Going GREEN at Pepcom EcoFocus 2010
By: Edward Jackson (Senior Editor)
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Staff note (April 30, 2010): Post one comment on which of our highlighted products you think is the “greenest” and why you personally think so/want it. Please be honest. Only one comment is necessary. To qualify, entrants must be signed up for our weekly e-newsletter. You can sign up on the home page or on the upper right hand of this article. Since every review is a giveaway, it pays to be signed up. We do NOT send spam. Two commenters will be chosen at random on May 25, 2010 to win. Another great prize giveaway from MRT!
So Pepcom put on their EcoFocus 2010 event in New York City and almost 200 press and analysts came for a day of food, drinks and to experience demos from eco-friendly companies looking to get their name & products out there. Known for putting on mostly Mobile and Digital Technology-focused events, Pepcom moved into the new, clean tech space and I think most vendors and attendees would agree it was a huge success.
The event welcomed some of the most influential journalists and analysts from various media outlets. Some of the press who attended recent Pepcom events include representatives of ABC, Bloomberg News, CBS, CNN, CNET, Consumer Reports, eWeek, Forbes, Fortune, Gartner, IDC, InfoWorld, Maxim, NBC, New York Times, Newsweek, PC Magazine, PC World, Popular Science, Reuters, Time, U.S. News, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and of course, MRT.
While some may not be totally sold on global warming and much of the green talk that surrounds us today, this event clearly was evidence that green is more than just a fad. It is an area of true innovation and growth. The vendors at the night’s event include big names, like HP, Lenovo and Toshiba showing off their power-saving notebooks, netbooks and desktop PCs. HP had an impressive-looking all-in-one desktop with a wide screen that had power-saving features, while Lenovo showed off a swanky new netbook with a swiveling screen that could also function as a touchscreen. On the software side, Iolo Technologies talked about its System Mechanic tools for tuning up Windows PCs so they don’t require as much power to run.
The faces behind these businesses, both big and small, have a common goal to make a positive impact on our environment. They are challenging convention, and working to change our “oh so traditional behaviors” to become a smarter, savvier, more eco-conscious society. Clean technology isn’t only an expanding industry. But what this event clearly demonstrated is that it is an area of true belief, one that people have a renewed passion for. Most importantly, it is one that is and will be making a significant, positive impact for years to come.
While there were a ton of products offered, I’d like to highlight several of the one’s that jumped out at me the most. Let’s take a look!
From its slim profile to its simple setup, our Pavilion All-in-One MS220z is ready to streamline your desktop and life. Its integrated design puts everything in the display there’s no need for a PC tower while giving you full features, including wireless networking. The slim profile will fit neatly on your desk, in the kid’s room, or in the kitchen. Reduce your impact on the environment with this ENERGY STAR qualified, EPEAT Silver registered system. In addition, the packaging is 100% recyclable and contains a minimum of 60% recycled material. Best of all, with a starting price of $599.00 this little gem is economical as well as Eco-friendly.
Sprint to Launch Samsung Restore, Eco-Friendly Phone
Having already come out with some eco-friendly devices in the past, Sprint has always been on the forefront of green technology. The Samsung Restore is yet another product to be introduced. It has as Eco calculator so you can gauge your mpg versus if you have walked the same mileage or have used mass transit. The outer packaging is made from 100 percent recycled materials, featuring a cardboard box made from 70 percent post consumer materials and images and text printed with soy-based ink. An energy-efficient charger also saves power by using less than 30mW in standby mode… Sprint stated the Samsung Restore will be available this summer for $50 with a two-year contract. We’ll be sure to let you know everything about it once we review the product.
This new offering from Lenovo boasts savings up to an estimated 40% per year on operating costs to compared to previous ThinkPad laptops. Lenovo L412, L512 Estimated 40% less energy consumption and 50% less CO2 emissions Compared against previous laptops. These Eco-beauties have up to 30% post-consumer content used in L Series laptops Post-consumer content includes office water jugs and used IT equipment which are supposedly used in parts like the LCD cover, palm rests and top/bottom case. According to the company, each L Series laptop saves the equivalent of 10 plastic water bottles and uses less power with LED-backlit displays and Power Manager at your finger tips. Lenovo has also used close to 100% recyclable packaging all packaging is recyclable except the bags enclosing the system and the included manuals/documentation and 20% less of it. Sounds like fancy wording to us, but we’ll see once we get them in.
iolo technologies System Mechanic
This next product comes in as a surprise, mainly because we didn’t really find too many software programs worth featuring. However, with the new rush on green tech, it does have some higher costs to the consumer of said products. With that in mind, Iolo technologies has come up with a great idea… “If you cannot get that great new green machine that you want, make yours work like one.” iolo tech has a new program called System Mechanic software, which is designed to resolve PC problems, improve overall performance, and keep aging computers operating in optimal condition longer. It is now supposedly being called “the crème de la crème” of PC tune-up software that “bested every other product in its class and rose to the top via hardcore testing.” This “serious tune-up tool for your PC” which “can give users peace of mind along with powerful tools” was praised by GCN in the award write-up for the “noticeable and measurable change” in PC performance, “helping your older hardware perform as well as technically possible” and “saving you a lot of money by avoiding costly new computer buys.” For that alone, System Mechanic could be one of the heroes of this current market. So for around $40 ($60 for the PRO) bucks you can save some green and be Eco-Green at the same time. We’re looking at you iolo!
