Eco

Here's something different. A new portable speaker was just announced, OrigAudio, "The Origami of Audio" (as the company says). These unique speakers are collapsible, self-powered and made of recycled material – great for the environmentally conscious. They plug into any headphone jack and fold flat enough to put away in a laptop bag or backpack when not in use.

Even better, they retail for only $16, and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Music National Service. You can even custom design your own speakers! I haven't had the opportunity to test the sound out on these yet, but hey, at just $16, what do you have to lose?

You can get more information on the speakers and see them in action at www.origaudio.com.

Scosche on Thursday announced the availability of its "green" solCHAT handsfree speakerphone. The device features an integrated solar panel that keeps the solCHAT's battery charged.

For added safety, it has a Voice announce caller ID that tells you the phone number of incoming calls, so you can know whether to take (or avoid) the call while keeping your eyes on the road.

The solCHAT has a simple three button design (volume up, volume down, and answer/hang-up) and automatic cell phone pairing. It doesn't get much easier than that.

The speakerphone comes with a USB charging cable and car adaptor for charging at night and on overcast days. A windshield suction cup mount and sun visor clip is also included.

The SolCHAT is available at Best Buy stores, www.bestbuy.com and www.scosche.com for just $99.99. It is coming soon to other major retailers.

Sprint just announced that on August 16 the Samsung Reclaim will be available at retail stores and online at www.sprint.com. The eco-friendly Reclaim is made from 80 percent recyclable materials and will sell for only $50 (with a two-year agreement and after a $30 instant rebate and a $50 mail-in rebate). $2 of the proceeds will benefit The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program, which supports land conservation across the United States.

The Reclaim features a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 2 megapixel camera with 3x digital zoom and camcorder, Sprint Navigation, stereo Bluetooth, integrated web browser, and expandable memory storage up to 32GB. It also includes One Click, a customizable user interface for access to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

The Samsung Reclaim will be available August 16th in two colors – Earth Green and Ocean Blue.

Find out more information on Sprint's green initiative at www.sprint.com/green.

Just released this summer, the EZ Grill is a portable, disposable, all-in-one BBQ that is recyclable. It comes complete with the foil pan, grill grate, stand and 100% natural charcoal -- no chemicals, fillers or additives -- for grilling on-the-go. And best of all, it's priced at only $4.99 for the regular size (1.81 lbs) and $9.99 for the party size (3.31 lbs).

The EZ Grill lights with just one match, cooks for up to 1 ½ hours and is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). All the materials are completely recyclable, even the packaging, metal grate, stand and charcoal – which gives you natural flavor without additives, chemicals and fillers you find in traditional charcoal. EZ Grill's all-natural ingredients include carbon from rice, corn and wheat stalks, corn starch for binding and mineral oil for ignition.

For more information on the EZ Grill visit www.ezgrill.com.

The ViewSonic VPC100 All-in-One PC features an affordable, slim (35mm thin), eco-friendly design. The VPC100 is ideal for every lifestyle – from home and office settings, to call centers, libraries, school computer labs and any location where space is limited.

Equipped with an Intel Atom 1.64GHz processor, Microsoft Windows XP Home and an 18.5-inch display (16:9), the VPC100 is a resourceful desktop computing solution.

The VPC100 stays eco-friendly by offering one unit instead of two (a monitor and a tower PC), the VPC100 All-in-One uses about 50% less plastic for reduced waste. Additionally, the device requires about 45% less power than a traditional computing set.Read more

ViewSonic has just announced the new PJD6211, PJD6221 and PJD6381 flexible, eco-friendly projectors with enhanced 3D display capabilities. These projectors are ideal for classroom, corporate and gaming audiences as they come equipped with advanced network management capabilities, multiple inputs and 120Hz refresh compatibility for a truly immersive 3D experience.

The PJD6381 DLP projector features:

• One of the shortest throw ratios available for a DLP projector on the market, with a ratio of .68
• 1024x768 XGA resolution
• 2,500 ANSI lumens
• 2,500:1 contrast ratio
• 120Hz refresh rate as the projector is compatible with the two leading stereoscopic 3D technologies from Texas Instruments (DLP Link) and NVIDIA (3D-Vision)
• RJ45 network management software included
• The PJD6381 will be available in August 2009 with an MSRP of $1,249.

The Maingear Pulse is a small form factor PC with dimensions of 7.6- x 8.3- x 11.4-inches. Maingear claims that the Pulse is the greenest gaming PC ever. It comes equipped with an Ion GPU and selection of Core 2 Duo CPUs, up to 8GB of RAM, a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD and an 80+ certified 300-watt power supply.

However, if you want a little bit more performance, you can opt to get a GeForce 9800 GT ECO, which uses 40% less power than the standard 9800 GT. The Pulse is also WiFi capable and you have the option of adding a Blu-ray drive or TV tuner.

The Maingear Pulse is currently shipping at $799. Check out the full press release here.