Hello Kitty is harnessing solar power

The Sanrio Empire may have seemed unusually subdued of late, but its campaign for world domination is still very much in high gear. In fact, the threat is more sever than ever, as it continues to target our natural resources.

Hello Kitty has already made her mark, so to speak, on the planet's heat sources and water supply. And now, acknowledging the green trend's growing momentum, the diabolical feline is now trying to seize control of solar energy as well.

The Hello Kitty Solar-Power Charger can juice up pretty much any handheld device, according to Chip Chick, whether it be a phone, media player, or camera. And if ominously dark clouds accompany the invasion, the charger can still be plugged into a DC outlet for up to 6 hours of power on-the-go. You've been warned.

Via Crave CNET

Power-generating windows

Solar company HelioVolt and Architectural Glass & Aluminum on Tuesday announced a partnership to produce glass windows capable of generating electricity.

HelioVolt is one of several new solar manufacturers using different materials to produce thin-film solar cells.

The company intends to make solar cells for rooftop panels and later get into building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), where cells are embedded onto roof shingles, blinds, awnings, or other building components.

The deal with Architectural Glass & Aluminum calls for the companies to design solar-enabled curtain walls, the glass facades on the outside of buildings, or architectural glass in the interior of buildings.

Citing a Department of Energy study, HelioVolt said that solar cells integrated into buildings can produce about half of a building's energy usage.
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Sorapot makes pouring tea an art

Sora what? It's a blardy teapot, all right?

I'm not a big fan of tea, though I do pretend to enjoy it once in a while. A senior once said to me: "It doesn't matter if you can't run fast, just look good." I can apply the same thinking here: I can't brew a nice pot of tea, but I can surely make the process look like it's an art.

The Sorapot's stainless steel backbone is made using the same method as jet turbine blades and space shuttle components. At this point of time, when you mention space, it's mandatory that everyone goes wow. And it doesn't end here. According to the designer, the uncoated metal will develop a sheen when you hold it and become more matte in other areas, so you get a pot that you can truly call your own.

Not bad at all for a pot that costs US$179. Now, who wants to pour me tea?

This spoon is smarter than us in the kitchen

It's not often that we have one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that moments at Crave, but this is definitely an exception. That's probably why we just write about inventions instead of create them and retire.

The idea behind the aptly named Spoon Scale is as useful as it is disarmingly simple: Just scoop what you think you need and let the integrated digital meter do the fine-tuning. Showing immediate results on its built-in LCD, this battery-powered scooper is purportedly accurate to down to the last 1⁄10 gram", according to OhGizmo--and, thankfully, can be programmed to measure in ounces for the metric-challenged among us.

This intelligent scooper even has an option to weigh ingredients added to the original measurement, making it ideal for the most difficult culinary feats that leave no margin for error. Which, for the record, is something we'll never know anything about.

Via Crave CNET

Casio's colorful Baby-Gs get tilt-zoom displays

Casio's new BG-2000/2001 series of Baby-G wrist watches continues the cute, colorful, yet rugged theme. Clearly designed with the young female user in mind with its trendy aesthetics, the timepieces are available in three eye-catching hues: White, yellow and orange. But what's more interesting to us at Crave Asia is its uber-cool tilt-zoom display which will automatically enlarge the figures on the watch's LCD screen when tilted toward the user for viewing. Users also have the option to reverse the foreground and background colors and customize the display style. Other features remain standard, such as a world time, 100m water resistance and automatic backlight. No word on whether the new Baby-Gs will make it out of Japan to the rest of us in Asia.

Via FarEastGizmos and Casio

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