Here are links to videos of my interviews with HP and Panasonic execs at the Greener Gadgets 2010 conference:
Maria Tate, Senior Industrial Designer, HP
Peter Fannon, VP Corporate and Government Affairs, Panasonic
Archive for the 'Green Gadgets' Category
Talking about “green-er gadgets” on Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane | WHYY.org
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 | Hour 2
What do you do with your old cell phone when you’ve bought your upgrade? Are you using your home computer in the most energy-efficient way? Technology enthusiast JOE HUTSKO explains how to use our home entertainment devices in a more environmentally-friendly way in his new book, Green Gadgets for Dummies.
Listen via Green Gadgets | Radio Times | WHYY.
Had a great time speaking with Marty Moss-Coane about greener gadgets at the WHYY studio in Philadelphia. Special thanks to Patty and Denis for the invite and proper care and feeding of this on-air guest.
From Radio Netherlands Worldwide:
With the future of digital reading undeniable, we decided to speak to someone who knows gadgets. Joe Hutsko joins Marnie to talk about e-readers vs. books, the advantages, disadvantages, and which of the two is greener.
Listen to interview via gGadget.org via Mud graffiti and book pulp | Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
From Green Gadgets For Dummies, by Joe Hutsko:
Ten Green Gadget Money Savings Tips
Here are some quick tips that can help you save money by using gadgets the green way:
- Replace single-use disposable batteries in your gadgets with rechargeable ones – then properly dispose of all of those dead single-use cells at your local grocery, hardware or office supplies store
- Turn down your TVs brightness and contrast settings to the lowest comfortable level; new TVs leave the factory with all of their picture-related settings cranked to the max to standout on the showroom floor, so adjust yours when you bring it home
- Unplug cell phone, MP3 player, and other gadget chargers after the battery is charged, as well as other “energy vampire” devices that go into standby mode when they’re turned off to stop them from sipping power; or plug them all into power strips so you can instantly turn them off all at once
- Disable your computer’s screensaver and adjust its power savings settings to turn off the display when you’re not using it for more than five minutes, then switch the computer to standby or sleep mode after ten minutes, then switch to “hibernate” mode after thirty minutes (if the feature is available)
- Turn off any energy wasting features and settings you’re not using on cell phones, computers and other gadgets, including wireless (Wi-Fi) networking and Bluetooth, and GPS; also, reduce the screen’s brightness and activate auto-lock or screen dimming and shutoff options on gadgets that offer these options
- Read and review documents on the screen instead of printing them on paper – if you must print, reduce your printer’s quality setting to 300 dots-per-inch, print on both sides of the page, print in color only when necessary, and refill inkjet and toner cartridges rather than buy new ones
- Reduce fuel consumption and auto emissions by shopping and banking online, and renting or buying downloadable and streaming movies and TV shows instead of renting DVDs at the local video store, or Netflix’s rent-by-mail; instead, choose Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” movies and watch on your computer, TiVo-equipped TV, or other streaming gadget
- If your thermostat isn’t programmable get one, then set so it’s only heating or cooling when you’re actually in the house; even inexpensive models can accommodate workweek and weekend turn ons and turn offs based on your schedule
- When purchasing new gadgets, look the most energy efficient models by visiting mygreenelectronics.org, energystar.gov, and the green gadget-aware websites below to stay up on the latest news, reviews, trends and feature stories that can help you make the eco-friendliest choices possible – the longer term benefit can shave more than a little green off your utility bill
- If donating your mobile phone, MP3 player, or computer isn’t an option when you need to replace it, consider selling it locally on Craigslist, or trading it in for cash or credit toward a new, more efficient model by visiting the gadget trading website EZTradein.com.
Green Gadgets For Dummies: THE Book Every Tech Geek Should Own – The Fun Times Guide to Living Green
The Fun Times Guide to Living Green reviews my new book, Green Gadgets For Dummies:
Green Gadgets For Dummies: THE Book Every Tech Geek Should Own
Wake up! Your beloved electronics are sucking the life out of your budget…not to mention the enormous environmental impact they have!
