Microsoft champions green computing

Microsoft has announced plans to support four academic research projects focused on energy-efficient computing as part of its Sustainable Computing Program.

The initiatives focus on data centre power efficiency, power management and the creation of parallel computing architectures with decreased energy demands.

The idea is to stimulate research across a broad range of areas with the potential significantly to improve energy efficiency.

Microsoft External Research said that a single 100-watt incandescent light bulb left on for a year costs more than $80 to power and releases 1,350 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

This is roughly the same amount of power that an idle green PC uses in that same time, and the company said that finding ways to lessen humankind's impact on the environment is critical.

"We want to open new avenues of research and raise the awareness of power as a critical resource that needs to be managed," said Sailesh Chutani, senior director of Microsoft External Research.

"Through this programme, we are encouraging novel thinking about how to reduce that power consumption and how to make technology more environmentally friendly in the future."

Microsoft's Sustainable Computing Program explores two main areas of research that can have a major impact.

The first is the principle of 'pay for play'. This is the idea that the power consumed by a computing device should be proportional to the demand placed on it, lowering the amount of energy consumed at low load and when idle.

Secondly, energy efficiency, even at peak loads, is equally important in reducing overall consumption and should be managed as a first-class resource.

"We applaud the efforts of these academic researchers to develop innovative technologies to reduce energy usage and lessen the impact on the environment," said Rob Bernard, chief environmental strategist at Microsoft.

"Microsoft believes in the potential of software to help create a more sustainable environment.

"The Sustainable Computing Program is just one example of Microsoft's ongoing commitment to help businesses and consumers drive change through energy efficiency."

Source:vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2215430/microsoft-throws-weight-behind
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No Power Use in Standby: New Zero-Watt Monitor

Computer monitors in standby mode will soon save far more energy. Fujitsu Siemens Computers has developed the world’s first monitor that requires no electricity at all in idle mode.

The innovation is based on a new switch in the monitor that shuts it down entirely when the computer signal is absent and turns it on again when the signal reappears. With this switch, the display saves several euros per year in power costs. Beginning in the summer of 2008, this “zero-watt monitor” will be sold for the price of a conventional monitor.

At the end of a work day, the same routine occurs in most offices when the computer is shut down. But the monitor usually stays on—it automatically enters standby mode when there is no signal from the computer. Despite the minimal power consumption, this idle mode can entail tens of thousands of euros in additional power costs per year for large companies with several thousand computers.

The zero-watt monitor from Fujitsu Siemens Computers was chosen as “Innovation of the Year” at this year’s CeBIT computer trade show. The primary component is a circuit element in the power supply unit of the monitor that is switched by the PC. As soon as the video signal of the computer subsides, a relay—an electrically powered switch—with two switching positions automatically interrupts the entire electrical circuit of the monitor. When the computer signal returns again, the low currents that then begin to flow across the interface are sufficient to trigger the relay and thereby restart the monitor.

The zero-watt monitor, which will initially be marketed to corporate customers beginning in the summer of 2008, adds to the range of “green” IT products sold by Fujitsu Siemens Computers. This is another component of the long-term strategy of the company, which also stresses environmental compatibility in its laptops, PCs and servers.

Several years ago, for instance, some of the Esprimo Professional PCs were the first systems to be certified with the “Blue Angel” environmental label. The Esprimo P Energy Saving Edition, uses as little as around 87 kilowatt hours in its standard configuration, less than half of the 183 kWh needed on average by nearly four-year-old office PCs.

Source:physorg.com/news128618190.html
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Going Green with Your PC

While most PC and electronic manufactures have already taken steps in making their products more green, those of us who are stuck with non-green equipment need not completely throw away our stuff to show our love for the planet. In fact, by disposing of all our non-environmentally safe electronic equipment carelessly, we only contribute to the continuing pollution of the planet.

Thanks to Lifehacker, there are simple ways of going green with regards to your computer without exactly having to purchase a new one. From taking advantage of the Power Scheme tools of Windows/Applications to something as simple as turning off unused peripherals, these tips can make a world of difference in the fight to save Mother Earth.

Come to think of it, there’s really no excuse for us not to be able to do our share in the green movement. Ordinary stuff as those suggested above or unplugging fully-charged mobile phones/devices not only save energy, but also saves you from unwanted expenses in this financially-challenging times. Spread the word and let these simple yet effective practices become part of your daily routine.

