Gizmodo: corn

Biodegradable Flash Drives Were a Long Time Coming

Mark Wilson — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EDT

Electronics manufacturer Hoshino has just announced "the world's first biodegradable USB disk." It's constructed of the corn-based plastic polylactide, and just in case you forget that fact, they've shaped the drive like an ear of corn. We don't have a lot of information on the device, but it appears they've figured out how to make the entire drive biodegradable, not just the casing (though that cop-out is certainly a possibility). Since most of our electronics we're using right now won't be part of our daily arsenal in two to three years, it's good to see manufacturers at least considering how we'll dispose of all this junk. [Hoshino via Gearlog]

OXO Corn Stripper is Simply Ingenious

Brian Lam — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:30:57 EDT

OXO's kitchen gadget for taking corn off the cob combines a mouse-shaped handle with a blade and measuring cup. The only other way to get corn off the cob is with a huge knife (fun but not safe) or manually with your chompers. (Which is not a good idea if you're meaning to spit it back into a communal salad bowl.) [OXO via SciFiTech]

Corn Bobber Makes Corn Eating Easier

Charlie White — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 08:56:05 EST

Some of your humble narrators here at the Giz reside in the Midwest, where we are constantly looking for improved ways to consume corn. Help may have arrived. According to its makers, the Corn Bobber turns everyday eating of corn on the cob into a "sophisticated epicurean delight." See for yourself! – Charlie White

Ricoh Makes Plant-Based Plastic Printer

johnb — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 11:21:31 EDT

We know this is a little complex—is it a plant that prints printers? Is it a printer that prints plastic?—but don't worry, we'll explain it to you.

There are currently plant-based plastics, materials made of lactic acid that form during the fermentation of corn, potatoes, and sugar cane. These plant plastics are a bit expensive, but if you mix them with petroleum-based plastics, you get a nice, hefty mix. That's what Ricoh has decided to use for two of their multi-function devices.

Do we care? Sure. Every little bit helps, and every time someone uses an alternative material it gets cheaper to manufacture due to quantities of scale and R&D investment. Pretty soon everything will be make out of fermented corn, not just moonshine. – John Biggs

Ricoh makes printer out of plants [TheInquirer]