Cars and eco friendly don't really tend to fall into the same category as each other- unless you're talking about electric cars that is. Even so, style normally seems to be lacking from these economical numbers (for example) but the latest model from Smart has managed to tick all the right boxes.

Not only does its lush green and white leather interior look eminently desirable, they've also given it some features that would make the most hardened eco warrior feel all warm and cuddly inside.

It's been a while since green gadgets have hit the headlines, but they're back with an eco-friendly bang as Sony Ericsson announce the launch to two new green phones, to be out later this year. They've gone back to basics with the handsets and have steered clear of solar panels and associated malarkey, and opted instead for recycled materials and environment friendly materials.

Festivals can be a great experience. They're full of fab bands, over priced booze and girls wearing wellies, but power friendly they ain't, and most electronics tend to die on the hardcore 4 day visit. Well worry about your mobile staying in juice no longer! Sure you may have already invested in one of the great solar chargers available, but if you haven't got the spare cash for that another good choice might be to use a PowerPump.

Orange are unveiling the Orange Power Pump at Glastonbury, which is a foot powered battery charger that works with your own legwork! It uses kinetic energy from an air bed foot pump to power your mobile and will boost your battery for around five minutes.

If you're lucky enough to be going to Glasto this year you can try it for yourself in the Orange tent.

More eco gadgets here.

Technology has long been used to aid and enhance our life. At its highest (and yes I do mean most expensive) form there are tools available to cater for your every whim - you can have a robotic maid, automatic dishwashers and computers that wake you up with a personalized hello and back massage tailored to your needs... There are also toilets that analyze your waste matter and suggest what type of nutrients you're lacking..if you must go that far!

Computers have shifted from being lumbering behemoths to super sleek devices which continually keep shrinking and the word netbook is now all the rage. Everything is slimmer sleeker, and shinier nowadays, but how does this actually affect you?

Love Honey have brought us a a fair amount of entertaining products over the years, with everything from a pedometer style cock ring to the We-Vibe in their arsenal, but their latest creation really takes the biscuit. It's a vibrator aimed at eco ladies, and is completely self powered, meaning you'll never spend a frantic half hour looking for batteries at the worst possible time (not like I'm speaking from experience or anything).

Happy Earth day my friends! For the clueless, the term relates to April the 22nd, and is a worldwide day that's meant to raise awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. And how should we celebrate this? By purchasing green gadgets that let us cut down on our impact on the Earth. Wattson have given their fab energy monitor a designer overhaul, as designer Richard Nicoll has pimped out their Wattson monitor with a variety of retro stars and quirky colours.

The recession has everyone in thrift mode - well apart from the more affluent amongst us - and it's all about saving money in anyway we can, even if it means forgoing your favourite brand of bacon for the cheaper brand (*sad face*). Lighting is also another area that can be sacrificed in order to save on the leccy bill. And this particular method, thought up by a man living in a Brazilian village, will definitely save those pennies. Without sounding like a Blue Peter presenter, all you need is a few two litre water bottles, clean water, bleach and a camera film dispenser.

Following the apparent Blue Peter theme that's underlying this post, in true 'here's one I made earlier' style, there's a video demonstrating how it works. It's pretty impressive stuff.

See it after the jump...

I'm lucky enough that when there are transport issues/ I have an evil hangover I have a job that means I'm able to work from home. There's something uber special about working in your PJ's with your laptop on your knees, but were I to invest in an OfficePOD I might have to don a suit to feel comfortable. The Office POD brings a whole new meaning to the idea of remote working as it comprises a rather sleek workspace in an all inclusive capsule. It's not actually available to buy- these pods are designed to be rented by employers as a cheaper alternative to office space.

Here's a bit of electrical trivia for you. You may think that leaving your mobile phone charger plugged in isn't doing much harm or couldn't possibly be the cause for your annoyingly high leccy bill, but you'd be WRONG. Did you know that being unkind to the environment and leaving your charger plugged in, wastes around 95 percent of the energy used? Not only is this unfriendly to the environment, but it's your wallet that ends up bearing the brunt of your energy homicide.

There is the recently announced universal phone charger, designed to standardize all phone chargers with a micro USB connector. But considering 2012 is being touted as its release date, perhaps the Carphone Warehouse's solution will suffice for now. It's called The Eco, and this thing is all about being green.

