Gadgets, gizmos, guinea pigs – G Force rocks!

You really should see this movie.


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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY – G Force Rap originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A new range of ultra low power remote controls are one of the greener gadgets debuting at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

GreenPeak, the company behind the gizmos, said in a statement that it "will be rolling out a new robust and reliable wireless radio technology for home remote control devices".

It suggests the remotes are so low power you'll never need to change the batteries during their lifetime.

It's not clear yet whether GreenPeak will be promoting the remotes under its own name or another consumer electronics brand. The Netherlands-based firm said its technology works using radio frequency at extremely low power.

GreenPeak was founded by Cees Links, a former member of Wi-Fi Alliance, and the company was recently picked by the World Economic Forum as one of its Technology Pioneers for 2009.

Related links:

• Link - GreenPeak

Tags: Eco Home Cinema GreenPeak CES2009 Remote controls

GreenPeak low power remote controls head for CES originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:42:00 +0000

Following rumours this year of a solar-powered iPod, Singapore-based Shiro has launched a solar media player. The Shiro SQ-S looks like a standard MP3 and video player, but with one key difference - solar photovoltaic cells on the back that, its makers claim, will fully recharge the gadget in four hours of sun. Judging from Pocket-lint's experience of pocket-sized solar chargers, that figure will be a lot longer in the UK.

Solar aside, the SQ-S is a fairly standard media player, supporting a bunch of music formats including the open-source codec of choice, Ogg Vorbis. It also has an FM tuner, video playback and will be available in capacities up to 16GB. Battery life is reportedly 35 hours for music, and Brits will be pleased to hear it can also charge via USB as as well as solar.

There are no details yet of a UK launch. In the meantime, your best bet for a green media player is one of the wind-up models on the market, such as the £130 Eco Media Player Revolution and £40 Verio Wind-Up MP3 Player.

Related links:

• Reviewed - Solio Magnesium
• News - Eco Media Player launches
• Link - Verio Wind-Up MP3 Player
• Link - Shiro
• Rumours via - MacRumours

Tags: Audio MP3 players Eco Solar power

Shiro launches self-powered solar MP3 player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:08:54 +0000

A Sony Vaio has become the 1000th PC to snag the coveted EPEAT eco label. EPEAT, which stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, is a US labelling scheme that was launched in July 2006 and rates computer products on their environmental impact.

The laptop to pass the one thousand mark was the Sony VGN-SR290PDB, a business machine with a 13.3-inch screen, 2.26GHz Intel Core Duo 2 processor and LED back light. It grabbed gold in EPEAT's three-tier rating system, and scored highly for minimising toxic materials and being designed for recycling.

"The EPEAT rating system provides a simple, credible way to measure 'green' when it comes to electronic products, and that has enabled thousands of purchasers to significantly reduce the environmental impact of their computing", said Jeff Omelchuck, EPEAT executive director.

Key criteria for the EPEAT scheme include reduction of toxic materials, energy efficiency and how easy a product is to recycle.

Related links:

• Link - EPEAT
• Link - Sony VAIO VGN-SR290PDB

Tags: Eco Hardware Laptops Sony

1000th computer awarded EPEAT green badge originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:09:04 +0000

Twitter, the micro-blogging platform, has been deployed to open the workings of a major climate conference in Poland.

The meeting in Poznan is host to 11,000 delegates working to thrash out the basis for 'Kyoto 2', an international agreement on cutting future carbon emissions. News from the event, such as today's statement from the Alliance of Small Island States, is breaking faster on the #poznan Twitter thread than it is on mainstream news sites.

Over 200 posts - or "Tweets", as they're known in the Twitter universe - have already been written about Poznan. Many are from campaigning charities such as Oxfam, which are reporting direct from the event. Influential blogs such as DeSmogBlog are encouraging Twitter users to join the coverage and debate.

Other Web 2.0 tools are also being used in an attempt to influence the summit's outcome, including a WWF-organised Flickr group with another 11,000 photos and YouTube videos on Poznan's official UN site.

Major announcements from the fortnight-long summit are expected next week.

Related links:

• Link - Poznan site
• Link - Poznan on Twitter
• Link - DeSmogBlog
• Link - Flickr Group

Tags: Eco Twitter Online Social networking YouTube Flickr

Twitter opens Poznan carbon summit originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:53:47 +0000

Energy giant Npower and tech firm RLtec are giving away thousands of "smart fridges" to test a new green technology.

