Sustainable IT | Ted Samson » TAG: Green gadgets

January 28, 2008 | Comments: (0)

Ecobutton a quick, slick reminder to power down PCs

TAGS: Energy conservation, Green gadgets, Power consumption

Not only are tradeshows growing greener; so to is the promotional swag companies are doling out. One fine example is a clever device dubbed the ecobutton from called a company called BIG.

The concept behind the ecobutton is pretty straightforward. You connect the device to your computer via USB and download the necessary software. Then the big green illuminated ecobutton sits atop your workspace, reminding you how much you like nature and/or dislike wasting energy (or paying to waste it). Whenever the time comes to take a break -- short or long -- you simply press the button. Doing so puts your system into what BIG deems ecomode, "which ensures that both your computer and monitor draw only the same nominal power as when they are shut down."

When you return from the break, you press the ecobutton again and voila, your system awakens instantly, according to BIG. (I'd love to actually see for myself whether it can rouse my machine instantly, as opposed to "eventually.")

As a bonus, the accompanying software lets users see how much money, power, and carbon units they've saved using the device. PC power management tools like this can save you as much as $50 per year in energy bills. (By the way, the ecobutton is also ROHS compliant.)

What makes the ecobutton promotional tool? Companies can order ecobuttons in bulk and have their company logo, message and Web address incorporated into the ecobutton splash screen.

It's a neat idea, this ecobutton. Some might argue that it's a bit too ironic to promote waste-reduction by attaching yet another piece of plastic and metal to your machine, and that there are tools available that enable you to put a machine to sleep with a couple of mouse-clicks. However, I see a positive trade-off here: The brightly illuminated green button should serve as a constant visual reminder to users to not only to power down their systems but to hopefully conserve in other ways.

The ecobutton starts at around £12.76 ($25), and bulk discounts are available. Go to the ecobutton Web site for more information.

(Thanks to Environmental Leader for the find.)

Posted by Ted Samson on January 28, 2008 10:44 AM

December 07, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Chinavision pen camera has green-spy appeal

TAGS: Green gadgets, Hardware, Solar power

If you have an aspiring spy with green leanings on your holiday-gift list, take note: A company called Chinavision is offering a solar-powered wireless spy camera pen.

As described by the company, the device is a fully functioning pen -- except it has an inconspicuous built-in wireless mini spy camera. "Just whip out the pen, twist the cap to start the wireless transmission, have the included MP4/wireless receiver within 20 meters, and you can view and record everything that your spy camera pen sees," the company says.

The camera is powered by a Li-ion battery, which in turn is charged by solar energy. Pricing starts at $328.76.

If this psuedo-green gadget doesn't appeal to you, consider some of these other eco-friendly gifts for geeks.

(Thanks, by the way, to Ubergizmo (and various other green blogs) for pointing out the Chinavision camera pen.)

Ted Samson is a senior analyst at InfoWorld and writer of the Sustainable IT blog. Subscribe to his free weekly Green Tech newsletter.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 7, 2007 12:45 PM