Recycling your old electronics is about to become a lot easier in NYC. This week, New York City Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty announced the launch of new residential electronics recycling program “e-cycleNYC” in partnership with Electronic Recyclers International (ERI). Unfortunately, that means you’ll probably miss out on lugging your broken 42’’ plasma on the subway in an attempt to make it to an e-waste drop off event, but we don’t think you’ll mind too much, right? The free recycling service will be provided to buildings with 10 or more apartment units in each borough, so you can save your strength for more important things like planting trees and composting.

This is the patio table with an integrated solar cell that lets users enjoy electronic devices outdoors without worrying about a dying battery. The top of the table resembles blown glass, yet it contains a 30-watt solar panel that absorbs the sun’s energy and stores it in a rechargeable 12-volt, 7 Ampere-Hour battery concealed under the tabletop.

The side of the table is outfitted with two USB ports that can charge smartphones, MP3 players, and tablets, while two 12-volt auto DC ports and two 9-volt DC ports run a fan, laptop, or other low-wattage device. The battery provides enough power to recharge a smartphone in about 3 1/2 hours and a tablet in six hours. A sliding cover shields the outlets from the elements.

The Device Charging Patio Table [7Gadgets]

Sports technology has come a long way over the past 10 years, but there is one particular sector that has been widely neglected when it comes to monitoring devices: swimming. designed in collaboration with tribudesign, ‘instabeat’ – a heads-up display monitor that mounts on the straps of any swimming goggles – reads the heart rate from the temporal artery without a chest belt, and displays it in real-time on the lens through a color code indicating the heart rate zone. the device also tracks calories burned, lap times and breathing frequency – with all data available once the device is synced to the computer.

instabeat: the google glass of swimming goggles [DesignBoom]

This exquisite design belongs to Paris based studio BETILLON / DORVAL?BORY. They took a tiny, elongated studio and turned it into a beautiful minimalist loft, serene and streamlined. The uniformity of color creates an illusion of a bigger space. It also serves as a backdrop for an unusual and clever lighting effect. The kitchen and living room features color distinguishing illumination, while the bed and shower merely uses monochromatic light. This contrast defines and visually zones the place.

Apartement Spectral [ShoeBox Dwelling]

For those on the go, finding a clean toilet in Singapore and giving feedback on the best and worst commodes is now in hand with a new app for mobile phones and tablet computers. The Restroom Association of Singapore (RAS) already has the LOO Connect service on its toilet.org.sg website that allows people to pinpoint and comment on public facilities and to see those given three, four or five stars.

With the new app for Android smartphones and tablets, the non-profit group said it was “leveraging on the ‘crowdsourcing’ trend and technology to recognise clean toilets and encourage socially responsible behaviour”.

Singapore mobile app flushes out clean and dirty toilets [tech2]

Plant-in City is a collaboration between architects, designers, and technologists who are building new ways of interacting with nature. Our 21st century sculptural terrariums combine modular architecture, basic laws of physics, embedded technologies, and mobile computing to construct a “Plant City” where the aesthetic meets the pragmatic.

Each frame is made with cedar wood and copper piping, with digital sensors and integrated lighting controlled by smartphone app. The plants live in an artful structure that’s nearly self-sustaining. After all, plants improve our quality of life and nurture us on an everyday basis; we think it’s only fair to nurture them in return.

Plant-In City [Josh Spear]

Design studio Lanzavecchia + Wai has created a sort of Charlie and the Chocolate factory experience. The Italian and Singaporean design studio has released an edible furniture collection consists of the Hard Candy coffee table, Chocolate chair, Grains sofa, and Hardtack table.

Each piece in this edible collection includes a basic elemental metal structure. Design studio lanzavecchia + wai used basic nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins, sugar, and chocolate as food reserves to cover the metal structure. Owing to the current economic conditions, the decorative or unnecessary elements of the furniture can be eaten until all that’s left is what’s needed for basic functionality.

Edible Furniture Collection for food diggers! [Gizmodiva]