Dear EarthTalk: My old computer finally bit the dust and I am in the market for a replacement. Are there any particularly "green" computers for sale these days?
Thanks in part to pressure from non-profits like Greenpeace International--which has published quarterly versions of its landmark "Guide to Greener Electronics" since 2006--computer makers now understand that consumers care about the environmental footprints of the products they use. The latest version of Greenpeace's guide gives high marks...

Hands-on experience: if you like to work with your hands, you have a lot of great career options.
Do you get a charge out of taking things apart and putting them back together? Do you learn best by direct involvement--trying something with your hands rather than reading or hearing about it? Have you ever looked at a piece of furniture or a tree house and thought, I...

Hollywood vs. the Internet: Why entertainment companies want to hack your computer.
IF YOU HAVE a fast computer and a fast Internet connection, you make Hollywood nervous. Movie and TV studios are worried not because of what you're doing now, but because of what you might do in the near future: grab digital content with your computer and rebroadcast it online....

Intel backs PC platform change.
Byline: edison d. ong Intel has produced new chipsets and microprocessors to make personal computer experience more entertaining and productive. The foundation for the PC platform change is a trio of new Intel chipsets - the "glue" between the microprocessor and the rest of the...

Big Bill: at Senate hearing, critics charge that Bill Gates's Microsoft exercises a monopoly; Gates denies the charge.
At Senate Hearing, Critics Charge That Bill Gates's Microsoft Exercises a Monopoly; Gates Denies the Charges WASHINGTON D.C. -- Is he a ruthless tycoon, a man who wants to become dictator of an entire industry, squeezing out competitors and making himself even richer? Or is he a...

Gold Bugs.
Class action lawyers discover Silicon Valley. In October the Toshiba Corporation shocked many observers by announcing it had agreed to pay an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion to settle a hitherto obscure class action lawsuit involving its popular laptop computers. The suit had charged that a...

Nanotechnology: Environmental Implications and Solutions.
Louis Theodore, Ph.D., and Robert G. Kunz, Ph.D. (2005) Nanotechnology is revolutionizing the chemical, telecom, biotech, pharmaceutical, health care, aerospace, and computer industries. Many new applications are envisioned for the near future. While the rapid pace of innovation has been inspiring, much remains to be learned about...

California's energy innovations help build a unique link with China.
Not long after the Californian power outages of 2000 to 2001, computer manufacturers Compaq and Hewlett Packard (HP) merged into one company. The on-again, off-again energy supply must have been an unwelcome problem for the two companies, which at the time wanted to guarantee complete business continuity. The companies'...

My global footprint: even my homemade muffin is evil.
My shirt bears the logo of a popular designer who came to the fore 20 years ago. I paid about $30 for it at a discount clothing store which sells overruns and the previous year's fashions. The shirt would have cost me about twice as much if I had...

Risky business: as global supply-chain management becomes more important to overall corporate strategy, companies should be wary of how they tackle these top five risks--it could mean the difference between smooth sailing and going down with the ship.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last summer, the RC2 Corp., maker of Thomas the Tank Engine toys, had to recall 1.5 million products it imported from Chinese suppliers. It was discovered that the toys contained lead paint. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina disrupted the ocean-borne supply of polyethylene foam used in...