According to the report, the new $1 billion dollar data facility that Apple has built and is expected to start using this spring, is one of the worst offenders in the world when it comes to power consumption, both in terms of sheer volume of power required, and in how clean that energy is. The facility will use as much as 100 MW of electricity when it opens, according to Greenpeace, which is the same as around 80,000 homes in the U.S., or 250,000 in the E.U. That energy comes from a grid that uses less than five percent clean energy, with the rest coming from dirty sources that Greenpeace sees as most ecologically harmful and dangerous, like coal and nuclear.

Apple data center choices led to it receiving the lowest clean energy index of all companies rated, with just a 6.7 percent rating. Yahoo topped the list with 55.9 percent clean energy, while Google and Amazon also ranked highly with 36.4 and 26.8 percent, respectively. Apple at least received a higher score in the categories of transparency and mitigation strategy, however, beating out other companies near the bottom like Facebook and Twitter.

Greenpeace acknowledges that in many ways cloud computing can save energy (like by replacing physical disc-based purchases with digital downloads, as Katie mentioned yesterday), but it also advises that focusing on efficiency runs the risk of ignoring the impact of clean vs. dirty energy, which is still a crucial component missing from the tech sector’s sustainability efforts.

Accounting for the energy impact of IT is tricky, as Greenpeace points out in its report, so making too much of these numbers at first blush probably isn’t advisable. Apple also actually hasn’t even started using its N.C. data center, so it’s entirely possible that the estimated energy picture Greenpeace used won’t accurately reflect the in-use figures. But the point is well made that cloud computing’s impact needs to be taken into account when we consider the footprint of tech companies, especially as it moves towards becoming the dominant computing model.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• HP’s Latest Ambitions: Connectivity is Key, but so is Differentiation
• Clean Energy and the Cloud, Redux
• Ignore Greenpeace: The iPad Isn’t Bad News for Green IT

Users simply upload a report to a database monitored by board employees. A report can include a photo taken with your device, and information about the water level, flow rate, and how much trash there is present, in addition to information about your location automatically shared by your iPhone. Any required info can be entered via buttons, so there’s no laborious typing involved unless you want to add a comment. A “Definitions” button provides the scale by which conditions may be measured, cutting down on the level of guesswork involved.

The app stores a history of your reports locally, and also provides a map that’s updated with observations as they come in, so you can see if someone else has already reported similar conditions in your immediate area.

IBM designed the app to make it as easy as possible for local residents and visitors to contribute productively to the management of the state’s ecosystem, and to do so without any expert knowledge. The tech firm noted that contaminated water is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, beating out crime and war, according to a UN study. According to Christine Robson of IBM’s research division (speaking to InformationWeek), the app is a great example of the ecological good that can come from crowdsourcing:

Creek Watch lets the average citizen contribute to the health of their water supply — without PhDs, chemistry kits and a lot of time. Harnessing the crowdsourced data movement for a cause people care about is a win-win-win for citizens, local water boards, and IBM’s desire to solve big data challenges.

If this experiment works, it could have huge potential for use in the U.S. and abroad. Waterway monitoring is expensive, and local, state and national preservation agencies just don’t have the resources available to adequately cover that much ground. Putting even basic monitoring duties in the hands of concerned citizens, and eliminating technological and knowledge barriers that might otherwise prevent them from participating, could result in major progress in our guardianship of our crucial freshwater resources.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• Report: Cleantech’s Third-Quarter Growing Pains
• EPRI’s Solar Power Phrasebook — a Guide for Future Communications
• Four Reasons to Watch for Power Line Communications

According to Apple, the charger sets a new industry standard for lowering standby power usage by sensing when its batteries have achieved a full charge and then automatically reducing its power consumption. Each charger comes with six high-performance AA NiMH batteries with an estimated lifespan of up to 10 years per battery. With six batteries,  you should be able to power your wireless keyboard, new Magic Trackpad, and still have two replacements left at full charge. It’s worth noting, though, that the first generation of the aluminum wireless keyboard actually requires three AA batteries.

