Toxins in Electronics

“Electronics contain a variety of toxic components like lead, mercury, arsenic, beryllium and brominated flame retardants, some of which cause cancer and other adverse health effects,” says Kate Sinding, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental non-profit. In fact, each individual piece of electronic equipment can contain enough toxins to make a person (or the earth!) seriously ill. According to the Electronics Takeback Coalition, one CRT monitor holds between four and eight pounds of lead. Flat-screen TVs use mercury lamps.
Because electronics contain so many toxins, it’s important not to throw them away with the regular trash. If e-waste gets sent to a landfill, chemicals can leech into groundwater and poison water systems, says Sinding. If they’re sent to an incinerator, all of those harmful compounds get emitted into the air, posing significant health risks to people who breathe that air in. Properly recycling used electronics can prevent noxious chemicals and heavy metals from winding up in the land and in our bodies.

The Ugly Side of E-Recycling

Bringing discarded electronics to recycling or take-back centers is a noble action, but it’s important for consumers to only choose reliable programs. A 2008 report from the Government Accountability Office found that a substantial amount of America’s “recycled” electronics were actually shipped to developing nations like China, India and Africa. Workers in these locations, who are often women and children, disassemble products with their bare hands, exposing themselves to a host of toxins. Plus, electronics sometimes wind up sitting around in unlined pits, where chemicals can leech into soil and groundwater, poisoning the surrounding areas.
Exporting e-waste to developing nations should be illegal, and legislation is being introduced to do just that. But for now, the burden of picking reputable e-recyclers falls on consumers. To that end, consumers should ask every recycling, manufacturer, and retail take-back program if they use e-waste recyclers that are e-Stewards certified. The Basel Action Network (BAN), a non-profit that works to prevent the globalization of toxic chemicals, launched the rigorous certification program last week. The certification ensures that recyclers are not exporting electronics to developing nations and that recycling is handled domestically using state-of-the-art protective measures.
To learn more about e-waste and how to properly recycle electronics, be sure to read the next installments of our Electronics Recycling 101 series.

Read more: The Problem with E-Waste | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

HP and Staples Make It Easy, Free to Recycle Electronics Nationwide

You may do so in Hickory at Home PC Media as well, and your donation is tax deductible and will go, if possible, to families in need of such.

PALO ALTO, CA and FRAMINGHAM, MA, Apr 12, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- HP HPQ -2.30% , the world's largest technology company, together with Staples, Inc. SPLS +1.08% , the world's largest office products company and second largest e-commerce company, today announced free electronics recycling for all brands of office electronics at Staples stores nationwide. Consumers and small businesses can responsibly recycle their electronics every day at Staples locations nationwide,(1) regardless of where the devices were purchased.

"HP is a leader in the technology industry in product reuse and recycling," said Gabi Zedlmayer, vice president of sustainability and social innovation, HP. "We recently celebrated reaching our goal of recycling 2 billion pounds of electronic products and supplies since 1987 and our collaboration with Staples will build upon this achievement and focus on increasing electronics recycling in all states."

The Staples technology recycling program, powered by HP, accepts all brands of the following electronics for free.

       ---  Desktop PCs, laptops, net books, tablet PCs, external hard drives and
            small servers
        --  All computer monitors
        --  Printers, desktop copiers, faxes and all-in-one devices
        --  Mice, keyboards, modems/routers networking and PC speakers
        --  Shredders, streaming devices, phones and Universal Power Supply (UPS
            battery backup)
        --  Mobile phones, GPS devices, MP3 players, digital camcorders and
            digital cameras
        
        

Home PC Media Recycling

"Staples free tech recycling program will help increase the number of electronic products that are safely recycled," said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs, Staples. "As a trusted source for office solutions, Staples is making it easy for consumers to responsibly recycle electronics for free every day at our stores. We are excited to work with HP on this initiative as part of our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability."

Customers can drop off their technology for recycling at the service desk of their local Staples store. Staples will take advantage of its world-class logistics networks to collect the devices and consolidate them at its distribution centers. A certified e-Stewards(R) and R2 recyclers will then arrange to have the materials transported to one of its processing centers.

Additional information is available at HP's and Staples' websites at www.hp.com/us/go/recycling or http://www.staples.com/recycle .

About Staples Staples is the world's largest office products company and a trusted source for office solutions. The company provides products, services and expertise in office supplies, copy & print, technology, facilities and breakroom, and furniture. Staples invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and now has annual sales of $25 billion, ranking second in the world in eCommerce sales.

 With 88,000 associates worldwide, Staples operates in 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, making it easy for businesses of all sizes, and consumers. The company is headquartered outside Boston. More information about Staples SPLS +1.08% is available at www.staples.com/media .

About HP HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world's largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP HPQ -2.30% is available at http://www.hp.com .

