Green technology is out to slay “phantom power.”
Digital technology that stops electronics like computers, printers and cellphones from using power even when they’re turned off or finished charging, but are still plugged in was among the green products flourishing at the high-tech Consumer Electronics Show.
“For instance, you’ve taken your cellphone with you to work but you’ve left the charger plugged in at home — that device is continuing to draw power from the wall,” said Green Plug’s Seth Socolow.
“It doesn’t know that the device has gone away,” Socolow added.
Green Plug’s technology will prevent electricity from being wasted, he said.
Green Plug has teamed up with Innergie, developer of small universal power adapters, to use this technology to power all kinds of different electronic devices.
“You can plug any device into any power supply and it can deliver how much power the device needs. When the device is fully charged and doesn’t need any power, it can send a message to the power supply and shut it off, which cuts down on phantom power.”
Socolow said he wants consumers to encourage manufacturers of electronics devices to use Green Plug’s technology.
In the Consumer Electronic’s green tech area, Areaware’s Noel Wiggins was showing sustainable products that included wood case radios and simple bicycles, a contrast to sophisticated and high-performing gadgets at the show.
The idea is to have products that are simple and beautiful where there’s no desire to upgrade or wait for the next device to come out.
“You just want to keep it forever and pass it down to your children,” he said.
The radios are made by retrained fishermen in Java, Indonesia, from local trees. There also was a folding bicycle and another with solar-powered lights.
Minimizing impact
It’s the second year that CES itself has put an emphasis on minimizing the impact of the show on the environment by improving recycling and calculating its carbon output. Organizers also say last year more than 120 tonnes of solid waste were recycled from the show.
