There’s no shortage of portable speakers on the market. But it’s hard to find ones that aren’t bulky or battery-draining. Designers Lin Nien-An and Cheng Ya-Fang have found the answer, creating the funnel-inspired Green’s Voice Speaker System, that turns any empty plastic bottle into a party. It’s the perfect picnic accessory this fall.

Just screw the rubber cradle onto the top of a used bottle. The speaker creates a beautiful low-tech sound, using the bottle as an enclosure to amplify the sound. The Green speakers are made from an environmentally friendly, biodegradable plastic, and the long-life battery lasts 10 times that of an average lithium battery. These smart speakers give a whole new meaning to music on-the-go. Keep them on hand, and you’ll be prepared for any spontaneous party that comes your way.

If you find yourself sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day or more, longing to be out in nature, perhaps a desk makeover might help lift your spirits. The new Orée Board is an eco-designed keyboard fashioned from a single piece of wood, offering a warmer desktop experience for the user. The name has a double meaning: “the outer edge of the forest” and “the brink of something new.” Orée chooses wood varieties from sustainably managed forests, offering natural and renewable material sources with each product. Each board is cut into three sheets to preserve the wood grain and minimize waste.

But as outdoorsy as it looks, the Orée Board is highly functional, powered by a Bluetooth 3.0 chipset to link to your computer. You can even customize the keyboard by choosing a unique font. In a world surrounded by technology, sometimes it only takes a few details to bring us back to nature. Try adding a few eco-friendly products to your work station along with a selection of desktop plants. The constant influence of nature throughout your workday will do wonders for your state-of-mind, and serve as a gentle reminder that it’s time to get outside, as often as you can.

Are you getting the new iPhone 5? Pre-Orders have already hit two million in 24 hours, more than double the demand of the iPhone 4S. Whether or not you need to upgrade is up to you, but if you decide to make the leap, what are you going to do with your old one? Apple has sold more than 244 million iPhones since its release in 2007. That’s a lot of old iPhones sitting around in the junk drawer. USA Today has created a handy list of ways to recycle your old iPhone to ensure that it doesn’t become another wasted piece of hardware taking up desk space.

There are the obvious ideas, such as passing it on to your kids for their very first cell phone, or to a parent so you can get them on the Apple bandwagon. But what about keeping it as a miniature iPad? Use it as a camera or even watch videos on it, if you have a Wi-Fi connection. Consider donating it to a charitable cause. Cell Phones for Soldiers buys calling cards for soldiers with the profits made from recycling old iPhones. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence refurbishes and resells old iPhones, with the profits supporting the group’s mission.

You could keep it around as a very expensive alarm clock. Or make a few bucks and sell it on eBay. Glyde.com and Gazelle are companies that offer cash for your old model. Or you can turn it in for store credit at GameStop or Apple. Keep it as backup in case your new baby is lost or stolen. Or stick it in an iPod dock and stream music. Do you have any other fun ideas to recycle your iPhone?

The other day I saw a baby in a stroller, just barely big enough to hold a bottle, playing with her very own iPad. Although a bit of a shocker, it’s not so unusual these days that kids receive tablets or smartphones long before a pen and paper. While iPads can be a distracting toy, they can also be used for educational purposes to give your child a head start. But while there’s so much on the web we wouldn’t want our kids stumbling upon, fortunately a new app makes sense of it all: Happly.

Happly navigates the web so you don’t have to, keeping your children away from violent or inappropriate material. But rather than focusing on what it blocks like most safety nets, it focuses on the positive, offering a wealth of premium fun content. Think of it as iPad curation for your child. Happly has partnered with National Geographic photographers and award-winning children’s book authors to deliver a fun daily iPad experience that will keep your kid entertained and educated. If you choose to give your kid technology so early on, make sure the content is positive and worthwhile. Happly is a great way to start the conversation. What apps do you enjoy to use with your children?

Can you remember a time before text messaging? The relatively new invention was launched in 1992, but it’s hard to remember a time when this wasn’t one of our primary forms of communication. To celebrate 20 years, notebook innovator Moleskine has launched a special edition analog SMS text message. The tiny notebook comes with a cover launching pad and tiny messages such as “I Love You” and “Call Me” which can be folded up and launched via slingshot across a room. For us it recalls the schoolroom days when we’d get busted for writing a note and passing it to a friend. It’s a fun idea to celebrate a form of technology we now take for granted, and a great gift for anyone in your life with a smartphone addiction.