Source:blogs.inquirer.net/m-ph/2008/04/24/going-green-with-your-pc/
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Dell claims "greenest" PC

On Earth Day 2008 Dell came out and announced the world's greenest PC. This is Dell trying to grab some spotlight, and when you look at what they actually said, it's pretty much fluff. The Mac Mini and everex's MyMiniPC have been publicly praised for their "greenity". What Dell did today was say "we're going to do that also". The Dell product doesn't even have a name yet, let alone a price or specs. This could be because Intel or AMD hasn't released the chip for it yet, but in reality it is probably because isn't fully designed yet. Dell might also have some insider info (that's my opinion).

If Dell knows that Steve is going to release a new MacMini at the World Wide Developer's Conference in June (WWDC 08), then Dell will want to get their product out before Apple does. Problem is that it isn't ready yet. By all logic reasoning the new Mac Mini would be even more "green" than it's current form, and will probably be more green than Dell's unnamed mini. So what does Dell do? Announce their "green" machine before Apple announces theirs.>span class="fullpost">

Just for the record, I'm for the green movement. It's a necessity. But Dell using Earth Day to promote a product that isn't even made or named yet is just not 'Earthy" to me.

Source:macmod.com/content/view/1357/240/
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Easy Ways to Go Green with Your Computer

Not everyone can afford to install solar panels or get a new Prius this Earth Day, but there is one place you can go green without spending an arm and a leg or radically changing your lifestyle: your computer. Chances are you spend the majority of your day sitting in front of the keyboard, and a few small changes can go a long way toward reducing its negative impact on the environment. As an added bonus, doing your part for the environment will save you money, too. This Earth Day, we've rounded up a few simple ways you can go green with your computer.

Shutdown Your Computer Without Losing the Perks of an Always-On PC

Obviously, computers require electricity to run, so shutting down, sleeping, or hibernating your computer when you're not using it conserves energy. Every modern operating system has its own settings for conserving power, so the first thing you should do—if you haven't already—is open the power settings of your computer and set them for optimal energy use. Set your computer to put your monitor to sleep, spin down your hard drives, and put your computer to sleep when you're not using it. Even better, since your green computer uses less power when hibernating than when sleeping, set up your computer to hibernate rather than just go to sleep.

One of the biggest turn-offs (no pun intended) about shutting down or sleeping your computer is that you miss out on some of the finer things your computer provides even when you're away. For example, if you're downloading a large file, you may want the download to continue even when you're away. Likewise, we've covered tons of ways to remotely access your computer, all of which no longer work if your computer's turned off. Luckily you can continue using your computer during these times but still conserve power the rest of the time.

If a download is what you're waiting for, many peer-to-peer clients, like the popular BitTorrent client uTorrent, can shutdown your computer when a download completes so you can get your file and save energy, too.

Between WinOFF and built-in shutdown features common to many apps, we've taken care of the the download problem—but what about when you want to access your computer remotely? If it's shut down, you can't very well get to it, can you? Actually, you can, assuming you set up Wake-on-LAN on your computer. Once Wake-on-LAN's enabled, you can turn your computer on over the internet from anywhere—so there's no reason not to shut down your computer when you leave the house.

Finally, if you're on a Mac laptop, check out previously mentioned SmartSleep to enhance your power-saving options.

Save Paper when Printing

When it comes to the environment, one of the first places most offices can improve is the giant pile of discarded paper by the network printer. Aside from obvious things you can do on your own—like printing duplex, printing to PDF, previewing before printing, and not printing hundreds of copies of an email forward to plaster around the office—there are a few other tools you can use to minimize wasting paper and ink when printing.

aardvark.pngTo save ink and paper when you're printing from your browser, use previously mentioned Firefox extension Aardvark to tweak the layout of a page and remove elements—like ads and images—that you don't need on the printed page.

greenprint.pngWhen you're not printing from the browser, Windows users can save tons on ink and paper with previously mentioned GreenPrint, a freeware application that automatically identifies and removes unnecessary pages or space from your printouts before they head to the printer.

If you're regularly sending documents back and forth to other people or businesses, you can also save a few trees and save a little time in the process with a couple of office hacks. For example, rather than going through the age-old print, sign, and fax dance handed down through the generations by our forefathers, try creating a scanned signature and then sending scanned PDFs rather than faxes. It's quicker and it saves on resources and costs.