Luckily Green Gadgets for Dummies is swooping in for the rescue!
Before we get in to a quick breakdown of the awesomeness that is Green Gadgets for Dummies, check out these statistics from Planet Green that show why we need greener gadgets:
15 percent: Percentage of money spent on powering your computer dedicated to computing, worldwide; the rest of the $250 billion is spent on energy wasted in idling.
70 percent: Percentage of waste composed of discarded electronics, out of all hazardous waste.
529 pounds: Amount of fossil fuels required to manufacture a 53-pound computer system (including the monitor), along with 49 pounds of chemicals and 1.5 tons of water.
15 billion: Batteries produced annually worldwide.
40 percent: Of the energy used for electronics in your home is used while these devices are turned off.
Author Joey Hutsko does an amazing job at helping us learn how to shop for greener gadgets, avoid “greenwashed” products, and get the electronics we currently own to run more efficiently…all in a super fun and witty manner.
Read the full review: Green Gadgets For Dummies: THE Book Every Tech Geek Should Own – The Fun Times Guide to Living Green.
Green Inc.: Are E-Readers Greener Than Books?
By Joe Hutsko
Published: August 31, 2009
A new study analyzing the Amazon Kindle electronic book reader’s impact on the environment suggests that, on average, the carbon emitted over the life of the device is offset after the first year of use.
Via: gGadget » Blog Archive » Green Inc.: Are E-Readers Greener Than Books? .
UPDATE: Listen to the segment here The Rude Awakening 07-01-09.
On Ocean 98.1 The Rude Awakening (98.1 FM WOCM in Ocean City, MD) at 8 AM to talk about Green Gadgets For Dummies.
Excellent story in the New York Times about advances in making it easier to properly dispose of unwanted or hopelessly useless consumer electronics products.
Read the full story at: A Green Way to Dump Low-Tech Electronics – NYTimes.com.
My new book, Green Gadgets For Dummies, is now available in paperback and Kindle editions.
Below is a brief description of the book, followed by the book’s foreword by Tom Zeller Jr., editor of the New York Times Green Inc. section.
Thanks to everyone who provided so much support and assistance throughout the writing of the book.
(Special thanks to Wiley project editor Nicole Sholly, who made the process a learning experience that set me up for my next book, Macs All-in-One For Dummies (2nd edition).)
Continue reading ‘Just released: Green Gadgets For Dummies, by Joe Hutsko’
After accidentally knocking my original iPhone off my desk, which caused the glass screen to smash into a pretty spiderweb-like pattern that, thanks to my Invisible Shield screen protector, allowed me to continue using the smart phone as I stood in line to buy an iPhone 3G when it went on sale the next day, I decided it was time to surround the new one with a protective case.
Although I initially went with InCase’s leather-wrapped Slider Elan, I later chose the InCase black Slider (pictured on the left) as my iPhone 3G’s protective partner. The case’s tight fit adds minimal thickness to the 3G, and its lightly rubberized finish provides just enough grip to prevent accidental sleights of the hand, so to speak. I’ve also used Griffin’s Clarifi for iPhone 3G, but only on the couple of occasions when I needed to take a close up snapshot, thanks to the Clarifi’s built in lens, which corrects the iPhone camera’s farsightedness.
InCase recently sent me their new Bamboo Slider for iPhone 3G, and having just finished Green Gadgets For Dummies, I welcomed the new model’s reduced carbon footprint, thanks to the case’s composition of 40 percent recycled bamboo, 60 percent polycarbonate construction.
InCase says the bamboo pulp used to create the case comes from “reclaimed bamboo shards of materials such as construction scaffolding and chopsticks.”
In hand, the Bamboo Slider feels like plastic, though a deep whiff of the case’s backside betrays plywoody hints that evoke memories of under-construction new homes and lumberyards.
Bottom line: The inclusion of bamboo is an interesting novelty, but the case’s less grippy finish was reason enough for me to stick with the lightly rubberized Slider that’s served me well since acquiring my iPhone 3G.
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