Start-ups partner on universal charger

Start-ups Green Plug and WiPower are working together on a universal wireless charger for portable devices, reports CNET News.

The partnership makes sense since GreenPlug has developed a protocol to allow power sources and portable devices to communicate, while WiPower has invented technology to transmit power wirelessly over short distances.

Green Plug's universal chargers allow portable electronic devices containing its embedded Greentalk chip to be charged from a universal port.

The UK Environment Agency has signed a seven-year outsourcing contract with supplier Capgemini which it claims will cut 50% of its carbon emissions from IT, states Computing.co.uk.

The agency says the deal is the most environmental IT contract ever signed by a public sector body and will also result in significant costs savings.

"This contract not only aims to exceed the government's sustainable IT targets, it also sets a high standard for environmental performance which we hope that other public sector organisations and businesses would wish to reflect," says Graham Ledward, director of resources at the Environment Agency.

Most British staff believes their company is committed to the green agenda, but they are “in denial” over how green their companies are in reality, says eWeek.

So claims UK business ISP Lumison, citing its own research, which found the majority (67%) of UK workers believe their company prioritises green issues - yet less than a third of companies carry out a formal carbon audit.

In addition, 43% of people didn't even know whether their company had made any formal commitment or audit.