Asustek goes for green with N-series notebooks

The N20 notebook series developed by Asustek Computer has won a WinHEC 2008 award in the Green PC category because of its eco-friendly design.

In addition to the WinHEC award, the N20 has been rated "Gold" in the Electronics Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) eco-program. Asustek said it has committed itself to "green," or environmentally-friendly PC products, in order to be responsible for hazardous waste from PCs.

EPEAT requires products to meet environmental criteria in eight categories including restrictions on hazardous substances, designing for end of life, energy conservation and packaging. Asustek has attempted to reduce hazardous materials and components that are used for its N20-series notebooks and eliminated a total of 37 hazardous substances, 31 in addition to the six controlled by ROHS regulations.

Not only is the N20-series' display mercury-free, but its LED backlight unit (BLU) also helps consume 50% less power than traditional CCFL panels, according to Asustek.

In addition, the N20-series adopts the in-mold roller (IMR) technology for its chassis, instead of conventional painting. IMR treated cases for notebook PCs help to reduce powder pollution to the environment. Meanwhile, the N20-series is also easy to disassemble for recycling purposes, Asustek highlighted.

The "eco-labeled" N20 series was launched in November 2008, targeting the mainstream consumer notebook segment.

for more info visit: http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20081225PD216.html
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Green Tips to Make Eco-easy Office: Go Green and Save Energy

With the current focus on increased environmental sustainability, conservation is quickly gaining momentum as a business necessity. Many companies are selecting green products to decrease their own impacts on the environment while saving money and resources. So, how can you and your office make green choices and make a difference? Here are some easy tips:

1. Learn the Lingo - Plenty of eco-alternatives exist, from textiles and fabrics to wood substitutes and hemp, and it is important to know your options. For example, Staples offers paper supplies made from sugar cane waste. The final product, available in notebooks, memo pads and filler paper, feels just like regular paper.

2. Love the Labels - When purchasing computers and office equipment, look for the ENERGY STAR(r) label, which identifies products that are more energy efficient than comparable products. These items can reduce the cost to power your office space or home office by up to 80 percent. For paper and wood items, check for the Recycled and Forest Stewardship Council logos.

3. Use a "Green" Screen - For a better, clearer computer picture, use an LCD monitor. Older monitors contain lead and other toxic heavy metals and can be hard on the eyes. And don't forget to set your power management settings to put your monitor and/or computer to sleep after 10-15 minutes of inactivity. You'll help save money by using green PC as well as by reducing electricity use.

4. Make a Sticky Statement - Addicted to sticky notes? No worries. Use sticky notes made from recycled paper and enjoy the same great quality. Also look to "right size" your sticky notes to save paper and money.

5. Write with "Green" ink - Many pens and highlighters are available with refillable barrels and non-toxic ink, and some pens also contain recycled content. These eco-preferable essentials make brainstorming a more eco-friendly activity.

6. Print Smart - While many businesses now include a "Please consider the environment before printing" disclaimer in their emails, printing documents is sometimes unavoidable. When printing cannot be avoided, look to double side print and copy, only print or copy the pages you need, and use eco-preferable papers. Opt for 30 to 100 percent post-consumer recycled printing paper, available in individual reams, as well as in bulk volume for offices.

7. Trend set with "Green Décor" - New eco-friendly bulletin boards are now available, which are made from 100 percent recycled rubber and are much more durable than traditional cork. Also look for natural and fast growing sisal, bamboo, and other plant fibers for rugs and other desk accessories.

8. Recycle Old Office Technology - Companies often upgrade technology for their employees without considering what to do with the old ones. Staples offers everyday, in-store recycling for a wide range of technology products through its EcoEasy recycling program. There are also trade-in events at Staples stores throughout the year, where customers can upgrade and recycle old technology.


Related: Important Tips For Buying Green PC

Source:http://www.northfloridanewsdaily.com/News/2008/1229/business_news/184.html
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IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer Goes Green

Operators of the supercomputing centre at Argonne National Laboratory used innovations in both computer architecture and cooling methods to achieve over Rs.5.00 crore ($1 million) in annual energy savings for its IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer.

Supercomputers typically consume multiple megawatts of electricity. At 557 teraflops, Argonne's Blue Gene/P is one of the fastest green supercomputers in the world, but uses as little as one-third the power consumed by other supercomputers.

"The most important part of how we got 'green' was to work with to design a system from the ground up specifically for energy efficiency, but without sacrificing performance," said Peter Beckman, director of Argonne's Leadership Computing Facility. "Our platform uses two to three times less power than other installed systems of similar computing size."

