Tropes

impactlab_2011 00633.txt

#Electronic gardening kit A whole new way to garden. If there ever was a product that best demonstrated our increasing disconnect with nature, this one may be it. Click & Grow is an electronic gardening set that includes a soil-less pot, plant cartridges and yep, even batteries. The premise is that people are either too busy or too much of a brownthumb to grow their own plants, so why not let some gadget do all the hard work? Developed by an Estonian entrepreneur, Click & Grow is the result of a meshing of hydroponics and aeroponics, all reduced to a series of sensors, processors and software, which surround the seeds in the disposable cartridge#All the user has to do is add batteries, light and water. Once the plant cartridge (which each start at around US $10, depending on the type) reaches the end of its lifecycle, all you have to do is throw out the old one and insert the new. That said, though we re sure there is a market for this kind of gadget, this kind of gimmicky product is on par with canned air and banana slicers. Don t get us wrong, larger-scale hydroponics has potential for growing food in places where space is at a premium, but this hydroponic gizmo seems a little self-indulgent. It s as far from permaculture, less is more #or do-it-yourself you can get, and certainly wasteful in terms of materials and definitely expensive at US $80 a pop. We re just not convinced. After all, there s a lot to be said for learning real skills, especially when that involves growing one s own food, even if it s in the confines of your apartment. The company s FAQ implies that it may push out a USB-powered version later on, but we re probably going to have to pass on that one. LINK Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati h

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