The Greener Gadgets Conference (PHOTOS): 10 Notable Gadgets Of The Future

Each year, the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York awards the most innovative product concepts out there in terms of energy efficiency and sustainable design. The competition this year included everything from a mobile phone food app to an automan/sound system. According to Treehugger, the judges were not as impressed by certain gadgets that didn't necessarily make our lives more sustainable, but just added more stuff to our lives.

Take a look-- which designs do you think are most useful, and which are extraneous?

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AUG/Living Goods Program (WINNER)

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This mobile phone app instead really a gadget, but it still managed to steal the show. It scans product barcodes, automatically giving you information on its producer, how far the food has traveled, whether its in season, historical pricing, detailed consumer ratings and your own purchasing history.

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This mobile phone app instead really a gadget, but it still managed to steal the show. It scans product barcodes, automatically giving you information on its producer, how far the food has traveled, whether its in season, historical pricing, detailed consumer ratings and your own purchasing history.

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Total comments: 29 | Post a Comment

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Top Green Gadgets

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Unnecessary Genius!

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Comments

[BobRoberts1953]

10:40 PM on 03/01/2010

Turn the problem around. Every time you stop a coil in the highway pulse charges an ultra-capacitor in your car, which then charges your battery. A meter keeps track of how much you charged and every few weeks you go pay it off (or it quits working). Longer coils let you charge at high speed. Combine that with a 200 mile battery and we ore free of gas for cars. Still got to make the electricity though.

[taxpayertoo]

10:13 PM on 03/01/2010

I had the idea once to put large coils over highways. When a car passed through, electricity would be produced. Then a doctor friend pointed out it would wreak havoc with pacemakers, possibly producing heart failure.

[Brighid Rose]

09:32 PM on 03/01/2010

why can't I find that app in the apple store? anybody else have any luck? would love that when grocery shopping!!

[JustLucky]

03:12 AM on 03/02/2010

Strange how vague the article was. That might be a Droid - but here's a YouTube on one for iPhone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_hFGsmx_6k
Google for info - you'll probably find more.

[emerson7]

09:19 AM on 03/24/2010

teh iphone doesn't have a camera to scan barcodes.

[Borys Rzonca]

07:00 PM on 03/01/2010

I especially love the last one. Very progressive idea :] I come from a small developing nation and we had simple analogue versions of that for water, gas and electricity since I remember. I was really baffled when I realized that they don't have them here in California. The simplest way to make people conserve energy is by showing them how much of it they use in real time. No wonder US consumes 40% of world resources.

[LindyK]

04:41 PM on 03/01/2010

I can see a tooth or worse coming out after coming in contact with Rocco's horns. Hard objects a no-no 'round kids.

[DemoGoddes]

03:59 PM on 03/01/2010

We could capture tons of kinetic energy around our homes every day. I'm not an engineer, but there is energy in our movements around our homes that could be used to provide us with power. It doesn't need to be some gimmicky gizmo with limited applications. We could boost our household current saving fossil fuels and $$$$.

[JCCross]

03:45 PM on 03/01/2010

Where can I buy that tent!

[Sam418]

03:04 PM on 03/01/2010

I've never understood why things like treadmills and stationary bikes couldn't be rigged to produce electricity that is stored for the home. Businesses like Gyms should NEVER have to pay for electricity. All that power, motion and activity just going to waste. I mean... if working out could save you money while you get in shape, think how healthier we'd all be. It might be just enough incentive to get people to work out at home.

[NinjaWolfHybrid]

02:17 PM on 03/01/2010

No. 10 - energy hub dashboard would do more than any of the others to help the environment, it should have been the winner, produce scanner could have been #2.

[ptobe]

12:59 PM on 03/01/2010

There should be two main categories here: real gadgets and concepts (which some of these obviously are).

[NinjaWolfHybrid]

02:17 PM on 03/01/2010

I agree - only consumer-ready products should have been considered.

[Suntio]

02:36 PM on 03/01/2010

I agree, also. Include only stuff that we can buy today or in the very neat future.

[sve]

08:10 PM on 03/01/2010

There was only one entrant that actually produced real energy. It was not among the top 10. It was that 30W bike generator rollergen. www.greenergadgets.com/index.php/design-competition/

[mp299805]

12:53 PM on 03/01/2010

I thought the point of camping was to get back to the basics and enjoy nature? I guess a tent like that would accomplish that.

[soitgoes12]

05:56 PM on 03/01/2010

You don't ever need a light in your tent? Really?

[Jpwill]

12:46 PM on 03/01/2010

Some of these are cool, some are completely pointless. For me the best gadgets are solar powered and actually have a real point. Some can even be the difference between life and death

http://www.greenexplorer.ovi.com/getinspired/africa/explore-a-solar-world/

Otherwise, they're just so much extra junk

[Y3rMawm]

12:08 PM on 03/01/2010

Solar tent? I can just see it now.

Mr. bear could you hold off gnawing on my head until DWTS is over?

[jsijason]

11:34 AM on 03/01/2010

These are some great ideas. I really like the turbine on the lamp and the solar tent.

[nolabels]

11:04 AM on 03/01/2010

That tent looks so cool.