We're tired of bubbles, right? Anyone 30 or older has lived through two big ones so far, with a brief period of prosperity separating the decimation of dot-com largesse and mortgage-fueled paper wealth. It could take until 2014 for the jobs lost to be replenished, and there's little reason for optimism.

So, with the economy in the tank, we can focus elsewhere -- maybe on saving the planet. If we can't put green in our wallets, maybe we can add some to our lifestyles. Or, you could do both. Green technology could be the next boom in the United States, even if we do lag some parts of the world, and investing in clean solutions is really nothing other than investing in the next big thing. Even if you don't give a damn about climate change (or don't think it exists at all), the green market could likely become your employer -- or trigger the economic growth that will create your next job.

Some signs are visible already.

Continue reading Five signs that green is the next bubble

Five signs that green is the next bubble originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nissan (NSANY) makes big battery investment originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

M2E Power has reportedly received a total of $8 million in funding from a group of venture capital outlets including: OVP Venture Partners, Highway 12 Ventures, @Ventures, the CMGI Inc. (NASDAQ: CMGID) clean technology venture unit, and various angel investors. The first round capital funding, it is said, is to be put to work developing "no battery" power sources in mobile devices for military applications with the long-term focus being on civilian applications such as for iPods, cell phones and cameras.

Business Wire reports that M2E, in partnership with General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD), has filed six patents on technology exploiting the Faraday Principle, which involves creating electricity by passing magnets through coils. The reader may wish to note that his principle of electromagnetic induction was proven viable in 1831. Rob Day, principal at @Ventures stated, "They've reached the stage where they've proven this really does work. Prototypes are in actual D-cell or A-cell batteries." You may read about some of the details at AOL Money and Finance.

Continue reading M2E and General Dynamics fire an $8 million salvo into the battery camp

M2E and General Dynamics fire an $8 million salvo into the battery camp originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading General Motors is ramping up the Chevy Volt

General Motors is ramping up the Chevy Volt originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Gateway recalls 14,000 laptop batteries

Gateway recalls 14,000 laptop batteries originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wisconsin-based Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) is boasting advances in lithium ion battery technology that is enabling automakers worldwide to successfully create and sustain the new breed of high-efficiency automobiles. Remember, these new hybrids and plug-ins are useless without adequate and dependable, long-life power sources to support them. Since January 2006, Johnson Controls has sought to make lithium ion batteries the chosen power pack for future energy efficient vehicles. I'm pleased to report that they have met with admirable success.

Earlier this month, Johnson Controls accepted a development contract with General Motors to develop and test lithium ion batteries for use in GM's Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid SUV. Concentrated development efforts begun in January 2006 by Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Systems (JCS) have come to the point where JCS was able to install and display a fully integrated lithium ion battery system in a prototype hybrid-electric SUV at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

Alan Mumby, president and general manager of Johnson Controls hybrid battery business, states: "We are thrilled to be a key player in enabling tomorrow's green technologies". The JCS lithium ion battery laboratory, situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the only dedicated facility in the world focused exclusively on developing lithium ion technology for use in hybrid vehicles.

At least partial funding of the JCS lithium ion battery development project has been provided by the U.S. Department of Energy in furtherance of the Freedom CAR and Fuel Partnership project. The United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) is also a driving force in this effort. USCAR is a development and research effort operating with the combined forces of Americas big three automakers. This all speaks well of our friends in American auto manufacturing. Breathe easy America, they're working on it.

Johnson Controls is advancing in the Global Warming fight originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is written as part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst 2006. Vote for Michael Dell's fall from grace or see other nominees.

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) has had a rocky year. And when Dell has a bad year, you can be sure Michael Dell, its founder, chairman and biggest shareholder, has had a rocky year as well.

Last summer Dell (the company and the man, no doubt) struggled with an embarrassing problem involving exploding laptop batteries. Ultimately, it had to recall more than 4 million laptops that contained batteries made by Sony Corporation (NASDAQ:SNE).

