gadget n review

Watches are one accessory that's crying out for some green love. They're worn daily, changed often and killed frequently with an accidental bump. Sprout understands and has developed a line of fashionable timepieces that can be tossed away without remorse. These watches are great. They are good-looking, colorful and 80-93% biodegradable. They are made of wonderful materials such as bamboo, organic cotton, mineral crystal lenses, and mercury-free batteries. Sprout has even managed to sell them at a reasonable price. The entry-level model starts at $30, while the top-of-line model climbs to a pricey, but not exorbitant $75. ( Gizmodo )

A new Walkman series just announced by Sony on Thursday offers fitness enthusiasts great options for bringing their music on the go. Specifically, the company's lightweight Walkman NWZ-W260 Series MP3 players feature a rinsable, water-resistant and headphone-style form factor that's designed to withstand any visit to the gym, treadmill or trail. ( News Discovery )

Don’t you just hate how uncomfortable your desk at work is – especially when you’re trying to have a power nap during lunch time? Well, Kawamura-Ganjavian, a Madrid-based design studio has come up with a solution to the problem. An interestingly designed pillow called the Ostrich. In case you’re wondering why it’s called the Ostrich – the pillow does resemble the body of an ostrich, and like an ostrich, you’re sticking your head inside a dark hole (except yours isn’t a reaction due to fear). The Ostrich features a hole for your head, and two holes for your hands to grab onto. While it isn’t exactly a good posture for your back to be in, your face will be comfortable against the interior of the pillow. No word on pricing or availability of this pillow, but we’re pretty sure it could be a big hit with the office power-napping crowd. ( ubergizmo )

Talk about getting more than what you’ve bargained for, Panasonic has announced today the BG-BL01, which is a solar-powered LED light that can also double up as a charger for USB devices, such as smartphones, tablets or MP3 players for example. It comes fitted with three LED lamps (0.12W each) that when fully charged is said to be able to run continuously for 10 hours on the brightest settings, or up to 60 hours when the lamp is set on its dimmest settings. No word on how long it would actually take to charge a USB device like a phone, although we’re guessing this is more for emergency purposes, i.e. during a blackout or natural disaster where you need to keep the lines of communication open, rather than used for frivolous or regular charging. The solar-powered device runs on two AA batteries, which Panasonic claims will take up to 15 hours to fully charge in perfect conditions. We’re not sure what that is supposed to mean, perhaps they meant in direct sunlight? Panaso