5 Eco-Friendly Gadgets

3. Clean Air

If  want to justify your purchase of a MacBook Air to your spouse without resorting to underwriting mall offsets, try this one: "I'm doing it for the environment, honey." Apple hasn't always scored well on the enviro front--for instance, last fall Greenpeace found toxic chemicals in the iPhone--but according to the Cupertino company, the MacBook Air "embodies Apple's continuing environmental progress."

The Air sports a mercury-free LCD (Apple's first!) with no arsenic in the glass; circuit boards containing little or no brominated flame retardant; and internal cables with nary a trace of PVC. The unit is sheathed in a recyclable aluminum case and arrives on your doorstep in slimmed-down packaging composed of recycled material, natch. Unsurprisingly, the Air is the least-power-hungry Mac--though at $1799 to start, it's a glutton for your wallet.

4. Conservative Power

Even when I shut down the DVD player and the TV at night, they continue to cast a gentle glow as they estivate in standby mode. Convenient though that may be for 3 a.m. trips to the bathroom, it's also a waste of energy. Due out this summer for $50, Belkin's Conserve is more surge protector than you ever thought you'd need. The device features eight outlets--six of which you can shut down when you're done with working or being entertained for the day, and two of which remain on at all times to support gadgets you don't want to turn off completely, such as your TiVo, your alarm clock, or your automated coffeemaker. A remote control lets you turn off the Conserve strip without having to get out of bed or contort your body under a desk or media cabinet--and one remote can control multiple Conserves.

5. Fashionable Speakers

They may not be the most bone-rattling speakers on the block, but they sure are kind to their mother earth. Made primarily (at least 70 percent) out of post-consumer recycled material, Fashionation's $15 Eco-Speakers come in a range of colors, from red to green to a mix of patterns and hues. The Eco-Speakers are small (measuring just 3.25 inches square), and they can fold flat to a tiny 6-by-7-by-5-inch package for easy transport. You won't need a power cord or batteries, either. These passive speakers draw a tiny amount of power from your iPod or MP3 player--but because they lack an amplifier, the audio doesn't exactly boom.