Apple’s sales pitch offers us the chance to “..finally break the cycle of buying and disposing of those toxic, single-use alkaline batteries.” This is undoubtedly the natural continuation of Apple’s ongoing effort to improve its image as an environmentally responsible company. Energy efficiency has been one of the company’s primary avenues for reducing the impact its products have on the environment.

While scoring relatively well in the most recent Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics for efforts to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals in its products, Apple still took some knocks for waste and energy. Whenever it builds a product with an internal battery, Apple goes to great length to ensure it’s the most efficient it possibly can be in the space available. I suppose it’s only natural, then, that it has now extended that design philosophy to batteries that are removable as well.

Once per quarter, international environmental advocacy agency Greenpeace releases its Guide to Greener Electronics, which ranks gadget and computer makers on their efforts to be more ecologically minded. Last time around, Apple had managed only a ninth place finish in October of last year. For this inaugural 2010 survey, it jumps four spots to fifth overall.

Apple’s score didn’t increase that much, going from 4.9 to 5.1, but some of its competitors did very poorly over the period covered by the rankings, according to Greenpeace’s analysis. What Apple did manage to do was to actually act in a way that was much more environmentally friendly than previous attempts, despite actually moving backwards in its attempts to educate the public about its ecological efforts.

According to Greenpeace’s detailed evaluation, the redesign of the environmental information portion of Apple’s website actually provides less information than before, which counts against it according to the rating criteria the organization has established:

Apple loses a point for providing even less information (on its updated web-pages) about its supply chain communications than before. This criterion evaluates disclosure of information flow in the supply chain. Apple also loses a point for minimal information about its future toxic chemical phase-out plans, reducing its communication on this subject on its updated web-pages.

In terms of practical steps taken to lessen the impact of its actual products on the environment, though, Apple did very well:

Apple does best on the toxic chemicals criteria, where it scores most of its points. It scores substantially less on waste and energy. In this evaluation, Apple wins and loses some points on toxic chemicals, but gains on energy. All Apple products are now free of PVC and BFRs, with the exception of PVC-free power cords in countries where their safety certification process is still ongoing.

The four companies ahead of Apple on the ratings scale are Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Philips. That means that Apple is second among computer makers overall. Nintendo, Microsoft and Lenovo occupy the three bottom spots on the chart, with Microsoft slipping this year for a failure to support strong chemicals legislation. Apple is the only company to have earned four stars in Greenpeace’s new supplemental ratings chart regarding the elimination of harmful chemicals.

Every time these rankings are released, people tend to take issue with Greenpeace’s methods and motivations, and generally naysay the value of the guide. It may be true that Greenpeace has a very clear political aim, but I really don’t think provoking some sense of accountability in consumer-facing electronics companies is really a bad thing, even if you disagree with the methodology involved.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce

Browsing through this gift guide you’ll find a handpicked selection of some of the most luxurious Apple-related items from across the globe. There’s something for everyone, from a handmade iPod case and chic designer MacBook sleeve for her, to a solar powered iPod dock and OS X-themed photo frame for him.

So it’s time to forget that last minute flurry of festive purchases and set aside your gift hunting woes as you browse the alternative Apple gift guide.

Hard Graft’s 2UNFOLD Laptop Bag ($564)

One of the most luxurious items in the gift guide, each limited edition 2UNFOLD is assembled in Italy, individually handmade and numbered. The bag is immaculately constructed but also fervently utilitarian: with a few simple folds it can be re-configured from backpack to shoulderbag, briefcase to clutch. There’s room for a couple of Monocle back issues alongside, of course, ample space for your 13″, 15″ or even 17″ MacBook.

ReNu’s Solar Powered iPod Dock (from $199)

Unlike other iPod docks, this one makes use of ReNu’s solar module, charging your iPhone or iPod by harnessing the power of the sun. After charging up using this elegant device, you’re also left with that warm smugness that can only come from being environmentally friendly. If you’ve got this item in mind for the Christmas season, potential purchasers should note that the docks are set to ship in February 2010. However, order now and you can take advantage of ReNu’s early supporter price.

