If you’ve traveled via plane in the last almost decade, you know that you cannot travel with liquids above 2 ounces on the plane. And last I checked, the best beers and wines came in much bigger bottles than 2 ounces, so that means you’ll have to check those fragile bottles. VinniBag is a fully reusable and 100% recyclable inflatable bag that will allow wine and other fragile items safe travel in your checked-in luggage.

VinniBag is a reusable travel bag with inflatable air chambers that protect and insulate wine bottles, other liquids, and fragile items. It’s designed to provide superior protection against impact and leakage, is easy to use, and stores flat, rolled or folded when not in use.

The VinniBag has an inflatable pouch that secures and protects by conforming to its contents, safeguarding your fragile items against breakage and safeguarding the rest of your luggage from spills. Specifically designed to withstand high altitude and cushion impact, this clever reusable travel tote packs flat or folded when empty so it’s easy to stow in your suitcase.

Made from recyclable materials, the VinniBag’s open architecture accommodates breakables of all shapes and size, and can even protect multiple items at once. Carry home your favorite vintage, a potent Parisian perfume, a delectable Italian olive oil, or heavily hit up Duty Free—this bag will safely secure your stock.

I’ll bet that even the TSA or UPS gorillas people will be hard pressed to cause your safely tucked items inside the VinniBag to break or bust. Great timing too… with an upcoming overseas trip, I definitely will be investing in a couple of these to bring back some more fragile items without fear of breakage.

Buy one for $28, or two or more for $25 each from VinniBag.com or other online retailers.

[ Links: VinniBag ]

Land Rover will be showcasing their most eco-friendly sport utility vehicle, the Land Rover Evoque during the Paris 2010 Motor Show on September 30th. However, some early information has already leaked out.

• Luxurious coupe design with a compact and more efficient footprint than other Range Rover models
• Targeting a new group of customers for the Range Rover brand
• Bold exterior is an evolution of Range Rover design language
• Strong, clean interior architecture with a contemporary and sporting feel
• Premium cabin with the high quality materials expected from a Range Rover.
• Available with full sized glass panoramic roof flooding the interior with natural light
• Use of efficient powertrain and advanced lightweight materials
• Smaller – at a 171 inches (434cm) it is 17 inches (432mm) shorter and 7 inches (178mm) lower than Range Rover Sport models
• Permanent all-wheel drive combined with turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an updated six-speed auto transmission deliver excellent perforrmance and fuel economy
• All-new 240 bhp 2.0-litre Si4 turbocharged engine combining six-cylinder refinement and performance with four-cylinder fuel economy
• All-new chassis specification delivers dynamic and agile handling across varied terrain, with optional Adaptive Dynamics featuring MagneRide™
• All-weather, all-surface capability with Land Rover Terrain Response®
• An extensive suite of Range Rover technologies including Bluetooth® audio streaming and optional Surround camera system
• To be sold in 160 countries worldwide, with deliveries from Fall 2011

With their new EcoBoost Si4 engine, the Evoque promises to be as fuel efficient as a 4-cylinder on the highway or in the city. With a release set for next Fall… I know what I’ll be saving for! No word on price yet though.

[ Links: Hello Evoque, Land Rover Evoque ]

Seems like I’m not the only person excited and wanting to share the news about the upcoming GM Volt. GM is showing off the first drivable Chevrolet Volt at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai currently going on in China too.

General Motors celebrated the arrival of the first drivable Chevrolet Volt in China today. China is one of the initial markets outside the United States to receive the Volt. GM’s landmark electric vehicle with extended-range capability will go on sale locally next year.

“GM has made a long-term commitment to bringing our industry-leading technology to China,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “This is enabling us to provide the best mobility solutions for addressing the transportation challenges associated with the growth in demand for personal mobility. With GM taking the lead, the development of electric vehicles is opening up entirely new industries.”

During today’s celebration, GM delivered two Chevrolet Volts to the Shanghai Expo Bureau for use as part of its VIP transportation fleet at World Expo 2010 Shanghai. The Volt will shuttle special guests to and from Shanghai’s Expo Park and demonstrate GM’s pathway to its vision of sustainable urban transportation.

Outside of the US, China will be one of the first places to also receive the GM Volt in 2011.

Despite those ever-present AT&T complaints of wireless network congestion, the company (well, all wireless carriers) are continually looking for new ways to connect people their 3G networks, be they e-readers or electric cars. AT&T has announced that they’ve struck a deal with Nissan to bring HSDPA 3G connectivity to the new electric Nissan Leaf.

The 3G connectivity not only allows users to access in-car media, but it’s closely tied to the car’s recharging systems, informing you of the nearest recharging stations and allowing users to monitor their battery levels remotely. Given Nissan plans to sell the LEAF worldwide, they chose AT&T because of their support of the GSM standard.

