recycled

This Day in Tech: Bin Laden's sneakernet

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET News for Friday, May 13.

RIP: Where our gadgets go when they die.

Bin Laden's sneakernet: How the al-Qaeda leader used e-mail off the grid.

We signed on to Tinychat: What happens when a group-oriented take on Chatroulette adds location sharing?

No surprise here: Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies receive Guinness World Records.

Freebie: Sure, it's Friday the 13th, but it could still be your lucky day to win 3D desktop speakers.

Where electronics go to die, responsibly

WORCESTER, Mass.--The electronic waste piling up in our closets and basements holds valuable material that could be used to make something new, as is the case with old newspapers and plastic bottles. The challenge is ensuring that e-waste gets recycled without threatening public health.

Earlier this week, I took a tour of a small electronics recycler here that caters to people who want to be sure that their e-waste is handled responsibly, rather than be shipped to a destination with unknown or unverified practices. The center, operated by Metech Recycling, provided a peek into how everyday products find a … Read more

10 old features we don't miss on modern laptops, and 3 that we do

Scary things lurk in the closets and attics of laptop fans everywhere.

With an average lifespan of three to five years, old obsolete models can gather dust for a long time, and can be as hard to get rid of as the annoying bloatware that probably came preloaded on those very same laptops.

While spring cleaning, your two intrepid laptop reviewers dug up a pile of old laptops from circa 2001-2006--a motley collection straight out of Al Component's Vault. Fortunately, there are several good ways to recycle outdated electronics, from Best Buy's in-store drop-off program to periodic free … Read more

On Call: Best carriers for recycling your phone

On Call runs every two weeks, alternating between answering reader questions and discussing hot topics in the cell phone world.

Though you probably know that Friday is Earth Day, I'd wager that you weren't aware that it's also National Cell Phone Recycling Week. Created two years ago by the Environmental Protection Agency, the week encourages U.S. wireless subscribers to recycle and reuse old handsets rather than discarding them into a drawer, or worse yet, throwing them away in the trash.

It's a noble effort, indeed, particularly when you consider how often we're encouraged to … Read more

NextWorth values your cell phone

I spent time today playing with NextWorth, a Web site that will tell you the trade-in value of many electronic devices. The site covers everything from MP3 players to video games, but I went straight to cell phones, of course, to see how much I could round up for the handsets we have sitting around the CNET offices.

All you have to do is go to NextWorth's site and plug in the name of your device. You'll also have to answer a few questions such as if any parts of the handset are broken or water damaged, if … Read more

ecoATM kiosk scans used gadget, pays owner

Following a financing deal for ecoATM, you may be able to clear out the digital skeletons in your closet on a trip to the mall.

San Diego-based ecoATM, which makes a kiosk for taking back used electronics, today said it raised $14.4 million in equity and debt to launch its product in more places. One of the investors is Coinstar, which makes automated retail products, including coin collection machines for supermarkets and other stores.

ecoATM was started about two years ago by former wireless industry executives to build an automatic system for trading in electronic gadgets no longer in use, … Read more

E-waste recycler goes high-tech to boost volume

Tons of electronics will be transformed back into raw materials using a highly automated series of electronic machines in a new facility in Ontario, Canada.

Sims Recycling Solutions flipped the switch on an e-waste recycling and refurbishing operation yesterday in Mississauga outside Toronto, which converts all incoming material. The facility will be able to treat and resell 75,000 metric tons of e-waste annually, including CRT monitors, TVs, PCs, and other electronics gadgets, such as digital music players and mobile phones.

In the U.S., electronic waste is a fast-growing source of waste. In 2007, about 18 percent of TVs … Read more

Machines eyeball trash for single-stream recycling

BOSTON--Who knew a warehouse full of garbage and conveyor belts could be so high-tech?

Last Thursday, I had the chance to tour a single-stream recycling center here, where a suite of specialized machines has vastly sped up the traditional manual sorting method now commonly used in recycling.

Well over 100 full-time employees still work at the plant, but the bulk of the separation work is done by a combination of belts, magnets, and optical readers clever enough to tell the difference between a plastic milk jug and a laundry detergent container.

The tour opened my eyes to how single stream … Read more

Out with the old--Jasmine's Tech Dos & Don'ts

With the new year upon us, there are no doubt plenty of plans in place for changes both big and small. For precisely this reason, January's Tech Dos & Don'ts column will be focused on helping you through the necessary transitions--at least as far as technology is concerned. First up: out with the old, in with the new.

Certainly, both the holidays and the Consumer Electronics Show have inspired a lot of dough-dropping in the gadget space. Many of you probably have a new device or two lying around, which raises the question: what to do with the … Read more