Byrd & Belle’s Felt and Leather iPhone Case ($19)

Handmade from soft wool felt, these cases are a classic look ideal for both guys and girls. The soft felt outer and cotton fabric inner will protect your precious iPhone from dust and scratches while the hand-dyed leather strap will make sure it’s always secure inside the case. Byrd & Belle’s iPhone cases are produced in limited runs. If there’s none left in stock it’s worth checking out the other beautiful items available in their store too, all worthy additions to any Apple connoisseur’s collection.

ThinkGeek’s Image.jpg Photo Frame ($24.99)

This clever photo frame mixes digital with analog. Styled after OS X’s Aqua aesthetic, the Image.jpg photo frame is a quirky item that’s sure to draw attention to whatever photo it happens to be housing. As ThinkGeek point out, it’s totally analog, which means no registering and no software updates — just slide a photo in to the wooden frame and you’re good to go.

Mulberry for Apple (from $180)

If there’s a lady in your life who’s looking for a true taste of British style then Mulberry’s new range of Apple bags, cases and clutches may be the perfect gift. Established in 1971, Mulberry has moved with the times ensuring that its items always stay fashion-forward while capturing the original essence of the brand. Highlights of the Mulberry for Apple range include the chic Drew sleeve for the 15″ MacBook and the Bayswater Mini Messenger clutch for iPhone.

iamhuman’s MacBook Covers (from $30)

With MacBook’s becoming a mainstream notebook, it’s becoming increasingly important that we’re able to give our digital companions a twist of individuality. This brand new range from iamhuman offsets the generic stylings of your MacBook with a natural finish. Alongside a range of textile covers, made from materials such as denim, there’s also a premium range created from the finest rosewood, ebony and cork.

Twelve South’s Bookarc ($49.99)

The BookArc is a neat solution for keeping your MacBook in pride of place on your desktop while giving you the clarity of thought that a clutter-free workspace brings. Your MacBook can be placed comfortably and securely in the BookArc. All the ports and plugs are still accessible too. For those looking to spread a little clarity throughout their workspace, the BookArc is available at a discounted rate as a 6-pack.

The Griffin + Threadless Collection ($34.99)

Threadless, purveyor of fine t-shirts, has collaborated with Griffin to create a pair of iPhone cases which simultaneously protect and ooze cool. The first design, entitled Birds of a Feather, comes in white while the second, Clouds within Thunder, is a dazzling hipster yellow. Both designs are available as t-shirts too, presenting the possibility of an excellent combination gift. The cases themselves are snap-on shells, protecting from scratches, dust and, according to Threadless, boringness too.

Instructables’ Sewable iPod Remote (DIY)

Getting your hands dirty with a DIY gift might not immediately sound like the most luxurious prospect but there’s nothing quite as classy as creating your own handmade item. This ten-minute tutorial, available from Instructables, walks you through creating a delightful Hello Kitty iPod remote. You’ll need a basic grasp of electronics and a dash of confidence too but making this yourself means that you can give someone special a genuine one-off piece with a personal twist.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era

Apple is putting a lot of emphasis on its “green” initiatives lately. But is it the real deal?

For example, Apple’s new energy efficiency page says that because 53 percent of Apple’s greenhouse gas emissions are a result of the power its products consume, it’s designing these products to be as energy efficient as possible employing three strategies to reduce energy consumption: more efficient power supplies, components that require less power, and power management software. Every new Mac is claimed to meet the strict low-power requirements of the Energy Star specification.

However, the operative questions are how much does “green computing” matter to consumers, and whether corporate marketing of “green” IT devices amounts to more image-spinning than substance.

Only the Bare Minimum?

Some critics, such as MacNewsWorld’s Rob Enderle accuse Apple of doing the “barest minimum necessary” to justify its “green” claims — indeed less than its major competitors, but viewed pragmatically that’s a sensible approach because based on his research into the matter, in Enderle’s view Apple’s customers mostly don’t care. Is that an accurate assessment, or exaggeratedly jaundiced? After all, environmentalist poster boy Al Gore sits on Apple’s board of directors.

Enderle claims that Apple tried to ignore green computing entirely until the eco-activist organization Greenpeace began relentlessly slagging the company as an environmental foot-dragger and laggard.

