KATU-TV: Earth Friendly Gadgets (AM Northwest)

For Earth Day on KATU's AM Northwest I took to the streets of Portland to show eco-friendly gadgets... and how to responsibly recycle your old, unwanted, technology.



Click on the image above to watch the piece on KATU.com, or browse the list of featured products below.

eMotion Solar Portable Media Player -- MediaStreet
"Solar-powered media player"
For the times you're "off the grid", flip open the solar-power panels and charge up this universal portable entertainment device. It plays MP3s, shows digital movies, reads eBooks aloud and best of all? The eMotion Solar charges off the sun – an environmentally friendly alternative to those energy-consuming gadgets. Added bonus? Every unit comes pre-loaded with tunes from Beyond.FM. ($170, mediastreet.com)

Hybrid 1000 Charger – Solio
"Portable electronics charger"
How many times have you run out of juice and wished for a quick top-up or a battery-less charger? Leave it out in the sun for a charge, then use it to charge any number of portable devices- iPods, cellular phones, or many USB devices. It holds juice in its internal battery for cloudy days and can also be charged the old-fashioned way. ($70, solio.com)

Eco Friendly iPhone Shield -- Agent 18
"iPhone Protection from Recycled Plastic"
Buying recycled goods are a great way to send a message to gadget and accessory makers that you care about the environment. Agent 18 -- makers of cases and protective gear for music players, phones and more – created an effective protective shield for the popular iPhone from recycled plastic. Even the case's packaging is eco-friendly – it, too, is recyclable. Pick one up at the Apple Store, Target or online. ($30, agent18.com)

Crank-Powered Radio, Flashlight, Charger – LifeGear
"Emergency broadcasts, flashlight, phone charger"
Great for emergencies or taking out to the beach, this gadget requires no batteries… wind the hand-crank and listen to your favorite local radio station, NOAA and weather alerts – it even has a half-watt flashlight to find your way around. Need a top-off for your mobile phone? The unit plugs into many phones to double as a mobile charger! ($30, lifegearcompany.com)

Tech Check for 22 Feb: Vista SP1 Leaked, Frozen Decryption,

Microsoft creates Service Pack Confusion, encryption gets bit by frost and a Northwest company makes a purchase on Tech Check for 22 Feb 2008.

When Microsoft announced it had finished the service pack update for its Windows Vista operating system -- but that users wouldn't see it for over a month -- confusion set in. Add to the rather mysterious launch plans new reports that the update is being made available to some users ahead of schedule. What's more, there are reports of requisite rebooting (an infinite loop in some cases) and incompatible software. Read more here, here and here.

MSNBC.com has a story on how hackers can bypass hard drive encryption with a blast of cold air. The results are somewhat alarmning and a good reminder that physical security is your best bet. In other words: Don't leave a laptop with sensitive data someplace thieves could get at it. Like your car.

Finally as we head into the weekend some business news. Northwest company Real Networks buys TryMedia. Of note? More fun and games!

Enjoy the weekend... we'll be back Monday with more on Tech Check.

Tech Check for 21 Feb: Microsoft Opens Up, Hackers Localize, and Unlimited Mobile Plans

Microsoft releases previously closely-held secrets, hackers want linguists, and mobile phone providers match Verizon's unlimited mobile phone plan today on Tech Check for 21 Feb 2008.

Microsoft announced earlier today plans to release details of application programming interface (API) software. The deal, met with skepticism from open source advocates and an anti-trust aware European Union, has Microsoft sharing previously tight-knit secrets to help developers interface with their software. Open source advocates are concerned the announcement doesn't go far enough. Meanwhile, the EU is cautiously optimistic.

Know a foreign languauge? Good at software development? A recent AP story describes the latest efforts among hackers and virus writers to recruit foreign language skills to target specific countries. Applications being accepted now.

Finally in the news -- how about an unlimited mobile phone plan? AT&T and T-Mobile have matched a previous Verizon announcement launching a frenzy of unlimited mobile plans. Fairly soon, anyone paying more than $100 for monthly cell phone service will be paying too much.

That's your look at tech news for Thursday... more tomorrow on Tech Check.


Further reading:

• MSNBC: Hackers recruit for local language skills
• CNET: Unlimited plans may spark mobile price war

Tech Check for 18 Feb: BluRay Wins, Free Coupons and Books

BluRay scores a decisive victory against rival HD DVD, digital converter box coupons head to consumers, and digital book download proves successful... on Tech Check for Monday February 18, 2008.

Hallelujiah! These words being chanted in the hallways of Sony Corp. offices today. After nearly two years of competing and incompatible standards, Toshiba appears ready to give up on the fledgling HD DVD format. BluRay, backed by Sony and available in the company's Playstation 3 console, has won the support of most major studios and retail giants WalMart, Best Buy as well as rental partners Blockbuster and NetFlix. An announcement is expected from Toshiba tomorrow.

For those with outdated analog televisions, help is on the way. Coupons are in the mail for those who can't receive digital broadcasts, the only way to receive over-the-air television after a 17 Feb 2009 conversion date. We talked about the transition on Portland's Morning News on the 15 Feb show (listen: mp3). If you need more information, or to request your coupons valued at $40 toward the purchase of a converter box, visit DTV2009.org.

