Gearfuse

The LA Times is running a piece about how flat-screen televisions aren’t energy efficient and how California is going to impose rules on energy consumption and all that other hippie shit. I call bullshit. Know why? Because less than 5 years ago, no one had a flat-screen HDTV except the extremely wealthy. Everyone had those old, shitty, big ass CRT television sets. Using Google, I compared a 30-inch Samsung flat-screen display to a 32-inch Samsung CRT. Here’s what I found:

Samsung SyncMaster 305T – 30″ Display
Power Consumption Operational: 130 Watt
Source: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Samsung+SyncMaster+305T&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&cid=2349199014125518526&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&resnum=4&ct=result#ps-sellers

Samsung TXM3298HF – 32″ CRT
Power Consumption Operational: 190 Watt
Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/direct-view-tvs-crt/samsung-txm3298hf/4507-6481_7-20461179.html?tag=mncol;rnav

Now don’t get me wrong, there is a 2-inch margin of error here and a bunch of other shit you could throw at me, but it’s a general fact that those old CRTs are way less efficient than newer, thinner television sets. Perhaps California should try going with the flow instead of fighting the tide.

Link

Two new buildings are being built in Tinajin, China that are sure to rival the Dubai tower in design. The 1175-foot Sinosteel International Plaza and the 288-foot hotel next to it may not be as tall as the Ultima tower, but they’ve got something to prove with the hexagonal windows installed in them. The windows are placed in such a way that will take the most advantage of the sun and wind that it possibly can, allowing the structure to use as little energy as possible from conventional energy sources.

The Chinese architects, MAD Ltd, came up with this innovative honeycomb design for their windows not only for energy efficiency but also for stability and space. I’m hoping they’re shatter-proof in the event that someone throws a wild mud wrestling party in one of the hotel rooms.
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The Lotus Elise is a car known for its light weight and unique design. Now, those are all preliminary factors with the Eco Elise.   Everything about this car circles around saving the world one step at a time. Water-based paint job? Check. Hemp, I repeat: Hemp interior? Check. Solar panels? Check. What the fuck does this car not have that’s thinking about the environment? I got it! An engine that doesn’t run on fossil fuel.

So, regardless of the gasoline powered engine (with or without a fuel efficiency button), this car is stacked  with planet saving gear. To top it all off, it’s 70 pounds lighter than the normal Lotus Elise.  Who cares? It has an interior made of hemp. I want one.

Link

Captain Obvious, reporting for duty sir! A new study released shows that having a larger computer screen can increase efficiency and productivity compared to smaller screens. Well, you don’t say? Could it have something to do with having A LOT more room?! Don’t answer that question. It’s meant to be rhetorical.

Gains in productivity were not only seen in the fields of design and graphical work, but also in matters in need of word processing, databases, and spreadsheets. The report insinuates that with the amount of productivity you’ll gain from the larger screen, the display would earn enough money back to make up for the extra money spent. Captain Obvious strikes again! — Andrew Dobrow

Link (pdf)