I was digging through an old copy of Popular Science magazine and discovered a review for the Samsung Reclaim M560 cell phone. This Earth Green Samsung Reclaim is, well Green. (Or you can get the Samsung Reclaim Blue – but I’m going somewhere with this so hold your pants) Samsung is following the lead of other tech gadget companies and going green.

The Reclaim is made from 80% recyclable materials and even sports a case made from 40% corn instead of petroleum – so if you have a corny sense of humor (oops did I just say that?) you’ll have bragging rights, and a great conversation starter.

Best news though is that you can get the Samsung Reclaim for cheap – only one penny at Amazon! (well ok you have to get a new service contract but isn’t that how it always works.) There are plenty ‘o Samsung Reclaim for sale for cheap on eBay of course but you’ll have to fight for ‘em.

Bottom line though is how does the Reclaim compare to other non eco-friendly cell phones? Pretty well based on some of the reviews I’ve looked through. Here’s the basics:

Pros:
The battery life is awesome – very energy efficient
Very clean menus and navigation
Fast internet and bluetooth compatible
Easily customizable quick link buttons (Facebook, Google Maps, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube etc…)
Plenty of Samsung Reclaim accessories
And best of all of course is that it is Eco-Friendly!

Cons:
Qwerty keyboard is small so if you have big hands it may take some getting used to
The GPS feature only works with Sprint Navigation
Some have complained the LCD is fragile

If you dig eco-friendly products and want to give this green beauty a try take a peak below for a cheap Samsung Reclaim for sale from eBay or if you need a service plan your best bet is to get one for a penny on Amazon.

I was spelunking in South America just this morning, I had my trusty high powered flashlight packed and ready for use when I heard the distinctive screech of an awakened and very thirsty colony of Desmodus rotundus, that’s vampire bats to those not familiar with these fierce man eating creatures. (ok they aren’t man eating but work with me here it’s my story and I’m sticking to it)

I reached for my trusty Maglite to protect myself with its hot bright glow to throw off the specialized thermoreceptors on the bats nose, only to find to my horror the Energizers were dead – as I soon would be too if I didn’t find another means of escape.

Fortunately for me I had planned ahead – I reached for my PowerGenix NiZN rechargeable batteries loaded my Maglite like a wild west gunslinger and blasted myself out of trouble faster than you can say Environmentally friendly 100% recyclable 30% more powerful PowerGenix Rechargeable AA Batteries!

Well, ok fine you caught me, I wasn’t spelunking in South America surrounded by hungry vampire bats this morning but I was trying out some very cool new rechargeable batteries from PowerGenix. These Nickel-Zinc (NiZN) batteries claim to be 30% more powerful than Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries and equivalent to standard 1.5v disposable alkaline batteries. That simply wasn’t true – the nickel-zinc batteries hands down beat out the name brand alkaline batteries as well!

I did a side by side comparison with two of the same flashlights one loaded with a fresh package of Energizer Max alkaline batteries and one with PowerGenix Nickel-Zinc rechargeable batteries (freshly charged in the included 1.5 hour quick charger (which took closer to 3 hrs for the first time charging) – the PowerGenix batteries were brighter and had a larger light radius than the Energizers. I even switched the batteries between the flashlights to make sure there wasn’t a difference and the PowerGenix still came out ahead.

The next round of tests matched up the PowerGenix NiZN rechargeable batteries against Energizer 2500 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries and this is when the PowerGenix really shined – yes pun intended. While I’m not sure without using a light meter the difference was at least the claimed 30% brighter (probably more like 31.475% but I’m just guessing). I didn’t have time to test my Duracell rechargeable batteries since Brandi claimed the NiZN batteries right quick for her camera.

The only downside to my cool rechargeable battery review experiment and negative mark against the PowerGenix batteries was when the plastic cover on the battery scraped against a sharp edge in the flashlight and tore. Possibly a rare fluke but my new toy now has an imperfection.

Popular Science magazine honored these PowerGenix Nickel-Zinc batteries with a Best of What’s New Award in the Gadgets category recently and I can see why – they are the best rechargeable batteries I’ve tried so far. I only wish I had my old digital camera that refused to work with standard batteries – I’m guessing I could have used that camera for a few more years powered by PowerGenix Nickel-Zinc rechargeable batteries – or perhaps I really will tackle those Desmodus rotundus after all as long as I have my new PowerGenix batteries.

“Nickel-Zinc is the most recyclable battery chemistry on the market. Unlike many other materials, both nickel and zinc can be recycled again and again while maintaining their physical and chemical properties. Plus the zinc electrode contains no lead, cadmium or mercury.

PowerGenix batteries are certified as recyclable by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Coalition (RBRC), a nonprofit public service organization dedicated to recycling rechargeable batteries. The batteries can be recycled at more than 50,000 RBRC collection sites in the U.S. and Canada.”

I encountered my first bamboo towels nearly 5 months ago, strolling around the gift shop of an exotic Chinese Garden in Vancouver Canada. The bamboo fabric was remarkably soft – so soft in fact I was determined to buy it then and there despite the high price tag of around $70.

I have always been a soft towel nut; unfortunately, my experience with cotton has always been a disappointment. I’ve been told, “you have to wash them on cold if you want them to stay soft,” but then on the other hand, I have been told, “you have to wash them on hot if you want them to get clean.” And so in a relatively short time, those super soft cotton towels on display at the store become just average ordinary boring towels. Some people try to get around this dilemma using fabric softener – but I just can’t bring myself to douse my towels in chemicals. No, I needed another solution-and discovering bamboo towels seemed to be it.

