Copper end use trends

Remember the Illy house? The shipping container that would unfold at the push of a button to reveal a fully furnished, highly functional pre-fab coffee shop? People went crazy for the New York installation of the Quik House.

The world’s largest consumer electronic trade show opens Monday in Las Vegas and the new ideas, products and promises will be as plentiful as terraflops at a server farm. The big trend as predicted so far seems to be an immense emphasis on reducing energy consumption from batteries and power adapters. It may seem small, but the impact could improve market share.

As sacred as ancestral shrines in Japan, mosques in Iran, or beaches in Brazil, the shopping mall has for decades been a place of worship in the United States. Since its inception in the 1940s, it’s grown to define and represent the very culture of mainstream America - and like other representations of the American culture, the mall has been copied and appropriated by nations the world over. But now, while sprawling indoor shopping centers and hypermarkets flourish in far-off countries of the first, second, and third worlds, the mall in America might be on its way out. Not one new indoor shopping mall will be built in America till at least 2009, compared to 5 built in 2005. In 2002 just 19% of U.S. retail purchases were made in malls, down from 38% in 1995. A December 19 article in the Economist tries to pinpoint the reasons behind the decline:

With the price of crude oil hitting $100 per barrel, European citizens must prepare for large increases in gas and electricity bills in the coming weeks, with major companies in the UK and France already announcing plans to raise prices by as much as 27%

Scientists have unveiled a super LED powered technology to replace filament models within 3 years. In your home, the less brighter LEDs have been used in most electronic gadgets as indicator lights on computers and cell phones

Still in the prototype stage, the 27 inch OLED TV displayed by Sony at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show 2008 is a big jump from the 11 inch version currently available, which I posted on TrendHunter.com before. Since the little one sells for $2,500, it’s anyone’s guess what the 27 inch will set you back.

How about an inkless printer for your cell phone? From text messages to images and calendar events, as cool as it is to have all your info stored in a gadget at the tip of your finger, there’s something classic about holding a print version too. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, Polaroid revealed its portable, inkless printer that can be used with small devices like cell phones and digital cameras. The printers, about the size of a deck of cards, use thermal printing techniques on special paper. It’s expected to hit the North American market later in 2008 and retail for about $150.

A recent NY Times article highlights the rise of midday “media snacking” by cubicle dwellers, a trend that’s affecting not only office culture, but online media producers and the advertisers who help support them as well. An increasing number of 9-to-5ers are opting to spend their lunch hour breaks viewing online shows, news recaps, and maybe the random YouTube clip over the traditional lunch, sometimes stockpiling clips throughout the day and coordinating simultaneous watching with coworkers. Video-hosting sites and other websites featuring video content are seeing a spike in viewership during the three hour period around 12 noon, with shows like Yahoo’s The 9, a best-of-the-Web segment (sponsored by Pepsi), or Political Lunch, a popular three-minute webcast on politics, catered to office snackers (brief with daily updated content). And advertisers are finding that online content made with the midday viewer in mind are perfect for targeted marketing:

"GreenGen," the first near-zero emissions coal-fueled power plant with carbon capture and storage (CCS) which is under development in China.  . . .

This new 42-inch LCD "Eco TV" by Philips was announced at CES 2008 (Consumer Electronics Show). The television certainly has a lot  of energy saving features  that make it possibly the most efficient TV on the market. CNET reports:

rend Hunter already introduced you to the 150” TV a week or two ago, but the giant billboard of a screen has finally been unveiled.

With the rise in midday video snacking, BigThink is hoping to appeal to snackers looking for more than just some passive lunchtime amusement. The new niche video site (currently in beta) features experts in a wide array of subjects, from business to science to politics, usually answering one question in only 3 to 5 minutes. Simple. Viewers can watch, embed, and share videos of “big thinkers” like Senator John McCain, Psychologist Steven Pinker, and NY Times columnist and economist Paul Krugman sharing their punditry as concisely as possible. Currently, BigThink’s library includes 2,000 clips from 85 thinkers but is constantly growing. The site hopes to eventually feature new interviews on a daily basis.

A survey of 22,000 US folk suggests that green issues are more of a concern for consumers than many brands hope. The survey by Information Resources asked Americans to determine the impact of four key sustainability features in their product and store selection-organic, eco-friendly products, eco-friendly packaging and fair treatment of employees and suppliers. The results show that approximately 50 percent of U.S. consumers consider at least one sustainability factor in selecting consumer packaged goods items and choosing where to shop for those products.

New research shows that it could also make a good thermoelectric: a material that converts heat into electricity and vice versa

chemistry professor Peidong Yang and his colleagues report having fabricated silicon nanowires that generate electricity when a temperature differential is applied across them

Researchers at Ames Laboratory have designed a new a high-performance permanent magnet (PM) alloy that operates with good magnetic strength at 200° C (392° F) to help make electric drive motors more efficient and cost-effective.

One of the parameters stipulated by automakers for future electric drive motors is the need to operate well at temperatures up to 200° C

Here’s a quick comment about a theme which we may explore at the PSFK Conference New York in March (tbd) - is ‘Good’ this year’s Green? ‘Green/ is no longer enough, and green can be confusing - it’s about companies and consumers doing good by others, making the right choice and applying common sense.

Usually, mobile homes are not associated with terms such as long-term quality or environmental friendliness. Now, a professor of architecture at Mississippi State University (MSU) wants to change this. He has developed the concept of the GreenMobile home, an ultra-affordable and ecological-minded, factory-built housing unit. The first prototypes of these homes, which could be used as regular houses or for disaster relief housing, should be built in March 2008. And their cost is expected to be in the $50,000 range. Not too bad, especially if the value of these houses increases in the future as expects the development team. But read more…

These were the 20 most popular Technology Trends and Gadgets from CES 2008, based on our traffic statistics.

High-speed rail, already kicking ass (in Europe), is set to kick much more ass (in Europe):

Meanwhile, in America ...

That is a very economical plan Jon.  Using the inside lanes on the freeway for commuter rail.

Energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs may trigger migraines, according to British health experts. These warnings come out as many countries are considering mandating their use