Targus is demonstrating new products at both CES and Macworld Expo. In San Francisco, the accessory maker unveiled a new line of "eco-friendly" laptop cases and bags for the Aluminum MacBook Pro and at CES, Targus is touting a new line of laptop cooling devices for PCs and Macs.
Zipcar -- which says it's the world's leading provider of cars "by the hour or day" -- has released a widget to help iPhone users locate the nearest available vehicle. Designed as a green alternative to car ownership, Zipcar provides a network of cars in many areas of the country so users can rent as needed. Users can also arrange carpooling by sharing real-time location data via the iPhone. The company says its users tend to be "early adopters" so iPhone technology is good fit.
Autodesk has acquired the assets of Green Building Studio (GBS), further consolidating the market for Mac-based architecture software. GBS' web service will soon join the Autodesk product family, while the GBS team will continue selling, training, and supporting architects as they use the GBS web service to design carbon neutral buildings today and in the future. Autodesk also plans to continue support for the Green Building Studio web service and carbon neutral building design training. The gbXML schema will remain an open industry standard, and the GBS web service will continue to be available to any other BIM software.
Newertech on Thursday unveiled its first “green” storage device promising significant energy savings. The Guardian MAXimus eMax is a triple-interface 5400rpm 1TB external drive with a 64MB buffer. NewerTech claims the "plug & play" device uses 15-50 percent less power than competing products while providing the speed and low-noise features sought by creative professionals looking for a back-up solution. The device also supports Time Machine.
Apple has been ranked the worst among all major PC vendors and other large electronic firms in the fight against climate change. Climate Counts this week released its second annual Company Scorecard hoping to create a "simple, easy-to-understand ranking of companies would motivate both companies and consumers to step-up their efforts on climate change." Apple was ranked in last place among the list of 12 electronics companies, while companies such as IBM, Canon, Toshiba, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard were near the top of the electronics industry. Top honor went to Nike, which passed last year’s high scorer, Canon, to become the top scored company among the 56 companies evaluated. Apple was the only electronic company to receive a "Stuck" designation, with a recommendation as a choice to "avoid for the climate-conscious consumer," because the company has taken "meaningful action against climate change."
