TechSoup Blog - GreenTech

Facial Recognition PC Power Management

Anna Jaeger — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:44:28 -0700

Here is some info about another piece of software for Windows XP and Vista machines that can help you manage the power use of your computers: Power Saving Software Checks to Make Sure You're at Your Computer

It actually uses the computer's webcam to detect if there is a face in front of the computer. If not, it puts the computer to sleep. This would be especially useful for those times when someone has walked away for a while or is listening to a podcast or other audio and not interacting with the computer.

The software is currently available in the United Kingdom and I have asked them to send me a copy so we can try it out. I hope to report back on it soon.

Have E-Waste? Consider Best Buy

Jim Lynch — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:19:01 -0700

In June of 2008, we posted information about US consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy, starting a pilot program to collect discarded consumer electronic devices at some of their locations in the United States.

As of February 2009, stores in all 50 states now offer this ecycling program, which is now called Greener Together. This is a great voluntary program for the United States' largest consumer electronics retailer because it takes most discarded electronic devices at no cost, with one exception which I'll explain below. There is no legal obligation for the company to do this nationally, and it's simply a very convenient for most people to have one place where they can take any used electronic items they don't want any more. Kudos to Best Buy for taking their pilot program nationwide.

One quibble I have with the program is that doesn't seem to address or promote electronics reuse except for "gently used"equipment that applies to their Tech Trade-In program. By contrast the Dell/Goodwill Reconnect partnership offers a similar service, provides donation tax credits, and does have reuse built in to it. The downside is that the Reconnect program hasn't rolled out to all Goodwill stores in the U.S. yet.

Best Buy's Greener Together program has a $10 charge for accepting TVs 32 inches and under, computer monitors, and laptops, however, in exchange they give you a $10 Best Buy gift card. You can bring in up to two items a day, per household. They accept most unwanted electronic devices no matter where they were purchased.

Recycle that Old TV

Anna Jaeger — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:40:47 -0700

Do you need to get rid of that old TV in your office storage room because of the digital conversion? Be sure to e-cycle it to help keep valuable materials and toxics out of landfills. If you buy a new TV (or converter box), look for an energy efficient model with the Energy Star label.

Don't know where to recycle your old TV? Many of the manufacturers will accept their televisions at no cost. Look up the manufacturer website to find locations or go to the EPA website where several are listed. You can also consider your local electronics store like, Best Buy, but they might charge small fee.

The Curious Case of Donating IT Equipment

Jim Lynch — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:25:13 -0700

TechSoup has been working on the strangely difficult problem of increasing the volume of five-year-old-and-newer computers donated to our Refurbished Computer Initiative (RCI) program and also to other refurbishers that supply IT equipment to schools, nonprofits, and low-income families for some years now. In RCI we accept bulk donations of 100 or more computers at a time.

When we published our Islands in the Wastestream report on the state of the noncommercial computer refurbishing field in 2004, one of our essential findings was that a lack of steady donated computer supplies is one of the primary inhibitors to the computer reuse field. It was true then and it's still true now, especially in recessionary times when companies are either extending the leases on their IT equipment or simply holding on to the computers they have beyond the normal three to four years they ordinarily keep them.

Planet Green's Fix-It Tips for Common Gadgets

Anna Jaeger — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:12:49 -0700

It is much greener to keep your electronics running rather than recycling them. Planet Green and Treehugger have gathered together how-to tips and videos to keep your electronic gadgets running longer.

This will also save you and your organization money, if you don't have to replace your stuff every 12-18 months, like the average U.S. consumer.

Virtualizing Servers in a Small Office: Steve Longenecker's View

Jim Lynch — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:09:01 -0700

This post is by Steve Longenecker, who is a principal infrastructure consultant at Community IT Innovators in Washington, DC. Community IT Innovators, or CITI is an employee-owned, triple bottom-line company that provides computer tech support to nonprofits and socially responsible businesses. They're an important green IT practitioner in the U.S.

When one of CITI's clients needed to replace their two servers we set them up with a single server with virtualization software on it. The single server replaced an old domain controller that authenticated users and also hosted Microsoft Exchange for email and provided file and printer sharing. The other was their old terminal server that allowed users to access applications and documents on a shared network hard drive. These are very common functions for server computers.

Our clients primarily use Windows server for their server software.

Sun Remanufactured Server Computers Now Available from TechSoup

Jim Lynch — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:07:32 -0700

Just last week, TechSoup officially has a new donor partner — Sun Microsystems — which has started donating remanufactured Sun Fire X4100 M2 x64 servers to eligible nonprofits and libraries through TechSoup. These are robust, factory remanufactured 2.5 GHz computer servers that have hot-swappable hard drives, power supplies, and fans. If one essential part of the server fails, it can be replaced with minimal downtime. These servers come with the Sun Solaris 10 operating system, but will work with other operating systems and also with virtualization software that allows a single server to do the work of multiple servers.

Free Tool to Help You Save on Energy Costs

Anna Jaeger — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:38:31 -0700

Do you forget to shut down your computer at night or put it to sleep while you are away at a meeting? Using power management on your PC can help you. If you aren't satisfied with the built in power-management tools that come with your PC (sorry Mac users, this tool isn't for you), check out Edison, a free tool for individuals to load on their computer. If you are looking for a more comprehensive solution for your office, one option is Surveyor, also by Verdiem.

Our Travel Reduction Webinar: VoIP, vPBX, and VPN Explained

Anna Jaeger — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:35:23 -0700

Last month, TechSoup Talks hosted a free one-hour webinar on ways your nonprofit or library can use new affordable telecommunication tools like Voice over IP (VoIP), virtual PBX, and virtual private networking (VPN) to reduce your need to travel and better enable telecommuting and virtual meetings.

Charge Your Gadgets While You Walk or Ride

Anna Jaeger — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:20:44 -0700

This week EcoGeek reported on a new kinetic energy-based charger called the nPower PEG (personal energy generator) by Tremont Electric. It immediately converts kinetic energy to electricity and feeds it to your gadgets (cell phones, mp3 players, etc).

It is also relatively small (9 ounces | 9 inches long x 1.5 inches in diameter) so you can throw it in your backpack or strap it to your bike and go.