Having batteries die on you at a crucial moment is right up there with going to the fridge only to find there's no milk for your cuppa, or getting to the cash point and realising it has no £10 notes, only £20s during financially hard times. The SunCats however, have been designed to alleviate your dead battery rage and serve as a reminder that a dead battery doesn't mean you need to shout like a demented cerazy person, and run the risk of bursting a blood vessel. It's a shame then, that this great idea didn't make it further than the design stage - so there's a possibility these batteries will still make your blood boil.

Sadly, wrapping old NiMH rechargeables in a flexible photo voltaic cell and exposing them to sunlight simply isn't good enough to make the batteries rechargeable in the traditional sense. They certainly won't do much for you impatient side, but on the plus side, you will be waving the green flag and doing your part for the planet and saving those polar ice caps - even if you do only manage to squeeze 5 minutes of battery life out of a weeks worth of charge.

It looks like Samsung isn't the only one with a planet saving agenda this year. Also grabbing a piece of the solar powered mobile action at MWC is Chinese manufacturer ZTE and its super green Coral-200 Solar handset. It's just been launched and promises to be a saviour for emerging markets where electricity is scant, or not readily available. Much like Samsung's Blue Earth, particular specs are a bit hazy, but we can tell you there won't be that many specs to take in anyway, as its main principle is simply all about making calls, which given its target market is completely justified.

Unlike Blue Earth however, it does sport a rather bog-standard looking (and almost unappealing) candy bar design, with the solar panels on the rear. But again this is completely justified, as I can't imagine eco-friendly mobile owners wanting their phones to resemble and pack all the battery guzzling software and features that come hand in hand with a lot of the standard phones on offer these days (and if they do, they'll be waiting quite a while before that's even considered a possibility).

Understandably, news of a solar powered touchscreen phone from Samsung was met with high levels of scepticism. But it's not April Fools Day - it's not even close, so why was my initial reaction that someone is yanking our chain? I'll tell you why. It's because, let's face it, an energy efficient, solar powered touchscreen phone sounds just a little bit far fetched, don't you think?

But scepticism aside, it appears Samsung's eco friendly phones, dubbed Blue Earth, is real and being green is at the top of its agenda. For a start, there will be no charging via an AC outlet for this bad boy, oh no. Just like the process of photosynthesis, this phone requires sunlight via the solar panels on the back. And apparently, it'll generate enough juice to call anytime anywhere - which is an ambiguous statement to say the least! Is this after only a few hours of sunlight exposure, or days?

If you're a car owner who's eco-conscious the Econav is a great way of assuaging your guilt. The idea behind it is that you're purchasing a premium looking satnav, equipped with the usual features such as GPS, gear change indicators, speed indicators and traffic alerts, but you're also getting their customised Econav technology built in.

And what does that mean exactly? Well the idea is that it will help save you money on fuel and cut your carbon emissions, and it does this by analyzing various route options and giving you an eco-related readout of the potential cost to yourself and the environment.

If you're one of those people, sorry, I mean that one person, who can't live without having glowing LEDs in the garden, the product is finally available which will make the obsession environmentally friendly.

Whilst most wind turbines store the energy for use in something useful, this will take the energy from the kinetic movement of the blades, and convert it into power to make the red and blue LED bulbs glow.

I've sat here now for seven and a half minutes, and I can't think of a single time where that would be useful. But as a silver lining, at least it's kind to polar bears in its uselessness.

$15 from ThinkGeek [via Random Good Stuff]

I hate getting cold. When winter comes, away go my dainty summer dresses and out comes the thermal underwear, topped with an electric blanket and a pair of Uggs for good measure. Despite having the heating on at full blast I still tend to be chilly, (and poor: big electric bills) but here's a great way to save cash and style in one.

The eco heater is an energy efficient heater that heats up really quickly, and can be designed to replicate any image of your choice. Yes, your heating instrument doesn't need to be an ugly utilitarian device any more, as it can now be painted with any picture you desire. A win all round methinks!

$119 from Eco Heater

[via Chip Chick]

There's nothing like a hot cup of tea to help you get through your day (or in my case hot Ribena). Now, the Tefal Quick Cup caused quite a stir when it made its debut into the mainstream. 'Is it actually a kettle?' was probably the most frequently asked question - which is fair enough considering it doesn't actually boil. You had those who took an abhorrent liking to it and those for which the Quick Cup revolutionised their tea drinking lives.

Well if you thought having the ability to whip up a cup of tea in 3 seconds and save on the leccy bill, using a device that comes in a neat and easy to use package was impressive, prepare for your jaw to hit the floor. Introducing the Quick Cup Deluxe - the newer, smarter and sleeker version of the Tefal Quick Cup.