The two companies are trialling dynamic demand, a process of cutting national electricity demand in real-time - known as "load-shedding" in the industry - to reduce the carbon emissions from fossil fuel-powered power stations and reservoirs on standby.

The smart fridges will be able to reduce their energy demand on a second-by-second basis in response to peaks.

A total of 3,000 smart fridges will be tested in consumers' homes, starting with a first phase involving the adaptation of 300 conventional fridges.

"The beauty of it is that you don't know it's happening and there's no safety risk with your fridge defrosting", RLtec's Paul Lazarevic told The Guardian.

"The trial will help us gain a better understanding of how dynamic demand can work to reduce our use of fossil fuels", said Lord Hunt, the Minister for Energy Innovation.

"If successful it could help pave the way for the uptake of this technology nation-wide, which could result in significant carbon savings of around 2million tonnes Co2 a year or higher".

Related links:

• Link - Npower
• Image credit - Flickr user Jenny Downing

Tags: Eco Kitchen gadgets Fridges Npower

Npower "smart fridge" trial to test dynamic demand originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:22:57 +0000

More than half of US shoppers say they won't pay a premium for greener electronics, according to a new report. The GreenFactor study by Cohn & Wolfe suggests that only 15% of US consumers would pay more than average for a gadget with eco credentials.

The study also highlighted awareness as a big barrier to sales in the US (53%) and energy-saving as the number one motivation to buy green (54%). The GreenFactor report surveyed 10,000 people in 12 countries, soliciting their opinions on 27 consumer electronics brands.

In the US, Dell and Apple were seen as green leaders, while Sony and Panasonic scored highly in Japan. In other words, consumers tended to favour their local brands as environmental champions.

Hi-def TVs were the product category that most consumers felt needed greening up (64%), with digital cameras near the bottom (53%). The GreenFactor study will be repeated next year.

Related links:

• Link - GreenFactor

Tags: Eco Statistics shopping

Shoppers won't pay a premium for green gadgets originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:47:55 +0000

A European company claims it's been joined by Korean car-maker Daewoo to produce a "water-powered" car. Swiss firm Ethos says it will have a prototype built December 2008 in partnership with Daewoo, with a mass production version arriving in 2009.

The company says it uses a new method to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. "The technology was there in 1968", argues Ethos CEO Peter Aldred. "With the advent of new technologies, even more efficient ways of disassociating water molecules have now been discovered".

Previous water power cars have been debunked. Water car proponents have suggested a method to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, either using a battery and electrolysis or metal hydrides. The hydrogen and oxygen are then recombined, either in a fuel cell for a chemical reaction that creates electricity (similar to the Honda FCX), or by burning the hydrogen in a combustion engine (much like the BMW Hydrogen 7).

There's just one problem with both solutions. They require energy to split the water in the first place, and that energy could be used more efficiently to directly power the car.

Earlier this year Reuters reported on a Japanese water-powered car based on the same design as G-Wiz, the Genepax. A production version of the car failed to materialise.

Related links:

• Link - Ethos

Tags: Car And GPS Cars Daewoo Eco Ethos

Daewoo helps European "water power" car originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:12:04 +0000

Boris Johnson has signalled his intent to put more electric vehicles on London's roads. At the first meeting of the London Electric Vehicle Partnership, Boris, car-makers and London boroughs signed up to a plan to develop infrastructure and incentives for EV ownership in the capital.

"Ground-based transport accounts for nearly a quarter of London’s CO2 emissions but electric vehicles emit around 60% less CO2 while being charged than an internal combustion engine and zero emissions at the point of use", says Boris.

"The Mayor has already agreed to provide funding to provide more charging points across the capital", added Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor’s director of transport policy.

The meeting was big on vague platitudes such as sharing best practice, but weak on specifics. The GLA said it would aim to electrify as much of its fleet as possible, but didn't set any concrete targets.

EV charging points are limited in London today, with Westminster leading with 19 within its borders. For consumers, the choice of cars is limited to two models, the G-Wiz and Mega City. New cars are expected soon, however, including the MyCar, Smart Ed, TH!NK City and part petrol-powered plug-in Prius (pictured).

