Today's big marketing idea

It’s Earth Day, so the internet is brimming with green articles to read and eco-products to buy. I’m going to give you something instead:

See this article on CNET, all about Greenpeace’s efforts to pressure the computer industry to green-up the power sources for their big server farms. On the Greenpeace scale, Yahoo scores the highest, in part because their data centers are located where there’s abundant hydropower. Google does OK, as the company invests in wind and solar power to offset their carbon footprint. Apple does poorly. You can read all the details on CNET.

So what? So here’s my big marketing idea for all those companies pushing cloud computing:

“Your cloud, powered by the sun.”

I’ll even let you have that for free if you make it real. You can trademark it and run with it. 

Chart from Greenpeace. Via CNET.

You can dish it out...

You know I'm a sucker for creative uses of recycled glass. Fix Studios designed this amazing wall divider featuring vintage pressed glass plates suspended in epoxy. What a great use of grandma's overly frilly dishes! 

If you're in Vancouver, you can see it yourself at the restaurant Lapellah, where they (according to the interwebs) have jalapeno thyme hush puppies on the menu.

Images from Fix. Via re-nest.

Fairytale Fashion

Today's post is just a little green eye candy. Check out Ryan Novelline's stunning couture dress made almost entirely from recycled Golden Books. The bodice is composed of those trademark golden spines. Click on through to the designer's site for more pix, including a whole "making of" series of photos. 

Via ecouterre. Images from Ryan Novelline.

Cork fabric @ Branch

Branch has started selling these soft cork bowls made from cork fabric. Since I haven’t seen one in person, I’ll let them tell you more:

This is one of those products that amazes those who see and feel it. Since you can't do that online, we'll do our best to describe it: it's smooth, warm, and pliable – almost leather-like – though it's made entirely from cork.

Specifically, this bowl is made from two layers of cork sewn together. This gives it an uncanny structural integrity, allowing the form to hold its shape, the sides to be folded over, and even withstand regular machine washing.

And pretty, to boot.

Images from Branch.

Playbutton = huh?

This product keeps showing up on green fashion and design blogs, but I’ll admit, I don’t know what is considered “green” about a limited-content MP3 player. The design is cute, and it’s a charming throwback to the mix tape, but how is this greener than downloading MP3s to the player you already have or even buying a CD (plastic, but no electronics)?

Am I missing something? If you’ve got a different take on this, please leave a comment!

Via ecouterre

Vintage suitcases rock the house

How retrosexy are these? The BoomCase is a boom box made from vintage suitcases. Just plug your tiny MP3 player into these and boom-boom-boom...
More pretty pictures (and buy your own) on their website.
Images from BoomCase. Via TreeHugger.

Getting More From Less

I don’t know if this is really a less wasteful design, or if the costs are as competitive as they say, but the floors sure are stunning.

Bolefloor is using technology to cut the boards more efficiently, in hopes that following the wood's natural shape and keeping some of the knots and curves will mean you have more useful square footage. The result is really pretty and organic.

Images from Bolefloor. Via Fast Company.