Addressing Apple’s Environmental Footprint

Apple’s website highlights several key areas in which it’s addressing its environmental footprint, citing engineering innovations such as the unibody MacBooks, whose light, fully recyclable housing is sculpted from a single billet of aluminum, and the lightness of the current iMacs which contain less than 20 pounds of materials.

Apple also claims to be at the industry forefront in eliminating toxic chemicals, such as arsenic, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), mercury, phthalates, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from its products.

Cupertino has reduced packaging bulk, and, somewhat questionably in my view, bundles fewer peripherals with its systems, which arguably has some minimal environmental benefit, but also saves Apple a fair bit of money while diminishing value to the consumer of what is a premium-priced product.

Diminishing Value for Minimal Environmental Benefit

For example, the new WallStreet PowerBook I bought in 1999 came with video, Ethernet, and modem cables and a decent hard copy manual. To connect the unibody MacBook I bought this year to an external monitor I need one of several varieties of Mini DisplayPort adapters, have to supply my own Ethernet cable, was obliged to buy a USB modem, and documentation amounted to a quick start pamphlet. Environmental sensibilities notwithstanding, I don’t perceive this as progress.

Apple’s claims of cleaning up its environmental footprint act do have substance in terms of operational energy consumption. One reason using laptops has long appealed to me is that because they must be able to operate on battery power, they’re engineered for energy efficiency. However, even Apple’s mass market desktops have very decent energy consumption profiles these days, with iMacs reportedly using about as much energy as a 60-watt lightbulb, and Mac minis substantially less than that.

How Much Does the Average Mac-buyer Care?

But how much does the average Mac-buyer care? I’ve been almost exclusively a laptop user for the past 13 years, but even back when I used desktops, I almost always shut them down if I would be away from the keyboard for a half-hour or more. My observation was that most people were inclined to just leave their computers up and running all day, and even in many instances all night as well.

My inference, not only in the context of personal computers and other IT devices, is that while people like to think of themselves as being “green” and environmentally conscientious, their resolve tends to flag quickly when reducing their personal environmental footprint begins to involve more than minimal inconvenience and/or significantly increased cost, so that for many a commitment to “greenness” is heavier on politically correct rhetoric and feel-good exercises that let one imagine they’re “doing something” virtuous to save the planet with empty symbolic gestures rather than substantive behavior changes, like, say, taking fewer showers or washing clothes less often, or shutting off (or sleeping) their computer when not using it.

A Pew Research study found the average North American’s definition of what constitutes “necessity” these days includes a car (91 percent), washer (90 percent), dryer (83 percent), home air conditioning (83 percent), microwave (68 percent), TV (64 percent), car air conditioning (59 percent), and home computers (51 percent). Substantial minorities also included cell phone (49 percent), dishwasher (35 percent), cable or satellite TV (33 percent), and high-speed Internet (29 percent), and a few even considered a flat screen TV (5 percent) and an iPod (3 percent) “necessities.”

Am I being overly cynical? How much do Apple’s and the other computer-makers’ green efforts impact your buying intentions and user behavior?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce

AT&T customers can finally get their multimedia messaging on come the end of September, according to a company spokesman speaking to TUAW’s Mel Martin today. The official go-live date is Sept. 25, which falls only a tad short of the company’s original late summer prediction for the service.

Spokesman Brad Mays ascribes the lateness of MMS’ arrival to the unmatched size of AT&T’s iPhone user base. The U.S. provider does have far more subscribers than any other carrier globally, and its network has shown signs of strain already. No doubt significant infrastructure build or reconfiguration was required to enable MMS support.

MMS will be enabled via a carrier settings software update on Sept. 25, which users will be able to download by connecting their iPhone to iTunes and approving the update when prompted. No actual iPhone firmware update should be required at that time.

Mays also comments briefly on tethering, but sadly, only to dash your hopes, my American friends:

As for tethering, by its nature, this function could exponentially increase traffic on the network, and we need to ensure that some of our current upgrades are in place before we can deliver the expanded functionality with the excellent performance that customers expect. We expect to offer tethering in the future.

Well, maybe not dash exactly, but definitely forestall indefinitely. The activation of MMS will likely act as a test for AT&T to see just how much pressure its network can sustain at this point, so it would be unwise for it to make any solid predictions about when it’ll be able to offer tethering until those results are in.