Aside from that expensive little gaffe -- which plagued other laptop manufacturers as well -- Dell also had to confront weak sales in the U.S. Not only does the company face an ongoing fierce price war (heard about those $99 laptops at Wal-Mart, anyone?), but arch rival Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) has been coming on strong. In October, Dell lost its rank as the No. 1 U.S. PC maker to HP.

The company has also been under Securities and Exchange Commission investigation for its accounting and in mid-November had to announce an earnings delay, which pummeled the shares.

Continue reading Best & Worst: Michael Dell's year of burning batteries and SEC problems

Best & Worst: Michael Dell's year of burning batteries and SEC problems originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 09 Dec 2006 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Things had been going well for Sony's shareholders after the appointment of Howard Stringer as the new CEO. But, then things started to fall apart, again.

Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) makes the batteries for the laptops from companies like Dell, which as you know are being recalled due to overheating and fires. Sony is also being damaged by concerned that its new PlayStation 3 will launch late. To complicate the competitive landscape, Microsoft has been updating its XBox gaming system and upping its marketing spending. Sony's shares have dropped from about $53 in late April to $39 yesterday.

Under Mr. Stringer it would appear that little has improved, despite the initial optimism of his appointment. The recent bad news could also hurt the company financially, with the battery recall cost hitting as much as $500 million.

Sony is not longer viewed as the engineering powerhouse it once was, introducing innovative products virtually every year. That mantle seems to have passed to Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).

With Sony on a spiral down, perhaps Apple will learn something about the road ahead.

Douglas McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

Sony losing the innovation game under Stringer: A lesson for Apple originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Oct 2006 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not too long ago Apple Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced a recall of Powerbook and iBook batteries. The laptops were fairly new, and the cost of replacing so many batteries had some pundits wondering if that would negatively hit Apple's stock price. The story spread throughout a number of news venues as indications of stormy waters ahead for Apple.

But the problem was with Sony-made battery packs. Apple's quality control just happened to be the first to pick up on the problem, and the first to suffer the bad news.

Now the issue is spreading throughout the laptop manufacturers. Today Lenovo announced that it was recalling 357,000 laptops batteries worldwide that posed a fire hazard to customers. These are batteries in both IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad and T series laptops sold between Feburary 2005 and September 2006.

Dell also recalled batteries at the same time as Apple did, with cost estimates for the exploding battery replacement swap being in the area of a quarter of a billion dollars. Toshiba is now also starting to exchange Sony batteries.

No doubt the greatest impact will be on Sony Corporation (NYSE: SNE) and its close relationship with these major computer manufacturers. Though Sony produces a massive product line, it will have to work hard to mend fences. And also hope that no one catches fires and sues them.

Laptop battery recalls spread to other computer companies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Apple fire in Japan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Aug 2006 01:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How many reports of overheating lithium laptop batteries must we hear before airport security agents start cracking down on my Dell Inspiron or your Apple MacBook? Sure, the damage intended by terrorists from a seemingly innocuous-looking bottle of liquid would be terrible. But today's reports of overheating -- and in some cases, spontaneously combusting -- laptop batteries brought the considerable specter of an exploding laptop at 30,000 feet.

"Most of the incidents reported to the CPSC occurred around the home, but transportation-safety officials have become increasingly concerned about the threat of a laptop causing a catastrophic fire aboard a commercial jetliner," said the AP version of the report. The New York Times article brought up a fire in the overhead bin of a Lufthansa jet while on the runway in Chicago (no one has confirmed whether or not this battery was housed in a Dell laptop).

With Apple recalling MacBooks because of overheating in June, I have to wonder: how is it that shampoo is verboten, but a potentially flammable laptop can proceed on the plane, to huddle on the floor with all the other laptops, cell phones, Blackberries and illiquid snacks? Investors' minds clearly weren't going where mine is, with Dell down 1.41% in after-hours trading, Apple up a bit, and after-hours quotes unavailable for American Airlines and Delta.

Next up in airports: don't bring your Dell or MacBook? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Aug 2006 20:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Dell recalling 4+ million laptop batteries: who's to blame?

Dell recalling 4+ million laptop batteries: who's to blame? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Aug 2006 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.