Turn Off Peripherals to Kill the Vampires

Now that you've put good energy practices into use on your PC, it's time to move onto the power-hungry peripherals you've got plugged into it. Whenever possible, you want to turn off any peripheral when you're not using it—like your printer or monitor. Likewise, you should be aware of any gear in your computing setup that draws standby power (a.k.a., vampire power) even when you've turned off the device in question. Vampires commonly stand out as large, unsightly AC adapters.

While you could diligently unplug your wall warts or keep them plugged into a power strip that you switch off when they're not in use, you can go even further and automate the process with gadgets like the Energy Saving Smart Strip (original post) and the Power Minder (original post), both of which monitor your PC's power state and automatically shut down other peripherals when you turn off your computer.

Estimate Your Power Usage

It's one thing to know your computer sucks down a lot of energy every month, but actual power usage numbers drives the point home. Windows can install previously mentioned LocalCooling, an tool that both helps you tweak your Windows power saving settings and visualize the amount of power your computer consumes. Some users reported inaccurate measures with the app when we first posted about it, but the well-intentioned LocalCooling team continues in their efforts to improve the application and help you save energy and visualize the impact of your energy-saving.

If LocalCooling's not giving you accurate results or you want to get a more definitive look at your PC's power consumption, regardless of your operating system, this Coding Horror post demonstrates in detail how to determine and lower the cost of leaving your PC running

Source:lifehacker.com
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5 Tips For Buying Green Desktop Gear

You may very well prefer to postpone the task of refreshing your fleet of desktop systems and monitors, an exercise that can be both expensive and time-consuming. But inevitably, machines break down or your needs change, so you have to bite the bullet.

Following are some points to consider the next time a system refresh looms at your organization. Notably, many of these tips apply not only to desktops, laptops, and monitors -- but any piece of IT gear.

1. Know your needs. Hopefully, you wouldn't buy a high horse-power pickup truck or SUV if you didn't need its extra fuel-guzzling power when a gas-efficient sedan would suffice. You should most cer-tainly apply that mindset to your PC purchase: Higher-end systems with more powerful components tend to draw more energy. Before you shop, consider what your computing needs are for the present, as well as the near future.

For example, you might be a Windows XP shop today but envision mov-ing to Vista in a year. If so, remember that Vista's bare minimum system requirements are an 800MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive with at least 15GB of available space, and support for Super VGA graphics. Then again, you might be contemplating a move to an alternative OS such as Ubuntu, which has minimum requirements of a 300MHz proc-essor, 64MB of RAM, 4GB of disk space (for full installation and swap space), and a VGA graphics card capable of 640x480 resolution.

In a similar vein, be honest with yourself as to what size monitors your users need. Larger screens with higher resolution have higher energy re-quirements -- but some tasks, like video-editing and spreadsheet work, really do scream for a large viewing space.

Finally, give thought to replacing desktop systems and monitors with laptops -- again, if laptops can really suit you and your users needs. From a green perspective, a laptop requires fewer parts to build; it's small and lighter and thus requires fewer resources to package and ship it. In terms of your annual electric bills, a laptop costs less to power than a similarly equipped PC plus a monitor.

2. Embrace energy efficiency. Once you know your needs, try to find a PC or laptop that meets those requirements as well as Energy Star 4.0. That way, you'll know it's got an 80-percent efficient power supply and knows how to make the most of low-power modes. (There's also an Energy Star specification for monitors, which is more dated but still useful.)

Energy efficiency can shave a chunk of money from your annual utility bills, plus reduce your carbon footprint. Energy Star-compliant systems are easy to find, be it through the Energy Star Web site or your preferred computer vendor.

3. Don't disregard other "green" criteria. Green criteria covers a lot of territory beyond energy efficiency, from the materials used to the ease with which it can be disassembled. These criteria not only have environmental implications but also cost-cutting potential.

There are several such factors to consider here and ask vendors about as you shop. The EPEAT (Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool) registry breaks the criteria down into several convenient over-arching categories. (You can search the EPEAT registry for products that meet these type of criteria, by the way, down to a granular level.)

a. Reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials. Is it important to you that a machine meets the criteria set out in the EU's RoHS directive, which limits the usage of certain hazardous substances in electronics? Or perhaps you want a machine that exceeds those requirements, using even less lead, mercury, chromium -- as well as little to no PVC and hazardous flame retardants. The benefit here is to reduce the adverse effects e-waste has on the planet and people when it ends up in landfills.

b. Material selection. If you're an advocate of recycling and reuse, it might matter to you if the machine's plastic parts are made from recycled plastic, as well as renewable and bio-based plastic materials. These are certainly an Earth-friendly consideration.