London's plans look unambitious in the light of the San Francisco Bay area's recently-announced EV initiative. It hopes to be a Californian test-bed for electric cars by working in partnership with the Better Place project, and is aiming to become EV capital of US.

Related links:

• News - MyCar launches for Christmas
• Link - Better Place

Tags: Car And GPS Eco NICE Car Company Electric cars Cars

London vies with San Fran for electric car crown originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:48:31 +0000

Subaru is using a new 'Boxer' diesel engine to boost fuel economy on its Legacy, Forester and Outback ranges. The Legacy Saloon is the greenest option of the bunch, clocking in at 50.4 miles per gallon and relatively low emissions - for it class - of 148g/km CO2.

Top Gear's James May reportedly eked out 63mpg while driving the Sports Tour 2.0D version (pictured) of the Legacy for a televised European road trip. The car also has the advantage of a 700 mile range thanks to a large fuel tank.

"With UK diesel market share now running at 40 per cent, this is the answer to many loyal and potential customers’ future motoring needs", says Lawrence Good, MD at Subaru UK.

Prices for the Legacy start at £19,995.

Related links:

• Link - Suburu

Tags: Car And GPS Suburu Cars Eco

Subaru goes green with diesel engines originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:24:21 +0000

A new solar charger promises to power your gadgets for longer. The Battech iPower SX enters a crowded solar charging market dominated by Solio, Powertraveller and Solar Technology, but hopes to win fans with its high capacity battery.

While the iPower SX solar panel is relatively small - and British winter isn't the best time to power a solar charger - it can store a lot of charge thanks to a 2200mAh battery.

That's nearly double some cheap solar chargers. A full charge from the rival Freeloader charger, for example, will provide an iPod Classic with 18 hours of battery life. The iPower SX should keep it running for 50 hours. Another one-up over the Freeloader is the iPower SX's inclusion of an indicator to show the battery level.

Like most solar chargers, this newbie works with phones including the iPhone and Nokias, plus handheld consoles, MP3 players and cameras. When the sun's not shining, you can use it as a backup battery by topping it up via a computer's USB port.

The iPower SX is on sale now for £40.

Related links:

• Shop - SelectSolar
• Reviewed - Solio Magnesium
• Reviewed - Solio
• News - Freeloader goes solar

Tags: Eco Gadgets Chargers Solar-powered

iPower SX enters solar charger fray originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:08:36 +0000

Big cars are rarely green, but a new model by Mercedes-Benz shows where carbon savings can be made.

The firm's new C 180 is one of the first in the UK equipped with "BlueEFFICIENCY" measures which boost the car's fuel economy by 11% on the previous model.

With emissions of 149g/km CO2, the C 180 KOMPRESSOR BlueEFFICIENCY won't be battling with Toyota and Honda's hybrids for the title of the UK's greenest car, but its emissions are down by 19% on the old C Class. They also mean it falls into a cheaper road tax bracket.

The savings come through cuts to the car's weight, better aerodynamics and improved energy management. Power-steering, for example, is only powered-up when needed. Performance is reportedly on a par with the car's predecessor.

Drivers will be encouraged by a dashboard screen to shift gear for maximum fuel efficiency, while a real-time display shows how many miles per gallon the car is achieving. Tech-heads are catered for with an iPod connection and Bluetooth for handsfree.

The car is on sale now from £23,350.

Tags: Car And GPS Mercedes Eco Cars

Mercedes-Benz brings cleaner C Class to UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:58:46 +0000

Three YouTubers are competing to win a $25,000 (£16,546) prize for eco innovation. The winner of the "What's your Crazy Green Idea?" contest, organised by the X Prize Foundation, will be decided by a public vote.

Ideas include pitting communities against one another to win cash by cutting energy use, a project to invent non-toxic batteries and an ambitious bid to make all US homes produce their own electricity.

133 contestants submitted their vision for the X Prize, which were whittled down to three by a panel that scored them on creativity, impact and viability. Voting closes 30 November 2008.

Here's one of the finalists with "the capacitor challenge", looking at batteries made from eco materials.

Related links:

• Link - X Prize

Tags: Software Video Google YouTube Eco

VIDEO: Which green X Prize finalist gets your vote? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:15:49 +0000

Recycled laptop bags are nothing new, but the price on two freshly-launched green laptop bags is enough to turn heads.

