Most people have various artworks in their homes. They could be originals or copies, paintings or prints or even simply photos or paperwork, embroidered samplers and other display items. Frames are usually made of wood, though you may also get them in acrylics and metals. An artwork, when accessorized with the right frame, looks even better. Mike Bruckman, an artist, found that traditional frames were very expensive and so set out to design something which was better and cheaper.

He used his knowledge of lighting technologies which he had incorporated into making piano keys. Using new technology he first made a frame which lit up, thus making the painting or artwork more attractive. Then he thought it would be better if the light would shine on the art.

So he went back to the drawing board and designed the GloFrame, which lights up the painting, is lightweight, inexpensive and made of a durable composite material which is eco-friendly. “It makes the display of the object a transformational and interactive experience,” he said. “It adds a new depth and dimension to art or a photograph,” he said.

Currently he has filed a patent for the frame and the new technology he has used. He is custom making the frames on order and looking for partners for the manufacturing process. There is a vast target market including artists, art galleries, homes, restaurants, clubs, hotels, offices – in fact anybody or any place that displays art.

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Air conditioners are a necessity in many parts of the world because of the heat and humidity. While air conditioners have gotten more efficient, with thermostat controls which can be powered by a remote, and quieter, they still consume a great deal of electricity; power is expensive and does not come from a renewable source. Then again, air conditioners are also not cheap.

Coolerado has come out with an air conditioner which is environmentally friendly and uses electricity very economically, while giving great cooling. It is so good that it has already won an award for Excellence in Renewable Energy from the Governor of Colorado. The units do not have a compressor (the most expensive part of an air conditioner) and have only one motor to run a fan.

This eco-friendly air conditioner is different from both an air conditioner and a cooler. And air conditioner works by circulating the air over a chemical refrigerant and then throwing it into a room. A cooler works by mixing the air with cold water and/or ice and then dispersing it into a room, increasing the humidity as well – that is why it works better in areas where there is dry climate.

The Coolerado, however, removes heat from the air and does not take in extra heat from the air either. Though it uses water, the water does not mix with air and add to humidity. This unit can also run on solar energy, if you attach solar panels.
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Shoveling snow is a thankless but necessary task. With the cold front and excessive snowfall in many parts of the world, removing the snow from the driveway is imperative. Sometimes, the simple implements to use for this purpose are the most eco-friendly. The SnowBow is one such device which is easy to use and very affordable as well.

It has a story behind it: when John Mosher, an industrial designer, was snowed in his house in Massachusetts three years ago, he took is snow blower to clear the snow. But it broke down and he thought there should be an easier way to remove snow. So he sat and designed this SnowBow which is easy to use and is ergonomically designed so it uses less effort and does not cause injuries.

It was not easy as he took three years to come out with a prototype which is now available for sale. It has a long handle made of thin light-weight PVC clamped to a wide shovel, which adds leverage to the user’s weight during use. It reduces back strain and fatigue and is durable as well.

Most people are woken up by shrill or musical sounds from their alarm clocks and/or phones. If you have a fixed time schedule, your body may learnt to set its own body clock, but you will still need a back-up for any time you may over sleep. Most alarms have a snooze button and so it is easy to hit it and go back to sleep. Some clocks simply ring till their stop button is hit and then you can sleep as long as you like – with disastrous results.

Now what if you had a pillow which is going to shake you awake? It would certainly remind you of the times when your parents did the same! The Alarm Clock Pillow concept from Seung Jun Jeong will vibrate till you get up and start your day.

It will come with a tab which can be adjusted to set how many hours you want to sleep (not the time you need to wake up as alarms do). However, the die-hard sleeper can get round this just by throwing the pillow to another side of the bed or even on the floor. Another problem is that it may take some getting used to. If your head starts vibrating along with the pillow, you may end up feeling nauseous or think there is an earthquake. And you will still need to know the time.

How is this eco-friendly you may well ask? Quite simply it can do away with the all the plastics, metals and other components used to make alarm clocks and replace your pillow as well. It might not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about an eco-friendly product, but it definitely has its plus points as far as that side of things are concerned.

The EcoSmart Fire Scope is a fireplace which is environmentally friendly and heats up to 500 sq. ft. of space. With heating becoming a necessity with decreasing winter temperatures, and heating using either high power intake or consuming wood as fuel, this becomes another option to heat up your home.

The Fire Scope has been designed to fit in a hearth, look stylish and generate heat using eco-friendly fuel denatured ethanol. It is made of rust-treated steel and has a black Teflon coating which is a good background for red and yellow flames.

