Nokia establishes stance on conflict minerals in formal policy
Recent weeks have seen a swell of interest in corporate responsibility, particularly with regard to technology manufacturing and supply chains. Last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook affirmed his company’s commitment to ethically and environmentally sound practices , evoking sentiments that were echoed today in a similar announcement from Nokia. Seizing the opportunity to establish some goodwill among socially conscious consumers, the Finnish manufacturer has just released a policy outlining its philosophy on conflict minerals — metals like gold, tungsten and tin that have played a direct role in fueling civil violence and unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo
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Nokia establishes stance on conflict minerals in formal policy
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Rolls Royce 102EX test drive, electric unicycle and a sun-powered leaf
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.
Electric vehicle momentum swept the states this week as Inhabitat took a spin in the new Rolls Royce 102EX Phantom EV, and we brought you exclusive photos of BMW’s brand new i3 and i8 electric cars. We also showcased six sexy electric vehicles set to hit the streets in 2012, watched a 350MPG EV win the Future Car Challenge, and saw scientists create the world’s smallest electric vehicle from a molecule and four motors. Meanwhile, El Al airlines announced plans to launch a line of hybrid-electric Boeing 737 airplanes, Ryno unveiled a crazy electric unicycle, and a team of students revealed Uganda’s first electric car.
It was a big week for alternative energy as well as Kenya announced plans to tap lava power with a newly Toshiba-built geothermal energy plant and scientists made a breakthrough in using urine as a viable power source. We also looked into a scientist claiming to have achieved cold fusion, a ‘solar cucumber‘ that harvests fresh drinking water from the ocean, and a sun-powered leaf capable of making ice in the desert.
In other news, green textiles advanced by leaps and bounds as scientists wove fabric from 24-karat gold, researchers developed a reusable fabric that administers drugs through the skin, and the University of Kiel’s developed a super-adhesive tape inspired by Gecko skin. We also showcased an incredible set of sculptures made from recycled circuit boards, we watched a crop of styrofoam robots invade Germany’s streets, and we saw an innovative self-powered irrigation system win the 2011 James Dyson award. And just in time for the chilly winter season, we found these oh-so-handy texting gloves which feature conductive fingertips that allow you to touch, tap, or type on any mobile touchscreen outdoors without having to remove your gloves.
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Rolls Royce 102EX test drive, electric unicycle and a sun-powered leaf originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Rolls Royce 102EX test drive, electric unicycle and a sun-powered leaf
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.
Electric vehicle momentum swept the states this week as Inhabitat took a spin in the new Rolls Royce 102EX Phantom EV, and we brought you exclusive photos of BMW’s brand new i3 and i8 electric cars. We also showcased six sexy electric vehicles set to hit the streets in 2012, watched a 350MPG EV win the Future Car Challenge, and saw scientists create the world’s smallest electric vehicle from a molecule and four motors. Meanwhile, El Al airlines announced plans to launch a line of hybrid-electric Boeing 737 airplanes, Ryno unveiled a crazy electric unicycle, and a team of students revealed Uganda’s first electric car.
It was a big week for alternative energy as well as Kenya announced plans to tap lava power with a newly Toshiba-built geothermal energy plant and scientists made a breakthrough in using urine as a viable power source. We also looked into a scientist claiming to have achieved cold fusion, a ‘solar cucumber‘ that harvests fresh drinking water from the ocean, and a sun-powered leaf capable of making ice in the desert.
In other news, green textiles advanced by leaps and bounds as scientists wove fabric from 24-karat gold, researchers developed a reusable fabric that administers drugs through the skin, and the University of Kiel’s developed a super-adhesive tape inspired by Gecko skin. We also showcased an incredible set of sculptures made from recycled circuit boards, we watched a crop of styrofoam robots invade Germany’s streets, and we saw an innovative self-powered irrigation system win the 2011 James Dyson award. And just in time for the chilly winter season, we found these oh-so-handy texting gloves which feature conductive fingertips that allow you to touch, tap, or type on any mobile touchscreen outdoors without having to remove your gloves.
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Rolls Royce 102EX test drive, electric unicycle and a sun-powered leaf originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPad 2 gets an $8 million Cretaceous makeover with dino bones, diamonds and gold
In case you weren’t aware, Apple’s sold a whole lot of iPad 2s, so aside from the couple of bezel color choices or adding a Smart Cover, there’s not much you can do to make your tablet stand out from the crowd. Well, now there’s another option for the well-heeled gadget lover. Stuart Hughes is back with another custom gadget for the economic elites called the iPad 2 Gold History Edition. It’s got a solid gold backside, an Apple logo and home button crafted from a total of 65 flawless diamonds, plus a bezel crafted from Ammolite rock and slivers of thigh bone from a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Between all that ice and prehistoric bling, there won’t be a problem picking this iPad out of a lineup. What is a problem (for most of us, anyway) is the price: eight million dollars. We dig the dino look and all, but that’s an awfully hefty entrance fee — we’d rather buy a stock slate and take a few dozen trips to the final frontier instead.
