wind

A wind turbine for the backyard

No, it's not some kind of futuristic crossbow, though we would certainly understand if you thought it was. This weird-looking contraption is the "Loopwing Wind Turbine," a wind-powered energy source designed for home use and scheduled for official introduction at Japan's Eco-Products 2006 Exhibition. Treehugger says the device's wing design operates with "low vibration" but notes that the specs are vague--"43 percent power performance at optimum wind speeds," whatever that means. Still, we're reasonably sure it has more guts than the recently discovered wind-operated lamp.

A lamp powered by wind, sort of

As alternative energies finally become more mainstream, wind power often remains an afterthought compared with solar and other sources. The Elica lamp, made by an Italian design firm, is taking one modest step to raise wind energy awareness among the masses.

The lamp can be turned on and off by blowing on its "helix," or propeller. Mobile Whack says an "airblow censor" can help keep the lamp from being switched on accidentally. We have only one issue with this otherwise innovative appliance: According to the Elica site, it must still be plugged into an electrical outlet--which, … Read more

This isn't your kindergarten trike

People laughed when they first saw wind sailing, so hold your snickers. The Pterosail may look a little silly at first, but we wouldn't be surprised if it took off.

The custom street-legal tricycle, which Treehugger says can reach 40 mph, is outfitted with an electric motor and full sailing system. And despite the Goldbergian appearance of this contraption, it's no slouch in the tech department: It can convert wind energy into electricity for two 24-volt batteries. Now we just have to keep it away from our 3-year-old.

(Photo: Pterosail Trike Systems)

Solar wind-powered security camera

For those of you worried about intruders and global warming, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic to us North Americans) has come up with a security camera that runs on solar power or wind power. That way it works in rain or shine. This picture was taken at the company's Eco and UD house, an ecologically friendly home that it says can be commercially viable by 2010.

(Photo: Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)