This week on TreeHugger, robo-cop deer and other animal-like robots, crazy/brilliant transforming furniture, a kiss-powered Christmas tree, and is your laptop cooking your testicles?
Carry Your House on Your Back With The Wearable Tent
Ever since Archigram presented the Suitaloon in 1968, (shown below fold), ideas have been put forward for minimalist shelters that one can carry on their back. This looks like just about the simplest one yet- a poncho designed to turn into a tent.
Mobile Crate Spaces Transform Boxes into Bedrooms and Barber Shops
Transformed from mere temporary storage, the crates retain mobility in their new life as multifunctional domestic containers packed with appliances, furnishings and other intriguing surprises (like tea service and cleaning capabilities).
Sofa Is Designed To Store Your Stuff
Now you can get rid of the coffee table by Daisuke Motogi's Lost in Sofa; it is designed so that you can stick things right into it. You will always have coffee money too, digging among the cushions.
Robo-Deer Protects Innocent Wildlife From Poachers
Wildlife in Florida have an unlikely new ally in the fight against poaching — a remote-controlled buck lovingly known as Robo-deer. Robo-deer is so convincingly lifelike that some illegal hunters can't help but take a shot at him. But when they do, those poachers end up getting served something a lot worse than steel veal.
Men: Is Your Laptop Cooking Your Testicles?
According to a new study published in Fertility and Sterility Journal, putting a laptop on your lap will crank up the temperature of the scrotum, which could affect fertility.
5 Breakthrough Robots Built to Mimic Animals (Videos)
From mule-imitating military walkers to butterfly-inspired aviation, robots are increasingly finding their schematics more closely aligning with the DNA of flesh-and-blood, sentient creatures.
The Story of Electronics by Annie Leonard (Video)
There's a new addition to the series of short animated films made by The Story of Stuff Project — the latest installment in the series is about electronics; how they're designed, made, used, and disposed of, and how could all of this be better.
A Kiss Lights Up This Christmas Tree
This 50 ft. Christmas tree will light up every time someone kisses under the mistletoe. There are 50,000 red and white LEDs on it which are set off by a big pucker.
Exclusive Preview: Urbikes Trapper, the First Intelligent Electric Public Bicycle Sharing Systems
Urbikes Trapper is meant to be the solution to all currently existing problems related to public bike sharing systems. It is based on the same system as public transportation such as bus routes, and could therefore be called bicycle route in order to cover traffic jammed journeys in a cleaner and faster way.
"If You Can't Fix It, You Don't Own It" iFixit's New Self-Repair Manifesto
iFixit is now "taking the fight against obsolescence to the streets" with their newly-mintedSelf-Repair Manifesto, which posits staunch declarations like "if you can't fix it, you don't own it".
TreeHugger's EcoModo column appears every Tuesday on Gizmodo.