Everyday Gadgets Can Save Energy As Well As Time
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You can flip off your widescreen TV with the remote control. Power down your computer to standby. Unplug your cellphone from its charger. But as you leave the room, the "wall warts" -- those small boxes plugged into the wall sockets that power your electronics -- stare with glowing diode eyes in...
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FRIDAY, July 13  -- Convenience has become a fixture in American society. As life grows more fast-paced, people look for more corners to cut and ways to save time.
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In this digital age, the pressures of streamlining and efficiency lead to more daily functions that can only be performed online.  This leaves behind those who don't have computer access, equipment, or skills.
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Focus on consumers' everyday needs.
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Lots of people own two or three computers. But thanks to a powerful new technology anybody can make any computer their own, just by plugging in a common digital device.
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Backing up--your PC or your car--can be hard to do. This month's gadgets can help.
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While most electronics companies are still trying to establish green credentials, 2008 could mark a turning point for previously obscure "home automation" technologies that now are being advertised as a way to save electricity Â not just personal energy.
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U.S. scientists have developed a  microfiber fabric that generates its own electricity, making  enough current to recharge a cell phone or ensure that a small  MP3 music player never runs out of power.
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A small booth at the back of the show floor is attracting a lot of attention.While I stood around, two people exchanged business cards with the man working the stand, promising to place orders for the product. It was nothing related to the iPhone or the latest mobile social-networking service -- topics that are consuming this year&#39;s CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment conference in San Francisco.Instead, the booth was stocked with a relatively simple device: the Solio, a small solar-powered charger that can power up any mobile phone as well as MP3 players, GPS devices, and digital cameras.A key feature of the Solio is the battery. The solar cells charge the battery, which in turn charges the device. That means you can leave it outside during the day, when you might be using your phone, and bring it in to power the phone overnight. One charge of the Solio can power two mobile phone batteries.The Solio also can be plugged into an electrical outlet so that&#160;people can use whatever power source is available and think of it as their universal charger, said Mike Levin, vice president of business development for Better Energy Systems, the company based in Berkeley, Calif., that makes the Solio.Various models cost from $79 to $199, depending on durability and the speed that the solar panels can charge the batteries. They&#39;re available currently in the United States at outdoor goods store REI and will also soon be available in T-Mobile USA stores, Levin said. The company is working on getting them stocked in the big-box electronics retailers.Solios have been on the market already for a couple of years and a few hundred thousand have sold, Levin said.The most expensive model is made of magnesium oxide and can withstand very hot temperatures. The company is targeting government users and other people who might travel to locations with extreme temperatures for that one.According to research commissioned by Better Energy Systems, an average person who uses the solar capability of the Solio to charge their phone 60 percent of the time would pay off the $100 unit in about 10 years, in terms of electricity savings.While Solios might be a neat gadget for many people, Better Energy Systems has some interesting prospects in the developing world. The company&#39;s sustainability officer is exploring several potential applications, Levin said. One is using the capability of the Solio to power a one- or three-watt LED light. People in developing countries could use the Solio to replace their kerosene-powered lights, which aren&#39;t kind to the environment.In addition, Better Energy Systems is working with the Grameen Foundation&#39;s Village Phone project. The project offers small loans to people who can then buy a mobile phone and rent it on a per-call basis to their neighbors. The project currently relies on batteries to power the phones, but Better Energy Systems is hoping to offer users Solios instead.
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Heavy users of mobile phones, iPods and other portable devices may want to try on a new coat lined with solar modules and a battery to charge their gadgets on the fly.
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Flat-screen televisions, computers and  other hi-tech gadgets will use nearly half of a typical British  household's total electricity by 2020, an energy conservation  body said in a report on Wednesday.
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The consumer electronics gizmo  that offers many functions in a small package is what's  compelling back-to-school shoppers to open their wallets.
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The day may be coming when PCs, cell phones and many other devices will be run without a battery or electrical cord.
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A new device recharger debuts, along with products that could take advantage of it.
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Can you sip solar energy to juice your electronics? Yes, for smaller gadgets and batteries, but laptops are trickier.
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It's hard to imagine life without cellphones, computers and iPods. And as technology advances, so does the rate at which we buy gadgets just to keep up. While constantly upgrading your electronics is hard on the wallet, it's also harmful to the planet -- and possibly your health.
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"Labor Day is meant to be a day of rest for workers, but hypertaskers will spend it bent over their laptops at Starbucks, waiting for their non-fat venti vanilla lattes while checking e-mail, reading newspapers and preparing for Tuesday morning meetings."  "The burgeoning number of WiFi hotspots and popularity of handheld electronics that allow us to stay connected on the go may give us more freedom - but there's a cost. Research shows that our brains aren't equipped for this much activity. When we try to do more than even one simple task at a time, quality of work diminishes and tasks take longer to complete. When we try to do this for long periods, the result can be forgetfulness, sleeples ...