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As far as green gadgets go, this little desktop computer will give Dell and (to a lesser extent) Apple a run for their money.
The CherryPal promises to be affordable, efficient, and powerful enough for the average PC user. At first glance, that stats on the system look modest, and for good reason. This design actually cuts out 20% of PC components to reduce energy usage. But fear not, despite being small (the size of a paperback), the CherryPal claims it can start up in 20 seconds, and cloud computing provides more power/storage when you need it. A Linux operating system (now more user friendly than ever), and cloud computing means you won’t need to worry about viruses or install protective programs that can slow down your PC.
I cover a lot of upcoming or future technology, but it’s time to step into the present and aim for the past. Today we’re going to look at a technology available right now that can make some wanton energy waste history. It’s a surge protector that stakes the hearts of vampire electronics without hassling you, the sleeping victim.
Vampire appliances are pretty much anything you can plug in that still sucks energy when it’s supposedly turned off. Some are pretty obvious - the clocks on your microwave or VCR/DVD player burn all day, everyday. We know they’re not “off” because we cans see their LEDs glow. But other electronics, from your television to your cell phone charger also draw power when they’re plugged in but not in use. Check out a handy graph from Good Magazine. Some gadgets are notorious, like your plasma TV. Estimates claim that 5% or more of U.S. energy usage is insidiously wasted by “stand-by mode” or certain misleading “off” buttons. A whopping 5% may not sound like much, but it adds up to about $1 Billion dollars per year - and energy prices will probably continue to rise.
Be honest - how many times would you go around the house unplugging everything before it got old? Smart greenies have been switching off their surge protectors, but it’s easy to forget while watching your favorite late-night TV show or blogging at 4am. So what can we do about these metal-toothed Nosferatu in our midst? How about a surge protector that turns off all your appliances for you?
Imagine growing up, going to school, graduating, going to college for a couple years and then getting that magical phone call: "Son, it's time to change the light bulb." You rush home in flurry of excitement and anticipation as your parents show you how to change a light — something you yourself may not do until your own kids are in college. Those times are coming.
Well actually, they're here. But until prices coming
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Until I wrote a story about China growing Jatropha in mass quantities earlier this year, I'd never heard of the plant. Now, it seems that wherever I turn someone's got Jatropha ambitions. It's gotten so bad that I feel compelled to ditch tomatoes, scrap the pumpkins, and grow some nuts. (No editor comments allowed)
What's Jatropha you ask? Up until recently, it's simply been a plant that's useful for live fencing and evil intentions:
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If you're like me, there are often times when you plug your cell phone into your charger, fill up, unplug, and then walk away leaving the charger in the wall. This act can waste energy as a phantom pull is still exerted by the charger in your wall. Well, now there's a product that replaces all of your various chargers and makes the entire process much more efficient.
Called the Wild Charge, the
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