Latest Inventions

posted by admin on Jan 30

Is Asus Going Green?

I am getting myself my first netbook this week, and I have been checking out the options - although it seems as though Asus may well have won me over straight away with their new ‘green’ credentials.

Everything they say they are doing might not apply to the actual model that I buy, but I am warming to a company that is at the ‘action’ end of the spectrum when it comes to making technology more efficient and environmentally kinder.

Technology at the moment moves so fast that ‘new’ gadgets are often overtaken in a matter of weeks by the next ‘best thing’ creating a whole heap of waste. I mean, I know several people with a drawer full of spare mobiles and chargers sitting about as they get a new model every time they upgrade their package!

It’s such a waste of resources, so I’m glad to see that Asus are investing effort not only to make their products without damaging chemicals, they are also making them more durable and they have invested in a program to reclaim parts from your old laptops, etc, rather than have them end up in a landfill.

Apparently there is now more gold found in a tonne of modern electrical waste than in 17 tonnes of ore from a gold mine! Think how reusing our technology could save the worlds remaining resources from being destroyed. I can’t believe more companies can’t see the advantages to getting their resources free!

Efficient Running:
Asus claim that their technology can determine when your laptop needs less energy and adjust the flow into your machine. Many machines lose energy as heat when being used and this new technology claims to make them more the 96% power efficient.

Their Super-Hybrid Engine (SHE) claims to extend battery life by half again - and boost the laptops performance by a further 10% as well. With this in mind - this latest technology can reduce the carbon emissions of one laptop in a year by 12.3kgs.

Reduced Chemicals:
Asus claim that they have identified and removed 37 hazardous chemicals - including mercury and lead - from their products - (the current WEEE directives only ask for 6). They don’t say whether other manufacturers had that many in the first place, but they have also made their factories free of these chemicals too so that can’t be a bad thing for their employees!

They have also just launched their ‘Bamboo’ series of laptops that are coated in natural, sustainable bamboo rather than metal - one of the greenest gadgets in 2009 - further greening up it’s environmental credentials.

Eco Friendly:
They are also making sure that their suppliers are sticking to green methods as well - and they request a list of components and added ‘ingredients’ to make sure that their claims are not being thwarted by others.

Their staff are also getting ‘green training’ in the companies ethics and principles to make sure that everyone involved in the manufacturing process is aware of the how’s and the whys - the Facts.

Recycling:
Apparently they are designed with their dismantling in mind as the company was one of the first (in 2006) to introduce a free recycling service included in the purchase price.

Asus have already collected over 5500 unwanted PCs from customers and have been reusing the parts where possible and reclaiming the precious metals and technology from machines that cannot be repaired.

They also claim to have donated over 1000 usable computers to schools in disadvantaged communities as part of their ‘recycling’ package.

Conclusion:
Seeing as their netbooks, notepads, laptops and PCs have been winning awards all over the place for their usability and incorporated technologies, Asus seemed like a safe bet anyway.

But with their recent take on making their company more environmentally responsible, their products more environmentally friendly and their customers more environmentally aware - while keeping their prices totally competitive (from £149/$220 for the Eee Pc netbook) they are certainly going to be my first choice of laptop next week!

The more people like us that support their efforts - the more of a difference they can make. If other companies start to see their designs out-sold by Asus - they may well start to be more responsible too.

posted by admin on Jan 25

I have just found out about a great piece of free software that reduces the amount of blank sheets of paper that are churned out of my printer every week.

You know the one’s I’m talking about - the final sheet that only has the URL address and the date on it.  No one wants it and no-one needs it, but it always seems to print itself off for you.  I reuse mine for less important printing, but it has still cost me energy to produce and wasted ink that I would rather have saved.

This new software does it for you.  It identifies the pages about to be printed that probably don’t need to be and you can eliminate them. 

