Show exhibits often display things I’ve already read about, but not so Wired NextFest.
Self-dubbed “a four-day festival of innovative products and technologies that are transforming our world,” Wired NextFest showcases all the fun and weird stuff I’d never heard about –
When I got there yesterday, I headed directly to “The Future of Green” section. ArcHouse, a prefab, eco-friendly building made of sustainable materials, serves as the centerpiece, with new green gadgets decorating the interior.
Green Lanterns, for example, light up the bedroom. These greenlights’re both chandeliers and air filters — LED lighting powered by a solar awning feeds the plants, which purify the air.
Future green consumer products’re tied to consumer responsibility: A flower lamp opens its petals only if household energy consumption’s low. A radio untunes itself when energy consumption’s high. A power-aware cord gets brighter and brighter as energy use increases.
Along with reducing energy consumption comes increasing green energy production via smaller and more powerful solar cells and wind turbines — and finding new sources of energy, like producing biofuel from pond scum.
To that end, Venturi Automobiles’ electro-solar vehicle the Eclectic is supposed to be released next year; the Astrolab, a v. light, solar-charged concept car’s also on display.
And there’s human powered tech: A laptop charged by a yo-yo-like pull-cord, and a supercomputer that can be powered by a team of bicyclists.
Other hubs showcase everything from the future of games to robotics to security to transportation — some with green elements.
The Critical Power HPV, for ex, is a carbon-fiber bicycle that can go 60+ mph and has storage space to store stuff, in case you’re planning a really, really long trek.
Random curiousities: A game that lets you hit Bush or Tony Blair. Clothes that send hugs to faraway people. A printer that “prints” 3-D objects. A 4-D globe that shows what the earth’ll look like a million years from now.
And of course, the cute Keepon robot’s there, dancing to Spoon. Not eco, but very cute, especially with little hats on.
Wired NextFest’s open to the public at the LA Convention Center this weekend! Hours are Friday, Sept. 14 from 12 pm – 7 pm; Saturday, Sept. 15 from 9 am – 6 pm; Sunday, Sept. 16 9 am – 6 pm. Tickets cost $20 (less for kids, students, and seniors).
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