Hasta La Ideas

Hydroelectric power is generated when moving water passes through turbines. And that goes for any kind of moving water, not just rivers. So the idea hatched by Leviathan Energy to use water moving through the sewer system could work, too. That means you could help power your house or community every time you flush the toilet. According to Tree Hugger (and Wired) Leviathan’s scalable turbine could be installed on a municipal system, or fitted to your own toilet to make use of the potential power just running down your drain. And if that is possible, why couldn’t a similar turbines be fitted to the water mains, letting us generate power from incoming water as well.brbr

Part of the Smart Stuff editorial team has suffered from a bad back for years. On occasion acute lumbago has had to be treated by our favorite chiropractor and plenty of acupuncture. Now, this ergonomically designed handle, an easy addition to straight-shaft tools, could have saved us on several occasions. By changing the position and angle of one’s grip, it helps reduce back strain, fatigue, and stress injuries caused by repetitive movements. Sounds like Gospel to us. The handle is made from ABS plastic, and it can be used on any long-handled tool, such as a rake, broom, shovel or mop. USD 9:95.brbr

This LED equipped pen is meant for pilots who may have to take notes during flights in the dark. Why they did not use a more night vision friendly red LED, we don’t know. The ink and the light in the pen can be used individually, so you can use it as a daylight pen or just as a flashlight if you like. It’s called the Pilot’s Pen, and it’s USD 20:- on Amazon.brbr

Making textile from bamboo does not seem to be any more strange than making clothes from wood. Yes, they do. The wood fiber is called viscose, and the fabric is very soft and nice to wear. Bamboo fiber is made in much the same way as viscose, but the bamboo has a lot of other nice properties, besides being soft. Here are some of them. Bamboo fiber absorbs perspiration and will not stick to your skin. It’s great ability to breath makes bamboo garments particularly comfortable in hot temperatures. They are also warm in cold weather. Bamboo is also naturally anti-bacterial and this makes bamboo clothing stay fresh and odor free longer. It is also anti-static, UV protecting and anti fungal. Bamboo is also considered environmentally friendly since it grows like wildfire, and does not require green thumbs to cultivate. To add to this, bamboo grows in many Third World countries that could well use the additional export revenue. We have a couple of bamboo (and bamboo-cotton mix) t-shirts and they really are comfortable. The only draw-back seems to be that they wrinkle very easily.brbr

The material used in these heat insulating emergency blankets is said to have been developed by NASA, to be used as heat insulation during space expeditions. But it can be put to a lot of other good uses besides space travel. At the scene of a car accident, for instance, you can often see injured or shocked people wrapped in blankets like these to preserve their body temperature. In less serious situations, the blanket is very handy when camping, and it makes an excellent sleeping bag liner. Made from water proof, wind proof and highly reflective (90 percent of body heat is reflected) Mylar fiber, they have one more interesting feature. They are just USD 5:- for a 4-pack on Amazon.brbr