, or other small device into and carry vertically as you go about your daily routine.  The nPower uses a new “vibration harvesting technology” to turn the kinetic energy produced through everyday movement into electricity.  It’s not quite magic, but it’s close.

The best part is that charging your device doesn’t take long.  nPower states that “the PEG provides an 80% battery charge in one hour,” which is roughly the same as a wall outlet.  The device should hit the market soon and will retail for $149.00, not bad considering it will continue to produce energy for years as long as you keep moving.

So weather you’re like me, and want to move out to country and still be able to call Mom on Christmas, or just never want to have a dead battery in your cell phone again, check out the nPower PEG as a good source of personal, alternate energy.

In its Guide to Greener Electronics, Greenpeace recently called out HP, Lenovo and Dell–the world’s biggest PC makers– for their silent retreat on their commitments to eliminate PVC plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their products by the end of 2009.

According to Greenpeace, the latest public wake up call for the big three occurred on July 1, when activists returned ‘toxic laptops’ to the HP’s Chinese headquarters. This reminder is one of many that are keeping the pressure on the three companies as they attempt to skirt their commitment to greener PCs.

To provide a little background, “PVC contaminates humans and the environment throughout its lifecycle; during its production, use, and disposal it is the single most environmentally damaging of all plastics, and can form dioxin, a known carcinogen, when burned,” said the Greenpeace Web site. “BFRs are highly resistant to degradation in the environment and are able to bio-accumulate (build up in animals and humans) and can be released from products during use, leading to their presence in household dust and resulting in increased human exposure.”

Despite the facts, it is troubling that this is not the first time HP has tip-toed around their word. They made a similar resolution at the beginning of 2007, but by year-end were forced to postpone the announced transition until 2009. It now looks as though the nineteen-month buffer was not enough lag time to walk the walk.

Perhaps even more bewildering is the already proven recipe for success. Amid the hollow promises and irrefutable facts, the phasing out of the toxic substances has already been done… well. Apple’s new product lines have significantly cut down on PVC content and are entirely BFR-free.

Despite the proven transition (and Apple’s continued success), we are a little puzzled as to what the laggards are waiting for. I suppose what doesn’t have to be done today, can always be done tomorrow… add carcinogen free computers to the laundry list. It’ll get done… eventually.

Help us support Greenpeace in their effort to hold these manufacturers to their word. Take action: Twitter to send a message to the companies now.