Computer and Electronics Recycling

Keeping the Earth Healthy with the Help of a Computer and Electronics Recycling Program
Although there has been a recent growing awareness about the importance of caring for our environment, most of our attention is turned toward issues such as alternative fuel sources and global warming. These topics are certainly important and do merit attention, but there are other simple tasks that you can do on a regular basis that will also help to keep our Earth better protected. One of these tasks is to participate in computer and electronics recycling programs.

Why You Should Participate in Computer and Electronics Recycling Programs

There are many reasons for participating in computer and electronics recycling programs. We all know that, in general terms, recycling is beneficial because it reuses materials rather than putting them in landfills or incinerating them. Recycling also reduces pollution and helps save natural resources because materials do not have to be developed from scratch.

When it comes to computer and electronics recycling, however, there are even more benefits. More specifically, failing to recycle computer and electronics equipment unnecessarily releases toxins into our environment.

Looking at Some Frightening Facts

Right now, you may be using a computer to read this article. But, do you know that computers are the number one cause of electronic waste? With all of the different components and with the quick evolution of computer technology, consumers are going through computers rapidly as they try to keep up with the changes.

Unfortunately, many consumers are actually hanging on to their old electronic devices. In fact, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, about 75% of electronics that are now obsolete are actually being stored. This means we will be facing some major disposal issues when consumers finally decide to get rid of these devices.

Safely Disposing of Computers and Electronics

When it comes to computer and electronics recycling, you actually have many options available to you. This is partially because of growing environmental concerns, but also because there are numerous laws regarding recycling. In fact, there are over 500 laws in the United States regarding recycling!

Thankfully, you don’t have to know all of the details of each of these laws. All you really need to do is find a company that specializes in computer and electronics recycling. If you are a business owner, participating in a computer and electronics recycling program is even more important because failure to properly recycle can cost your business greatly.

Recycling batteries is particularly important simply because we use so many of them and because they contain so many toxic chemicals. Luckily, it is easy to find companies that will accept batteries for recycling. In fact, many retail stores will recycle batteries. These include:

- Best Buy - Circuit City - Office Max - Office Depot - Radio Shack

Old computers and computer equipment can also be recycled. So, if your equipment is so old that it is no longer useful or if it is so damaged that it cannot be repaired, turn it into a recycling program. With these programs, the equipment will be dismantled and all of the useable parts and materials will be removed. Another option is to donate your computer if it is still usable.

You can generally get computers recycled by handing them over to major manufacturers. These include:

- Acer - Apple - Dell - Epson - Gateway - Hewlett Packard - IBM - Lexmark - NEC

Many states and counties also have special government programs for computer and electronics recycling. You can contact your local waste management company or local government officials to find out more about these types of programs. These government sponsored recycling programs may be free or you may have to pay a fee in order to use the program.

By taking advantage of these computer and electronics recycling programs, you can prevent hazardous materials from leaking into the environment and causing harm to our Earth. In addition, you can rest easy in knowing that you are properly following the laws that have been established by your local government as well as by the State and Federal government. That makes computer and electronics recycling a win-win situation for everyone involved!



About the Author
Total Reclaim Inc is a Seattle computer recycling company dedicated to protecting the environment.

Video Production- High Definition Technology

If you've watched television during prime time recently you no doubt have seen it. The banner line at he bottom of the screen, usually accompanied by some sort of special sound effect, that reads, "This program broadcast in High Definition where available". Media technologists, broadcasters and even the salesmen at Circuit City have been talking about HD for years and now it has finally arrived. But what does it mean for you? Sure you can get clearer pictures and better sound on your television. But how can that affect your business? High Definition technology means more than just clearer images for the networks it can also have a direct impact on your marketing and communications strategy.
When considering your next video or multimedia project you should consider the following reasons to use High Definition technologies.

· HD looks better. Even when finished and released in standard definition television, down-converted High Definition images are noticeably superior to footage shot in any traditional video format. Finished in HD and viewed on an HD monitor, the widescreen images are simply astonishing.

· HD has a bigger impact on the audience. The goals of multimedia programs like training videos, Public Service Announcements, and marketing overviews are to inform, persuade, entertain, and motivate the viewer. With professional lighting and camerawork, HD provides clarity, image detail, and color warmth, which carry through to the final product. Stories told with HD images have an impact on viewers that is not possible in standard video formats. HD programs are more beautiful and powerful, convey more information, and hold viewers' attention longer.

· HD retains its value. Part of the value of any video production is the raw footage that can be re-used in future programs. As the viewing public moves toward acceptance of widescreen, digital, and high definition images, HD footage will retain its usefulness for the next decade, while ordinary footage suffers serious degradation when up-converted to HD formats.

