The post-PC era: smartphones and tablets use (much) less energy than laptop and desktop PCs

The smartphone revolution is spreading to every corner of the globe and, in 2011, an astounding 450 million smartphones were shipped. But what is the environmental cost of all these phones? A piece from OPower looked into this and found some surprising facts. The first is that the iPhone 5 only uses $0.41/year of energy, …

The end of ownership for DVDs – say goodbye to your DVD collection

I feel like this is one of those big moments that sputters into life – the end of ownership. At least, when it comes to DVDs. This happened to music a few years back…I mean, who still thinks of owning music with CDs? With Blu-ray sales slotted to decline in the next few years, the …

Review – new MacBook Air has great performance improvements, no design changes

You have to give it to ars technica, they write the best, most in-depth reviews. If you’re interested in buying the new MacBook Air the whole 4-page article is worth reading. But, to cheat, I skipped to the last page and copied the conclusions below:   Conclusion The 2012 MacBook Air doesn’t look any different …

Flickr releases “liquid” layout – joins “responsive design” trend

We’re releasing a new “liquid” layout. Flickr’s “liquid” design adjusts the photo page and image size based on the size of your browser window. With that your photos will look great on a laptop screen, and look even more stunning on larger screens.  With the new design: The biggest photo size is shown depending on your …

Wyland skins for your phone, laptop, & tablet

I’m a big fan of Wyland and would love to get one of these for my Mac. “Wyland skins are the ultimate way to show your love for the ocean while protecting your electronics at the same time!”       View them all or buy one – Skinit: Capture the wonder of the oceans

Apple, Amazon, & Microsoft build data centers around dirty energy

The current explosion in cloud computing offered by major IT companies is driving significant new demand for dirty energy like coal and nuclear power, according to a new report from Greenpeace International. The report, “How Clean is Your Cloud?” shows a growing split within the tech industry between companies that are taking steps to power …

How a Brookings Fellow travels with tech to China – #espionage

When Kenneth G. Lieberthal, a China expert at the Brookings Institution, travels to that country, he follows a routine that seems straight from a spy film. He leaves his cellphone and laptop at home and instead brings “loaner” devices, which he erases before he leaves the United States and wipes clean the minute he returns. …