Link to the original article…

A University of Southern California team has produced flexible transparent carbon atom films that may have great potential for a brand new variety of solar cells. Inside a paper recently published in the journal ACS Nano, researchers stated that organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells have been proposed as a method to obtain low price energy due to their ease of manufacture, light-weight, and compatibility with flexible substrates.

This work shows that graphene, an extremely conductive and highly transparent type of carbon made up of atoms-thick sheets of carbon atoms, has high possibility to fill this role. While graphene’s existence has been known for many years, it has only been studied extensively since 2004 due to the impracticality of manufacturing it in high quality and in quantity.

The University of Southern California team has produced graphene/polymer sheets ranging in sizes nearly 150 square centimeters that in turn may be used to create dense arrays of flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. These organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices convert solar radiation to electricity, although not as efficiently as silicon cells.

The energy provided by sunlight on a sunny day is about 1,000 watts per meter square, for every 1,000 watts of sunlight that hits a square meter part of the standard silicon solar cell, 14 watts of electricity will be generated, Organic solar cells are less efficient; their conversion rate for that same 1,000 watts of sunlight in the graphene-based solar cell would be only 1.3 watts.

But what graphene organic photovoltaic (OPV) lack in efficiency, can potentially be compensated by its lower price and, greater physical flexibility. Researchers think it may eventually be possible to cover with inexpensive solar cell layers extensive areas like newspapers, magazines or power generating clothing. In the meanwhile Prof. Ruoff and his colleagues of the mechanical engineering department at the University of Texas at Austin, are studying the basic science in the introduction of graphene-based ultracapacitors for usage in electronics and other fields.

Prof. Ruoff says batteries are relatively slow, they can store energy but require sometime to charge up, and then they distribute energy slowly, over time. Ultracapacitors can be charged very quickly, in seconds, and discharge quickly, but, today, they can’t store very much electrical energy. The introduction of stable and cheaper ultracapacitors should be a key step in using wind or solar-generated power, especially if researchers will find ways to enable capacitors to store energy longer, which is not yet possible.

Even with their current storage capacity, the graphene devices could provide quick energy when needed in certain situations on the ecological way. They could be used, for instance, to absorb heat generated in braking an automobile or train, and store it for a short time, and then employ it for the electrical needs of the vehicle (i.e. starting the automobile or acceleration).

About the writer – Sophia H. Walker writes for the solar battery charger blog, her personal hobby weblog dedicated to tips to help individuals save electricity using solar energy for small gadgets.

Chevrolet finally announced the pricing for the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt. And guess what, it’s nowhere near half as bad as some folks were guessing. The pricing details are:

• Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price starts at $41,000 ($33,500 net of full federal income tax credit, which ranges from $0 to $7,500); Lease payment on a 36-month lease at MSRP as low as $350 per month with $2,500 due at lease signing including security deposit
• OnStar provides unprecedented connectivity through Volt mobile app; five years of OnStar (Directions and Connections) service standard
• Volt’s eight-year/100,000-mile battery pack warranty provides added peace of mind
• Volt can be your primary car; approximately 340 miles of total range provides freedom to drive wherever, whenever

Starting today, participating Chevrolet dealers in launch markets will begin taking customer orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the industry’s first electric vehicle with extended-range capability. List this under my DOWANT category.

[ Links: Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Volt Pricing ]

GM knows a good thing when they see one. This afternoon, Ed Whitacre Jr., General Motors chairman and CEO, announced during a keynote address the expansion of the Chevrolet Volt launch markets to now include Texas, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut markets. This is a very good way to get more of these highly anticipated electric car and effective game changer for GM/Chevrolet.

Today’s announcement brings the initial Volt retail markets to seven, including California, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. The retail launch in Texas and New York will begin with Austin and New York City in late 2010. The balance of Texas and New York, as well as New Jersey and Connecticut, are scheduled to begin receiving Volts in early 2011.

“We can add markets as diverse as Texas and New York because the Chevrolet Volt can handle both urban commuting and longer trips, in Austin summers and Manhattan winters,” Whitacre said. “The Volt can be your primary vehicle, giving you the freedom to drive gas-free without the stress of planning every trip around the battery’s charge level.”

The Volt is the only electric vehicle that can operate under a full range of climates and driving conditions without limitations or driver concern of being stranded by a depleted battery.

In celebration of this announcement, Chevrolet will take a “Freedom Drive” from Austin, Texas to New York to show-off their extended range – feel free to follow their progress and updates for the “Freedom Drive” on Twitter or Facebook.

[ Links: Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet News, Chevy Volt Twitter ]

GM is earning even more cool points with me. They just announced that 4,400 Chevrolet owners are eligible for free home charging stations.

