Tags: headphones, headsets, hearing impairments, Karolinska Institutet, psychosocial factors, Statistics Sweden, stress, The Centre for Hearing- and Communication Research
Listening to music at high volume in headphones and use of headsets in noisy environments could be the reason to increase of hearing impairments among youngsters. Stress and psychosocial factors is another.
According to figures published by Statistics Sweden and the Swedish Association of Hard of Hearing People, the proportion of hearing impaired people has increased by more than 14% between 1985 and 2005 and there is a trend that this figure is increasing. Another finding is that we normally connect hard of hearing with older people but today the greatest increase is among people below 30 years old. In order to get more knowledge on what causes this increase The Centre for Hearing- and Communication Research at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm has received 5 million Swedish crowns yearly for 10 years from Swedish council for working life and social research, http://www.fas.se/default____206.aspx.
Eight senior researchers will build three research themes:
1. Epidemiologic studies in order to find risk factor with connection to genetic conditions.
2. The connection between the body’s biological processes and how hearing damages arise.
3. Psychosocial factors.
TCO Development participates in the reference group and will be able to transfer research results to the manufacturing industry through our requirements and test methods in the TCO certification for headsets.
You find more information about the Center for Hearing and Communication Research at http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=15453&a=42598&l=en
Posted by Annika Overodder
Tags: Forrester, greet it, PC energy consumption, power management, save energy, sustainable IT
Even though several reports show how much energy is possible to save by PC power management, there is still hesitancy at some organizations to implement PC power management. Why? Perhaps some companies let some of the myths about PC power management affect their decision. In a recent report by Forrester titled “How Much Money is Your Idle PCs Wasting?” five such myths are outlined. We’ve all heard them at some point – but is there any truth in them?
1. The power used turning my PC on negates any benefits of turning it off.
2. I use a screen saver – that saves me energy.
3. Turning my PC on and off will reduce its performance and useful life.
4. I need to run updates and patches – I can’t do that in lower-power states.
5. My PC users will not tolerate any downtime for power management.
Of course, none of these myths are true (except possibly no.5, but that problem is possible to overcome). I found this great blog where these five myths are debunked (based on the Forrester report), have a look at http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/five-pc-power-myths-debunked-888
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Tags: computer display, LCD display, monitor, USA
One real highlight this year was the Society for Information Display conference in San Antonio, USA. For all of us display fanatics this conference is the place to be when it comes to new innovations and product development. Some very interesting new products were all those with electronic ink which are readable in daylight. Several new OLED displays where also on show, some thin as paper, still with excellent colour, brightness and response time. Just take a look at this driver’s license, with an OLED display from Samsung, showing a film of the head of the person rotating instead of a static photo.
TCO’s motion blur study
Also at SID, a TCO funded user study on motion blur was presented. The purpose of the study was to identify a level of motion blur (blur created by moving images on a screen) that is comfortable for the average user. The results will be the base for a new standard for motion blur in the next revision of TCO Certified displays. More information at ww.tcodevelopment.com
Tags: colors, contrasts, glare., light, TCO Certified Display, Visual Quality
How much of our time do you think we spend indoors on average? More than 90%!
Simultaneously about 90% of all our information from the surrounding passes through our eyes on the way to the complex brain vision centres, dealing with light, colors and contrast. Yet we still are more suited to live and stay in the outside, compared to work and live indoors. This is a multi million year inheritance from the time when we were living tightly close to the nature.
Avoid glare
Therefore, if you have chosen a high quality TCO certified display, you are assured to be able to work with a good ICT display support. You can rely on the display producing the right colors, image solution, gray scales and text contrasts. Just add one very important aspect to this: As a human being your eyes are very sensitive to glare, from lamps, windows and shining surfaces! So, complement carefully your ICT work with proper lighting in the room where you work. This adaptation also includes wall surfaces, wall colors, brightness of the ceiling and sun shades in windows. Carefully direct the position of your display and lighting so that the benefits of your TCO certified display is supported by a good visual quality!
For more details on how to arrange the lighting at you workplace, please read my next blog.
Tags: energy saving, LCD display, monitor, Product Spotlight
The Fujitsu P22W-5 ECO is worth a look.
It boasts super sleek design, large viewable area and a power saving ECO button, allowing you to save around 30% in power consumption. Check it out…
http://ts.fujitsu.com/products/displays_projectors/premium/scenicview_p22-5_eco.html
Tags: carbon footprint, Computer displays, demand, eco labels, environmental aspects, environmental certification program, high performance, Mobile phones, pritners, procurers, purchasers, TCO Certified, TVs
I want to minimize my carbon footprint, I don´t want to contribute to use of hazardous substances nor increase e-waste prematurely due to discarding product that doesn’t perform well. I know many others share my opinion. Nevertheless, when looking for a new mobile phone it is almost impossible to get information about the environmental aspects or how well the mobile phone communicates.
