UFBS (Ultra Fine Bubbles) and Nanoteragoup experiments

Ultrafine bubble are just one-billionth of a meter in diameter but they have amazing potential because recent scientific studies has shown that they are able to extend the freshness of raw seafood and promote crop and vegetation growth.

This innovative field of technology originates from Japan and its applications are very promising and highly experimental in the work of applicable nano sciences in water.

For example in the medical field the use of UFB's (short for Ultra Fine Bubbles) raises high expectations as research is now being focused on their ability to destroy bacteria and even viruses.

According to Nanoteragroup a company who specializes in developing the technique UFB's are shown effective in:

Helping the growth of aerobic microbes and decomposing sludge at water bottom. Removing bad stenches and even more exciting stimulating self purification to recover a clean water environment and improving the quality of water without destroying the water environment.

UFBs have also shown very effective in oxidation and reduction of organic compounds, in eliminating floating blue-green microbes (and thereby supplying oxygen to bottom water) and in resolving excess nutritious matter.

In laymans terms UFBs make it possible due to their ultra fine or small size to come in between the mass and the volume of other particles by changing the structure on the inside on a nanolevel; this results in a rearrangement of the available space and the waterbubbles breaking down the structural pattern of the bigger particle at its deepest core by filling it with UFBs.

Lifehack Finders Nice to Know: nano-size bubbles do not scatter visible light, making the water solution look transparent and have been confirmed to stay in a liquid for over six months.

Deveci Tech. The ENLIL Eco-smart Wind Turbine with Wi-Fi

The energy crises that faces us today and in the near future because of the depletion of exhaustible resources that are also destroying the ecosystem by generating carbon into our atmosphere , is a valid reason for great concern for the scientific world.

Finding a sustainable solution is something what the Deveci Techn. a company located in Turkey did by inventing ENLIL: a unique and eco-friendly energy generator.

In short ENLIL is a device; a windturbine with a smart vertical axis that draws wind energy from highways and transforms it into a usable powersource through creating electricity from the generated windforce. The turbine has built-in sensors and helps generate energy by using the winds created by passing vehicles as well as natural airstreams.

ENLIL provides a creative new way of thinking by placing the hybrud vertical axis wind turbine which has a solar panel on top, on highways, Metrobus lines, high rising buildings and onther transportation lines. It can contribute to becoming a real and practical solution to the crisis.

ENLIL wind turbines have a built-in IOT platform which measures the temperature, humidity, wind and CO2 levels of the environment where it is placed. These turbines are part of Smart technology and usable for the development and planning of Smart Citis and communities because they are multitasking pieces of technology that utilize existing infrastructure. By creating ENLIL, Deveci Tech. inspires to build smart cities of the future with a team of talented engineers and progressive environmentalists.

The recordings made by ENLIL can help predicte weather and it is also possible for the ENLIL device to provide relevant information in advance about seismic movement that may cause earthquakes, through it's earthquake monitoring station which is to a great advantage to earthquake sensitive areas.
Ecologically it is innovative in checking the carbon footprint by keeping close track of the CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

ENLIL is a smart device which can provide wireless internet. Users can access the information any time by downloading and installing the app on their mobile phone.

Lifehack Finders Nice to Know: a project likw ENLIL proofs that it is possible to think outside and come up with a clean, green and safe energy source. Enlil will soon launch its own mobile app to provide data about the readings recorded by the wind turbine.

1 Candle x 12 with Rekindle

Benjamin Shine must have had a momentous spark of true inspiration which lead him to make Rekindle: the candlestick holder which slowly but steadily turns into a brand new candle, as it burns and melts away.

Rekindle is a self-regenerative wax candle stick that consists of a tubular acrylic stem that holds and remolds the melting wax of the candle as it is burning into a second new candle.

As the wax accumulates inside the stem, it hardens around a strip of wick running through the center, as a result all you'll need is a new wick to recreate the original candle.

The recycled candle is however a little smaller, because every time it burns all the way through, the flame is generated by burning wax vapours.

Still the Rekindle lets you re-use your candles in the most effective way, up to 12 times!

Very useful during a cold season where extreme storms have been shutting down cities and especially in case of other emergencies where the electricity is off for an  uncertain period of time.

