The year 2023 set a new record for the highest global average temperatures, reaching 1.46°C above pre-industrial averages. This surpassed the previous record set in 2016 by 0.13°C.

With these records at an all-time high, many businesses and homeowners are making simple, eco-friendly tweaks. Although these solutions are deemed simple, the number of households and companies implementing them will undeniably make an impact. 

Replacing your energy-consuming gadgets at home with eco-friendly gadgets is one step to sustainable living. Here are 10 environmentally-friendly gadgets to start with.

1. Solar-powered Chargers

Charge your gadgets with solar-powered chargers! Packing a solar-powered charger means you no longer have to rely on electricity when you run out of juice. If you live in a tropical country with sunlight on most months, then take advantage of the sun! It’s the best source of renewable energy. These chargers comprise solar panels that contain PV (photovoltaic) cell blocks that transform sunlight into electricity. Most solar-powered chargers contain 12 volts. However, some have the capacity of 24V, 36V, and so on.

2. EcoFlow River Portable Power Station

This is the outdoor and emergency portable battery pack for you. It’s fast charging with an EcoFlow X-Stream technology that lets you charge this gadget from zero to eighty percent in an hour. You can fully charge this in 90 minutes, which is four to five times faster than other battery packs. It also offers all the necessary ports, such as USB-A, pure sine wave AC outlet, and 12V DC car port. Last but not least, this portable battery pack is portable and lightweight, weighing only 6.3 pounds—easy to store in your backpack! 

3. Google Nest Thermostat

The Google Nest Thermostat is one of the most reliable eco-friendly gadgets with an ENERGY STAR certification. It’s perfect for household or office use and helps optimize heat and cold in a space to reduce energy consumption. This thermostat shuts off when you leave, ensuring you don’t waste energy on cooling or heating an empty home or office. Another brilliant feature is the ability to control the thermostat temperature from a laptop, tablet, or phone through its remote control. It also offers HVAC monitoring and alerts you if something isn’t up to par with your heating and cooling equipment at home. 

4. WakaWaka Power+

This is the eco-friendly tool you need for your outdoor adventures! The WakaWaka Power+ is a solar-powered flashlight and mobile phone charger tailored for off-grid areas. So, no more worrying about running out of juice when camping for days in the jungle! It has a sensitive solar panel on each device covered in naked solar film. This side of the solar panel absorbs even the dullest sunlight. The flashlights also come with twin LEDS with adjustable brightness between five and 75 lumens. Plus, the phone charger is at 2200mAh, which is perfect for a single charge on your Android or Apple phone!

5. LIFX LED Smart Bulbs

These energy-efficient bulbs are next level, with dimming features! The LIFX LED Smart Bulbs are the household bulb of your dreams where you can control light customization via the smartphone app. Polychrome technology bulbs can emit multiple colors simultaneously, enhancing room decor by shining different colors on a wall while providing white light. These bulbs offer voice control, scheduling, scenes, effects, and integration with Apple’s adaptive lighting, Alexa’s light alarms, and Google’s Sleep/Wake features. They are compatible with Alexa, Apple HomeKit/Siri, and Hey Google and are easy to set up. Just screw in, open your preferred app, and follow the prompts! 

6. Hydrao Smart Shower Head

Whether building a new home or renovating an old one, make this a priority on your upgrade checklist. Replacing your old shower head with the Hydrao Smart Shower Head will save you money and make Mother Nature happy. This Smart shower head lets you track water usage, changing colors to remind users of shorter showers. This way, you reduce energy consumption for heating. It’s a plug-and-play eco-friendly device that doesn’t need a battery. 

7. Sodastream

SodaStream allows users to make their carbonated water at home, eliminating the use of single-use plastic bottles and lowering transportation-related carbon emissions. With a simple button push, you can enjoy fresh sparkling water. The kit includes a sparkling water maker, a 60L CO2 cylinder, and a 1-liter dishwasher-safe bottle. It’s energy-efficient, powered by a CO2 cylinder that carbonates up to 60 liters of water. The easy-to-use snap-lock bottle insertion system makes carbonation quick. Compatible with all SodaStream flavors and bottles (except the glass carafe), SodaStream Art machines work exclusively with the Quick Connect CO2 cylinder.