Great demand for eco-labelled mobile Phones
Why is it that manufacturers put eco labels on computer displays, TVs and printers but not on mobile phones? There is a huge demand among institutional purchasers and consumers who would like to see mobile phones with an eco label. Every week get several e-mails and phone calls from people around the world asking us at TCO Development why there are no TCO certified mobile phones, or which mobile phone can we recommend that has a minimal impact on the environment and that also has good usability.
An opportunity for mobile phones manufacurers to take the lead
If I was a marketing director at a mobile phone company and wanted to increase my market share I would definitely try to certify mobile phones according to an environmental certification program. Today this is an open window for the mobile manufacturer that truly would like to take the position as the brand to choose for green mobile phones.
Posted by Birgitta Halvarsson
Tags: Germany, Green IT
Here in Germany green IT is definitely an important issue, with something new every week.
After the CeBit exhibition 2009, which was the second one with a focus on green IT, we can say that green IT for the manufacturers is an important trend.
The green party recently coordinated a workshop on “Green IT – fair and sustainable?” This workshop focused on three areas: energy saving, resource saving and avoiding of waste and finally, social responsibility, which is also a part of sustainability. The participants agreed that a serious effort in green IT involves a number of activities in several fields. It is much more than energy saving. All the market forces need to bring in their ideas to make IT products greener:
The users need to ask for green products, the manufacturers need to concentrate on green products, that need less energy, don´t waste good resources and that are produced in healthy workplaces. Scientists need to think about using material better, while public administrations must set in place the political framework that supports the greening of IT products. And we – organizations that work with all those partners – have to offer good certification models that are easy to understand and to be trusted. Usability is also an important issue, which is sometimes underestimated.
The German government´s council for sustainability takes this aspect into account. Only three weeks after the green workshop, this council invited all the labeling organizations in Germany to a discussion about – again – three aspects: The first is to discuss how labeling organizations see their own roll on the market. Secondly, if a cooperation is helpful for the impact on the market and thirdly, whether the activities of labeling are really helpful to consumers.
So this will be an interesting event, and I am looking forward to it. It is vital to lead these discussions together and I am glad that green IT is growing as an issue!
Tags:
Check out the newly released LE2201w monitor from HP. Offering the best energy efficiency yet from the HP Essential series large screen monitors. It’s one of three monitors from HP to achieve the new TCO Certified label. Check it ouhttp://www.tcodevelopment.com/tcodevelopmentnew/Info_fran_Tillverkare/HP_LE2201w_DataSheet_June09.pdf
Tags: Green IT, Green IT Expo, Sustainable Computing
Green IT is or will be an issue in London, because in November London City is the host for the conference Green IT Expo, http://greenitexpo.com . The topics will cover Sustainable Computing for Responsible Business, and this is one of the reasons why I’m visiting London for three days.
So when I arrived monday morning at London Heathrow and the “new” terminal 5, I started to think about all the electronic devices that is in use every day for 24 hours at this huge airport. How much energy is used for that? Did they consider all the environmental aspects when building terminal 5? Did they consider sustainable computing and responsible business? And was Green IT at the agenda and taking into consideration? How much can be improved when it comes to energy use and environmental aspects? Well I will have to find out! Maybe you know? If you do, please write me some information about it, or where I can find some.
Tomorrow will be an interesting day, meeting with manufacturers outside of London. I will travel by train from Euston Station. If you have ever been to London, you know how crowded it is in the mornings when everybody is hurrying to work. With a latte in their right or left hand taking the railway services and the underground, the logistics is fascinating to think about, it works and everybody knows more or less exactly how to avoid, bumping into each other. So what do you think? Will Green IT become an issue for all of them? Will London succeed with their goal to more sustainable computing for responsible businesses. Yes, I think they will! Why, because achieving that is easy, compared to all the logistics they have to do to make the train services work out every day.
Posted by Susanna Frey Garpås
Tags: Green IT, IT products
We hear it all the time from industry. “We have become a green IT company” or “We are the greenest IT company”. Sounds great, but for how long will green be the fashion colour of the industry? Will “going green” be so common that it will lose its value in the market? Well in a way that might be the best thing that could happen, then we could scrap all eco-labels and the consumer could just lean back and buy IT products with a clear conscience…
No, it won’t happen. What we think of as green today might not be green enough tomorrow. Consumers must remain alert and continue to demand greener products to maintain the momentum. But it’s difficult to compare and understand how relevant the claims for going green from the industry are. That’s were the third party label comes in. We’ll find the green products for you. We’re hooked on green and we’ll make sure it keeps getting greener.
Posted by Martin Soderberg
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