Lifehack Finders Nice to Know:

The designer can customize this item to your choice of stainless steel, anodized aluminum, or porcelain.

If you are interested in this please contact Benjamin Shine directly.

Hydaway collapsible bottle: fresh water, fresh environment

Designer Niki Singlaub made Hydaway not only for convenience, but was also inspired to contribute to the reduction of the waste of empty water bottles.

Every minute 90,000 plastic bottles are thrown away so by each one of us using a reusable container this amount can really be reduced significantly.

When you’re not using it; you can fold the Hydaway because it’s so incredibly compact and fits in any pocket, it collapses like an accordion to just over an inch high.

Hydaway is made of flexible, durable silicone that won’t interfere with water’s taste. By unscrewing the top you can also use it like a cup. It is very easy to use daily on the go: in traffic, at workplace, in school, on outings or at events or anywhere else.

Staying hydrated while traveling long distances by plane is very important,
but think of all the water bottles thrown out at airport security?

With this product in your pocket there is no more expensive bottled water purchases and inconvenient security screenings.

Travellers will love to know that you can also clip it to a backpack with the carry handle.

Needless to say that last but not least Hydaway is extremely handy for everyone with an active lifestyle of fitness, athletics and sports. Drinking and staying hydrated go hand in hand with perspiration but when you are out running, hiking or cycling or at the gym you need a practical, easy and light solution so you can move around and/or work out more easily and freely.

Lifehack Finders Nice to Know:

Hydaway can store up to 600 ml (21oz) in its food-grade silicone, but collapses to just over 3.2 cm (1.25in) in height when not in use and weighs only 6 ounces.

Hydaway is an eco-friendly, non-toxic, BPA-free hydration solution made of materials in various fun colours that are tested and certified safe: making it highly suitable for children.

It’s a high quality item: leak-proof, dishwasher safe, and the narrow base lets it fit in most cup holders.

Hydaway can be bought together with a travel case to protect the bottle.

New wind by trees made by 'New Wind' trees

After three years of research, the French company 'New Wind' has installed the first wind trees at Place de la Concorde in Paris.The team of developers installed a prototype in the Pleumeur-Bodou commune in Brittany in northwestern France.

'The idea came to me in a square where I saw the leaves tremble when there was not a breath of air,' said Jérôme Michaud-Larivière, founder of 'New Wind'

The 26ft trees are fitted with 63 aeroleaves. Tiny blades inside these 'leaves' can generate electricity in wind speeds as low as 4.5 mph regardless of the wind's direction.

The tree has the potential to generate 3,500 kWh to 13,500 kWh a year depending on the wind speed and the location of the tree.

This amount of wind generated energy could provide enough power to supply 15 street lamps, 83% of the electrical consumption of an average family household or one electrical car for 10,168 miles over the course of a year.

An average onshore wind turbine can produce more than 6 million kWh in a year - enough to supply 1,500 average EU households with electricity.

The tree shpuld be profitable after winds of 7.8 mph on average over 1 year.

The company's founder, Jérôme Michaud-Larivière, hopes the trees can be used to exploit small air currents flowing along buildings and streets, and could eventually be installed in people's backgardens and urban centre.

The trees are also silent, so sound pollution is a thing of the past, this is a great  improvement from previous wind turbine designs.

'New Wind' is hoping to expand this concept of clean energy throughout the country and abroad.

For the future Mr. Michaud-Larivière aspires to make an even better tree that has leaves with natural fibres, roots  and 'bark' covered with photosensitive cells. These will also be able to generate geothermal energy.


Lifehack Finders Nice to Know:

Similar inspiring and exciting future green concepts are highways (and other locations) enlightened by windturbines by TAK Studio.

And windkites that work with HAWP:
high altitude wind power. A project which is also promoted for crowdfunding at Indiegogo: Flying wind turbine

No salt please: Carbon Nano Tubes waterpurification

Together with Northeastern University researchers Lawrence Livermore scientists, have discovered and developed a new solution for future water scarcity caused by the ever increasing demands for fresh water by the growing global population.

They are called Carbon Nano Tubes or CNT for short. CTN are hollow structures made of carbon atoms in a unique arrangement with pores that can exclude salt from seawater.