The new Fire Scope 700 has a modern design, which can be used in any old fire place as well. You do get different models so you can have your pick of one that suits your requirements. It gives you the convenience, light and heat of a fire and helps you reduce the carbon footprint as well.

With the onset of winter comes snow and snow needs to be removed. While there are many different snow removers in the market, most of them use gas and are not eco-friendly. Old fashioned shovels, when used, often cause strain and back injuries.

The Sno Wovel, manufactured by Structured Solutions II, is a wheeled contraption which is better than a snow blower or shovel. As it moves on wheels it takes the strain off the back and is easy to use. It can be used in all kinds of snow conditions and actually works faster than a snow blower, while being environmentally friendly.

It is zero emission since you have to operate it manually and requires very little effort. The Sno Wovel scoops the snow as you are walking and then you just have to take to wherever you are piling up the snow and with the push of a lever, it is thrown to one side.

It has an over-sized wheel and works on the see-saw principle of leverage. It is adjustable to body height and size. And it does not take up much space as it can be folded and kept away when not in use.

Recycling and reusing are two of the buzzwords of being eco-friendly. Added to this is reduce and you have the log maker. It does all three. It recycles newspaper and puts it to good reuse and it reduces consumption of wood for fire. Considering that the weather is just on the verge of turning into winter, log fires are a great way to heat up the house, besides providing the warmth and light of fire as well. And you can use the logs in a wood burning stove or barbecue as well.

With the log maker you can reuse the newspapers and other paper in your house to make logs. And you can add other stuff you might throw away, including cardboard and paper packaging materials, wood shavings and even junk mail and used envelopes.

The log maker is not too difficult to use and you can actually involve the whole family in making logs. You merely have to make a roll of newspaper and put it inside the cylinder and smoothen it with the plunger. Then you can put in all your dry waste products, which will burn. Compress the whole thing and eject, and fold or twist the ends together. Each log should burn for about an hour. If you add some aromatics to the log while making it, you will get fragrant heat.

Think of old-style window shutters – don’t they look nice? These shutters not only look good, they actually save money on utility bills. They are an extremely innovative idea – the shutters have solar panels on them to harness the sun’s energy. This is then turned to electricity, which goes back to the home’s electric system, with a simple plug.

The more windows with solar powered shutters, the more electricity bills will be less and power saved. A simple idea thought of by father and son duo of Dan and David Curran, this design is currently under patent process.

These plug and play window shutters are environmentally friendly not only because they harness solar power and save on electricity bills, but also because the are handcrafted in bamboo. The shutters are also finished with paints and stains that do not contain toxic volatile organic chemicals.

The shutters block sunlight, making the house naturally cooler. And they gather solar energy to feed the power used in the home. Very useful in all places in the world which get sunlight. Perhaps we will not have to rely on external power so much for everything.

There are many different types of radiator boosters in the market and you should definitely get one, which suits your requirements. We are talking of significant gains in terms of heat and so power saving as well, which means more money in your pocket. The Radiator Booster mk2 uses a fan to spread the heat more efficiently.

When it is cold outside, you love coming in to a warm home. But heating bills are high. This is where the radiator booster comes in. It is simple to use – it simply has to be put on top of your existing radiator. The booster takes the heat, which would otherwise be wasted into the walls and fans it into your room.

As it comes with a thermostat, it works even more efficiently and does not use power when it does not need to. However, it can only be used with conventional radiators. You cannot use it with oil filled radiators, electric storage radiators, or electric convection radiators, nor should it be used in damp and humid conditions.

While eco-aware consumers may think that the radiator booster itself uses energy and resources during its manufacture, but the manufacturers say that the savings in power offset the carbon footprint of the product. Plus it is fully recyclable, adding to its eco-friendliness.

Adhesives are used in all kinds of items. But have you ever thought of the chemicals which into the making of these various adhesives? Almost all of them are harmful to the environment. The adhesives, which are used for making furniture, give off fumes, which can cause breathing difficulties, watering of the nose and eyes and even skin irritation. As such, a non-chemical adhesive that is eco-friendly and made of soy is welcome.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had developed a strong adhesive, which is made of soy flour and eliminates the use of carcinogenic substances like formaldehyde which is released from plywood, particle board and other wood-type products, used for furniture. This then makes the furniture more eco-friendly as well.

Though earler petrol based adhesives were used, petrochemical-based ones replaced these because they were cheaper and stronger. Environmental concerns have caused the re-emergence of protein-based adhesives. Newer technologies have helped made the eco-friendly soy adhesives more durable.

Currently the product is still under further refinement so that it is as strong as the petrochemical adhesives. This will help green the environment and also result in lessening of health problems associated with petrochemical adhesives