Finally today, Oprah's golden touch transcends print books. After being made available on The Oprah Winfrey Show website, over 1 Million copies of Suze Orman's "Women & Money" have been downloaded. Does this prove digital downloads can be profitable? Will this affect future releases of books, movies, and music on the Internet?

Check back for another week of the latest tech news and information here on Tech Check!

Tech Check for 14 Feb: V-Day Edition!

Yahoo CEO lacks love for Microsoft, hackers lust to take over systems that make the web work, and a special report from the "no duh" department... details in Tech Check for Thursday February 14, 2008.

Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang sent an email to shareholders defending Monday's announcement to turn down Microsoft's unsolicited offer. CNET's News.com has the story and quotes the Internet company's defiant leader:

"I wanted to reach out to you personally to let you know why your board of directors, after a careful review by Yahoo's management along with our financial and legal advisors, believes that Microsoft's proposal substantially undervalues Yahoo and is not in the best interests of our stockholders."

Remember the movie review I brought you last week on KXL? The AP has a story today about rogue DNS servers. Those name-to-numbers translators that make the web easy for us humans to access. Well, the bad guys are trying to send you places you don't want to go... and that's just the half of it. If you haven't seen Untraceable -- it's a fascinating (if somewhat predictable) peek at what the web in the wrong hands could become. No felines were harmed to bring you this news item.

Finally in the V-Day news roundup, from the "no duh" files comes this report that Apple's iPhone is expected to get a 3G upgrade this year. You may recall the AT&T CEO leaking this information already -- despite the obvious nature, I can't help reading every bit of news about a future iPhone release. Has this swayed your decision to buy an iPhone? Are you "waiting for 3G"?

Thanks for making this your stop for tech in the Northwest... be sure to subscribe to the email feed so you, too, can get Tech Check sent right to you daily!

Tech Check for 13 Feb: Neutral Net, V-Day Viruses and Disney's House of Tech

The fight to keep the net neutral (and what that means), Valentine's Day virus causes FBI alert and Disneyland revisits the house of the future... details in Tech Check for Wednesday February 13, 2008.

If you're like many Internet surfers when I say "Net Neutrality" you say... Huh? Don't worry -- you're not alone. Net Neutrality is about keeping the Internet open for all types of traffic. This week the FCC heard from Comcast, arguing it has the right to shut off high-bandwidth users (as I first reported here last year) and two Republican lawmakers introduced legislation on the topic. Nothing's been decided yet, but it's a hot issue we'll be watching in the coming year. Educate yourself -- the ramifications are quite significant.

In the days leading up to the annual heart holiday, the FBI has warning of a malicious virus posing as an e-greeting. The warning is clear:

Be wary of any e-mail received from an unknown sender. Do not open any unsolicited e-mail and do not click on any links provided.

Finally, I confess -- I'm a Disneyland fan. Something about the 50-plus year old theme park, the attractions, people-watching and... the future! Disneyland has announced plans to open a "House of the Future" in May. CNN.com has a preview. and I'm going to see if I can check it out for you when I'm down there early April. If I can work it out, it'll be posted right here.

Thanks for checking out the latest and greatest news from the pages of tech, that's another Tech Check.

Tech Check for 11 Feb: Instant Film Fades While Starbucks Gets AT&T and Yahoo! Rejects MSFT

Polaroid to shutter instant film, Starbucks switches WiFi provider and Yahoo! says "no, thanks" to Microsoft.... on today's Tech Check for Monday February 11, 2008.

Remember the iconic film made popular in the 1950's? The instant satisfaction of a print that reveals before your eyes? Polaroid, which stopped producing cameras that used this film in commercial lines in 2006 and consumer models a year later, has announced plans to shut down factories that produce the film. If you have a Polaroid camera, there'll be enough film to last you until 2009.

Coffee shops are addicting. Some are addicted to the coffee -- me? It's the WiFi. In an attempt to draw more traffic to its stores, Starbucks announced today it will end its partnership with T-Mobile in favor of a new agreement with AT&T. The new plan gives customers using a Starbucks card two hours free access with additional hours for two bucks each. We've heard Steve Jobs announce access for Apple's iPhone devices at Starbucks stores. The iPhone works exclusively on the AT&T network in the USA. For those with a T-Mobile plan, a roaming agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile hotspots will keep you connected. Or you could order a cup of coffee.

Microsoft may have to up the ante' on their $40 billion (down from almost $45 billion given a slump in MSFT stock) bid for rival Yahoo. Leaked over the weekend, and made official by Yahoo's board today, the move may cause Microsoft to increase its offer -- or take the deal directly to Yahoo! shareholders. Yahoo! is rumored to be in discussions with Google about a potential buyout-averting partnership. The Times of London is reporting talks between Yahoo and also-struggling AOL / Time Warner. As Yahoo searches for the right deal -- what will Microsoft do and how might Google respond?

That's today's Tech Check. Look for another update on the day's top tech stories tomorrow... right here.