While previous recycled bags made from esoteric materials like old sails and rubber truck tyres have commanded a price tag of £60 and up, these new Shoreline Cases clock in at just £30.

Each case is made from half a dozen 0.5 litre plastic bottles. The manufacturer says that using recycled rather than virgin material for the bags saves enough energy to power your laptop for 150 hours.

Standard laptop bag features such as pockets for peripherals and a shoulder strap are present and correct, and the bags weigh a reasonable 500 grams.

The 15.4-inch and 13.3-inch Shoreline Cases are on sale now via the Natural Collection website.

Related links:

• Shop - Natural Collection

Tags: Gadgets Cases Eco Shoreline Cases

Shoreline Cases debuts affordable recycled laptop bags originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:11:08 +0000

Nikon has received gold DIWA awards for two of its DSLR cameras, the D60 and D300.

DIWA or Digital Imaging Websites Association, is an international network of independent websites focusing on digital imaging. The winners of its awards are chosen by professional photography websites and are based on unique test samples and evaluations of more than 200 functions and features.

Nikons' D300 received gold in the semi-professional DSLR category, and its D60 came top in the consumer DSLR category.

The judges said that the D60 had "excellent image quality, ergonomic design and useful features", while the D300 "meets the demands of both professionals and serious amateurs" thanks to its "unsurpassed image quality and camera performance".

Nikon has had a successful year with awards in 2008, winning recognition in both TIPA and EISA award ceremonies.

Tags: DSLR cameras Awards Nikon

Nikon wins two gold DIWA awards originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:48:26 +0000

Hyundai's concept eco car is going into production in the US. The HED-5 i-mode, which was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, appeared at the LA Motor Show with a new engine aimed at the North American market.

Unlike the diesel version shown in Europe, the US is set to get a 2 litre petrol engine that Hyundai claims uses new technology to maximise efficiency. The car maker, however, failed to release any details on the car's fuel economy, a move it was criticised for at Geneva.

The six-seater car is still at concept stage, but features interesting eco touches including a lightweight body and water-based finishes that Hyundai says "self-heal" when the car suffers minor scratches. Gadgets haven't been neglected either, with touchscreens, a wireless network and webcams built-in.

Hyundai's also very proud that the car's first row of passenger seats can swivel around to face the second row. It claims this is unique. We suggest it looks at any multi-purpose vehicle, ever.

The production version of the HED-5 i-mode goes on sale in 2010 in the US, there's no word yet on a UK debut.

Tags: Car And GPS Hyundai Cars Eco

Hyundai HED-5 i-mode makes green splash in US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:54:50 +0000

Toyota's first ever European car with stop-start technology has gone on sale. Introduced this week, the Toyota Auris automatically cuts and restarts the engine when you stop, saving fuel and bringing down the car's carbon emissions. Like the hybrid technology seen in the Toyota Prius, stop-start works best in traffic and urban areas.

The 1.3-litre Auris reportedly boasts CO2 emissions 17% lower than the previous Auris. That brings its carbon down to 135g/km CO2, which is good, but not good enough for it to fall into the government's cheapest road tax bracket.

To achieve the 48.7 miles per gallon that the Auris is capable of, you simply shunt the gear stick into neutral each time you stop. When your foot's off the clutch, the engine goes off. When you come back onto the clutch, the engine springs back on.

The Auris fits in with Toyota's annoucement at the Paris Motor Show, where it said its new focus would be on making petrol cars greener. VW, Ford and other car-makers have already introduced cars over the past year that use improved aerodynamics, low resistance tyres and other technology tweaks to bump fuel economy. Just last month, Smart introduced a stop-start car, the £7300 Fortwo Mhd.

Toyota's Auris is available now for £12,705.

Tags: Car And GPS Cars Toyota Eco

Toyota Auris launches with stop-start tech originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:17:32 +0000

Dell has met the US government's new energy efficiency rating seven months early.

The PC giant has announced that a selection of its laptops and desktops already match 2009's new Energy Star 5.0 standards, which require a minimum internal power supply efficiency of 85% - up from the previous 80% for Energy Star 4.0.

So far, the only compliant Dell PCs are business models. Certain configurations of the OptiPlex 760 and 960 desktops and the Latitude E6400 (pictured) and E4300 laptops match the stringent new standards.