Excisting water purification technologies can greatly enhance from the development of membranes with specialized pores which try to copy Nature's own extremely efficient and water selective biological proteins.

"We found that carbon nanotubes with diameters smaller than a nanometer bear a key structural feature that enables enhanced transport. The narrow hydrophobic channel forces water to translocate in a single-file arrangement, a phenomenon similar to that found in the most efficient biological water transporters," said Ramya Tunuguntla, co-author of a manuscript covering this topic in depth.

The big breakthrough achieved by the team was to use smaller-diameter nanotubes than they did before and this delivered the desired results.

"These studies revealed the details of the water transport mechanism and showed that rational manipulation of these parameters can enhance pore efficiency," said Meni Wanunu, a physics professor at Northeastern University and co-author on the study.

"Carbon nanotubes are a unique platform for studying molecular transport and nanofluidics," said Alex Noy, LLNL principal investigator on the Carbon Nano Tubes project and a senior author on the paper.

Lifehack Finders Nice to Know:

The nanotubes are more than 50,000 times thinner than a human hair. Their inner surface being super smooth is what makes for their exceptionally high water permeability, while the miniscule pore size blocks larger salt ions.

The manuscript referred to in this article appears in the Aug. 24 edition of Science.

Sunshine in your pocket meet the Window Socket

Up untill now there have been plenty solutions that act as a solar battery backup, but there have been none as a direct plug-in.

Up untill now..  because times are changing and here it is:

How it works?

This useful design by Kyuho Song & Boa Oh is called the Window Socket and is very simple to use: attach the plug to any window you like and the plug in does its job on its own.

Lifehack Finders Nice to Know: Easy to take with you and easy to use. This is a very handy must have item for backpackers and frequent  travellers.

Eco-Postcard, flowers inside a card

Looking for a original way to surprise someone you love? Not sure about sending a card or flowers to that special person? This idea is a perfect solution and it is called Eco-Postcard.

It is a beautiful 100% recycable card that comes with flower seeds within. It only takes some drops of water every day and as the plant starts to grow it can be taken out of the card without it or the card being damaged.

                     

The plant can then be transferred into another pot or vase. The card can be 100% personalized and customized making this a very special, thoughtful and personal way of communicating your feelings for someone while at the same time expressing your respect for life and nature. Sending someone your warm greetings or best wishes in this way makes it a unforgettable experience for the receiver of your Eco-Postcard.

This great innovative idea and green invention is of ABC Gadgets, Bologna, Italy, indeed a truly inspirational and naturally beautiful gift or gesture.

Lifehack Finders Nice to Know: There are different seasonal themes for cards like Valentine's day, Mothers day, Christmas cards and even Wedding invitations and congratulations.

Fine durable design, and solar power combined in new solar roof tiles by Tesla and SolarCity

An updated version of the energy-storing Powerwall is combined with camouflaged roof tiles, the Solar Roof and Powerwall 2 were shown during a Tesla event at Universal Studios in LA.

Made from glass and available in four styles, the panels are bringing ecological technology and modern design together because the cells are camouflaged by a coloured film.

The product named Powerwall 2, has twice as much energy and twice as much power as the first version and can provide enough energy to power a four-bedroom house for an entire day. In combination with the Solar Roof, it supplies 100% renewable energy for the home.

"It's never going to wear out, it's made of quartz, it has a quasi-infinite lifetime," Tesla founder Elon Musk said. To demonstrate this specific and interesting quality of the product, it was dropped on the floor before an audience during the presentation.

"We need to make solar panels as appealing as electric cars have become," said Musk. "The goal is to have solar roofs that look better than a normal roof."

Musk set the SolarCity and Tesla merge as an significant step in the development of an integrated solar panel and battery product based on the Powerwall.

Lifehackfinders Nice to Know:
The presentation took place at Universal Studios on the set of the popular tv series Desperate Housewifes which ended in 2012.
A series of the houses of the fictional Wisteria Lane were stripped of their old roofing materials after which they were replaced with one of four visiually similar styles.