I can’t believe someone hasn’t thought of it sooner, and although I would nag everyone in the office to check the print preview for every created document before printing, but printing from the Internet was a little more tricky and does waste paper - and my time and money!  It also really annoys me.

Their Website:
There is plenty of information on the GreenPrint site to make sure that you are aware of the software and how much you could save - and of course the basic World Edition is completely free - so you know you can try it for nothing and make some great savings. 

They have a counter displayed on their site saying that currently they have saved:

• Nearly 4 and a half million pages
• Just over 3 million lbs of CO2 
• And over 500 trees!!! (Although I’m not sure what trees or how big they were?)

As I was on this page - another 5lbs of CO2 were saved and 20 more pages!!!

Not only can they keep track of what their software has saved, you can also track your individual or company savings - showing your saved paper in terms of real money! 

The Software:
Their software is compatible with Windows 2000, XP and Vista (32 bit only) - although a Mac version is on the cards (see site for details).

It also needs a 1GHZ+ processor and a 256MB+ ram (check your Control Panel for details of your PC).  Finally there is a piece of software that downloads automatically.

There are more advanced program options, and they offer 2 other packages at a cost that offer certain features to benefit larger or more time conscious businesses rather than just home users.  This include advertisement-free information and faster loading times amongst other incentives.

The Company:
GreenPrint are aiming to save over 100 million trees and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 300 million tonnes with their software - and of course to save all of us dependants the frustration of dealing with those darn blank pages!

They offer many logo’s, email signatures and even a ‘tell a friend’ button at the bottom of their pages to help pass on their message and to help the world achieve these savings.

In Addition:
As well as interesting facts on office paper waste and usage, it also offers a ‘green shop’ for office related products as well as companies that offer recycling, recycled products and even advice for planting your own trees!!

Click here to view more details about their paid packages and other products.

posted by admin on Jan 17

As any blogger worth their salt knows, Wordpress is one of the best pieces of blog software available. It is so powerful, yet so simple to use that it allows virtually anyone to set up a blog. And that is an amazing feat.

Even better, of course, Wordpress (which powers this site) is free, and open source.

What this means is that rather than being built by one big money-grabbing corporation (mmm, there’s the hippy in me!) it is constantly evolving and improving thanks to a dedicated community of like-minded programmers and bloggers. It represents, if you like, what the Internet was intended to be.

I just set up a new blog a few days ago and with it I used the latest version of Wordpress - version 2.7.

Now, as a long-term user of Wordpress I was quite surprised at the changes to the admin panel, but the thing which got my attention the most was the “plugins” area.

For the unitiated, a “plugin” is an extra little piece of software that you can install on a Wordpress blog that gives it extra functionality. You can use them to add a contact form, a survey, a discussion forum and so on.

I use quite a few to try and make my blogs as user-friendly as possible so any exciting new plugins get my attention.

Imagine my excitement, therefore, when I discovered a new plugin area in the control panel.

In the old days you would have to search the Internet for a Wordpress plugin that does what you want it to - and then you would have to use FTP software to upload it to your webhosting account, unzip it, and then go back into your Wordpress control panel to activate it.

Not actually as bad as it sounds, but certainly not a job for the beginner, which is why most Wordpress users don’t install and use plugins. This is of course a shame because of all the extra features their readers could be benefitting from if finding and installing plugins was easier.

Thankfully, now it is.

Click on the “Add New” option in the Plugins menu now and you are graced with a wonderful screen which will let you search for plugins to use on your blog.

Once you’ve found one, and downloaded it to your computer, there is a second box which will let you upload and install it on your blog. All this with no technical knowledge required and without leaving the Wordpress control panel.

As a Wordpress fan, things just seem to keep on getting better. If you’re considering setting up a blog, Wordpress 2.7 is definately the software to consider.

posted by admin on Jan 13

A Flying Car - At Last!!!!

Well, it sounds a lot better than Road-Going Plane - which is really what it is if you want to kill the James Bond moment right here. If not, then read on!