Check out TUAW’s post for the full-length press release from Mays.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Mobile Q4: All Eyes Were on Android, 4G and the Rising Tablet Tide
• Report: A Mobile Video Market Overview
• In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big Stories

These days, “going green” is all the rage. So it should be no surprise to anyone that “green” apps for the iPhone are, ahem, sprouting up all over.

I wonder though, with green-ness being such a trendy topic, are some developers just using the term as marketing? I gathered up the greenest apps I could find for my iPhone to see how much they might help me save the planet — and to see if they are true to the cause. The following are my findings.

Tips

I’m not the New Age, environmentally conscious type. Don’t get me wrong, I try to do the right things, but I’m not immersed in the movement, so to speak. But it’s my assumption that knowing how to do good for the environment is a combination of common sense and remembering the lessons taught on “Sesame Street.” In case you missed out on one or both of these key elements, the App Store carries a few free apps that give you tips for taking better care of the world around you.

• Go Green (free)
  Displays a tip each time you launch it. That’s it. I came across a useful tip or two that I hadn’t considered before.
• Green Tips (free)
  Displays a tip at launch. Hit the refresh button for more tips (though there are not many to cycle through). Email them off if you find them to be especially helpful — I didn’t.
• The Green Lemur (free)
  By far the most full-featured of these three. Search, add tips to favorites, or browse by category. I did find some interesting ideas here as well.

Measuring Up

What does your carbon footprint look like? How can you whittle down your personal impact on the environment, and maybe even put some extra green in your pocket at the same time? Glad you asked! While the following apps each have their own focus, each of them can help you figure out an answer to these questions. The best part is that if you truly give them a chance, you could start saving yourself some money while also lessening your impact on the environment.

• MeterRead ($2.99)
  Somewhat manual in usage (but then, no one said saving the planet would be easy!), use MeterRead to log your electric meter’s reading. You can log your readings and use them to predict your electrical consumption, and thus, your upcoming bill. Try to be more efficient, and maybe the next time you check the meter, your readings will hit below the projected usage. (More info on their site.)
• greenMeter ($5.99)
  My favorite of the bunch. Uses the accelerometer to determine the drag and resistance of your car/driving habits in real time. There are several usage meters to monitor, though real-time MPG has been my favorite. Really helps tune your driving for better efficiencies and fewer pointless emissions. (More info on their site.)
• shopgreen (free)
  By title, this doesn’t sound like it fits here, but it does. To use the app, just answer some questions about how you maintain your life. Answers that are good for the environment are tallied (like air-drying your clothes, or changing the furnace air filter), and the amount of CO2 you’ve saved is calculated. As a bonus, the CO2 savings gets you discounts at local, participating retailers for your efforts.

Shop Till You Drop

Shopping is shopping. If these weren’t free, I’d accuse them of capitalizing on the eco-friendly iPhone users. But they’re really just apps that help you find relevant retail locations nearby. I suppose if you used them to plan your route ahead of time, you’d put out fewer emissions driving back and forth.

• 3rdWhale (free)
  Much like other location-aware shopping apps (and dare I say, Google Maps?) 3rdWhale finds you businesses nearby (select walking, biking, or driving distances). So what makes it green? The resulting businesses are supposedly eco-friendly, allowing you to patronize those taking care of the world around us.
• Yowza! (free)
  Not yet out, Yowza! presents one of the more interesting ideas of the bunch. Also location aware, it brings up coupons for retailers nearby. So not only could it save you some cash, but it’s claim is that you can use the digital coupon right on your phone’s screen, rather than printing more paper that will just get tossed out.

Conclusion

In my experience, I wouldn’t say any of these are playing the “green” card for profit — they are all legitimately taking their own shot at saving the environment. Despite some being far less useful than others, (your mileage may vary, of course) their cause is still noble. If you’re thinking it’s time to give something back to Mother Earth, it can’t hurt to give any of these apps a try.

And of course, if you’ve got the goods on a green app that I missed here that’s made a difference for you, please share!