The biggest reason the IBM Blue Gene/P runs cooler is its clock speed, which was reduced to just 850 MHz, about three times slower than typical high-end cores. Power savings were greater than three-fold, according to officials at the Illinois lab. The reason is that the relationship between speed and power consumed is not linear, but exponential. To compensate for slower speed, the system uses many low-voltage parallel cores, in particular 163, 840 cores with 80 terabytes of semiconductor memory and eight petabytes of mass storage.

"By scaling back the frequency and voltage of each of the cores, and then aggregating very large number together into a single machine, we get a supercomputer that is both green and fast," said Beckman.

The architecture of each supercomputer processor board was designed to reduce energy consumption, Beckman said, by incorporating four cores, networking controllers, memory managers and other logic onto a single SoC, thereby eliminating power-hungry interface circuitry that must be glued together on supercomputer cores.

Argonne Labs also used an innovative cooling system to reduce power consumption. Air conditioners were replaced with fans to move 300,000 cubic feet of water-chilled air per minute to maintain a room temperature of 64°F. The technique uses only 60 per cent more energy for cooling than the supercomputer itself draws, compared to over twice the power for typical supercomputers.

Argonne Labs is currently constructing a new building, which will tap into the chilled water plant to circulate water through pipes inside the racks holding the supercomputers. Electrical components will then use mini-heat exchangers to cool the supercomputers chips directly with the cold water rather than air.

The lab also is seeking to reduce power usage in electronic components through smart power management functions that turn off chips and storage systems when they are not being used. Power-intensive computing jobs are also being scheduled to run at night, when temperatures are lower and the power grid has excess capacity.

Source:http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800557674_1800001_NT_6e819e0b.HTM
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Tips on how to save money, energy and the planet

Dreaming of a green Christmas

With a little bit of effort - maybe much less than you thought - you and your family can enjoy the holiday and help save the planet at the same time.

Holiday lights

Save money and energy by switching your old strands of incandescent holiday lights with newer light emitting diode holiday lights, which also are safer.

Plus, LEDs stay cool to the touch so they will not burn the tree or a child's fingers.

And, during the day shut off your holiday lights. It saves energy, and it allows your lights to last longer.

Wrapping

"Think about Christmas morning - you get done, and you have all these garbage bags full of trash," said Susan Angel, a green events planner from Boise.

The biggest thing someone can do to green their holiday, Angel said, is to do away with traditional wrapping paper and packaging, which often cannot be recycled.

Last year she made gift bags out of fabric.

"They are so easy to sew - three seams and a hem with a piece a ribbon," she said.

"If you are not real crafty, consider pillow cases tied with a ribbon." Other options include cloth or reusable gift or tote bags or wrapping gifts in usable items like dish towels or scarves. And try old newspapers, magazine pages, paper bags or old maps.

Last-minute shopping

Need to run to the mall one more time? BYOB; that's bring your own bag. Take your own cloth shopping bag and turn down clerks' offers of plastic bags.

Trees

Fake holiday trees are not environmentally friendly. Most are made in China from petroleum-based plastic and are not biodegradable, so they will sit in landfills for decades.

For a "greener" holiday tree consider a live, uncut tree, which can be replanted in your yard after the holidays.

Living Christmas trees can be purchased at some retail lots, choose-and-cut farms and some nurseries and garden centers.

The trees require a little extra attention. They need to acclimate for a couple of days in a garage or enclosed porch before being brought indoors, where they should not remain for more than one week. Then they should be gradually reintroduced to colder outdoor temperatures before being planted.

Fresh-cut Christmas trees from tree farms are a better choice than trees harvested from the wild.

Most fresh-cut Christmas trees now come from tree farms, so deforestation isn't an issue.

Additionally, Christmas tree farms keep large swaths of land from being developed. When the trees grow, they emit oxygen into the air.

When a cut holiday tree is past its glory, it can be recycled into mulch.

If you want to recycle your tree, do not use tinsel or spray it with fake snow, as tinsel and white trees cannot be recycled.

Gadgets

Here's a good rule for when your fancy new Christmas present replaces last year's electronics: If the gadget still works, donate it. If it is broken or antiquated, recycle it. But whatever you do, don't throw it in the trash.

E-waste is a growing environmental and public health concern as the world becomes more wired and companies introduce new products at a faster pace.

Discarded computers, televisions, cell phones, radios, batteries, cameras and other electronic gadgets contain a stew of toxic metals and chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.

