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California mandates TV energy efficiency improvements by 2011
That new HDTV of yours? It may be thin and light and lovely, but it ain't saving you any money. The state of California knows this and has created new energy efficiency standards applying to any sets sold after January of 2011. The initial regs state a maximum of 1 watt of consumption when "off" and, when on, a maximum of .2 watts per inch of screen area plus an arbitrary 32 watts. Two years later, in 2013, things get even tougher, that formula dropping to .12 per inch with a 25 watt base modifier. There are plenty of TVs that already meet the 2013 criteria, most of them smallish LCDs, so it's not an impossible dream. The bad news? An inability to sell non-compliant sets in CA could result in lost tax revenue. The good news? Reduced energy bills and a smaller hit to our fragile environment. The really good news? Any set greater than 58-inches is exempt, so go big, broheim.
Verizon aims to compete with cable in Newburgh, New York
It's not like New York is hurtin' for FiOS TV or anything, but the latest news involving the two revolves around a bit more than just expansion of service. Just under two months after the FCC approved a rule that would ban exclusive agreements that cable television operators have with apartment buildings, the New York Public Service Commission has issued an order "confirming Verizon's video franchise with the town." Reportedly, such an order will enable consumers in the Orange County town of Newburgh to have "a real choice for their cable television service" when FiOS TV arrives sometime next year. Additionally, Verizon has secured video franchises in 75 other NY communities, all of which are conveniently listed in the read link below.
Chinese government demands all handsets be rechargeable via USB
Following South Korea's lead, the Chinese government is now demanding that future handsets, regardless of brand, be able to recharge via a standard USB port. The Ministry of Information Industry (MII) hopes that the mandate will slash phone costs for users, eliminate proprietary hassles, and more importantly, eliminate waste within the country. Considering nearly "100 million" folks in China alone replace their phone annually, that's a lot of antiquated chargers hitting the junk pile, and this new standard hopes to cure the problem and cut back on waste before it gets too out of hand. While we've no idea when this mandate will actually be enforced, these head honchos sound pretty serious, and considering the estimated $306 million the country will be saving, we wouldn't doubt their earnestness.[Via Techdirt]
