Almost every big tech company at CES has their signature “green” product. Sony has its new Vaio laptop, 23 percent of which is made from recycled CDs. The packaging of the device is made of recycled materials, and cardboard waste for shipping is minimal.

All Sony Ericsson products are already free from PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), with the exception of a few components that are still being phased out. Sony Ericsson has already met the challenge of our new criterion on chemicals by banning antimony, beryllium and phthalates from new models launched since January 2008.

Moreover, Sony Ericsson is one of only two companies (the other is Acer) that is proactively lobbying in the EU for the revision of the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics) Directive to adopt a 3 to 5 year timeline for further restrictions on organo-chlorine and bromine substances.

OnStar has a new mobile app for the Chevy Volt, available later this year. Users can schedule charging time for off-peak hours, start and stop a charge, and recieve text message alerts about the battery. Oh, and the “Brag Bar” allows drivers to talk smack about mpgs.

—Daniel

6:19 pm  •  8 January 2010 Share on facebook