Apple Computer Corporation has filed for a patent to protect an interesting, yet possibly controversial packaging innovation. Active Packaging is Apple’s idea of a way to keep on-the-shelf and in-the-package electronic products, such as iPod, charged, updated and ready to use.

The idea emerged when Apple developers wanted to eliminate the need for a new purchaser to charge the device before using or get updates after purchasing.

Read more …

PC power consumption: does it really matter?

More than 30 billion kilowatt-hours (108 petajoules) of energy is wasted because many of us simply forget to shut down our computers when we aren’t using them.

If we could improve the efficiency of how we use our PCs, the value of energy saved would be over $3 billion dollars! What’s more the CO2 emissions from just 15 computers are equivalent, in energy terms, to the gas consumption of one car!

Read more …