The average cathode ray tube, found in green computer monitors, televisions and other electronic devices, contains up to 8 pounds of lead, which can leach into the ground and contaminate groundwater.

Old cell phones can be dropped off at Staples office supply stores for recycling.

And don't forget the batteries. Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts, and consider giving a battery charger as well.

Related Post: Ways to go green with the remnants of your Christmas

Source: http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_11290435
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Top 10 Tips for a Green New Year

With Christmas just days away and the endof the year looming, many individuals and organizations are thinking about "green" New Year's resolutions and the best ways of recycling obsolete computers and other hardware.

10 Green Technology( Green Computer)Tips for 2009

1. Set a green goal for the year and encourage everyone in your office todo the same. Make a difference in 2009!

2. Set the "sleep" (power management) settings on your computer to automatically turn your monitor, hard drive or entire system off after specific periods of inactivity, and ask your organization to implement a policy on it. Save money and electricity!

3. Print double-sided, narrow the print margins and use print-management software such as Green Print.Save money, paper, water and forests!

4. Use rechargeable batteries. Save money and reduce toxics in landfills!

5. Choose refurbished computers or EPEAT-rated new computers. Save money and reduce toxics in landfills! Qualifying nonprofits and libraries can find low-cost refurbished computers at Tech Soup Stock.

6. Use re-manufactured toner and ink cartridges or get personal one srefilled. Save money and reduce toxics in landfills!

7. Buy or lease re-manufactured copiers, printers and all-in-one machines(e.g., copier, printer, scanner, fax). Companies such as IKON provide"like new" machines at a reduced cost. Save money and reduce toxics in landfills!

8. Use smart power strips. Save money and electricity when they automatically turn off your accessories (i.e., monitor, speakers, printer)when you shut down your computer!

9. Use electronic fax solutions, such as My Fax, an Internet-based secure faxservice. Reduce your need for paper, toner and hardware and save money,paper and toxics in landfills! Qualifying nonprofits and libraries can find this product donation at Tech Soup Stock.

10. Recycle your old electronics (anything with a plug), batteries, CFLsand ink cartridges. Reduce toxics in landfills! You can learn how to recycle electronics and find recycling centers here.

Source:ibtimes.com/prnews/20081223/green.htm
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10 Ways Your PC Can Save You Money in the Bad Economy

As daily reports confirm, we're now officially in the longest recession since the 1940s, with consumer spending down for the first time since 1991. Whether you're one of the many people that want to avoid the cost of an unnecessary computer purchase and to continue using their old machine or you just managed to buy that dreamt-of newest model, the good news is you can follow these 10 easy steps outlined by the green PC tune-up experts at iolo technologies to make your system - old or new - go a long way in the bad economy.

The tips below can help keep your machine performing like the day you bought it. They will also help you save on energy, repair and recycling costs - perhaps enabling you to take advantage of some of this season's unexpected travel specials and finally go on that Caribbean vacation instead of spending money on expensive computer service and upgrades.

RAM memory - with these three steps, you'll soon forget you needed extra memory.

1. Remove unnecessary Windows startup programs.

Many software programs will load unnecessary portions of themselves during startup eating up both memory and processor power.

How to: Use System Mechanic with its vast knowledge base of startup programs to safely recommend and automatically remove unnecessary memory wasting startup programs.

2. Defragment your memory.

Memory fragmentation occurs over time as memory is allocated and released by programs. When RAM becomes highly fragmented and Windows runs out of free memory, programs do not have enough resources to function properly. Programs may not open or may run slower and frequently crash. Defragment your RAM and you'll liberate enough memory to save you from buying an upgrade.

How to: Use System Mechanic to automatically defrag and rescue wasted memory

3. Clean, compact and defragment the registry.

Inaccurate registry references frequently cause computer crashes and lock-ups, while a scattered and bloated registry wastes system memory and slows down Windows processing. With a cleaned-up and defragmented registry, programs will load faster and you'll be able to run more items at the same time, without the extra RAM.

How to: Use System Mechanic to clean up, compact and defragment your registry and gain back all that wasted RAM memory


Hard drive - with two easy steps, you'll save on buying a new one.

4. Defragment the hard drive.

As you create, delete, and download files, your computer cannot store data as one unit and instead will split it up and store pieces in various drive locations. A fragmented hard drive has a large amount of such scattered data and can significantly slow PC performance. Files take longer to open and programs take longer to start. Defragment the drive and you'll accomplish these common tasks faster without buying a bigger drive.