iPad 2 gets an $8 million Cretaceous makeover with dino bones, diamonds and gold originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
There is now a $4.6 million Tata Nano made of gold
There are people who ask why, and people who ask why not — and yet others who decide to turn a $2,500 car into a $4.6 million car by covering it with gold and jewels. Yes, that’s none other than a lowly Tata Nano in an extravagant disguise that you’re looking at, and, yes, it’s very much real — and apparently for sale if anyone’s interested, according to the Tata jewelery subsidiary responsible for it (at least once it’s done touring it around for a few months). Head on past the break for a video of the unveiling from ITN.
[Image credit: Megha Bahree / The Wall Street Journal]
Continue reading There is now a $4.6 million Tata Nano made of gold
There is now a $4.6 million Tata Nano made of gold originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sony’s golden NINOKUNI ‘Magical Edition’ PlayStation 3 heads for Japan, Criss Angel’s mind
Not that Sony’s PlayStation 3 hasn’t been touched by Midas before, but this is the first time we’ve seen the new(ish) form factor doused in such official fashion. Per usual, it’ll be the homeland that’s treated to the NINOKUNI Magical Edition PS3 console, a decidedly wizard-approved bundle that’ll include a copy of Ni No Kuni. The only edition available will boast a 160GB hard drive, a single Dual Shock controller and a glorious icon on the lower-left of the machine. It’ll be available in Japan this November for ¥33,780 ($440), but only in “limited quantities.” So much for magic that lasts forever, huh?
Sony’s golden NINOKUNI ‘Magical Edition’ PlayStation 3 heads for Japan, Criss Angel’s mind originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Nokia Oro is covered with 18ct gold on the outside, tinged with Symbian regret inside
Nokia has just unveiled a strange new beast of a smartphone. Internally, it’s your good old C7 — 3.5-inch AMOLED screen, 720p video recording, 8 megapixel camera, a pentaband radio, and Symbian as your zombie OS — but externally it’s taken on a lick of gold paint and a rear cover made of real leather. The price for a phone built quite so luxuriously is said to be upwards of €800 ($1,126) before taxes and subsidies and launch is expected in Q3 in select countries across Europe and Asia. Russia in particular is called out as a successful market for such “premium” phones, with Nokia’s Gabriel Speratti, General Manager for its operations in the country, explaining that:
“We have a large number of users who are looking for products with a build quality and superior materials that attest to their success and social standing. In some areas, possession of such premium products is the passport to being taken seriously.”
We have to agree, owning a phone like this will certainly have an effect on your social life, we’re just not so sure it’ll be a positive one.
Nokia Oro is covered with 18ct gold on the outside, tinged with Symbian regret inside originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 05:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Harry Winston’s Opus Eleven watch: mechanical masterpiece / bank breaker (video)
It’s been a while since we gave Harry Winston’s Opus watch any play, but some timepieces are just too lavish to pass up. Case in point: the Opus Eleven, designed by temporal taste-maker Denis Giguet of MCT. Aesthetically speaking, it’s probably a touch too steampunk for some, but the way it tells time is straight up fascinating. Giguet points out the movement enlists 566 parts, a good deal of which are exposed in the main face — the center piece displays the hour, while the upper right disc shows off the minutes. Now, it might look like a relatively minimal watch for Harry Winston, but its case is made of 18k white gold and sapphire crystal, and the Opus Eleven’s definitely got a Winston-worthy price tag, ringing in at about $250,000. So if you’ve got a quarter of a mill just laying around, this is a definite contender for that stack of cash. Want to see all those tiny pieces in action? Check out the video after the break.
Continue reading Harry Winston’s Opus Eleven watch: mechanical masterpiece / bank breaker (video)
Harry Winston’s Opus Eleven watch: mechanical masterpiece / bank breaker (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motorola hands out gold Xooms to Oscar hosts, nominees
Motorola hands out gold Xooms to Oscar hosts, nominees originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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X-10 Mini, Mini Pro now in color — outside looks better than inside
Sony Ericsson has announced earlier this month that the X10 Mini, and the X10 Mini Pro will soon be available in new colors. The Mini, (right) will be available with a gold shell, while the Mini Pro (left) will feature a pink sliding case. I’ll tell anyone within earshot that I’m not 100 percent sure I like the trend to giant phones, and these sure do look nice. Too bad they only updated the case colors — both the Mini and Mini Pro still run Android 1.6.
For what it’s worth, the new colors should be available next month, and an update to Android 2.1 sometime before hell freezes over in Q4 of this year. SE — we love your phones. They feel great, and have excellent call quality. Please realize that we Android fans need the OS updates more than we need food, and make phones that look this hot run a current version of the software! [SEMC blog]
Posted originally at Android Central
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