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• A 2011 Green IT Forecast
• Green IT’s Q4 Winners: Wind Power, Solar Power, Smart Energy
• Big Data, ARM and Legal Troubles Transformed Infrastructure in Q4

The iPhone is a lot of things to a lot of people. You can control your home, buy movie tickets, track projects, play games, and more. Now, you can also use it to help the environment. A Real Tree, a recent addition to the App Store, offers users a chance to use their iPhone or iPod touch to give back, in what could be the first in a wave of charitable apps.

Mokugift, the developers of A Real Tree, designed their application to stand in stark contrast to the much-publicized I Am Rich application, a vanity app which offered no utility and carried a very high price tag. A Real Tree also offers limited utility, in terms of adding functions to your iPhone, but that’s where the similarities end. The app is inexpensive, costing only $0.99, and it is designed not to show your wealth or massive ego, but instead your generosity. Using revenue generated by app sales, A Real Tree plants real trees in areas significantly threatened by deforestation, making it possibly the most appropriately named application available in the App Store. There is a one-to-one ratio of app purchases and trees planted, so the idea is simple…you buy the app, they plant a tree.

The real purpose of the app is clearly the real world tree planting, but it does have some features as well. Starting A Real Tree results in an animation of a tree growing, and then brings you to a screen where you can click a Safari link to view the existing forest. Mokugift tracks purchases of the app, and displays a running total of trees planted on their website, along with a visual map of where the real world trees are planted. The countries that receive trees bought through the app’s sales are Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burundi, Senegal, Zambia, India, Philippines, and Haiti. Each is located near the equator, in tropical regions where deforestation has the most significant effect on global warming. Clicking on the tree image on the app’s home page will also start a short animation of a bird flying in and around the tree. Mokugift promises additional features in future updates.

The model is simple, and has shown some early success (nearly 100 trees have been planted so far), so it could attract the attention of similar organizations. LIVESTRONG.COM previously released their Calorie Tracker app, but it’s designed to simply heighten brand awareness, whereas A Real Tree is attempting to actually generate charitable revenue. The iPhone/iPod touch platform is a good place for this sort of thing for a couple reasons. First, overhead is low. Developing a simple iPhone app and submitting it to the App Store is not expensive, especially when compared to the cost of things like mailing and door-to-door campaigns. Second, iPhone/iPod touch users are a good demographic to go after, if you’re looking for charitable donations. They’re more likely to have disposable income, and as we’ve recently seen, they’re generally comfortable with marketing on their devices, and with buying and downloading applications of all kinds. Let’s hope A Real Tree begins a trend of socially responsible iPhone/iPod touch development.

A Real Tree is $0.99 in the App Store.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Mobile Q4: All Eyes Were on Android, 4G and the Rising Tablet Tide
• Report: A Mobile Video Market Overview
• In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big Stories

Their environment page states, albeit in a typically corporate way, a commitment to creating ‘green’ gadgets:

Apple recognizes its responsibility as a global citizen and is continually striving to reduce the environmental impact of the work we do and the products we create.

The new U.S. ad campaign was launched on Monday night, and is coupled with a new page on the Apple site providing more environmental information. Not only is it the first TV spot Apple has released heralding environmental progress with their products, but it marks the start of any major campaign for the new MacBook lineup.

The Achievements

Some of the features of the new MacBooks which Apple is pushing include:

• Arsenic-free glass
• Brominated flame retardant-free
• Mercury-free
• PVC-free
• 41% smaller packaging
• Highly recyclable aluminum and glass enclosures

While Apple has been praised by many for the progress with their notebook line, work has still to be done on their lineup of desktop machines. Any mention of the environment is suspiciously absent from their iMac and Mac Pro pages. I’m confident that the next incarnations of these products will be promoted in the same way, marking the transition of Apple’s whole line to environmentally friendly materials (no doubt coupled with a glossy press photo showing each machine with a nature-themed wallpaper).

Advertising Focus

This new advert raises the topic of what product features Apple has a history of pushing in advertising. Recent campaigns have focused around the Mac’s superiority to Vista (and, judging by the number of “I’m a Mac” ads created, this is faring well for them). iPhone ads have similarly focused on the sheer range of features available in the software.