(1) All Staples locations in the continental U.S., except for Staples Copy and Print Shops, participate in this program. (2) Staples does not accept televisions, appliances, alkaline batteries, floor model copiers/printers, large servers, audio/visual equipment or certain other household electronics (kitchen electrics, etc.). There is a limit of six items per customer per day in most states.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions.

 All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, including execution of cost reduction programs and restructuring and integration plans; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing.

 Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the competitive pressures faced by HP's businesses; the development and transition of new products and services (and the enhancement of existing products and services) to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the protection of HP's intellectual property assets, including intellectual property licensed from third parties; integration and other risks associated with business combination and investment transactions; the hiring and retention of key employees; expectations and assumptions relating to the execution and timing of cost reduction programs and restructuring and integration plans; the resolution of pending investigations, claims and disputes; and other risks that are described in HP's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2012 and HP's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including HP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2011. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

Copyright 2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

SOURCE: HP; Staples

Home Theater becomes a working man's set top box- his amped up PC gone Windows Media Server...

 It used to be gadgets that got people out to the Best Buys and Circuit City stores.  Who knows if it was the Chicken or the Egg, but Best Buy turned out to never be so good of a buy, and gadgets have this terrible phenomenon known as obsolescence.  What Microsoft has been doing with Software lately- now lets keep in mind that Microsoft has no choice; -software is all they do.Over the last few years, the Rokus and "Extender" set tops have become the liazon between connectivity and everyone's' gorgeous, 52" TV.

Very lately I've noticed some of the freeware companies- such as the open source makers of VLC and VLCM (Server).  These programs, at no cost will play files that should only play on a Mac, on an Android device, or perhaps only on Microsoft's Media player.  This ability to play even Adobe's Flash files, makes it truly unique and refreshing at cost.  Knowing the inevitable, Microsoft has had to counter, as counter moves they do very well, and begin designing their own soft- hard wares.   So as time goes on, forget about that #1 selling product on the web (Roku)!  Soon you'll be able to pull back out your old VCR, not to play the tapes, but just for the simple interface between sound card and monitor.   And of course, add in a wifi router and you get the invisible for the sake of brilliant, 3D and deeply colored animation.  You have things working that you've always wanted to work in such a way, but you never had the time or know how to ask someone, "Hey, can I....."

And this might be the final breath for wired cable. If I were attached to any kind of wire right now, I'd be very concerned about the near future and my imminent demise....

 

Flat Screen TV's, Walls, Floors and the Sky's the Limit!
Installed with over 15 years experience in Home Theater, Media Servers,
CCTV Security cameras.  Call Home PC Media of Hickory across from
Checker's in Viewmont. 828-212-4817  (mobile: 358-6118)

 
There has been a lot of discussion  in the Windows Media Center community about the product's death. The theory is that Microsoft is throwing in the towel, focusing on the Xbox 360 and intends to let the best DVR software available become stale -- or worse, eliminate it from future versions of Windows altogether. After watching the Ballmer keynote at CES last week, it was hard not to get on this train as we all watched the 360, Windows Phone 7, and Windows highlighted on stage. But then something happened when the show floor opened: Windows embedded products were highlighted in private meetings and elsewhere. There was a buzz around Media Center embedded and even a price and ship date; meanwhile, home theater PCs got no love. So after years of trying, it appears that all hopes that HTPCs will ever emerge from their niche status are gone, but the same can not be said for Windows Media Center.

The demise of HTPCs is not for a lack of effort

We've had a fascination with home theater PCs since the first time we saw video running on a PC -- remember Intel MMX? There's something empowering about seeing video run on a PC, and there's been a PC connected to our TV ever since. In fact, we use an HTPC now and have enjoyed its benefits for what feels like forever. But all that being said, we wouldn't offer to set one up for a friend, and we wouldn't give our mother one, ever. The problem is that while a computer geek can make an HTPC do just about anything, a typical user has a hard enough time using a PC to surf the web. There are just too many things that can go wrong, and with the exception of some very high-end models, commercial HTPCs are non-existent. HP stopped making 'em four years ago. Dell never even bothered. Nope, no matter how hard PC manufactures and Microsoft try, HTPCs simply will never go mainstream.

Microsoft has tried as hard as anyone to make this geek dream come true, with multiple versions of Media Center and money dumped into R&D trying to entice programming providers in the US and the rest of the world to bring their programming to Windows. We'd bet that if stock holders had any idea how much money was spent compared to the return, someone would surely get fired. Right about now, there are some people screaming at their computer, complaining that Microsoft never marketed Media Center. Seriously? A company as successful as Microsoft knows a thing or two more than most about marking a product. No, the problem is there's no mainstream market for an HTPC, so realistically-speaking, another few billion dumped into marketing wouldn't have changed a thing (c.f. Kin). Consumer electronics have to be like an appliance, they just need to work. Even some top brass at Microsoft use a TiVo as a DVR instead of a HTPC because they just work. This all makes it easy to understand why Microsoft has re-purposed its software and lined up new partners for an embedded version of Windows 7 Media Center.