Someone has finally invented the flying car - and they reckon that it could take to the sky in then next few weeks for it’s maiden voyage. Yippee!!!!!

Basically, it is already a road-legal ‘car’ and you can drive it all over town if you want, fuelling up with ordinary premium unleaded petrol - although you would look a tiny bit silly with the giant wings folded up to the rear of the vehicle as you pulled in to the services!

Why haven’t we had one before?

Well, after changes in the licencing of pilots in light aircraft in the US, there is a new category of ‘light sports aircraft’ for 2009 which this vehicle fit’s into. There are also less regulations to fly one in terms of ‘pilot flying hours’ and you only need 20 or more hours to gain this license (as long as all other requirements are met).

There have been numerous improvements in the field of avionics too - this is the new technology that helps you to fly a plane. There are no longer whole panels of instruments and controls to watch over - it all got a lot simpler. GPS does your navigation, the weather is just displayed on a screen rather than having to run calculations and use charts, and they have automatic throttles.

So, who did it?

A company called Terrafugia (Woburn, Massachusetts) are behind this one, and Carl Dietrich - one of the bosses - describes it as ‘a little Transformer’. However, push all ideas of your car turning into a robot and running across fields - and even forget about your car looking like a regular car. This machine just does the basics at the moment.

So, imagine flying your small 2-seater light aircraft with a ‘fold wings up’ button on the dashboard (obviously don’t press it while flying). Then imagine landing your ‘plane’ on a small runway, and taxing off to the side. You then press your little red button and within 15 seconds the wings have folded neatly away to the sides and you can then drive out through the parking lot and then head straight off to that all important meeting.

Obviously, you need a full pilots licence as well as a driving license for this one, but how cool to avoid all that tiresome commuting every day! You could fly over interstate traffic rather than sitting in it! No need to follow the ring road around a town or city - just pass right on over it!

There will also be no annoying check-in at airports for those shorter business journeys or weekend get-aways - just load up your car with essentials - drive to the airport and press your little button. You fly off and when you land at your destination - press the button again - and drive to your cabin in the woods. Imagine the day trips you could have with this baby!!!!

The facts:

The Terrafugia Transition (it’s full name) is currently a road legal car but is still working on the plane bit. Currently, there are some issues with insuring the vehicle as companies are not sure whether it should be a car that flies or a plane the goes on roads.

When extended, the plane has a 27.5ft wingspan and can fly at around 115mph - covering up to 500 miles on one tank of petrol.

When it’s a car, it drives as an automatic (as there is no gearstick). It has 100bhp and can be driven by anyone with a licence. It fits into a standard garage and saves you having to tow your own plane or pay hangar fees.

The company already have orders for 40 even though it’s not off the ground in both senses of the word!

The competitors:

Believe it or not there are several other companies using the new ‘light sports aircraft’ category to produce their own flying vehicles in 2009. And here are just 2 of these new vehicles/big boys toys:

Parajet Sky Car - Basically a dune buggy with a giant fan attached to the back and a parachute on top. This British invention can travel 100mph as a car and 80mph as a ‘plane’. They even have a pitch for a ’sports’ version and are planning to travel from London to Timbuktu to get publicity.

Pal-V Europe BV - Not so catchy a name, but this invention is a 3-wheeled gyrocopter, with full vertical take-off and landing ability! According to the manufacturers, it is as agile as a motorbike on land and the single rotor folds completely away. As it flies so low, you apparently don’t have to log your flight as you would do with the Transition.

Literally - the sky is the limit now for your childhood dreams to come true!

posted by admin on Jan 1

Happy New Year to everyone reading this.

Just a quick note from me to say that 2009 should be just as promising as 2008 was, and there is going to be plenty to talk about in terms of latest innovations, newest creations and technological advances to keep us on our toes!

Thanks again for joining me, and hope to see you again soon….

Regards.