Is Green the new Black for the Tech World?

Well no. Not if you watch this weeks BBC2’s Dragon’s Den. Up to slay a Dragon, was Peter Hopton of ‘Very PC’, who had valued his company at no less than £5million, and wanted a £250,000 for a 5% stake of his company.

Ok so aside from the Fairly Tale figures, the U.S.P. of Very PC was, its accolades of awards (you can count three displayed in the Den), and its ethos of a greener less ‘mean’ PC technology. Hopton, ran through Very PC’s green credentials saying ‘(…) we make them energy saving’.

Basically, Very PC takes the off-the-shelf PC consumerables and remodels PCs at lower energy saving versions. Which begged Peter Jones's Dragon question, how is this a patented business model, and what’s to stop You or I going out and doing the same? But back to the greener issue at stack, by relying on generic PC parts, Very PC PC’s seem to be no more recyclable or efficient than any other computer out there...

Greener technology is the way to go, hey who doesn’t love the environment? But when ‘greener’ is tacked onto Brand development (£5 million?! Gasped/scoffed Dragon Peter Jones, 'Maybe if you’re IBM'), rather than a proper business model or product, Very PC seems to hold a lot less environmental kudos. Which is a shame, as I’d quite like to champion a British based PC company. Especially one that’s green.

Of Course Dragon Jones will be kicking himself now, what with Very PC's brand potential shooting sky high after the companies sparring in the Den. Still £5million might still be a strech.

So 'Green' or 'mean'? You decide. Hmm that sounds like another 'Reality' Tv show to me.

How do you choose to sit on Web 2.0?

As a blogger, writer, consultant and all round Geek Chic I spend a lot my time in front of various screens. And so it has occurred to me that how we choose to sit, stand and lounge become moments of stasis in order to access and participate with our favourite Web 2.0 content. Much of the traditional geek setting has been the image of the nerd at a desk, sitting in close proximity to other nerds at other desks. The slash, dot, slash, dot battery hen likeness as roomful of programmers physically meld into their chairs. Such longer periods of stasis are physically involving and laborious!

And so the story goes that there has been about a 'freeing up' and overcoming of boundaries such as spatial and temporal confines. By foregrounding the ways in which we have and can gain access to Web 2.0, places such supposed freedoms into a completely new context. Instead we remain bound to and reliant upon some form of technological device, as well as (at least for a moment) a point of stasis. Which is ironic when you consider how the Internet has traditionally been viewed as separate from the flesh fleshy self. Certainly there are already lifestyles and professions that require that the individual must be in one place for a set period of time, but none that are also without the organic richness of embodied contact, skin, touch, smell…

And so an active and empowered digital technology user I’m wondering if there is room for a new kind of interface that offers a new kind of interactivity? The taken for granted processes to produce and reproduce; text, images and even voice content online serve as recognition that as users we have moved beyond passive consumers to empowered producers. Nevertheless at present we continue with the same sum of technological engagement: Screen + You = physically demanding. Perhaps time for a new seated position.

Another version of this post is published by Maz Hardey @ Girl Geekdom blog

A Body of Networks

Where we are beginning to get used to be being channeled as part of networks of differing quality and ‘attachment’, and to the degradation of our own culture on Web 2.0 (see Andrew Keen) – it seems we are about to become part of an immersed, techno-ambient and fashion conscious world.

Whilst it is nothing new that supposedly ‘inanimate’ objects interact with us, just take a trot round Tesco and their video screens, the handheld price scanners and checkers at Waitrose, and even in York where I reside ‘helpful’ tourist information totems will start to ‘talk’ to you just as you walk past (yes thank you I do know that I am indeed on Parliament Street for the 9th time that day). What IS new will be how these WILL start to interact with us. We will become surrounded by technology that wants to think for us, that is a part of our homes, cars, appliances and even bodies.

What next a smart moisturiser that knows to increase the SPF when the sun’s out? Not such a stupid idea.

These observations have been prompted by the recent BBC news item about ‘Smart Fabrics’. Amongst the show-cased collection is the solar panelled bikini that allows its wearers to charge mobiles, MP3 players etc. Shame about the lack of actual swimming possibilities, but who cares when your strutting your battery charged, and MP3 plugged-in self by the poolside right?

So forget about those drab and static local area networks – this is about your body of networks.

Some of the fabric innovations are of a ‘smarter’ profile. One such garment are the eco-conscious accessories that charge themselves by day (as a handbag, fan, purse etc) and become a unique and stylish light by night with which to adorn yourself, or your home.

So it seems a new vision of fashion, functionality and aesthetics is taking place. And it is easy to envisage how for example MPS players, cameras and mobile phones will converge, and even become integrated into clothing; open to new levels of wear and tear.

Imagine for example, where that pesky MP3 takes up room in your handbag/causes unsightly bulges in your Levis, these devices will be integrated into the fabric. Picture it; its not an iPod, but an iBag, nay iGarment – how do you like them Apples?

However, as much as the future of technology permits an even more personalised integration of ‘man and machine’, this does raise some interesting questions in terms of ethics, surveillance, privacy and identity. Does this mean that I will be able to access others favourite playlists and contact information by wearing the same jeans? or will our own genes provide the key for boundaries between interfaces? and ultimately do we want this level of ‘cyborg’ mechanics attached to our organic selves.

Well we may be a longer way off from that level of techno-human integration. In the meantime I shall be coveting the latest iBag from Apple and hoping they do a Chloe version that can sort my emails. Nifty, not thrifty technology!