Technology Archives - Page 18 of 18

RICOH Completes Time Square’s first 100% Solar Powered Billboard

The Ricoh Eco Board, which is 47 feet high by 126 feet long, is the first billboard in Times Square to be totally lit by solar energy. It is powered solely by 62 solar panels and 24 thin-film PV solar modules, and illuminated by 16 LED floodlights. Ricoh made a promise not to use conventional electricity from the grid to light the Eco Board and will allow it to go dark due to lack of sunlight. By using only solar power to light the sign, Ricoh is playing a part in reducing the amount of carbon emissions released by conventional electrical power sources. A special ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Eco Board will take place on June 8 in New York's Times Square. "When Ricoh decided to advertise in Times Square, we wanted to do so in an environmentally-responsible way that would have minimal negative impact on the environment. Our hope was that the Eco Board would become a powerful symbol of Ricoh's commitment to green practices and would challenge o…

Where Are U.S. Green Jobs?

The United States has invested considerable amounts of taxpayer dollars to try to revive our economy. Too often, though, resulting jobs are being created overseas, as other countries invest in green technology deployment. As a result, the opportunity to improve our economic competitiveness is lost. Targeting our policies to help small U.S. technology producers is essential to keeping these jobs in the United States. The United States is a leader in the research and development of green technologies, but to translate innovation into products for the market place, small businesses need private capital. Small companies introducing innovative new technology often face long odds in finding sufficient capital to fully develop new products and secure their place in the market. What government can do to help is encourage that private investment. If policies fail to do this, then innovation and jobs will likely go elsewhere. To read the full article, visit Renewab…

OnEarth: “Ride the City” iPhone app helps plot route for urban biking

More cyclists are taking to city streets and the “Ride the City” iPhone app helps them find their way. While studying to become city planners at New York University in 2003, Vaidila Kungys and Jordan Anderson wanted to explore the city by bike, but neither knew the streets that well. Anderson got clipped by a cab on one outing and grew tired of pulling paper maps out of his backpack and finding them a disheveled mess. Kungys, a former competitive rider, did a better job navigating the moving obstacles and tight spaces of the city's streets, but learning the best bike routes was a different matter. After hearing similar stories from their fellow bikers, the friends came up with an idea: How about a HopStop for cyclists? For the full story, please visit OnEarth.