Sweeping away the PET plastic bottles polution

A lot of countries nowadays are dealing with the pollution of piles of PET plastic bottles because not all of the produced PET bottles have container deposits. Many people just throw them away and they end up in the garbage. This excellent way of recycling the PET bottles can make a real and profitable difference. 

Lifehack finders Nice to Know: We love this idea and this video and think it would be great to have machines like this everywhere, where there is a pile or stack of these PET bottles. If you happen to be or know someone who is interested please share this video or leave a comment.

Brownfields redevelopment and fighting climate change

Ecologist have discovered that Brownfield sites (wasteland areas of stone and rubbish) could be of importance in the fight against climate change. Researchers found out that urban brownfield grounds have an significant amount of untapped potential to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, if the soil is managed properly.

Newcastle University's Dr. Goddard says: "The soil beneath our feet is a major reservoir for carbon. Our research shows that we mustn't neglect brownfield soils because they have huge potential for carbon capture via a process called 'carbonation'."

Carbonation is a process that combines calcium (which is abundant in brownfield soils that contain demolition waste such as concrete dust and lime) with atmospheric CO2 to form calcium carbonate (calcite). Organic carbon in large amounts which is locked away in peatlands have accumulated very slowly, where as inorganic carbon in calcite, can form very rapidly in the soils of brownfields, making them more useful in cutting down the level of atmospheric CO2.

The results of an earlier survey of 21 Brownfield sites across Tyneside and Teeside in UK were striking especially their discovery that one hectare of urban soil can sequester up to 85 tonnes of atmospheric carbon per year. "Scaling that up, appropriate management of less than 12,000 hectares of urban land to maximize calcite formation could remove 1 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year," explains Professor Manning of the SUCCESS project that performed this survey.

They SUCCES project team surveyed the areas' plant and animal life, as well as their potential for recreation, education and food production with promising results as they recorded more than 180 plant species on the 21 sites, according to Dr. Goddard a direct result of the inorganic carbonation.

Currently the team is engineering artificial soils to capture as much CO2 as possible, and through such experiments they are trying to find out which vegetation is best at channeling carbon from the atmosphere into the soil via the process of photosynthesis.

Their goal is to recommend designer plant communities to maximize carbonation as part of 'carbon capture gardens' urban green spaces that soak up CO2 as well as being places for recreational use and wildlife

Lifehack finders Nice to Know: If only 700,000 ha of the 1.7 million ha of urban land the UK has was managed proactively it could meet 10% of the UK's yearly CO2 reduction target. The UK's 23 million gardens occupy about 433,000 ha. If a carbon capture function was built in to just 1% of these gardens, a reduce of 300,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere per year would be possible, making this study and project a top ecological solution.

Solar multifunctional lantern by Mpowered, a flexible and beautiful light

Mpowered created a lightweight 100% solar LED lantern which has a see-through body making it a sight to see. The Luci runs for up to 12h on a 7h charge and is inflatable so it folds flat for easy packing, it is also submersible, floatable and drop-proof making it highly suitable for those with small children. It has a friendly and affordable price and is in long term a true money safer.

This beautiful light is also available in a colour changing variant.

Lifehack finders Nice to Know: this light saves you money but is also a great survival item since it provides light under water and does not break because of the flexible material, a great benefit of this light is the fact that you can take it anywhere so for smart backpackers or frequent outdoor travelers this is a must have!

Hydrophonics and urban skyfarming

Hydrophonics is the future of farming. Today any 13 year old can set up a system
that is not only friendly to the environment but can generate some nice and easy extra income as well, as food like fruit and vegetables are a necessity in life and growing it organically is still the hype in the farming industry.

There are many designs of structures that can support the hydrophonic method of gardening, including vertical towers called urban skyfarms.

These structures can double or triple the amount of the production because space is used more efficiently and there is no pollution because of the recycling process.

A simple system can be set up as well and can provide a small household with organically grown food as well as enough to share ot sell in neighbourhood as there is no competing for nutrients or pests and the supply is therefor usually very abundant.

This inspiring teenage girl tells how she got started with this new and clean way of farming and is currently making profit, owning her hydrophonic business.

Lifehack finders Nice To Know: we are planning on starting our own hydrophonics bussiness as well, and will provide you shortly with links and info regarding the aquirement of the materials necessary and more.