Posts Tagged ‘computers’

Google Earth Shows Climate Change Effects

A new tool in Google Earth shows you the “effect” of climate change in your area.

Using Google Earth, you can look at climate effects under three different scenarios — 1) Confronting Climate Change — “with Al Gore”, 2) IPCC High Emissions Scenario, and 3) IPCC Low Emissions Scenario. Other new tools let you examine other aspects of climate change and how to adapt to climate change.

Greenpeace Investigation Exposes Illegal E-Waste Disposal

Greenpeace planted a tracking device in an old TV, dropped it off at a recycling center, and tracked where it went. The results were disturbing, but sadly predicable.

The television ended up being shipped from the UK to Nigeria before being dismantled, a complete violation of European Union laws which require that potentially hazardous e-waste be disposed of within Europe.

First Green Certified Laptop Battery Boosted by HP

In the race to come up with newer eco-friendly laptop solutions HP has not only led the way, but helped achieve a few firsts in the process, according to a recent Boston-Power press release.

Green Gorilla: Energy Saving Tips for Your Bedroom

save energy in the bedroomEditor’s note: The following post originally appeared on Green Gorilla.  “Gorilla in the Greenhouse” is an action-packed animated web show that inspires kids to take real-world steps towards a healthier environment.  The show is distributed through the kid’s web channel Green Gorilla (www.greengorilla.com), which is host to a variety of kids activities, videos about issues important to kids, music and eco-merchandise.

Start saving energy in your bedroom today by following these simple tips

1. Unplug

Unplug appliances that you are not using to avoid unnecessary energy use. Turn off your stereo when you leave your room. Unplug your ipod, video games and cell phone charger.

2. Put Your Laptop to Sleep

Letting your laptop sleep will help you to conserve energy. Ask your parents to help you set the ENERGY STAR power management features on your computer and monitor.

Ecofont Uses Up to 20% Less Ink

ecofont

A Dutch company called SPRANQ has developed a simple yet brilliant way to save ink: the Ecofont. According to the its creators, the font saves up to 20 percent of the ink normally used in printing.

Renewable Energy Offset Credits Lets You Power Your Laptop with the Wind

Wind Power

Looking for an eco-friendly gift this holiday season? How about a renewable energy offset for the computer lovers in your life?

Start-up company Powered Green offers a Wind Energy Sponsorship helping to stop hundreds of pounds of greenhouse gases by sponsoring new wind turbines that make enough clean, green energy to power a computer for seven years.

Verdiem Launch Free Software to Slash PC Power Use Up to 80 Percent

PC energy saving specialists Verdiem have today released free downloadable software designed to help users slash their energy use up to a massive 80 percent.

According to Allison Cornia, vice president of product management at Verdiem, “If we could get just 10 per cent of the world’s one billion PCs using [the product] properly we could save 32 billion kilograms of CO2 a year. That’s equivalent to taking half a million cars off the road.”

NComputing: The Energy-Efficient $70 PC

ncomputing

Imagine a PC unit that costs only $70 and uses as little as 1 watt of power. Sound too good to be true? Not anymore, thanks to the innovation of a California-based company called NComputing. The company creates access devices that have no CPU, memory, or moving parts. Instead, the devices connect to a central shared computer that uses NComputing’s virtualization software to share its excess processing power.

Intel’s New Green Processor Offers $2 Billion In Energy Savings

Intel’s new microprocessor was designed with the environment in mind. The company says the chip is not only rocket fast but is also extremely energy efficient. The chip—code named Nehalem—follows the Intel Core II and IV series processors.

10-Step Guide to Buying a Used Laptop That Works

Buying second-hand products is always green, but it’s easy to be discouraged by the stories of broken laptops from eBay or Craigslist. To quell these fears, here is a 10-step checklist on how to find a used laptop that isn’t just a high-tech lemon.

laptop

Most wouldn’t flinch at the idea of buying a used car, but the thought of a used computer sends them squirming. The tech industry tries their hardest to keep it that way: they advertise new products in such a way to render the previous models perceptually obsolete; they block even the simplest hardware upgrades; and they sell bottom-of-the-line models that simply break within a couple years.

This shouldn’t scare you away from a used computer purchase, but know that they are imperfect machines; some research, determination, and basic knowledge is required. To make this list, I used both my own experience along with some tips from Peter Montesano of Peter’s PC Repair, one of the most highly regarded repair shops in San Francisco.

E-Wasted: Where Will Your Computer and iPod Go to Die?

Electronic wasteSimran Sethi and Sarah Smarsh are writing a series on the impacts of everyday things. They will be posting previews on Green Options before launching the posts on Huffington Post. Want to know how to green your internet porn (or emailing or iTunes) habit? Check out these tips and a post-mortem of where your computers go to die.

Recently, the world computer population surpassed 1 billion. It’s a legion of artificial intelligence that will never die, at least not while humans are around to see it.

The computer species appears to have a high mortality rate (whether due to the rapid progress of technology or an industry conspiracy to ensure that products must be replaced regularly). They “crash” and “die” in droves, their human counterparts literally kicking them to the curb. But there is no heaven, no place in the clouds, for the cold, hard shell once warmed by electrical currents. Once it has left your desk, your computer doesn’t disappear. In a sense, it lives on.

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