Switched.com has done some digging and has provided a list of 12 Earth-friendly appliances that are actually green.  If you are in the market for appliances that not only save you money on your utilities, but that are actually better for the environment, then check these items out:

1. Xeros Washing Machine – This new washer promises to clean clothes with just one cup of water and thousands of nylon beads.  The carbon-footprint of this prototype is 40% less than the current most efficient washing machine.
2. Equator 375 Refrigerator – Not only is this fridge quieter than most, but it only uses $50 of electricity per year!
3. Aeromatic Oven – This high-efficiency stand-alone oven bakes, grills, broils, fries, toasts, steams and roasts your smaller meals in the time it would take to microwave them, but uses 80% less energy.
4. Bosch Evolution Plus Dishwasher – The Bosch Evolution 800 Plus is not only 160% more energy efficient than traditional models but it also has the capacity for 15 place settings.
5. Tankless Hot Water Heater – The tankless systems can lower your costs and save you time, because your hot water is delivered instantaneously.
6. AO Smith Vertex 100 – The Vertex 100 has a 90% better efficiency rating than anyone else on the market, which will provide you a 30% savings on your utility bills.
7. Motion Sensor Lights – Though these have been around for quite a while, the Levion Decora 150 switch senses when a room is empty and turns the lights off for you.  Saves a lot of money on electricity and avoids fighting between parents and their kids.
8. Toliet Lid Sink – When you flush the toliet this addition takes the clean water from the tank, through the spigot for hand washing, before actually flushing the toliet.  May sound a little gross, but is completely sanitary and saves your household water.
9. Santerra Green Composting Toliets – This toliet/composter helps evaporate your ‘business,’ so that what is left can be turned into compost.  It promises to be odorless and save you water.
10. Cool ‘n Save – This eco-friendl’ier’ air conditioner is helpful because it sucks the heat out of nearby air, therefore helping to lower your bills by circulating the cooler air through the house without having the unit on Artic temperatures.
11. ShowerStart – The ShowerStart system slows hot water to a trickle once it hits 95 degrees, so while you are letting the water run to warm up before hopping in, this system takes the water wastefulness out of the quick errands before showering.
12. Methane-powered golf cart – Although still in its experimental stages, this idea could help us save a lot of gas and money if we are going quickly around town.

For the full article, which explains the positives and negatives of most of these products, go to: http://www.switched.com/2009/09/11/earth-friendly-appliances-for-your-home-13/

Temporary stores have started to emerge as a solution for the cash-strapped brand.  With all the empty properties about, brokers and landlords are more willing to take some rent for a pop-up store, than leave the space empty waiting for a permanent tenant.  Brands are using these pop-up spaces as a way to create buzz, test new concepts and evaluate a new neighborhood or city they are looking to launch in.  With rents now affordable again, these shops are being views “as a logical, and even inexpensive, marketing tool.”

High-end brands like Hermes, Emilio Pucci and La Perla and have started to embrace the concept, as have Gap, Seven for all Mankind and Daffy’s.  One extremely successful example of a pop-up store was The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism which opened a shop on Broadway between 11th and 12th streets in Manhattan.  The temporary shop garnered nearly $1 million in media, between the 46 broadcast segments and 21 print and online placements they received.  They also had an average of 1,000 visitors go through the store each week and 500 pieces of collateral were handed out daily.  The bulk of the budget was spend on the $20,000 a month rent, but with the figures listed above, the efforts more than paid for themselves.

AdAge has provided a list of 5 things to consider before taking on a venture like this for your brand:

1. Do your research – why is the space empty? Lack of traffic in the area? Some issue with the property?
2. Don’t scrimp – make sure your budget keeps within the brand’s image, if you are a high end brand, you will need to spend a little more building out the space
3. Get creative – as more brands start the pop-up store you will need to make sure your space still attracts attention
4. Don’t expect a profit – the purpose of the pop-up store is to create buzz, not profits
5. Take a chance – don’t be afraid of trying a new neighborhood, new design, new product or new marketing tactic.  Pop-ups are temporary so if your gamble doesn’t work, you haven’t boxed yourself in

For the full article, go to: http://adage.com/article?article_id=138704