My bamboo towels have remained silky and soft like chenille despite dozens of washings. Yet there is more to make me love bamboo towels than silky softness. I also adore that bamboo is naturally antibacterial. Unlike cotton, I haven’t had the need to wash my bamboo towels with vinegar to remove bad odors, because there aren’t any!

Unfortunately, I’ve recently learned there is a downside to that soft textile. Bamboo itself is extremely fast growing which makes it one of the most Eco-friendly sustainable plants available – however, some of the chemicals used to make bamboo into soft clothing and towels can be quite hazardous to the environment and possibly even your health. Chemical solvents like sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide may be combined with bleaching which is not a very Eco-friendly thing to do, and is typically known as the Bamboo Viscose Rayon method.

Some companies have begun manufacturing bamboo using the less toxic Bamboo Lyocell method, which I will be on the lookout for next time I need a new bamboo towel. I still think my bamboo towels are the best and its delicious softness is something you must experience for yourself. You don’t even need to travel to an exotic Chinese Garden in Vancouver Canada to do so. Amazon has a fine selection of bamboo towels like these from Think Bamboo on sale for considerably less than the $70 bamboo towels I splurged on.

Review: Lights of America 40 watt LED Accent Lights
Bottom line… Thumbs way Down

• 3-Pack LED Torpedo Lights
• Small Base, 30,000 Hour Life
• Uses 1.5 watts (40 watt replacement)
• Package of 3 saves up to $348
• Warm White, Mercury Free

Well eco friends after a fun and exciting holiday (and a move into a new home – I don’t recommend doing this during the holiday season – nor when it is extremely cold out – as I type this it is -23 Degrees Fahrenheit, Yowza!) we are back in action. Being the Eco-geek that I am I was very excited to get LED bulbs for Christmas. That is until I used them.

I received several 3-packs of Lights of America 40 watt LED Torpedo Lights and was very excited to put them in the chandelier in the dining room so I tore into the package with glee. I replaced two or three bulbs just to see how they compare and flipped the switch (actually it took me three flips of switches to find the right one – it being a new house and all). The sound of disappointment could be heard to the North Pole – let’s just say that the 40 watt equivalent claims were so grossly over stated that I had trouble seeing in the dark to re-read the false claims.

I wish I had taken a photo to show you but I had those back in the package so fast I didn’t have time to hunt through all the boxes to find the camera. After reading further reviews online it turns out everyone else is having the same experience with these Lights of America LED bulbs, plus it seems the 30,000 hour life is over stated as well some even burning out after a few days.

The package does say “LED Accent” lights what ever that means – but if they aren’t supposed to be used in a chandelier why do they have a picture of a brightly glowing chandelier on the packaging? I wonder what kind of LED lights they used for the photo – I want those kind.

One positive thing I can say about the Lights of America LED bulbs is that they truly are a heat free technology as they claim – if I had tried to remove the standard light bulbs in that chandelier after they were on for a few minutes I would have had crispy red fingers – the Lights of America LED bulbs came out as cool as they went in.

Bottom line unless Lights of America makes a 100 watt equivalent LED don’t expect the light output to match your 40 watt standard bulbs. If you were looking for LED night lights these might work otherwise we’ll have to wait until round two in the LED game.

An interesting side note, I couldn’t find these bulbs on their website so perhaps they have come to the same conclusion, and by the way they don’t make a 100 watt equivalent LED either.

If you’ve found a good brand of LED lights please comment below – I’d love to find some that really work as claimed.

AKA I’m Dreaming of a White (Green) Christmas from Behind Bars

After all the excitement of gift opening is done what do we do with all that used wrapping paper? Well in the spirit of eco-friendliness and originality I have come up with a few fun ideas for re-using wrapping paper – even better than composting the biodegradable wrapping paper – trust me…

1. Make a huge wrapping paper pile and have everyone jump in it while singing Silent Night, at which point the crotchety neighbor next door calls the police to have you arrested. Good family fun – everyone gets matching black fingerprint fingers.

2. Shred it all up punch holes in your walls and stuff it full – the added insulation will make your home more energy efficient. Plus the process of punching holes in the walls makes for a lively stress reliever perfect for family get togethers.

3. Make three ten foot balls of used wrapping paper and roll it around your back yard until you set the world record for largest snow man. Use the temporary fame and status to educate the world on the merits of reusing gift wrap.

4. Gather all your neighbors and have everyone spread their shiny reflective foil wrapping paper out across all the streets and roof tops – then connect them to The Grid where it will provide enough energy to power everyone’s christmas lights for 3 years – not to mention allow Santa to fly his new eco-friendly XL3000 Turbo Electric Sleigh back to the North Pole.

5. Ball up each piece of wrapping paper and have a family gift wrap fight. It doesn’t serve an eco-friendly purpose but it sure is fun to pepper uncle Dave with his own gift wrap – a little pay back for giving you socks for Christmas… again.

6. Incinerate it making sure to collect the toxic fumes and ash in large insulated balloons that will float up into the atmosphere where the heat and pressure will cause an unexpected chemical reaction which releases oxygen and absorbs enough of the carbon emissions in the world to end global warming. (Hey it’s my blog I can make stuff up if I want)

6 1/2. Sort all the paper into piles – Re-use, Recycle and Compost. Yes it is boring and that’s what everyone else tells you to do but at least you aren’t getting arrested, punching holes in your walls, getting frostbite while setting a world record, illegally paving city streets, getting an eye poked out with flying gift wrap, or playing with toxic fumes and ash.

If you have more fun ideas for what to do with your used wrapping paper leave a comment below. Have fun this holiday season and have a blast with your gift wrap!