Leave it to the Japanese to come up with an environmentally friendly solution to drying wet umbrellas. The new "Rain Wipe" from Annon removes rainwater using a squeegee-like device to pull water from the umbrella into a collecting tray. The tray would only need replacement after about 3000 umbrellas have been squeezed through. It generates less trash than using those plastic umbrella baggies and uses less energy than umbrella blow dryers. Ingenious! [Dvice]

This is the new Mazda Kiyora, a concept car that is not only designed to consume less gas and produce less emissions, but to collect and purify the most important liquid on Earth: Water. You know, for drinking. If you are into that kind of liquid, anyway. When you drive the Mazda Kiyora through rain, its roof channels the falling water into a specially-designed Lifesaver purification bottle. The bottle, called Lifesaver Bottle Citi, is placed in the middle of the car's interior, between the front seats, for easy access by all passengers.

Read More »

The RainwaterHOG is a design-y rainwater tank (yes, there is such a thing) that collects rain to re-use in the garden, give to your dog or fill up your Super Soaker without draining the mains. Most people don't save rainwater because they don't want a giant open bucket/mosquito-larvae farm on their porch. But now, you can store it away in a nice recyclable virgin polyethylene tank. Each HOG holds 178 litres, and they can be linked up like Lego.

AU: Obviously the US hasn't had to suffer through water restrictions like we have in Australia. Looks pretty good, although doubt we'll see it in Oz...

Read More »