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iPhone 5 chemical study shows a green Apple, leaves room for improvement
Eventually, that shiny new iPhone 5 will have to meet its untimely end, whether it's in a landfill or (preferably) a recycling company's machinery. When it does, you'll at least be glad to know that Apple has kept the toxin levels down. HealthyStuff and iFixit have dissected the extra skinny smartphone and put it in the same "low concern" category for potential harm that's normally occupied by phones wearing their green credentials on their sleeves. Lest anyone rush to tell Greenpeace about the feat, just remember that there's a difference between proficiency at excising dangerous chemicals and getting rid of them completely: HealthyStuff still found small traces of bromine, chlorine, lead and mercury in the iPhone 5's construction, which could pose risks if the handset is ever broken apart or melted for scrap. Some concern also exists that the x-ray fluorescence spectrometer doesn't reveal the full extent of any toxic materials. Whether or not these remain sore points for you, the new iPhone is at least easier on the eco-friendly conscience than most of its peers.
If you throw away your console, the terrorists have won
In one of those fun, yet uncomfortable, instances where real life and video games interact, Fox News has uncovered a dusty (and old, very old) PlayStation controller during a raid of an Afghanistani farmhouse, which doubled up as a munitions depository. Lying there, in among rockets, grenades, plastic explosives and tank shells, was this humble blue-hued PlayStation appendage, which we're told can be rewired to act as a remote detonator. Should you question just how seriously the US government is taking this growing tide of console-aided terrorism, below you'll find a press release (seriously, a state-issued press release) detailing the detainment of four men in connection with the illegal transportation of digital cameras and PlayStation 2s to a "terrorist entity" in Paraguay. If convicted of the most egregious charge, they face 20 years in prison... for contraband consoles. Face, meet palm.
Daddy, where do Macs go when they die?
Personally, I've never thrown away a Mac. I've always had someone to give or sell it to. I suppose it's a testament to the longevity of each unit. The first Mac I owned, a Performa 6400, went to a friend of mine in Albuquerque. It had a good life: I installed a G3 upgrade card in its personality slot when its 603e processor wasn't cutting it anymore. I don't reckon she's using it still, though. After that, I bought a Power Mac G4 with a 17-inch Studio Display (in matching graphite, of course). My aunt and uncle are still using that computer, and it's running just fine for the basic email and web browsing they need. It's probably more than they'll ever need, come to think of it. Then came my iMac G5, which I sold to my previous employer for $500 or so. They sort of ... uh ... downsized after I left, so I'm not sure if it's being used right now. It runs great, though. I installed a new power supply in it a month or two before I sold it. My MacBook and Intel iMac are running great for me right now, though, and I have no idea how they'll spend their retirement after they've done their bit for king and country. Where have your old Macs gone? Schools? Parents? Kids? Share your misty-eyed memories of Macs past in comments.