The first buyers of the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended-range capability will be eligible for one of 4,400 free home charging stations. The program will provide Volt owners with a 240-volt charge station from either ECOtality, Inc. or Coulomb Technologies. In many cases, it will include the cost of home installation. The projects are made possible with a grant of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

“Many owners will plug their Volt into a normal 120-volt electrical outlet, charge overnight and drive to work in the morning using only battery power,” said Tony DiSalle, Product and Marketing Director for the Chevrolet Volt. “For Volt owners who want to install a faster 240-volt charge station, we expect the Department of Energy project to save $1,000 and $2,000.”

GM is the only manufacturer working with both DOE partners: The EV Project from ECOtality and ChargePoint America project from Coulomb Technologies.

[ Links: GM Volt, The EV Project, ChargePoint America ]

In an effort to lessen their carbon imprint and continue to expand their network(s), Verizon has ordered 576 Chevrolet Silverado Truck Hybrids. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s the biggest order so far for any hybrid truck in the US for their fleet so far. I hope the trend continues.

As part of the greening of its fleet, Verizon has purchased 576 Chevrolet Silverado Two-Mode Hybrid full-size pickups that deliver the city fuel economy of a four-cylinder sedan.

The unique two-mode Silverado blends an internal combustion engine with battery-powered electric motors to offer customers the advanced technology needed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 40 percent over a conventional full-size pickup — an EPA estimated 21 MPG city and 22 MPG highway, best of any full-size pickup.

“When Verizon first approached us about environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles for their urban drivers, we knew the Silverado Hybrid was the perfect fit because of its outstanding city and highway MPG ratings,” said Brian Small, GM Fleet and Commercial Operation general manager. “Immediately the team went to work to meet Verizon’s ambitious July delivery deadline.”

GM’s two-mode system enables the Silverado to launch and drive up to 30 mph on electricity alone, and allows the Vortec 6.0L V-8 engine to operate in its more economical V-4 mode for longer periods. This technology is the only hybrid system capable of being used in full-size trucks, which further emphasizes Chevrolet’s full-size truck leadership.

Good to see GM stay in the news in a positive manner – anything would have been better than last year – and it’s great to see Verizon thinking of the environment as well.

[ Links: GM, GM Silverado Hybrid Verizon Order ]

Partnering with Google Earth, General Motors (GM) has produced an application for the education of K-12 students that, once downloaded, will show and educate children using the proven Google Earth technology to accurately show you where in the world people are using renewable energy.

As a responsible corporate citizen, we know it’s important to give back to society. And, as an automaker in these times, we are often on the leading edge of technology development that will help to reduce the impact our products have on the environment. We think it’s important to pass on the lessons and knowledge we’ve learned from working on these issues to the young students today who will be tomorrow’s leaders and problem solvers.

General Motors has really embraced the renewable energy push that will hopefully lead them from being a bailed out, broken and nearly bankrupt company back to a company that employs technology and overall “know-how” to get themselves back into the forefront of innovation once again and supply the next generation with information that will help shape their educational and career opportunities.

Keep up the good work GM. The application is a free download.

[ Links: GM, GM Education ]

It’s getting warmer again and in my search for standout t-shirts to wear this Summer, I somehow ran across ToyNinja and their pop culture t-shirts.

Comprising mostly of their iconic mascot, a cute bear that’s also a ninja, the ToyNinja offerings have been around since 2009 and are deceptively simple while easily standing out from the rest of shirts out there. Think equal parts: Medicom Kubricks, Afro Samurai, Star Wars and Pedobear.

I want some of that action! Cool part, you can look different from the crowd and support an eco-friendly company. Each of their shirts are printed with eco-friendly water based ink as opposed to plastisol ink that is toxic to the environment.

Prices start at $28.

[ Links: ToyNinja ]

Of all of the things that vodka could ever claim to be, I never thought I’d see “green” and “eco-friendly” in the same sentence as vodka. Green, sure… just add lime or food coloring. But eco-friendly? Never. That is until 360 Vodka that is.

Quadruple distilled through a highly energy efficient process, with every bushel of grain being fully utilized and nothing to waste. 360 is also five times filtered and produced at a facility that has improved its eco-footprint measurably over the past 5 years.

The “green” packaging that surrounds 360 Vodka is the utmost in eco. Our Eco-Audit details the environmental benefits of the packaging.

The packaging alone saves 193 fully grown trees, 82,766 gallons of water, 9,255 pounds of solid waste, 139 million BTU of energy and 18,052 pounds of greenhouse gases.

As if I ever needed a reason to drink up, I think I found one. And yes, the vodka isn’t bad either; it’s crisp with no true aftertaste and tastes just as good chilled as it does with some organic orange juice. At prices starting at $19.99 for 750mL, it’s definitely worth a sip.

[ Links: 360 Vodka, BevMo ]