Standby solutions save you energy
Leaving devices on standby – instead of switching them off – wastes energy and costs you money, but it’s a habit that many of us have fallen into. The Bye Bye Standby Energy Saving Kit is aimed at reducing your energy bills and your carbon footprint by simply cutting the power to devices that are plugged into it when they are not in use. The device is easy to use – simply plug a Bye Bye Standby Smart Socket into a mains wall switch and plug your electrical appliance such as a DVD, TV, stereo or TV into it. You then just make sure your remote control (included in the pack) is set to the same ‘house code’ as the Smart Socket and you can switch off your devices from up to 30m away. Working on the same principle, the Intellipanel for desktop computers allows you to plug your PC into the master socket and all peripherals into the other socket, so that when you power down your computer, power to the peripherals is cut at the same time. There is also an Intellipanel for laptops available. Another smart eco-solution – designed for both PCs and laptops – is the Ecobutton. Pressing this clever little device puts your computer into energy saving ‘eco mode’, saving you energy – and when you want to start working again, you simply press the Ecobutton and your PC or laptop is reactivated at exactly where you left off! With all of us worrying more about energy bills, as well as our carbon footprint, these standby solutions offer an easy and eco-friendly way to save energy and money.
Wind-up Eco Media Revolution Player
A wind-up media player might sound like a joke, but in fact it is a cutting edge eco-solution. The Eco Media Player Revolution combines the latest in media technology with the energy efficiency and power-on-the-go freedom of wind-up power. The Eco Media Player Revolution is powered by winding the integrated handle and offers 24-bit Hi Fidelity playback of all the major music formats including Apple AAC, Microsoft WMA, mp3, and OGG Vorbis. You can also watch video clips and movies, as the device supports formats such as MP4 and Windows WMV and it includes a stereo FM radio and built-in photo album and e-book reader. You can even use it to recharge your phone if you’re stuck without a charger – use the attached connectors and the Revolution’s hand-crank.
The Eco Media Player Revolution is the latest green solution from Trevor Baylis Brands. Trevor Baylis OBE is a former stuntman who, moved by the plight of AIDS victims in Africa, recognised that radio broadcasts could be a useful tool in promoting health education and halting the spread of the disease. Unfortunately, the need for batteries or electricity – everyday items we in the West take for granted – made radios too expensive for many people. Trevor’s solution was to develop a prototype wind-up radio. Initially met with universal rejection, the idea was brought to wider recognition via a showcase on the BBC programme Tomorrow’s World in 1994. The following year, BabyGen Power Industries was set up in South Africa, employing disabled workers to manufacture the groundbreaking Freeplay wind-up radio. In 1997, with the realisation that a wind-up radio could also be successfully sold to Western consumers increasingly looking for energy efficient products, a smaller and lighter model was developed. It was later updated to include a solar panel, making it an even more eco-friendly option.
The Green PC on a Diet
It is often a contradiction in terms to brand certain electrical gadgets as eco-friendly because such devices are inherently bad for the environment in the majority of cases. Indeed, from toxic hardware components to excessive power consumption, personal computers, although undeniably useful, are anything but eco-friendly. However, the Fit PC 2 is set to change the way computers are made.
Well, this may be a slight exaggeration as Fit PC 2 is certainly not the first personal computer of its kind. Nevertheless, the Fit PC 2 is an undoubtedly more eco-friendly computer than conventional systems on the market. Measuring 11.5 x 10.1cm with a depth of just 2.7cm, the Fit PC 2 is considerably smaller than rival computers and is highly portable. Whilst a smaller construction would usually mean that components become excessively hot when in operation, the Fit PC 2 is remarkably easy on electrical consumption. In fact, this gadget is so energy efficient that it can do away with an internal fan, which are staples in the majority of overly hot computers. Featuring a peak load of 9 watts, the Fit PC 2 is ideal for environmentally conscious consumers and those who worry about their electricity bills.
Furthermore, the Fit PC 2 does not compromise too heavily on technical specifications. The computer offers reasonably good system details, which includes a processor up to 1.6GHz, 1GB of DDR2 RAM and a 160GB SATA Hard Drive, which is standard for most computers. Also featuring LAN, Wi-Fi, USB and DVI capabilities, the Fit PC 2 will connect to the internet, other computers and cameras.
