Solar laptop bag packs beefier 'generator'
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Voltaic Systems shows off a laptop bag with integrated 14-watt panel and battery for charging laptops.
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A sleek home-media PC looks creamy delicious; a carry bag becomes a chair storing laptop; and more. By Brian Lam from Wired magazine.
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(InfoWorld) - A group of some of the biggest technology companies said they've committed to a plan to improve the power efficiency of equipment they make and use. The Climate Savers Computing Initiative , which includes companies such as Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., Intel Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc., aims to improve the efficiency of power sources for computers and servers and encourage end users to take advantage of underused power management techniques. Only about 50 percent of the power that leaves a power outlet reaches a PC, because inefficient power cords leak energy, Google's Senior Vice President of Operations, Urs Holzle said Tuesday during a press conference to announce the program. Climate Savers has defined a series of standards for power supply efficiency in servers and PCs that it suggests members adopt between now and July 2010. By 2010, the Climate Savers standard will define a power supply that is above 95 percent efficient, Holzle said. The program asks manufacturing members to build products to the standard and companies to pledge to buy products that have the improved power supplies. The improvement doesn't require the development of new technologies. "This is all do-able today with technology we have and know," Holzle said. The reason that vendors haven't deployed such efficient power cords is because they cost more, said Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's digital enterprise group. A PC with a more efficient power cord would cost around US$20 more and a server an additional $30, he said. To address that price premium, Climate Savers is encouraging energy companies to issue rebates to users that buy products with the more efficient power supplies. Over time that cost premium is expected to drop with volume production, Gelsinger said. In addition, end users will save on their energy bills, also helping to offset the cost, he noted. Another component of Climate Savers is general education and encouragement for end users to take advantage of power management mechanisms that are typically built into existing PCs. "Ninety percent of PCs are capable but aren't utilizing power management techniques," Gelsinger said. "We want to drive IT policy in enterprises," he said. Improving power supply efficiencies and the use of power management techniques along the timeline Climate Savers has described would reduce global carbon emissions from the operation of computers by 54 million tons per year. It would save 62 billion kilowatt hours of energy in 2010, worth around $5.5 billion in energy costs, the group said. In its own data centers, most of Google's servers already have power supplies that comply with the Climate Savers standards for 2008 and 2009, Holzle said. Google began investing in the more expensive supplies because "it's worth spending a bit more on the power supply to save on the energy bill," he said. He defended Google's overall carbon footprint, despite questions about company jets that are hard on the environment. He pointed to the solar power used at the company's headquarters and incentives for employees to buy hybrid cars. In addition, he hinted at future energy-saving programs that the company plans to announce soon. Although Holzle said he knows Google's carbon footprint, he declined to share it. Other companies that are already part of the program include Yahoo Inc., Hitachi Ltd., eBay Inc., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., NEC Corp., Red Hat Inc., Lenovo Group Ltd., Unisys Corp. and the Linux Foundation.
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Imagine running your laptop nonstop from New York to Tokyo -- crunch some numbers, work on a memo pop in a few DVDs -- and then do a full day of meetings, using your machine throughout the day and into the night. Imagine doing all of this without ever plugging in your computer to recharge its battery.
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Concerns over exploding computer   batteries may be heating up, but alternative power sources for   portable devices like laptops, music players and cellphones   could still be up to 10 years away.
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For use in extreme conditions, like backpacking Everest or commuting on public transit, the 12-inch ShieldPRO is heavily armored. From Crave, CNET's new gadget blog.
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Wired NextFest shows how to get power from pond scum, pull cords and the wind. You'll also see how to save resources with a solar car, low-power computing and a self-reporting power cord. But wait, there's more....
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A new jacket with built-in solar modules can charge the batteries of mobile devices while on the go.
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Italian fashion company debuts a jacket that uses solar power to charge mobile phones and other devices.
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Electronic devices that generate their own power can play a major role in the battle against climate change.
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Matsushita boosts production of heatproof batteries for laptops following worries about overheating.
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By Alan Fram, Associated Press  Sun block. Beach umbrella. Laptop.   One in five people toted laptop computers on their most recent vacations, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Friday said.
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Browse this week's Wired News gadget reviews for a compact solar powerpack, ergo office chair and more of the best and worst of the latest tech.
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Some of the regionâs best minds are captivated by the challenge of solar power and hope to put the development of solar technologies on a faster track.
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Large-scale solar-power projects will bring big benefits.
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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 startup promises to install solar panels on your roof for free, and sell you the power for pennies. Is it a revolution, or clean-energy vaporware? By Marty Graham.