| When you consider the latest high tech gadget what | | | | available for quite some time now, but they really |
| goes through your mind? It will differ from one | | | | took off in 2009. They look set to become even |
| person to another. Some may consider them to be | | | | more popular in 2010. Right now the Amazon Kindle is |
| trendy. Others may think that they are complicated | | | | the market leader - but Sony have also secured a |
| and difficult to operate. So much depends upon your | | | | good share of the market for these devices. |
| own individual perspective. However, it's probably | | | | The U.S. book, magazine and newspaper sector |
| reasonable to say that you won't associate the latest | | | | consumes 125 million trees each year in order to get |
| hot personal electronics gadget with being more | | | | the paper it requires. Over and above the lumber, |
| environmentally friendly - but electronic gadgets can, | | | | huge quantities of water, chemicals, ink and energy |
| under the right conditions, be better for the | | | | are necessary to feed our reading habit. As books |
| environment. | | | | are a physical product, they require to be delivered |
| One potential candidate would be digital photo | | | | to the bookstore, generally using road transportation. |
| frames. These have become very popular over the | | | | Then customers get into their cars, drive to the |
| last couple of years. Due to the high level of | | | | book shop, buy their books and motor home again. It |
| competition in the market, prices have now fallen to | | | | all adds up. |
| the point where you can pick up a perfectly | | | | Electronic books of course, do not consume large |
| adequate digital frame for pretty much the same | | | | amounts of paper, ink etc. in their production. Also, as |
| price that you would pay for a conventional frame. | | | | they are not a physical product, they can be |
| One of the many perceived benefits of digital frames | | | | delivered over the internet rather than using the road |
| is the fact that they can store and display hundreds, | | | | transport network. |
| sometimes thousands, of photos using one single | | | | Of course, as both e-book readers and digital photo |
| frame. | | | | frames are themselves physical products, they do |
| A lot will depend upon how many photographs you | | | | require both materials and energy for their production. |
| take in an average year, but if you are in the habit | | | | They also require to be shipped to the retail outlet or |
| of getting a bit snap happy then using a digital frame | | | | direct to the final user. Nevertheless, studies have |
| to display your photo collection could have a positive | | | | shown that, even offsetting the materials used |
| environmental impact. Whether you avoid having | | | | against the savings in energy, paper, ink etc. that |
| photos printed out at a processing lab or if you just | | | | such devices can be better for the environment |
| print out less on your computer printer you will wind | | | | (though it will depend, to a certain extent, on how |
| up using fewer materials. | | | | many books you read or how many photos you |
| Another example is the gadget of the moment - the | | | | process each year). |
| electronic book reader. E-book readers have been | | | | |