Environmentally Friendly

Technology and a green lifestyle are not mutually exclusive.

See the light-emitting diode

The LED, or light-emitting diode, began as a humble form of indicator light in electronic devices. The development of high-efficiency, high-power diodes has made it possible to use LEDs in place of lighting in our homes. If Boeing, Airbus and Ferrari can use LEDs in their planes and sports cars, there’s no reason you shouldn’t choose to replace your century-old light bulbs with this light source – which is more power efficient, has a longer lifetime and is environmentally friendly. It also comes in various colors … to match your mood. Rp 50,000–75,000

Reduce, Reuse, Recharge

Apple’s music players and apps might be the celebrities of the company’s output, but beyond the glitz is another notable creation that features rechargeable batteries and a slick white outlet charger. The bundle comes with six (yes, six!) long-lasting, low self-discharge NiMH batteries. An intelligent power management system means the charger uses less power once batteries are fully charged. Rp 299,000, j.mp/applecharger, apple.com/battery-charger

All-New Kindle

We love a good read, but we consume paper much faster than trees can supply the need for our reading materials. The latest version of Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader has marked improvements over its predecessors: It’s smaller and lighter, and has 50 percent better contrast and longer battery life. With printing and distribution costs on the rise, Amazon saw a record number of e-books sold last year. I don’t mind missing the feel of a paperback while I save a tree or two. US$139, www.amazon.com

Cruising Batavia, in Style.

The Polygon Cruz 2011 Series city bike is a colonial-inspired, vintage-style locally made two-wheeler. Inexpensive and practical, this thing of beauty helps you find your more beautiful and toned side. It comes in smart color tones that look good on the street, especially its white tires. Rp 2,145,000, id.polygoncycle.com

Carry Me Bike

So you decide to get the Polygon Cruz, but your car isn’t big enough to carry it. Apparently you’re not alone. Designed to fit most cars, this rear-mounted bike-carrying system will help you transport your bikes without cannibalizing your car, and it’s street legal, so you can finally join the casual bikers on Jl. Sudirman every Sunday. Rp 400,000 – 1.7 million, www.acehardware.co.id, www.rodalink.com

Drop It in My Box

It’s simple: drop a file, sync and go. Drew Houston keeps forgetting his USB flash drive, so he made something to help him access and share his files with his fellow MIT students: Dropbox. It’s your personal file storage, sharing and hosting service, virus free. Designers, lawyers and editors swear by it; just call it a mobile warrior’s indispensable tool. Free, www.dropbox.com

Measuring Up

Let’s face it: hybrids or electric vehicles aren’t going to be dominating the streets anytime soon, so the best thing is to work with what we have. On your iPhone/iPod Touch, the greenMeter app senses acceleration, aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance and speed, and then computes your vehicle’s power and fuel usage characteristics to evaluate your driving style and display the results real time. This is the app that’ll help you maintain a green driving style. U$5.99, hunter.pairsite.com/greenmeter/

Careers in Motion

If you can’t beat them, join them. The company behind the country’s most popular mobile Internet service is looking for talent; they are serious about it, and they’re doing it with style. Enter rim.jobs. It’s one of the greatest web addresses since Yahoo!, so get your CVs ready before someone from our Ministry of Communication and Information Technology “blocks” it. www.rim.jobs, www.rim.com/careers

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