As you know, MRT was one of the first to see the unveiling of Sony’s new line up back in 2009. The W Series has now gone greener and has now been re-sired the W2. Not only is it EPEAT Gold Certified and Energy Star 5.0 compliant, the W2 is made from 23% recycled CDs and DVDs! On top of that, the W2’s carrying case is made from 100% recycled P.E.T bottles (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) i.e., “soda and water bottles.” Once again, sounds like a pretty neat take on green. Rather than putting more waste into landfills, Sony took waste out and turned it into a cool little machine. Under the hood is a gig of RAM, 250GB hard drive, Atom N450 processor, 8 hours of actual use time. With 1366 x 768 resolution LED lighted W screen, you get the same screen real estate on a 10” screen that you do on many 13” screens. That extra resolution (compared to standard 1024 x 600 netbook screen resolution) really comes in handy when you’re browsing the web and working on documents, and makes the W2 feel like it’s bigger than it is. Oh did I mention it runs Windows 7 operating system like a dream?
This is one machine our very own Jenna Gonzalez actually owns and loves. The average American drinks 55 gallons of soda each year. If you don’t recycle the plastic bottles, (and most don’t!!!) you’re committing that bottle to a 700-year life in a landfill. (Yeah, 700 years!) Using the SodaStream, the plastic bottles are reusable. The U.S. is the world’s largest consumer of bottled water, purchasing 37 billion bottles in 2005. Our daily bottled water habit is bad for people and bad for the environment. Bottled water wastes fossil fuels and water in production and transport, and when the water is drunk the bottles become a major source of waste.
Personally, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love this machine. It’s an active green product, meaning that we are actively reducing our CO2 footprint every time we use the machine at home instead of buying the products from the store. Because SodaStream uses water straight from the tap, the system makes traditional store-bought beverage bottles obsolete. That means less plastic manufactured, less plastic waste, and fewer bottled beverages being transported from manufacturers, distributors, stores and homes. Plus, one SodaStream carbonator makes 60 to 110 liters of pretty good soda. That’s equivalent to 170 to 310 aluminum cans.
Here are the flavors offered! Regular: Cola, Lemon-Lime, Fountain Mist (compare to Mountain Dew®), RootBeer, Pete’s Choice (compare to Dr Pepper®), Orange, Cream Soda, Ginger Ale, Cranberry-Raspberry, Grape, Tonic.
Diet: Diet Cola, Diet Caffeine-Free Cola, Diet Lemon-Lime, Diet Root Beer, Diet Pete’s Choice (compare to Diet Dr Pepper®), Diet Orange, and Diet Fountain Mist (Compare to Diet Mountain Dew®), Diet Ginger Ale, Diet Cream Soda, Diet Cranberry-Raspberry, Diet Pink Grapefruit (compare to Fresca®), Diet Tonic.
Others: My Water flavor essences for making flavored sparkling water (Lemon-Lime, Orange, Berry),
Jenna also tells me about their Energy Drink (compare to Red Bull®). Hmmm… We will see about that…
Toshiba’s entire line-up of Toshiba consumer and business laptops is rated EPEAT[R] Gold and is Energy Star qualified. Features like the power saving “Eco Utility(TM) Button” help users monitor their energy use by allowing them to run daily, weekly and monthly analysis reports that show accumulated power savings. Toshiba also ships its products with a minimum amount of plastics, dyes and packaging, while maximizing the use of recyclable materials. For example, all of Toshiba’s new laptops are boxed in packing made of nearly all recyclable materials. Toshiba’s continuous innovation in energy efficiency,” said Terrence Cronin, VP of marketing communications at Toshiba America, Inc. “We continue to focus on reducing our impact on the environment while offering products and services that help businesses and consumers reduce theirs – it’s about designing innovative eco-products that contribute to CO2 reductions, as well as offering comprehensive and convenient consumer recycling solutions.”
As we get some of these awesome green products in, we’ll definitely be sure to let you know which ones are worth the money, and which ones are just cleverly-worded duds. So, which ones are you most excited about?
