Green tech

Report from Earth911.com shows more people with questions on how and where to recycle in 2009, with PCs, batteries, and TVs topping the list of search queries. pOriginally posted at a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10449068-54.html" class="origPostedBlog"Green Tech/a/p

Ever feel like the paper you handle at work every day isn't worth wiping your butt with? Well, a Japanese machine can turn it all into toilet paper. Magically.

(Credit: Maahstud/The404)

We kick off today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast with a fun story about the Nestle Crunch Hotline number. The company's latest viral campaign offers a series of hidden menus within the prerecorded call center that lets callers choose between English, Spanish, and Pig Latin language options. You can also choose to hear prerecorded knock-knock jokes, "funner game options," and the weirdest feature of all, which lets you listen to the sound of bubble wrap. We attempt to call the number during the show, but the line is so popular that we keep getting busy signals, so call 1-800-295-0051 if you have time to waste after listening to our show.

Jeff also brings us an amazing deal from Dell for the new Alienware M11x. It won our Best of CES 2010 award and, judging by its size, it's comparable to a gaming Netbook. You get an 11.6-inch display and a 1.3GHz Pentium SU4100 processor inside as well as a battery with 2 hours of gaming play and 6.5 hours of standby time. Best of all, the gaming rig comes in at a base price of $799. No, we're not working on the Alienware payroll, but with portable gaming systems dropping in price, the appeal of PC gaming is bigger than ever and we thought our listeners would appreciate this deal. Check it out!

Lots more stories in the rundown today, including a $7,000 talking sex robot, a T-shirt that all predators will enjoy, the new Sonic the Hedgehog 4 trailer, and more!

EPISODE 512 Listen now: Download today's podcast



Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video

loadUniversalPlayer({playerType: 'ces2010-small',lumiereQueryType: 'id',lumiereQueryValue: '50083219',useCurrentPageUrl: true,relatedVideo: false,preRollAd: true,hideLeftTab:true,wrapperFloat:'none'});
...

Originally posted at The 404 Podcast

Experiential exhibit at Disney's Epcot theme park in Florida highlights technology's contributions to solving global problems--and Big Blue's role.

The Sony Ericsson Aspen makes its debut as the newest member of the company's Greenheart series and also the first smartphone to run Windows Mobile 6.5.3. pOriginally posted at a href="http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-10445696-85.html" class="origPostedBlog"Dialed In/a/p

The Thinksound Thunder 10mm headphones are a good value at their street price and should be a top consideration for those who like plenty of bass and natural sound. pOriginally posted at a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-6450_7-10444374-50.html" class="origPostedBlog"iPod accessories/a/p

Researchers from Princeton and Caltech come up with a piezoelectric material that could harness body movements to charge consumer electronics--even pacemakers.

The shortlist is announced for the March 2010 International Bicycle Design Competition in Taipei, and one of only three U.S. finalists introduces a somewhat novel concept: mimic the car.

The new material, called "elastic water," retains its Flubber-like consistency by mixing a few grams of clay and organic matter to H20, essentially binding the whole into a jelly-like putty.

First medals from recycled consumer electronics, and now a stadium made from confiscated weapons. We're really liking this emphasis on recycling.

Company buffs its green credentials with another patent application relating to solar cells integrated onto the surface of small devices, such as iPods. pOriginally posted at a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10439525-54.html" class="origPostedBlog"Green Tech/a/p

The new Aspire Timeline notebooks win approval from Greenpeace for being energy efficient and virtually free of toxic substances, making them more biodegradable.

We're not convinced that the cylindrical design of the phone, which doubles as a tube you can drink from, will win hearts, but the idea does sound fitting for a tropical island.

RCA shows off an energy-harvesting battery that converts Wi-Fi signals to DC power, which is suitable for charging up cell phones. pOriginally posted at a href="http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10433178-269.html" class="origPostedBlog"2010 CES/a/p

Toyota launches the FT-CH hybrid concept at the 2010 Detroit auto show. pOriginally posted at a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31229_7-10432937-257.html" class="origPostedBlog"2010 Detroit auto show/a/p

Designers of concept battery propose that swirling it 130 rounds will generate enough power for a 2-minute call or 25 minutes of standby time.

TrendNet releases a new power-saving eight-port switch and plans to continue its green initiatives in networking. pOriginally posted at a href="http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10430900-269.html" class="origPostedBlog"2010 CES/a/p

Control4's home energy management system uses a home wireless network and tough-screen display to monitor electricity and let consumers participate in energy efficiency programs. pOriginally posted at a href="http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10429943-269.html" class="origPostedBlog"2010 CES/a/p

Tenrehte Technologies' Wi-Fi-enabled smart plugs called PicoWatt collect data on energy consumption and let people take advantage of off-peak rates. pOriginally posted at a href="http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10429865-269.html" class="origPostedBlog"2010 CES/a/p

TrendNet announces a new true dual-band router that is up to 70 percent more energy efficient that its previous routers. pOriginally posted at a href="http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10428239-269.html" class="origPostedBlog"2010 CES/a/p