Lenovo, Sony, HP launch 'green machines' in deeper stripes

Flanked by other eco-wares ranging from Philips light bulbs to a home soda-making machine, PC manufacturers on hand at Pepcom's EcoFocus conference touted new computers that, while Energy Star 5.0-compliant, also happen to be made from recycled and/or non-hazardous stuff.

Lenovo demo'd its new 14-inch L-412 (pictured right) and 15-inch L-512 ThinkPads, two laptops launched last week with customer's choice of Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processors. Both feature palm rests, covers, and cases which are 20% comprised of recycled material, such as office water jugs and old IT equipment.

Likewise, Sony's Vaio W Series "mini-notebook" (pictured below) also on display -- based on a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom processor, with 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 backlit LCD -- uses reprocessed plastic from DVD and CD waste in its palm rest, cover, and incidental parts.

Not to be left out of the eco equation, HP demo'd an all-in-one PC that was introduced last week. The new computer-targeted Pavilion All-in-One 200-5020 PC is designed not just to save on energy and space, but also to reflect HP's commitment to ridding PCs of hazardous materials.

HP has issued company directives to halt the use of mercury in notebook LED displays by the end of this year, and to stop any remaining use of brominated flame retardant (BFR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in computing products launched in 2011.

Meanwhile, Soda-Club Group's soda making machine requires no electricity whatsoever -- and no disposable bottles or metal cans, either, for that matter.

Consequently, Sodastream is reminiscent in some ways of the old-fashioned home ice cream-making machines that were apparently all the rage partly through the last century. But forget about any hand cranking here.

You can make your own carbonated soda or sparkling water in just about any flavor you want at the proverbial push of a button. All you need is a Sodastream starter kit -- varying in configuration from model to model, but basically including a carbonator and carbonating bottles with "fizz-preserving caps" -- and some flavoring, also company-supplied. Oh, yeah, and some water, too.

At the same time, Philips proved that the emphasis on energy conservation keeps working its way down from data centers and laptops to the light bulb level.

Philips' environmentally friendly LED bulbs last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, while also gobbling up less electricity and producing brighter light, Betanews was told.

The latest additions to Philips' line-up, released last week, include ten new models, geared to specific purposes such as indoor spot and flood lighting, track fixtures, outdoor security lighting, along with wall sconces and other "mood-setting applications."