Q & Q Solar-Powered Watches

Colorful, affordable timepieces requiring zero upkeep

Sometimes all you need from a watch is reliability and a little bit of vibrancy. Japanese brand Q & Q (which stands for quest and quality), founded in 1976 as part of Citizen Watch Co., offers both with their new range of ultra-affordable SmileSolar pieces, now available globally. In a wide array of joyful color combinations, each watch carries personality and style that’s sharp enough …

Interview: Solar Impulse

Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg discuss what a solar plane means for exploration in the 21st century

Just after midnight on 4 May 2013, a plane eased into Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport after completing a journey from Moffet Airfield near San Jose, CA. With the wingspan of an Airbus A340, it nevertheless landed as delicately as a single prop and even more quietly. Pilot Bertrand Piccard emerged and was greeted by André Borschberg, the other half of Solar Impulse‘s flight crew. …

Luci

Solving the crisis of energy poverty one solar-powered lamp at a time

Launched on Indiegogo this month, Luci is a proposed sustainable light source for the three billion people around the world living without electricity. Designed by the group MPOWERD, Luci is the first in a series of solar-powered products the company hopes will address the crippling effects of energy poverty around the globe. First and foremost, Luci hopes to provide families with a safe, green and …