How to: Use System Mechanic to automatically keep your hard drives defragmented. System Mechanic will even defragment core Windows System files, boosting performance well beyond the capability of the Windows built-in defrag tool.

5. Clean up clutter.

Over time, your hard drive steadily accumulates gobs of unnecessary files - old downloads, temporary internet cache, etc. Clean it up and you can recover gigabytes of hard drive space without spending time and money needlessly searching for a larger replacement drive.
How to: Use System Mechanic to automatically keep your PC free of clutter and your hard drive running at maximum capacity.


Energy use - follow these steps and you'll see your energy bill shrink.

6. Turn off the screensaver.

Research reveals that 53 percent of computer users never turn off their machine or turn it off only before they call it a day. The Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program touts figures estimating that people can save $25 to $75 in energy costs a year by merely turning off their screensaver.

How to: Go to Control Panel / Display / Screensaver and turn off the screensaver.

7. Tune up your PC.

A tuned up computer uses less energy by allocating its resources more effectively. Tune up your PC and you'll be able to run programs faster, accomplish more, and dramatically reduce your energy bill at the same time.

How to: Use System Mechanic, with more than 40 advanced tools and a range of options to satisfy both novice and expert users, to automatically tune-up your machine.

8. Monitor the devices around your PC.

The various peripherals that are plugged directly into your computer use extra energy. Wireless mice and keyboards are expensive and require regular purchases of new batteries.

How to: Unplug peripherals when not in use and opt for wired mice and keyboards instead of wireless ones.


Everything else - regularly tune up your PC and you'll save on much more than just the component upgrades.

9. Perform comprehensive regular tune-up and maintenance and save money on expensive support calls and Service Center visits.

Service center visits and tech support calls can often be costly, time consuming and stressful. The good news is most of them can be avoided because the majority of Windows problems can be easily fixed by a software tune-up.

How to: Use System Mechanic's patent-pending ActiveCare technology to keep your computer automatically tuned-up.

10. Tune up your PC instead of throwing it out and you'll save on recycling costs too.

You wouldn't throw out your car if it started running a little slower and a simple tune-up would restore power, so avoid the same mistake with your PC when System Mechanic can easily and inexpensively bring it back to like-new performance. A study performed in 2001 showed that approximately half of 500 million computers discarded in the US were actually in good working order; their slowness named among the top reasons they were discarded. Before you decide to toss your trusted machine, consider the fact that disposing of your PC in an environmentally responsible way can be expensive. Even when you think you've recycled it, your old PC might end up being sold to third world countries, where underpaid employees will be exposed to hazardous substances in search for the precious metals contained in its parts. Limit the pollution, waste and your expenses by regularly tuning up your PC and thus extending its life well beyond the currently brief national 30-month average.

Related: Tips To Make Computer More Green

Source: prweb.com/releases/iolo_technologies/save_money/prweb1769194.htm
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Nokia to Recycle Handsets in Green Campaign

Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia will reward people who return old phones for recycling with tree seedlings to boost conservation efforts.

Since the campaign started, the handset manufacturer has only been able to collect 100 handsets against a target of 6,000 units needed to start its recycling process.

Mobile penetration in the country stands at 33 per cent with over 14 million subscribers, most of whom have owned more than one handset .

Factor competition

“Many people are simply unaware that these old and unused mobiles can be recycled. We are making it easier for the consumers to protect the environment,” said Mr Nick Maina, Nokia customer care manager for East Africa. The company is also facing competition from the informal sector operators who buy the dead phones at Sh500 for spare parts.

The Nokia campaign comes amidst growing concern over the impact of electronic waste on health and environment. According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Gartner consultancy, there will be almost four billion mobile telephones in use by the end of this year, while the number of personal computers has already passed the billion mark.

The good news behind these figures is that the digital divide is shrinking, 58 per cent of computers are in developed countries but, this share is expected to drop to 30 per cent by 2014 when the total number of personal computers should reach two billion.

But there is another side to the coin: this year, almost 180 million computers have been replaced by new machines, and an estimated 35 million computers dumped, despite the toxic substances they contain.

EU regulation

Other than offering the incentive Nokia intends to increase its drop off point’s country wide. Currently, the company has only 60 drop off points which it says is not sufficient.

After collecting the old or unused phones the company will then take them to Europe for recycling. This is because there are no companies that meet the set standards for recycling the mobile parts regionally.

Part of the regulations by the European Union is that the recycling companies are not required to use the parts to make refurbished handsets.

Source: bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11827&Itemid=5822
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