Recycled Green Tech News
Sorting truly sustainable tech from greenwash
Monday 23 July 2007, 7:46 PM
Computers as Art?
I have been meaning to blog this for a while so apologies that this is a bit tardy. A friend of mine invited me to the Camberwell College of Art's student exhibition back in June which was one of the more enjoyable afternoons I have spent in Camberwell - actually it's probably the only afternoon I have spent in Camberwell but hey.
As well as some excellent photography, there was also a brilliant display of ceramics -- and as a ZDNet journalist is never off duty I thought I'd share these with you all.
The artist's name is Jehan E. Haddad and the project - as far as I can work out - is a musing on the some of the negative effects computers have had on society:
"Although technology today offers a wide range of endorsements to our practical lives, it also has made our cultural heritage and knowledge more fragile to the point of dissapearing."
I am not sure of Jehan's analysis of the impact of tech on society but the ceramics are pretty impressive.
You can contact Jehan on:
JiJihadad@hotmail.com
Wednesday 11 July 2007, 10:14 AM
Michael Dell backs computer re-use over OLPC
Speaking at the launch of Dell's new small business machine - the interestingly named "Vostro" - surely a Dr. Who baddy?? - the chief exec questioned whether creating bespoke new form factors for the developing world was the best approach to bridging the digital divide.
“125 million computers come out of circulation every year. Those 125 million computers are about as powerful as the $100 computer. Would be a better idea to reuse those computers? The challenge nobody wants them since they don’t do very much. Could governments distribute?. And do the people getting those need those computers more than they need other things.”
Dell probably needs to catch-up on the fact that this is happening at the monent via charities such as Computer Aid which re-distributes machines to the developing world - and has been doing so for years.
Tuesday 10 July 2007, 1:03 PM
Breaking news: Dell to launch small business PC range
The PC maker is preparing to launch a series of desktops and PCs aimed at small to medium sized businesses
Information on a range of desktop and laptop machines aimed at smaller businesses is already available on the companies US site, with the official launch expected at 5.00pm today. We're expecting more UK details at that time.
Known as Vostro, Dell claims the systems are tailored to the needs of small companies as they "come without annoying trialware pre-installed. Customers said they hates it, so we took it way".
Specs available on the US Site for the laptop models start with the entry-level Vostro 1000 – which comes with a 15.4 inch screen – to the high-end Vostro 1700.
The desktop machines come in either the Vostro 200 Mini Tower or Vostro 200 Slim Tower form-factors.
Michael Dell will be hosting a WebCast which will cover the launch of Vostro. "Global research Dell conducted in partnership with the International Council for Small Business showed that SMB’s continue to struggle with the complexity and cost of IT. The webcast will address these concerns, as well as other findings and feature an in-person and Web-based customer Q&A session," the company claims.
Friday 6 July 2007, 6:30 PM
Tory leader compares music piracy with child abuse
Tory leader David Cameron has delivered a speech
to the AGM of the BPI, and seems to be telling the music industry exactly what it wants to hear.
Up to now Cameron has appeared to have taken an informed and un-Tory view of the world - noticeable on green issues - but it seems the rumours of him moving to the right in response to Gordon Brown's appointment as Prime Minister seems justified here:
"ISPs can block access and indeed close down offending file-sharing sites.
They have already established the Internet Watch Foundation to monitor child abuse and incitement to racial hatred on the internet.They should be doing the same when it comes to digital piracy."
And it doesn't stop there.
"The music industry has done so much in making all manner of music from any decade available to everyone."
Is this the same music industry that managed to miss the whole internet download channel completely and hand it over to Steve Jobs??
Cameron has been badly misadvised here and this speech is going to alienate much of the younger generation that the Tories have been trying to court up till now with his "youth and vigor" approach.