Home PC Media can make a media server for $200 or for $20,000 or more.  Software is beginning to replace hardware in our computers everywhere, because it's increasingly capable of telling more things to do , to less - physical devices.

Why an embedded Media Center just makes sense?

The one thing that every single mainstream DVR and smartphone have in common is that they are all embedded. It's a match between hardware and software that is designed to do a few specific things and do them very well. Microsoft has been making embedded software for a long time, and odds are you've used it at an ATM or stood right in front of someone who used a Windows embedded machine to ring you up at a department store. What's new is that Microsoft ported its Media Center software to the latest embedded version of Windows and is giving hardware partners the chance to build a DVR without spending all the big bucks on developing software. This means that some entrepreneurial electronics manufacturer can grab off the shelf parts, add in a little of Redmond's software and deliver a dependable DVR to mainstream America -- in theory. And a number of companies have already stepped forward with plans. We've been seeing demos at trade shows, and at CES one company even announced it'd ship a product in the 1st quarter for $499. Still a little steep for the mainstream, but far less than the thousands that off the shelf HTPCs cost today. And besides, the first products to market typical cost more.

The bad news is that embedded also means restrictions, and while some are sure to hack their way to more functionality, it won't be as easy. For those not willing to meddle and risk their investment, they'll likely be sacrifices that will have to be accepted. But once people have their hands on the software, anything becomes possible.  You can only solder and cross so many wires.  Commercial free television on Media Center?

You know the greatest thing about Media center, and its plan to be a program laid into another devices, is that one can install a tuner card and watch 20-50 channels in HD, crystal clear and digital, but they aren't recorded.  Digital antenna sales have gone up 650% since 2008.  Many, many people just don't want to see that 189$ cable bill what seems like every week.  And most of these people concerned about these bills are also lacking the see of something else- their TV's.  With mothers working and fathers always gone, there's not a lot of time for TV.  You could record what played that day- but that's what Media Center does... It's a DVR.  But and 5, 5:30, 6 and 7, you've got your local news, baby!  Clear as Aero transparent!


There is some more good news though. Embedded devices make more than just mainstream consumers happy, they also appeal to content owners. Netflix, VUDU, Blockbuster, cable video-on-demand have all been available to embedded devices for some time. Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verzion and DirecTV weren't showing their programming on a HTPC at CES this year, but they were showing 'em on a variety of other embedded devices. Of course, the PC is completely capable of delivering all this content and more, but media giants aren't going to spend their time and money developing software for a niche whose only measurable result would be to open up a new attack vector to circumvent DRM. So embedded doesn't just mean stability and affordability, it can also mean content.

Extenders vs set-top-boxes

Now, this is where things get interesting. Microsoft tried a few times to proxy the PC into the living room via Extenders and suffice to say the attempts all failed pretty miserably -- same goes for embedded devices, by the way. Maybe the hardware wasn't ready, who knows, but what we do know is that two Media Center PCs don't play well together with DRM'd content and if more than one Media Center in the house has a tuner, things can messy real quick. There have been a few recent changes in the content world that could really impact success here though. The first is the recent change to the CableCARD specification that allows a tuner to be shared over a network. Basically, this means that you can install six CableCARD tuners into a Media Center in the house and watch live TV on any other Media Center (set-top box or PC) in the house that's connected to the same network. That opens up some options, but there are still the DRM problem. Currently, shows recorded from cable marked as Copy Once by the provider are locked to the device they're recorded on, which frankly sucks. But connecting a few dots paints a rosier future.

InfiniTV 6 Cabletuner

What does Microsoft, Comcast, Timer Warner Cable, Cable Labs, and just about every major movie studio have in common? They are all a member of the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem and have vowed their support to UltraViolet. We know that joining a group and actually participating are two different things, but it isn't out of the question that Ultra Violet's new DRM could be added to the Cable-labs spec. This would mean that "each household will be able to create an account for up to six members who can access the household's Ultra Violet Movies, TV... Consumers will also be able to register up to 12 devices." This new tech won't be ready until later this year, but it does offer hope that DRM might not always be this bad, some day.  I'm going to takemore than Reycom, Acer / Gateway, and Haier to make this thing take off, but it isn't hard to let your imagination wonder on where this all could go. It would also be hard to argue that this isn't Microsoft's strongest position in the DVR market yet, and while anything could happen, we say long live Media Center with confidence. Who knows, if things go well, all the other previous promising developments for Media Center that never were, might find their way to market too. Then again, we've been wrong before.

"Turn out and Plug in"

Rewritten by Mark Vanderbloemen.

Vanderbloemen Communications, Hickory NC


Home PC Media and Computer Recycling - "Come dump your last home Theater and let us build you one 10 times as capable for 1/10th the cost of your original."