Imagine a world where there’s a charger nearby and you don’t have to ask for a wi-fi password… VTree’s ‘solar trees’ offer free wi-fi and a charging station for gadgets and electric vehicles. The branches also collect solar energy to power streetlights. Currently ‘planted’ in Lisbon, Braga, Bucharest and Cluj, there are plans afoot for trees to sprout in Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the UK. Public wi-fi can come with a security risk, so set up a VPN to protect against unwanted data intruders.