8. Symphonized Bamboo Bluetooth Portable Speaker

This bamboo-made portable speaker is made of natural wood, offering premium sound. It provides crystal clear acoustics and deep bass due to natural wood’s properties. It’s also quick to connect and easy to use. Plus, it’s universally compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled device. You can enjoy up to six hours of playtime from this small speaker and fully charge it again in two hours!

9. BioLite CampStove 2

The BioLite CampStove 2 is a portable stove that transforms heat from burning wood into electricity, enabling device charging and reducing reliance on disposable batteries and fuel. It uses renewable biomass fuels like twigs and pinecones, creating smokeless flames ideal for cooking. A thermoelectric generator produces three watts of power for real-time charging and stores energy in a 3,200 mAh battery. The stove boils a liter of water in 4.5 minutes, features a USB port for device charging, and includes a pot stand, folding legs, and an LED FlexLight. 

10. LifeStraw Filter Drinking Straw

This is the best stainless steel straw you can carry around that is environmentally efficient. It removes microplastics, dirt, cloudiness, and particles about 99.99%! It also protects you from parasites and bacteria! The reliable filter can be used with a thousand liters of water, estimated at one year of daily use. It’s made from high-quality stainless steel, and the mouthpiece is silicone-based. This reusable straw also only weighs three ounces and comes in a carry case. 

Listening to your favorite tunes anywhere you go instantly improves your mood. Having a portable speaker at your beck and call means you can enjoy picnics, adventures, or hangouts with music. But what is the best portable speaker? Here are 10 options you can look into.

1. Sony ULT Field 1

This is the smallest rectangular-shaped portable speaker that allows stereo pairing. Although an underdog amongst other Sony portable speakers, this model produces decent audio. Due to its bass-boosting ULT feature, you’ll enjoy average audio with this one. The Sony ULT Field 1 is also waterproof and dustproof and comes with a speakerphone. One caveat is its battery life, which users claim needs improvement. 

Price: $119.99

2. JBL Charge 5

If you’re looking for the best portable speaker with one of the most reliable battery life, get the JBL Charge 5. It offers a 20-hour battery life, not bad for a portable speaker worth a hundred dollars! You may also pair this with other JBL speakers for stereo audio. In terms of audio, the JBL Charge 5 offers clear and rich audio with dual JBL bass radiators. You can put this speaker in a big room and it will deliver. Its PartyBoost feature allows you to pair two JBL speakers with the same functionality. Plus, this speaker also doubles as a power bank!

Price: $101+

3. UE Wonderboom 3

This waterproof speaker is comfortable to carry around due to its compact design. The UE Wonderboom 3 is excellent for outdoor use because of its 360-degree sound. It has nice build quality, great sound, and is sturdy. With a 14-hour battery life, you can enjoy intimate parties uninterrupted. The only drawback is the need for a USB-C, which can be a hassle when charging with limited cords.

Price: $88.99

4. Sonos Roam

Many users say the Sonos Roam is the most well-thought-out portable speaker in terms of design. It offers exceptional sound considering its size, with clear mids and bass. This speaker offers multiple charging options, such as USB-C and Qi wireless. Plus, it also supports Alexa, Google Assistant, and AirPlay 2. The rugged design only means two things—it’s exceptionally waterproof and dustproof. The only lacking features are stereo pairing and speakerphone, and its Sound Swap function doesn’t work on some other channels. 

Price: $179

5. Sony SRS-XB100

Don’t let the Sony SRS-XB100 fool you with its small design. It boasts a 16-hour battery life, and it’s also water resistant, which is excellent for kitchen use or hiking. This is Sony’s smallest portable speaker with a built-in strap that can be attached to your bag. You can opt for different colors to fit your lifestyle. Although portable and lightweight, the sound isn’t enough to fill a big room. It has some compression at maximum volume. 

