September 2010 Industry News

By reducing power consumption in its mobile network, Telekom Austria aims to save 1.2 GWh of electricity, 432 tones of CO2 and $223,000 this year. To achieve this, the company installed Nokia Siemens' Event Analyzer intelligent energy management system in its mobile networks. Phase 1 of the project included 303 locations in Vienna. Now that the pilot phase has been completed, the project will be rolled out to other parts of the country. More...

Low-energy Zigbee systems made by a half-dozen startups will be highly valued in the commercial lighting control systems market, according to a report by GigaOM. The wireless systems will help companies to save money by automating their lighting. Only 7 percent of buildings in the U.S. currently have lighting control systems, making it a potentially large market. More...

Lantiq has introduced a new set of 802.11n chips that improve routing efficiency, making them more energy- and cost-efficient. More...

The new Vodafone VF 247, recently announced in Mumbai, comes with a solar-powered battery that works in ambient light. Accompanying software bundled with the device will help manage its charging. The phone is intended for people in rural areas where access to electricity is unstable. More...

The casing for the upcoming Motorola Grasp handset is 100% recyclable and contains neither BFR nor PVC, the company announced recently. The Grasp is expected to ship in October. More...

The new Samsung Intensity 2 phone, sold by Verizon Wireless, packs several eco-friendly features. The battery cover is made from 35% post-consumer materials, and it comes with an efficient energy charger that alerts users when the phone is fully charged. The phone also comes with software to help users calculate their carbon footprint based on their cars' fuel mileage. More...

According to a study by communications service provider Alteva, hosted services are up to 84% greener than on-site solutions. Factors in this equation include reduced power consumption and lower cooling costs, as well as an increase in features that promote teleworking, which reduces employees' carbon emissions and improves their health. More...

Starting in 2011, most handsets sold in the EU will come with a universal charger which will be compatible with all other new phones. Apple, Motorola and RIM are among the 10 companies signing on to the agreement. The move will reduce the amount of waste created as old chargers are tossed out with their old phones. More...

The new SoftBank 842H 3G phone, built by Sharp, is not only waterproof and dustproof, it contains a solar panel built into the cover. Reportedly, the phone can generate two minutes of talk time for every 10 minutes in the sun. It is only available in Japan. More...

Here's Sharp's Japanese-language press release about the product: More...

As the public furor over "conflict minerals" continues to rise, companies are starting to look for ways to prove that the coltan in their phones isn't sourced by rebels or other violent groups. Now scientists from Germany's Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resource say they have come up with a technique to "fingerprint" coltan and prove which are of the world it came from. More...

A new Bluetooth chip from CSR dubbed the CSR uEnergy is designed for use in devices that will use very little power. CSR says it expects the chip to be used in accessories that connect to phones, TVs, media players and other devices. More...