15/02/2008 by john.

Intellect, the trade association for the UK technology industry, has launched a report examining the role of technology in tackling climate change.

The report was published yesterday to coincide with the Intellect Energy & Environment conference attended by Intellect Environment Leadership Group member, Sharp Electronics (UK) Ltd.
Sharp UK managing director, Paul Molyneux, took part in a conference panel session about the next steps for the technology sector and Sharp’s investment in low carbon technologies, such as photovoltaic (PV) solar power.

The report, entitled High Tech: Low Carbon is the first publicly available document to set out the issues relating to the energy demands of products and services together with a clear action plan for the sector to address them. In addition, it discusses the impact of technology on other sectors, stating that if the industry does not implement low-carbon technologies soon, it will cause irreparable harm to the environment.

Intelligent use of technology
The report identifies 26 different technologies that can be applied by other sectors of the economy to reduce their carbon emissions. These technologies are not simply ICT-related but encompass related fields such as engineering and biotechnology.

The report concludes that innovation and the intelligent use of technology will be key to reducing carbon emissions across the economy.

Paul Molyneux agrees that the technology sector can and should take a leading role in these two areas. He said: “Sharp has already reduced C02 emissions at its factories by integrating all the processes of manufacturing LCD TVs to significantly reduce impact on the environment. This includes parts procurement, panel manufacture, LCD TV assembly, inspection and shipment – all from one factory site.”

Sharp is the world’s largest producer of solar PV cells and has been investing in R&D for this technology since 1959. “Our environmentally advanced Kameyama factories in Japan combat C02 emissions by utilising non-CE technology innovations to both create and save energy,” Molyneux adds. “The power supply to Kameyama I and II is provided by three environmentally friendly systems including: transparent solar PV panels on the walls, which generate energy for the plant equivalent to powering 1,300 homes, a low air pollution fuel cell and an energy-saving cogeneration system.”

Sector emissions and carbon accounting
According to Intellect’s report, the energy use related to ICT (information communications technologies) currently accounts for about 2 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. If all else remained equal, a straight-line projection based on growth in both sectors would suggest that by 2050, we could see a five-fold increase in emissions related ICT and a six-fold increase in the emissions related to consumer electronics (CE).

However, according to Intellect the industry can exceed the target set by the CBI Climate Change Task Force for a 30 per cent improvement in the efficiency of electrical equipment by 2030.

The report also supports making carbon accountable will help drive demand for energy efficient products and services, iron out perverse incentives and create a level playing field for energy efficient manufacturers and will stimulate investment in low carbon technologies.

The time is now
The UK Government has set emission reductions targets for 2050. According to the report a disastrous build up of CO2 can only be avoided if new low carbon technologies are implemented well in advance of 2050. Rapid innovation cycles in the technology sector mean change can happen at the required pace, however, this will require active stimulation and support from government.

John Higgins, director general of Intellect said: “It is clear that there is considerable scope for improving the energy efficiency of ICT and CE products, irrespective of our sector size, our contribution to GDP or anything else. However, it should also be clear that the technology sector is embracing the challenge of energy efficiency and is producing better, faster, lighter devices that use less and less energy as the result of a continuous process of intensive research and development. But improving efficiency isn’t enough. We have to find ways to completely decouple economic growth from energy consumption. This is not an either/or scenario – we have to do both.”

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15/02/2008 by john.

Wembley, UK February 14th, 2008, ENlight UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Enlight Corp Taiwan, has announced the arrival of its new Flat Panel LCD TV PC, TVL 322 with a 32” flat-panel LCD display

Specifications:
• Video Compatibility TV Tuner – NTSC / PAL (B/G, D/K, I) / SECAM
• Video System – NTSC / PAL Auto Detect
• Inputs Terminals Composite + Audio (L/R) x 2
• S-Video + Audio (L/R) x 1
• Component (YPbPr) + Audio (L/R) x 1
• VGA In + PC Audio Jack x 1, HDMI x 1
• Scart In x 2, TV Antenna In (Analog) x 1
• Media Storage Support USB 2.0
• 1EEE 1394 (Option)
• All-in-1 Flash Card Reader
• Slim Slot-in Dual DVD + RW

Features:
• 32” flat-panel LCD display with life-like colours, pixel resolution: 1366 x 768
• 16:9 full screen aspect ratio and wide 170 degree horizontal and 170 degree vertical viewing angles
• High Brightness (500 cd m2) and quality contrast (1200:1) for an incredible picture
• HDTV capable (720p)
• Component video inputs make it easy to hook up a HD-DVD player and optimize HD-DVD output
• OSD Language: English, Traditional/Simplified Chinese, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese
• Video features: CATV (181CH). 3D de-interlace, 3D Comb-filter, teletext, V-chip, PIP/PoP, VGA mode, HDMI
• Audio features: MTS, SRS, Speaker (10w x 2)

PC:
• Standard Micro ATX form factor Mother-Board
• 3.5 inch HDD
• 3 Low profile PCI slots (for TV Tuner Card or 802.11a/b/g Wireless Card etc…).
• Minimum 1 Low profile AGP/PCI Express
• Entertainment Mode: Video, Music, Photo, Media Service

Whole Set;
• A/V cable, user manual, remote control and TV stand
• Measures; 935 mm x 510mm x 155mm (w x h x d)
• Wall mount optional, VESA Compliant
The TVL322 will be available as a complete system from Resource Development or NS Optimum for £1,000 inc. VAT
OR, from our authorised distributors, Enta Technologies www.entaonline.co.uk and Northamber www.northamber.com as a bare bones system

About ENlight UK Ltd
ENlight UK Ltd is one of the world’s leading suppliers of desktop or server chassis. The company has an extensive line of enclosure products for desktop computers, All-in-one integrated LCD PC chassis, high-performance servers, storage systems and consumer electronics. ENlight and its product range can be found at www.enlightuk.com

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15/02/2008 by john.

The Painter Factory (www.painterfactory.com) is a new online community open to all Corel® Painter™ artists and enthusiasts. This global community site is the newest in a series that Corel is launching to support its various user communities.

Through The Painter Factory, artists, designers, and photographers can share their ideas ad projects, find solutions to design challenges, and provide feedback on Painter to the product’s design, development and marketing teams. The site provides members with a centralised location where they can access community news, participate in discussions in the Painter Discussion section and download content from the Painter Resources area. In addition, members can learn from some of Corel’s Painter Masters by reading their blogs on the site or viewing their latest works on the Factory Wall.

“We are thrilled to offer a forum where Corel Painter artists and those who simply love Painter can share their artwork, experiences and ideas with one another ,” said Chris Boba, Product Manager, Corel Painter. “The Painter Factory has already attracted hundreds of members and we anticipate that this forum will continue to grow as members realise the benefits of communicating with other digital artists.”

Corel Painter X is the world’s most powerful natural media painting and illustration
software, delivering a next-generation art studio that blurs the line between traditional and digital art like never before. Working closely with photographers and other design professionals, the Painter X team explored the relationship between the artist’s hand and the canvas. As a result, Corel Painter X has become the industry standard for digital painting and illustration, with the introduction of unparalleled performance, new composition tools and the revolutionary RealBristle Painting System.

For more information about Corel Painter X or to download the full-featured trial version, please visit www.corel.com/painterx.

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