LG launches new “green” phone
LG has joined other makers with efforts to “green” cell phones. The LG Remarq features:
- outer casing of the handset is made from 19 percent post-consumer products
- 87 percent of parts are recyclable
- Energy-star certified
- Low in PVC and BFRs
- packaging is made from close to 100 percent post-consumer materials and printed with soy-based inks
- online manuals
In addition the phone has a slide finger-friendly QWERTY keyboard and you can access Facebook and Twitter to post status updates.
Available in turquoise and dark silver.
The phone will be available in May and may be free after rebates and other deals. Check with your provider for details.
Found via GeekSugar
AT&T Zero Charger is no vampire
AT&T has created a wall-based cell phone charger that does not draw energy when it is not charging a phone.
VoltStar Eco Charger is a similar device that actually shuts down once the phone is charged. It works with any 5V device.
So-called “vampire energy” refers to the energy used by chargers and other devices when they are turned off or not plugged into a chargeable device. According to the AT&T site:
In the U.S., the total amount of electricity that flows through internal and external power adapters is nearly 470 billion kWh per year or about 12 percent of the nation’s annual electricity consumption.
The AT&T device will be available in May. VoltStar is April 12 for $31.90.
New Year’s Eve Ball Drop powered by you!
Maybe not you, exactly, but the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop will be powered in part by energy generated by individuals and stored in a Duracell battery for the big moment.
Since November 23, Duracell has hosted the Duracell Smart Power Lab in Times Square. Pedalers have been generating 32,000 watt hours to power the numbers 2010 that light up when the traditional large ball is lowered on December 31st each year. There are six Duracell Power Rovers to contribute to almost 1,000 pedalling hours to power the numerals. They have been ridden by tourists, locals and celebrities over the past few weeks to generate the power which is transferred to a battery to store the energy for the big night.
Visitors to the Smart Power Lab can also explore Duracell’s future energy ideas and power up their mobile devices.
A greener cellphone
Samsung’s new Reclaim is touted as the first eco-friendly cell phone for the US market. Its hardware casing is made from corn-derived bio plastics. Its innovative charger consumes twelve times less power than Energystar recommendations and its packaging is 70% recyclable. Also,the user manual is virtual with no bulky paper version included in the package.
The phone itself as a full QWERTY keyboard, 2 Megapixel camera/camcorder, one-touch access to social networks and calendars and email.
Available in Earth Green and Ocean Blue, the phone is available August 16 for under $50 (with rebates) and Sprint is donating two dollars to the Nature Conservancy for each purchase.
Green Your Printing for St. Pat’s
GreenPrint is a software that analyzes what you print and helps you save money and paper by not printing pages with “junk” like a last page with just a URL, legal-ese or banner ads.
It will also track how many pages you have saved and what that means in money. The program also includes a PDF writer so you save documents rather than print them.
They have home and business versions. The basic World edition is FREE for PC and just $29 for MAC. The Home Premium version is faster, has an ad free preview and includes product upgrades and support. The business Enterprise version can run on multiple computers and track paper savings across a network as well as other features.
According to Green Print:
“If all US households with a computer used GreenPrint over $6 billion would be saved a year.
If all new computers used GreenPrint greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by over 117 million tons. That’s the equivalent of removing 23 million cars from the road for an entire year.
If all new computers sold in 2006 used green print over 36 million trees would be saved every year.”
One Sunny Day
In the tech world we’re not always that fashion savvy, but we may end up saving the world.
Our newest fashion misstep seems to be solar powered shades or “Self Energy Converting Sunglasses” . Pack an ipod and then charge on the go while protecting ever precious eyes. Just plug the cord into whatever small electronic device and, with the look of a headphone cord, you’ve got power on the go. It’s a nice concept, but with only one style it’s hard to appeal to everyone. But hey, Myvu glasses have taken off, why not these? As soon as (or if) they go into production there’s always a chance for them as well.
Organizing Power
Another new way has appeared to organize all the wires that continue to multiply in the deepest corners of every room.
ezGear’s new power extender is like a buffet for electronics. You can power six different devices from one corner, and you don’t even have to braid any of the cords. Extend another hard to reach corner with Swivel Sockets, again with room for six power hungry devices.
With so many options when it comes to power strips now a days it no longer makes sense to have a mess or run out of room. Here’s to electric overloads, and to the hope that we go green very soon.
Flipswap
Flipswap is a new option for getting rid of your old cell phone or Apple iPod. Trade in hundreds of models for Amazon gift cards or recycle models that are outdated or unable to be fixed.
The average cell phone user gets a new device every 18 months. Meanwhile, tons of electronic waste are building up in landfills. Recycling for reuse or destruction in environmentally sustainable ways are the only responsible options when it comes to getting rid of your old device.
Flipswap makes it easy by paying for shipping on your device and giving you a gift card for a trade-in value if you qualify or planting a tree through its reLeaf project.
It only take a few minutes to search for your model and see what your trade-in value might be. Turn that trash into treasure!
found via imommies.com
