Tweet-a-watt wins top honors in the 2009 Greener Gadgets Competition
Many people talk about greener gadgets and how they can improve the environment. One way of promoting and encouraging the development and production of environmentally friendly gadgets is through a yearly competition. Greener Gadgets does just that and the 2009 Greener Gadgets Competition is the Tweet-a-watt.
Good Clean Tech posted the results of the competition along with the top finishers. The several of the other top finishers will be discussed as the week progresses.
For now, the Tweet-a-watt. This gadget combines a Kill-a-Watt meter with Twitter so that you and your friends can compare power usage. The idea is combines the thrill of competition with improving your power usage. If you can’t get your friends to make one (this is a do it yourself project) you can always compete with yourself.
Part of the idea is also that as the Tweet-a-watt updates your Twitter profile with your power usage, it will at the very least shame you into improving your electrical use. Who wants to advertise that they are an energy hog?
Seeing the numbers on Twitter might also prompt you to seek out and destroy, OK minimize, vampire power being sucked up by various gadgets in stand-by mode. You might also find ways of doing things manually that you had always relied on an electronic gadget to perform. For instance, unless you have some disability actually using a manual can opener instead of an electric can opener.
Should you decide to make your own Tweet-a-watt, or get a friend to make one for you, Make has published the schematics for you. You can purchase the Kill-a-Watt usage meter for between $20 and $50 bucks. Not being knowledgeable in electronics, you will have to visit your local RadioShack for the rest of the parts and prices.
If you love tinkering and modifying existing items for new uses, this may just be up your alley.
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