c. Design for end of life. Beyond just the amount of recycled ma-terials that go into building the system, you might be concerned with how well the machine was designed for treatment once it's retired. The easier it is to open the enclosures and remove parts -- and the more reusable parts it contains -- the better for the environment. But it's also good for your company if you see the wisdom in purchasing refurbished machines. (See tip No. 5)

d. Product longevity/life cycle extension. Piece of mind comes with a multi-year warranty: It means the machine was built to last a while. Beyond that, consider asking how well the product was designed for upgrading. For example, was it built in a way that it's easy to swap in parts such as new memory or drives with common tools -- or even major com-ponents such as the processor? (See tip No. 4.) On top of the environmental benefits, those kinds of traits often result in cost savings, making it easier for you to invest in parts instead of entire systems when a machine becomes too dated for your needs.

e. Energy conservation. Beyond Energy Star compliance, you might find out whether there are chargers available for the system that draw on clean energy.

f. End of life management. When it comes time to retire your equipment, it's ideal if the vendor offers convenient -- and preferably free -- recycling services, be it directly or through a third party. Some vendors will even offer incentives on new equipment if you return their older gear to them for recycling.

g. Corporate performance. If you've made a commitment to protecting the environment, you may want to hold those you do business with to a similar standard. Some companies demonstrate this with a corporate environmental policy that meets certain international standards, as well as by producing annual reports on their environmental efforts.

h. Packaging. When you purchase a machine, you also have to deal with all the packaging. You might want to know whether that packaging is easy to recycle, or if the company will take back the packaging for reuse (or at least recycling).

4. Consider doing it yourself. After you've made a list of your needs, take a second look at what you've got. Do your systems really need to be replaced -- or would adding additional memory or a new graphics card do the trick? Depending on how many machines you have at your company (or home office), how well the machines are built for upgrades, and your comfort with do-it-yourself electronics projects, that approach might be not practical. But if you can pull it off, you'll save yourself some money and extend the life of your investment.

5. Go the refurbished route. Major hardware vendors as well as third parties sell pre-owned machines at the fraction of the cost of a new machine; thus you can save a tidy sum while doing the Earth-friendly thing. As with buying a new machine, you'll want to determine your computing needs and green criteria in advance so you make smarter choices.

Source:weblog.infoworld.com/
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PC Qik Turns Old PCs Green

In Painesville, Ohio, offices at New Directions for Living used to get computers as a donation. As years passed, it became a mounting problem for the officials there to dispose of them properly when new equipment was acquired. Fortunately, a company in Painesville, called PC Qik, has come forward to help New Directions.

Thomas Wallace, CEO of PC Qik, has spent two years educating people on ways they can discard old computers. Wallace built a multilayered computer recycling program for this disposal process. Executive director of New Directions, Betty Jurkowski said of the computers, "We’re not going to disguise them in trash bags; Wallace helps us dispose of them the right way, which is what we want to do."

The disposal of computers actually includes a plan to find out whether the retrieved computers from individuals, businesses, and organizations like New Directions can be salvaged. If a PC can run Windows 2000 or higher, it could wind up in a pair of grateful hands.

"Somebody else’s garbage may be something that somebody else can use," Wallace said.

Wallace hasn’t designated a specific price for his refurbished computers, but said he prides himself on recognizing individual situations and working with people to get them a deal at "little to no cost." To prevent long lines of people looking for free PCs, Wallace has limited the distribution portion of the program to individuals through agencies like New Directions, preschool programs, churches, and other community initiatives. He is in talks with the county’s Council on Aging and its recycling program.

"It’s really good to see that people can be occupied with computers they’ve never seen before," Wallace said. "They can go job hunting, or if one isn’t feeling well, they can keep them occupied, or can help go places and do things."

PC Qik also will help pick up old computers from the homes of senior citizens and the disabled for free.

Wallace believes that now is a very good time for this recycling program to take shape with green and energy efficiency concerns growing in every corner of the world, and discarding old computers certainly presents a major environmental challenge, especially in light of the rapid pace of innovation and the resultant upgrades, both in the business and consumer worlds.

Wallace uses a government-approved program to erase and/or reformat the hard drives of both the computers that will be refurbished and those that will not be used again. Reusable computers will be upgraded with legal software, like the free Open Office Suite, developed by Santa Clara, Calif.-basedSun Microsystems.

Source:tmcnet.com/green/articles/25259-pc-qik-turns-old-pcs-green.htm
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