"Tech Talk" -Going Green
Thursday, April 17, 2008SUZANNE PRATT: And finally tonight, why computers are going green, why displays are going small, and why waiting for Verizon (VZ) is like "Waiting for Godot." Those stories and more tonight in Scott Gurvey's "Tech Talk."
SCOTT GURVEY, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: Earth Day is almost here and many companies are going green, which is not a bad idea since all those computers consume a great amount of power. Many solutions have been hardware-based.
For example, Intel (INTC) is working to reduce power consumption across its processor product line. But a software firm called Verdiem has developed a system which lets companies centrally manage power consumption of all the computers in a company, placing them into power-saving mode by remote control, and even shutting them off automatically at night, something employees often forget to do.
Verdiem CEO Kevin Klustner says there is a lot of money to be saved.
KEVIN KLUSTNER, PRES. & CEO, VERDIEM: We consistently save 30 to 50 percent of the energy that's consumed by these PCs. That translates, depending on the type of PC and how much you're paying for electricity, annual savings of anywhere from $25 to $65 per PC per year. So the savings are very quantifiable.
GURVEY: Microsoft (MSFT) has updated its smart phone software, releasing Windows Mobile 6.1. Division President Robert Bach says it includes a new mobile device manager to help businesses protect the information employees are carrying around.
ROBERT BACH, PRESIDENT, ENTERTAINMENT & DEVICES DIVISION, MICROSOFT: As IT managers and enterprise managers realize that phones are a strategic asset for them and that there's company data on it that they needed to be secure, they need to roll out applications to it, they need to be able to distribute information, the phone becomes a key area and they have to be able to secure it.
GURVEY: There have been big-time reductions this year in the price of small display screens, and that is a good for anyone who has made the switch from film to digital for taking snapshots. This seven-inch screen from a company called Smart Parts can be purchased for about $60 and can display hundreds of images directly from a camera's memory card.
This battery-powered frame from Coby has a one-and-a-half inch screen and is designed to fit on your key chain. It goes for about $15.
Verizon has been getting rave reviews for its new fiber optic TV and Internet service called FiOS, but there can be such a thing as too much success. The company admits delays in delivering the 19-inch HDTV it offered as a holiday promotion, and I've personally had two failed installation dates. The second time I was stood up, the installer suggested I complain to Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg.
I'm still waiting for an answer, and for FiOS. It wouldn't be so bad if my current Comcast (CMCSA) connection didn't fail every few weeks for no apparent reason.
Scott Gurvey, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, New York.