Dell says the Optiplex 960 uses 43% less energy than the previous generation Optiplex.

"By meeting Energy Star 5.0 seven months ahead of schedule, Dell is demonstrating what it means to be a leader in energy-efficient technology", said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy.

Dell also claimed that since 2005 its green computing measures have saved Optiplex owners around $3 billion in energy and 29 million tonnes of carbon.

Related links:

• Reviewed - Dell Studio 15 notebook

Tags: Hardware Dell Desktop PCs Laptops Eco

Dell PCs hit Energy Star 5 ahead of schedule originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:51:45 +0000

The NICE Car Company has confirmed its MyCar two-seater electric vehicle will be delivered to customers before Christmas.

Unveiled in 2004 but only launched in the UK at the British Motor Show earlier this year, the MyCar isn't the most powerful EV of 2008, but it's certainly the cutest.

With a range of 60 miles and 40mph, the city runabout goes head-to-head with EV distributor Goingreen and its £9500 G-Wiz i.

The MyCar, which has a slightly cheaper price of £9000, will also compete with NICE's own Mega City.

The MyCar uses a lead acid battery - a relatively old technology compared to the Tesla Roadster's new lithium-ion batteries - and can recharge in 5 hours. Like other EVs, it's exempt from the Congestion Charge.

NICE tells us that orders taken now for the MyCar will be delivered by Christmas 2008.

Related links:

• Video - Mega City electric car

Tags: Eco NICE Car Company Electric cars Cars Car And GPS

MyCar electric car to arrive for Christmas originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:57:27 +0000

Parents on an online forum have expressed concerns over Nintendo's Wii Fit creating a bad body image, particularly with young girls.

The controversy was sparked after a user complained that the game labelled her relative overweight.

"My [relative] came round this weekend and we let her play on our Wii Fit", she wrote. "We have all laughed and joked about being told that we're fat and need to lose weight but I was gobsmacked when it told her that she is overweight."

According to the poster, the girl in question is a healthy 4-foot 9-inch 10-year-old who swims, dances and weighs only six stone. "She is solidly built", the poster adds, "but not fat".

Apparently the young girl was "devastated" to be labelled as overweight.

The poster added: "I know it is just a game but seriously we already have to worry about young girls starving themselves to look like the magazine models and now we have a game that tells them they're fat".

Forum users have replied with varying responses, many angrily and backing the poster's decision to write and complain to Nintendo (they are yet to reply).

However as one forum member pointed out, Wii Fit merely utilises the internationally-used BMI scale to calculate whether a user is overweight or not, and so Nintendo cannot be held responsible for the outcome.

BMI is considered by some to not be the best way to measure weight as it does not take into account frame or muscle.

A 17-year-old forum member supported the game, commenting: "I personally don't care what a video game says about you, Brain Training constantly tells me I'm stupid, even though I'm not. I guess some people think differently".

Tags: Gaming Nintendo Wii Nintendo Sports Fitness Sports games Wii Fit

Could Wii Fit create bad body image? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 May 2008 15:32:37 +0100

After we reported on the initial apparent sales success of Nintendo's most recent release, Wii Fit, it's official that the game set-up has stormed the All Formats chart in its first week, becoming the sixth fastest-selling UK debut ever.

The fitness game bundled with a balance board accessory launched on Friday and reached the top spot with ease, as roughly 1 in 10 Wii console owners stumped up the £69.99 within the first 2 days of its release.

Sales for Wii Fit were an estimated £16.3 million, making it the third largest launch in terms of value for a video gaming product – only pipped by Gran Theft Auto: San Andreas (£24.2m in 2004) and Halo 3 (£16.9m in 2007).

For the first time in 5 years, Nintendo now holds the top two spots in the All Formats charts. Despite a dramatic slow in sales this week with a drop of 62%, Mario Kart Wii sits at number two, while Sega's Mario and Sonic slips down to number three.

The game will only have a short time at the top with GTA IV - released on both PS3 and Xbox 360 - due to knock it off following its much-hyped and critically acclaimed launch.

Related links:

• News - Wii Fit sold every 4 secs
• Reviewed - GTA IV

Tags: Gaming Nintendo Wii Statistics Sports Fitness Wii Fit

Nintendo Wii Fit tops chart in debut week originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:58:09 +0100