Solar powered Fujitsu laptop - Green design.

Lifebook Leaf is a concept laptop that embodies the latest environment-friendly trends in technology to renovate the production of laptops in the future. This laptop, conceptualized by designers Laura Karnath and Carl Burdick, was shortlisted from more than 1000 designs submitted for the “Fujitsu design award: A life with future computing”, organized by Designboom in collaboration with Fujitsu.

The laptop runs on solar power. It consists of one OLED touchscreen that can be spread out as a flat display, or folded like a laptop. OLED displays function without a backlight, giving them the freedom to be thinner and less heavy than liquid crystal displays.

How does OLED work?

A Layer of organic material is sandwiched between two conductors - (an anode and a cathode), which in turn are sandwiched between a glass top plate “seal” and a glass bottom plate “substrate”. When electric Current is applied to the two conductors, a bright, electro-luminescent light is produced directly from the organic material.

Why is OLED technology “the future of displays”?

Blazing fast response times, wide viewing angles, exceptional color reproduction, outstanding Contrast levels, and high Brightness. The nature of its technology lends itself to extremely thin and lightweight designs along with the ability to use it in a variety of different applications.

 -To prevent scratches on the touchscreens folded on the inside, the interior of laptop is made from rubber. It's exterior is made from polycarbonate, a material known to be optically sensitive and shatterproof. The exterior doubles up a solar cell that can be charged when the device is folded open and placed upside down.

To communicate with other devices, the laptop integrates a 4G adapter for wireless Internet access. A small OLED panel located at the back of the device alerts users of messages or alerts received during charging. A waterproof zipper prevents damage caused by contact with water.

Designers planned for three cameras to be built into the top of the device so that 3D photography and depth sensing is possible. That way, the laptop can be controlled with gestures as well as with the touchscreen. The designers hope that with more efficient solar panels, the device will be able to generate enough spare power to charge other devices via USB.

Green energy news: Japan

Nuclear power plants supplied approximately 30% of Japan’s electricity. Their government planned to raise that ceiling to 50% by the year 2030.

Naoto Kan, Japanese prime minister, in a press conference held last week declared that his country will have to “start from scratch” on it’s long term energy policy after the Fukushima Dai Ichi nuclear power plant disaster. 

Just to remind you, this power plant was heavily damaged this March, after which it started leaking radiation. Damage was caused by a tsunami - triggered by a massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck about 400 km (250 miles) north-east of Tokyo.

Mr. Kan said in news conference that nuclear and fossil fuel used to be the only pillars of Japanese energy policy, but now the government will add two more pillars: renewable energy such as solar, wind and biomass, and and will increase it's focus on conservation. "We will thoroughly ensure safety for nuclear power generation and make efforts to further promote renewable energy, an area where Japan has lagged", he said.

On Friday, Prime Minister Kan asked Chubu Electric Power to halt operations at its plant in Hamaoka (120 miles south of Tokyo).

Mr Naoto Kan said that three reactors sit in an area due for an earthquake, and new safety measures need to be put in place.

This shutdown may result in power disruptions to very important manufacturers including Toyota Motor. 

Chubu Electric stock fell as much as 14% at one point on Monday, pulling with it other major electricity and gas shares.

Back to the future. Some urban ideas.

World population is growing rapidly, and the land we live on is becoming more and more scarce. Architects and scientists are constantly trying to find more ways to build upwards instead of outwards. They are also trying to combine comfortable standard of living with energy and environment friendly designs. 

I will be showing you here a couple of truly innovative ideas and solutions on how our future urban landscapes might look like.

  It was hard to fit this – Hamburg Skyscraper – into City of Hamburg strict set of municipal laws and guidelines, but, architects: Julia Hoins, Arnd Klasing, David Blezinger and Nikolaus Türk, seem to have done just that. It is a mixed-used complex that combines hotels, housing and offices in one place. Together with comfortable public space and design that keeps it isolated from the traffic noise, this impressive building is showing a lot of future potential.

 Here is one very interesting concept envisioned to be built in Brazil. Tomas Kozelsky, Patrick Bedarf, and Dimitrie Andrei Stefanescu have worked out a way on to build a laminated wood skyscraper in the heart of Amazon forest. It is an elegant and sustainable design.

Lee Dongjin, Park Jinkyu, and Lee Jeongwoo envision a “vertical farm” to be built in South Korea. With spiraling platforms of grass fields, this design will combine urban functionality with the serenity of farm life. And yes, those are cows! xD

And here are a few housing solutions that keep us occupied currently;

Yes, it's the German Reichstag!

One man built a pyramid, triumph gate, roman senate - then opened a coke and feelsgoodman.