Going “Green” is not just a public relation’s slogan anymore; it is a societal movement and lifestyle choice. There are numerous reasons to take become environmental conscious. Being green helps the environment, will provide a better world for our children and can save resources as well as money if done in a large enough scale.

Pepcom is known for their themed press gatherings where companies show their new products and wares to the media. This year EcoFocus is the theme of their first 2009 show in New York City with a focus on the eco-friendly market. At this show we checked out the latest in green technologies from several well known big companies and some smaller ones you will probably be hearing more about in the near future.

Pepcom’s EcoFocus Media Event

Location: Metropolitan Pavilion, NYC

Date: April 29, 2009

 

 

EcoFocus was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion and the first thing you were greeted when walking onto the show floor was a Martini bar. Nothing says eco-friendly like a nice cocktail, shaken not stirred. 🙂

We started the event by visiting Imation who were showcasing environmentally-friendly products including their Earthwise remanufactured toner cartridges, next-generation of Solid State Disk (SSD) products and USB flash drives.

The Earthwise line is designed to meet the Original Manufacturers quality standards and deliver a quality product while producing it at less cost and with less waste. Imation uses recycled toner cartridges and reconditions and replaces needed parts and then refills them. Additionally the packaging is comprised of up to 80% post consumer recycled materials. Currently the Earthwise toners are available for HP and Canon Laser Printers with more brands to come in the future.

Imation also was showing their SSD line of M-Class Solid State Drives which are designed to be lightning fast with the added benefit of energy efficiency. They feature sequential read speeds of 150 MB/s and Sequential Write speeds of 90 MB/s. They will be available in 32GB, 64GB and 128 GB sizes. For even faster performance the Imation S-Class has write speeds of 120 MB/s and come in the same sizes as the M-Line.

At the Cisco table there were no new products being discussed; instead Cisco was focusing on their greener packaging initiatives, reduction of its carbon footprint in product transport, and improved environmental efficiencies at their factories for the Linksys by Cisco product line.

They will be shipping nearly 100 products in packaging that includes 80% recycled content, printed with vegetable-based inks. Their Linksys products are now shipped with Energy Star rated power supplies. Shipping methods have been migrated to marine shipping which significantly decreases the greenhouse gas emissions over air transportation.

Additionally they have launched the One Million Acts of Green campaign that asks schools, cities, businesses, politicians, and celebrities and individuals to perform acts of green to help save greenhouse gas emissions.

PrestoPC is the new venture from Xandros to help save millions of older PCs from ending up in landfills by creating an instant on utility that provides a feature rich computing environment. It is installed like any other Windows program and can be used on Vista and XP machines. The program creates a bootloader that provides an option of loading Windows or Presto when the machine is powered on.

Selecting PrestoPC launches the OS in seconds providing a computing environment with Firefox, Skype, Open Office, Multimedia playback capability and more. It is based on Linux and has the capability for updates and installation of additional programs.

By eliminating the need for costly upgrades or replacements and reducing environmental waste PrestoPC lets users cut down on electricity usage by switching from “always-on” to “instant-on” computing.

Xandros provides a free one week trial version on their site: prestomypc.com and it costs $19.95 if you decide to continue using it.

Mitsubishi Digital Electronics was showcasing their LaserVue Laser TV sets. Starting at 65″ and larger, these TVs use an incredible hundred watts or less of power to display their images. It uses 1/3 the power of a comparably sized LCD and 1/4 of a Plasma. That is truly impressive for a High Definition Television of that size. Besides being energy efficient it is also features 120MHz refresh rates meaning it can be used in conjunction with the newer 3D technologies.

A familiar face at Pepcom is iolo technologies who were promoting their System Mechanic software which helps users keep their PCs running at peak efficiency thus negating the need for unnecessary upgrades. They announced that System Mechanic 9.0 will be coming out some time later this year. Plus they were giving away recycled circuit board coasters; definitely a nice way to recycle one of the more dangerous landfill products.

B Green Innovations is a company with a unique product. They create VibeAway pads which are specially designed anti-vibration pads for washing machines and dryers; they are made from 100% recycled tires. By decreasing the vibrations of these machines they increase their efficiency using by using less power and decreasing wear and tear on the machines. Plus they are pulling tires out of landfills and recycling them.

Monster Cable has stepped into the Eco movement with their Monster GreenPower products designed to help customers save energy and money.

Monster was demonstrating its commitment to the environment with a line of innovative new Monster GreenPower products designed to help customers save energy and money. They have released the Monster Digital PowerCenters HDP 850G and the HDP 900G which are technically power strips with some sophisticated circuitry designed to save energy and help the environment by automatically turning off home theater components when not in use.

When the main display device is turned off, the other GreenPower outlets automatically switch off, eliminating the energy wasted by peripheral components when they’re not in use. When the display device is turned back on, the GreenPower outlets automatically power the peripherals up again. Both new PowerCenters come with $300,000 Connected Equipment Warranties

ReCellular is a company built upon recycling and refurbishing used cell phones to provide low cost cell phones to domestic customers impacted by the economic recession. By recycling these phones ReCellular conserves 1.6 million kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions, 21 million kilowatts of electricity and 68,000 pounds of solid waste in landfills.

Not to be outdone in the energy efficiency department, Sony provided a peak at its Sony BRAVIA VE5 HDTV featuring several innovative energy saving abilities. One new feature is the Presence Sensor that automatically turns off the picture when no one is present in the vicinity after a user-set timeframe.  When the sensor detects motion, the TV turns it self back on instantly. Also this model features a “hard” off button called the Energy Saving Switch which prevents vampire energy drain which occurs in standard standby mode.

Additionally, the BRAVIA VE5 HDTV features a light sensor that will automatically adjust the backlight depending on ambient room light.  The setting saves energy and improves image contrast by lowering the backlight when it is set unnecessarily high in dimmer room light.

Sony also talked about reducing energy-use and waste from its daily operations; using recycled materials; and developing opportunities to make it easier for consumers to recycle their unwanted electronics.

While most of the attention of EcoFocus was on conserving energy or recycling materials one company was about eco friendly transportation. The final company I visited with was Ultra Motor and they are the makers of the A2B electric bike, a high performance urban commuting vehicle designed especially for the eco-conscious consumer. This bike is capable of speeds up to 20 MPH and can be either rode as a scooter or bicycle. It can travel up to 20 miles off a single charge and no driver’s license is needed since it qualifies as a bicycle.

The A2B is built from the tires up for superior performance and comfort in a sleek design. It is powered by a proprietary motor that is highly efficient, producing more “torque” or force to enable riders to accelerate faster and climb hills more easily than other electric bikes. The lithium-ion batteries stored inside the frame provide more energy per pound than any other power source, and recharge just like a laptop computer. Ideal for city roads, the A2B has full suspension like a mountain bike, an upright, relaxed sitting position, and an oversized seat for extra comfort.

This ends my overview of some of the presenters at EcoFocus in New York City. As a veteran of several Pepcom shows this was definitely a smaller scope event. This may be partially due to the topic and in part due to the recession. One area where the recession was definitely felt was with the giveaways. The best give away of the night was a roll of recycled toilet paper from Marcal. At least it is made from 100% post consumer recycled paper.

Although not the most newsworthy Pepcom, this event did help improve my eco awareness and hopefully yours. Remember we only have one world, lets try and lets make it last!