Price: $48

6. UE Megaboom 3

If you’re looking for powerful bass from a portable speaker, the UE Megaboom 3 does a bang-up job. It’s louder than its predecessors and perfect for indoor or outdoor parties. Despite its sturdy and bulky build, this portable speaker is lightweight and convenient. It also offers a 20-hour battery life, which is excellent if you want uninterrupted use. It boasts an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. It also provides a broad and spacious soundstage. The only downside is the compression present when used at maximum volume. 

Price: $129

7. Bose SoundLink Flex

The Bose SoundLink Flex exudes a sleek and unique design that is convenient to carry around. This thoughtfully designed portable speaker comes with immersive, precise, and deep audio—thanks to its custom-engineered transducer! It’s also waterproof with an IP67 rating, and it even floats on water, perfect for outdoor adventures! You can also enjoy its built-in microphone and, receive calls and access any voice assistant. We don’t like its short battery life at 12 hours and long charging time at four hours. 

Price: $108.99

8. Anker Soundcore Motion+

This portable speaker is impressive, with Hi-Res audio enhanced by its Qualcomm aptX feature. It’s also recommended for outdoor use because of its 80W stereo sound. You will enjoy two 30W woofers and 10W tweeters, and BassUp technology, ensuring listening to music from a portable speaker will never be the same again. It also prevents treble through titanium drivers that offer listeners epic, powerful, crisp sound. A single charge can get you 15 hours of playtime. Some drawbacks would be compression at maximum volume and the lack of low bass. 

Price: $39.99

9. Marshall Emberton II

I got a Marshall Emberton II and am impressed with the sound quality! It offers a classic design with a 30-hour battery life and a quick one to two-hour charge! It’s waterproof and boasts a powerful rich bass and bright highs. It comes with a 360-degree sound with True Stereophonic. The design is extremely tough and resilient, ensuring you can take this speaker anywhere and in any condition. Plus, the Marshall Emberton II also has a Stackmode feature, which means you can connect your speaker to other Emberton II speakers to amplify sound!

Price: $129

10. Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 portable speaker is a top choice if you want a premium design that integrates with Alexa seamlessly. It offers a 2×140 watts peak power sound in a sleek and small speaker. It’s durable, wireless, and lightweight, perfect for sharing music on the go outdoors! The aluminum design is dustproof and water-resistant. Plus, the sound EQ is highly customizable with Beosonic Tuning. You can enjoy music from this best portable speaker with 18 hours of battery life!

Price: $349

AI has been dominating almost all sectors of business and society. Business owners, students, professionals, and employees are comfortable having artificial intelligence at their beck and call. Although relying solely on AI is not advisable, having AI as your convenient assistance undeniably makes your job easier. Here are some ways AI is making waves in any industry. These top AI trends are only evolving, offering better features for users. 

1. AI in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity was once protected by software and applications manufactured by the same malware companies. AI prevents loopholes and ensures you keep your data safe. It enhances real-time monitoring, detection, and response to cyber threats by analyzing vast amounts of data to identify patterns indicative of attacks. AI scans networks for vulnerabilities, detects unusual behavior, and restricts unauthorized access. 

Compared to ordinary malware detection software, AI can prioritize risks and detect malware early, thus automating security tasks and reducing human error. Although AI will not replace human security professionals, it assists by processing large data volumes faster than traditional methods. AI addresses these limitations, improving cybersecurity efficiency and effectiveness as technology evolves.

2. AI in Medicine and Healthcare

Artificial intelligence (AI) revolutionizes medical sciences by enhancing patient diagnosis, drug discovery, physician-patient communication, and remote treatment. AI systems, such as deep convolutional neural networks, have matched or surpassed human experts in accuracy, especially in visually oriented fields like dermatology. 

Some AI models are trained on extensive datasets and can classify skin cancers and diabetic retinopathy with high precision, offering benefits like increased diagnostic efficiency, early disease detection, and reduced barriers to healthcare access. While AI excels in these areas, it complements rather than replaces human expertise, transforming the medical landscape.