· HD is a mature medium. In development since 1981, HD cameras and other equipment are as flexible and tested as standard definition equipment. In the field, portable HD cameras are rugged and lightweight -- similar in size to Standard Definition Betacam cameras and they provide equal sensitivity in available light situations. In addition HD field cameras can be outfitted for studio use for pre-produced or live program production. Images captured in HD can be digitally edited in linear and non-linear editing suites and output to DVD, Digital videotape, or as streaming media on the Internet.

· HD is a better investment. The cost of shooting in HD isn't much higher than shooting in standard broadcast formats like BetacamSP, Digital Betacam, or high end DV formats. And the cost for HD's film like images is far lower than 16mm and 35mm film. With its moderate cost, superior color and image, power to reach audiences, and long shelf life, HD simply offers more value.



About the Author
Metro Productions is a full-service video and multimedia production company headquartered in Virginia. Metro Productions provides clients with the ability to realize the benefits of high-end visual media products for the purpose of sales, marketing, recruitment and training. Delivery mediums for these productions include DVD, streaming media and broadcast quality High Definition applications. http://www.metro-productions.com

Camcorder - A Portable Video Camera

Camcorders are portable devices for electronically recording video and audio through an in- built recorder unit. They differ from the previous units in which the recording and audio devices were separate. Today, a camcorder is a combination of video camera and a video recorder.
Previously, companies such as Sony, JVC and Kodak, etc. used analog video tapes. Since 1990 the digital tape came into use and three years hence, the storage tapes were being replaced by optical disks, hard disk drives and solid state memory. Camcorders, which do not use magnetic tapes, are called `tape-less` while those using two different media, like HDD and Memory card, are called `Hybrid Camcorders`.

Technological advancement has miniaturized the large cameras on specially mounted trolleys to portable video cameras and recorders for broadcasting images. This transition started in 1982 when JVC and Sony released the first professional camcorders. The Betacam, designed by Sony, slowly gained popularity and became the standard device for both news gathering and video editing. This was followed by Betamax in 1983 - the first consumer camcorder. At this stage, they were bulky and generally rested on the user`s shoulder during recording. Even today most camcorders are designed for right-hand users with very few possessing ambidextrous ergonomics.

Both JVC and Sony started improving the quality of camcorders which led to the development of digital devices in 1990. These had cassettes even smaller than the 8mm media allowing further reduction of size of tape transport assembly. The digital variety further improved the audio and video quality over the best analog camcorders. With the advent of digital models, the market has grown substantially being facilitated further by its price and size reduction. Today a device fits in the palm and is sold at a retail price of less than $150.

Camcorders comprise of three basic components : lens, imager and recorder. The lens solely focuses and gathers light on the imager. The imager is the eye of the camcorder which converts captured images into electrical video signals. The recorder encodes the video signals into storable form. The lens offers professional control of all major optical functions such as aperture, shutter speed and focus, etc. The recorder function is responsible for writing the video signal onto a recording medium (magnetic video tape).

Camcorders are normally classified by their storage device. The highest quality digital format such as Betacam and Mini DV, etc., suffer from little generation loss during recording, dubbing and editing. In analog recordings, noise and bandwidth issues relating to cables, amplifiers and mixers are a problem while in digital connections such problems are minimized.

However archival problems continue to affect both analog and the digital varieties. They are both prone to tape format deterioration over time. This is more acute in the digital recordings where large data base is permanently erased owing to deterioration and restoration is very expensive. One of the advantages in analog devices is that the recording may be usable even after the media, in which the data is stored, suffers deterioration.

Consumer camcorders emphasize the basic qualities such as easy usage, price and portability rather than technical performances. Such units offer a wide range of I/O operation but lack various menu settings, video exposures, gain controls and sound level management. For beginners, basic recording and playback facilities are emphasized. Today a personal computer, with a modest configuration, can perform digital video editing with software available in the market.

Camcorders have a plethora of usage in electronic media ranging from electronic news organizations to TV / current affair production. They are invaluable for initial video footage in locations away from the distribution infrastructure. Events which have scheduled set timings, such as official press conferences, use camcorders extensively. They are also used for covering personal events such as weddings, birthdays and other special family gatherings.

Even in the political arena, camcorder is used to film events which have a bearing on the subject. Protesters from various fields, such as animal rights, tax, anti-globalization, war and police, use camcorders to record and film such events which have wide social and historical ramifications. Even some judicial decisions are based on video footages exposed by such devices. They are also used in low budget films, ad shoots, tv shows and for academic film making, etc.



About the Author
This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the Article section of page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/filmadora.php

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for http://www.polomercantil.com.br