We're all for utilizing power-saving technologies to make our everyday computing a bit less taxing on Mother Earth, but the latest initiative from D-Link just reeks of gimmick. The firm is claiming to have introduced the "industry's first Green Ethernet technology" with a new series of environmentally-friendly Gigabit switches, which reportedly "decrease energy costs by reducing power consumption without sacrificing operational performance and functionality." Apparently, these intelligent devices "recognize when a port is active or inactive and adjusts its power accordingly," and they can also "analyze the cable's length" and only send out the necessary amount of juice. Granted, every little bit counts, but we wouldn't let the guilt trip convince you to go replace all of your networking gear or anything.

If you're the type that enjoys taking short road trips at low speeds, then a new "car" hitting the States this month may be just what you've been looking for: by the end of July, Toronto's Feel Good Cars Inc. is set to ship one of the country's first fully-enclosed, all-electric vehicles to 20 dealers nationwide, with 25 more expected to sign up by the end of the year. The Microcar Zenn (which stands for zero emissions, no noise) is an electric version of the diesel-powered MC-2 sold in Europe; Feel Good imports the cars without a drivetrain, slaps in a five-horsepower engine at its Canadian factory, and plans to unleash a small fleet of 2,000 vehicles in the next year at $10,000-a-pop. Equally at home in the inner city or a gated community, the Zenn features many of the same amenities you'd find on a regular car -- seat belts, headlights, defroster, and a gauge cluster (no nav system, though) -- in a 1,200-pound package that's just 120-inches long. While vehicles such as the Chrysler GEM have shown us that there is indeed a market for these glorified golf carts, folks who enjoy hitting the highway and feeling the wind in their hair will surely steer clear of the Zenn, as its top speed of 25MPH and maximum range of 35 miles mean that you couldn't possibly merge into 60+MPH traffic -- that is, if the battery even lasted long enough for you to make it to the on-ramp in the first place.

[Via Autoblog Green]