3. AI in Education

Some educational institutions still need to be updated regarding learning systems and practices. While AI can’t replace teachers, it will only enhance learning processes and student-teacher collaboration. AI can transform education by addressing significant challenges, improving teaching and learning practices, and advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4. 

AI can assist educators in their pedagogy by quickly creating customized plans that align with the teachers’ educational goals. AI helps educators integrate AI effectively, streamline administrative tasks, and provide personalized learning experiences, making AI implementation less daunting for schools and districts.

4. AI in Finance

Another sector that widely uses AI is finance. Aside from fintech apps, AI also keeps the finance engines smooth and safe. AI is commonly utilized in finance across several key areas. In algorithmic trading, AI develops trading algorithms to analyze market trends and execute trades faster than humans. It automates repetitive tasks, enhancing efficiency and reducing costs. AI fosters innovation, providing financial institutions with a competitive edge. It ensures regulatory compliance by automating monitoring and reporting. 

Another way AI helps in finance is by assessing creditworthiness by analyzing diverse data and enhancing customer service through chatbots and personal assistants. More importantly, it also detects fraud, streamlines loan processing, manages personal finances, optimizes portfolios, enables predictive analytics, and analyzes risks and market sentiment for better decision-making.

5. Sustainable AI

Sustainable AI refers to developing and deploying artificial intelligence technologies that prioritize environmental, economic, and social sustainability. It involves creating energy-efficient AI systems, minimizing carbon footprints, and ensuring ethical practices. Sustainable AI aims to balance technological advancement with the preservation of resources and equitable benefits for society, promoting long-term ecological and human well-being. 

Some examples of how AI helps sustainability are AI-driven precision agriculture, weather predictions, natural disaster response, infrastructure response, and strengthening. 

6. AI in Customer Service

AI is revolutionizing customer service across various domains. Generative AI improves response times by analyzing customer conversations and generating human-like replies. AI-powered chatbots handle basic inquiries and are available 24/7. By understanding human language, Natural Language Processing (NLP) enhances chatbots, voice assistants, and sentiment analysis tools. Sentiment analysis monitors customer feedback to personalize experiences. 

Another way it can offer seamless customer service is through AI-driven recommendation systems. Predictive analytics anticipates customer needs, while AI-powered self-service solutions and intelligent routing systems enhance efficiency by providing relevant information and connecting customers to the correct representatives.

7. AI in Autonomous Vehicles

AI significantly enhances autonomous vehicle capabilities by enabling advanced functionalities. Machine learning algorithms analyze vast amounts of sensor data to interpret the vehicle’s surroundings, identifying objects, pedestrians, and other vehicles. AI supports real-time decision-making for navigation, optimizing routes, and managing traffic situations. Predictive analytics foresee potential hazards, improving safety. AI-powered systems ensure precise localization, which is crucial for accurate mapping and positioning. 

Enhanced connectivity allows autonomous vehicles to communicate with each other and infrastructure, promoting coordinated traffic flow. These advancements collectively contribute to safer, more efficient, and reliable autonomous transportation solutions.

8. AI in Manufacturing 

AI helps manufacturing industries by making processes more efficient and accurate. It uses machine learning to predict when machines need maintenance, reducing downtime. AI can optimize production schedules, ensuring resources are used effectively and reducing waste. It improves quality control by quickly detecting defects in products. 

Additionally, AI-powered robots can perform repetitive or dangerous tasks, enhancing safety and productivity. By analyzing data, AI also helps forecast demand, allowing manufacturers to plan inventory better and meet customer needs. Overall, AI streamlines operations, cuts costs, and boosts manufacturing productivity.

Final Words

Without a doubt, AI helps expedite processes in several industries and sectors. It automates repetitive tasks that can be done more efficiently with machine learning. Overall, AI is a good assistant in some aspects of business. While AI eliminates human errors, it’s also crucial to consider AI’s lapses. Injecting human insight and creativity is still essential to ensure quality.