While it won't have quite the same effect that, say, converting its entire fleet to hybrids or all-electrics would have, UPS is apparently taking some steps to improve the efficiency of the 95,000 trucks it has on the road, including using software to cut down on the number of left-turns its drivers make. As The New York Times reports, in addition to improving the packing and sorting of its cargo, UPS's so-called "package flow" software program also maps out the best possible route for each of its drivers, which UPS says cuts down significantly on the time they would otherwise spend idling while waiting to make a left-hand turn. According to UPS, those improved maps helped it shave some 28.5 million miles off its delivery routes last year, which translates to a 31,000 metric ton cut in CO2 emissions, not to mention a savings of about three million gallons of gas.

[Via Slashdot]

Whether your end improvement is a functioning office, or a longer game of Unreal, uninterruptible power supplies are an essential part of keeping your kit up and running. In case you were wondering what goes on inside the little -- or, as the case may be, big -- boxes that sit next to power outlets, icrontic has a how-to for constructing your own UPS. If you're not up to the task of constructing your own, then there's also advice about which type of off-the-shelf UPS is for you. Now all you've got to worry about are other, human based, interruptions.

Normally we tend to steer clear of covering certain accessories -- namely UPSs -- but today we had to dive in a little, as Ultra Products announced some backup power supplies pretty much anyone can afford. Their Ultra UPS line has the requisite USB port for shutdown routines, but the prices are what's sticky: $50 for 300VA / 150W, $60 for 500VA / 250W, $80 for 700VA / 350W, and $90 for 850VA / 425W. Hard to argue with an electrical insurance policy that cheap, if you ask us.

While the verdict might be out on an eventual sales winner between the three new-gen consoles, it's hard to argue with one stat: the PS3 is a shoo-in for the coveted "Console Launch Related Crime" award. The latest in crime spree exploits is a trio of UPS employees who were working the night shift around PS3 launch time, and managed to swap shipping labels on $19,000 worth of PS3s -- around 20 systems and 24 SIXAXIS controllers. These three grinches, 25-year-old Sean Weber, 37-year-old Norbert Joseph and 29-year-old Jasel Bolden, working from a New Orleans shipping center, forwarded the PS3s to their day job at Andrews Sport Company Inc., but couldn't escape the long arm of the law. Chalk one more up for justice. Oh, and by the way guys, if you get out of the clink before New Years, would you mind "diverting" a few PS3s our way? We accept Wiis too. You know, in the spirit of giving.

[Via Joystiq]

Lately, the power grid appears to have gone to hell. An Uninterruptible Power Supply(UPS) just isn't an optional piece of equipment anymore -- it's not for nothing that very decent UPS has a computer interface port. If your computer is connected to the port, and the software is set up, the UPS can tell your computer to safely shut down before the battery runs out.

Got a couple of machines sharing a UPS? In today's How-To, we'll show you how to use your network to shut down all of the computers plugged into it and keep your precious data safe.