It’s difficult to judge exactly what consumers demand in a notebook, but I would think that the ground-breaking features in OS X have a great deal more advertising sway than pushing the environmental aspect of new MacBooks. I’m sure the new ads will compel some people to make the switch to Mac, but I don’t think they’ll be running on a long term basis.

The Latest TV Ad

This is a video of the latest TV advert, promoting a selection of environmental features in the new MacBook:

Do you think this is a wise route for Apple to take with their ad campaigning?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce
• What Google’s Honeycomb Means for Apple and Microsoft

GoodGuide‘s recently released application for the iPhone provides you with instant access to their 65,000+ strong database of safe, green, and healthy products.

Deemed the “world’s largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental and social performance of everyday products and companies,” this is a great resource for those looking to avoid the abundance of chemicals we are constantly bombarding our bodies with, as well as be more environmentally conscious.

Their product descriptions give you an in-depth look at why the items received the scores they did, for reasons like “has no ingredients listed as skin or respiratory irritants” and “company has a low score in ethical policies and performance.” It also gives you a list of ingredients to avoid in product categories. For example, in colognes you should avoid oxybenzone and eugenol.

The app allows you to quickly check product reviews, ratings, and also find safer alternatives to what you may be buying. The ease of use is so great that you could actually use it while you’re in the store aisle, product in hand. If you have an account, you can create a personalized shopping list, making it easy to keep focused on what you need to pick up, or an “Avoid List” of items you don’t ever want to buy.

Currently, GoodGuide only covers personal care and household cleaning products, but they will eventually expand to include food, toys, and more to give you a better handle on the world of consumerism.

If you don’t have an iPhone though, you’re not left out in the smoke. GoodGuide also has an SMS service that allows you to text the type of product, product name, or UPC to get the same information the iPhone app provides, albiet not as elegantly.

GoodGuide is available for free via the iTunes store. The SMS service is also free, outside of your mobile provider’s SMS fees.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Mobile Q4: All Eyes Were on Android, 4G and the Rising Tablet Tide
• Report: A Mobile Video Market Overview
• In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big Stories

Consumers may be perceiving Apple as a more ecologically friendly company than they actually are, according to a new report by marketing research firm TDG.

Results of a survey of randomly selected participants found that roughly 30% believed Apple was the most environmentally friendly tech brand, with Dell and HP the next most popular choices, at 21% and 15% respectively.  The results are somewhat baffling, since Apple does not do nearly as much as some other companies to paint themselves as a so-called “green” company.

Survey participants were also just plain wrong about Apple.  While it has recently improved its standings in Greenpeace’s “Guide to Green Electronics,” it still falls behind Dell and HP based on the environmental organization’s comprehensive ranking system.  In the inaugural study in August of 2006, Jobs’ baby scored a paltry 2.7 out of a possible 10.  September 2008′s results saw Apple’s score climb to 4.1, which is still behind LG, Toshiba, Dell and HP.  Apple was listed as having improved in some categories, but still isn’t quite up to snuff on energy management and recycling.

So how does Apple get to be the greenest without actually getting the best scores or engineering their image through huge green-specific ad campaigns?  According to the author of the TDG study, Michael Greeson:

Chalk it up to effective marketing and the brand’s aura of simplicity in both design and usage.  In today’s market, aesthetics in branding and design matter when it comes to portraying a pro-environment message. Independent of whether Apple’s products and services are actually environmentally friendly, consumers perceive them as such. While other CE vendors may have to invest a fortune to improve their green image, Apple doesn’t seem to have this problem.

In other words, Apple’s branding seems to be subtly, inherently green.  It’s true that consumers tend to to cluster environmental responsibility with contemporary, clean, simple brands.  Apple is perhaps the best example in computer electronics, but Ikea demonstrates the same effect in the home furnishing sector.

When marketing trend analysts, and even some environmentalists, are forecasting an end to the effectiveness of green marketing, Apple may represent the green company of the future.  Commercials with voiceovers about carbon emission reduction are beginning to fall on deaf ears, but a company that appears casually environmental seems to strike a chord with those resistant to the in-your-face approach.  So how best to capitalize on this consumer misconception?  Bottom line is that Apple should just continue doing what they do, offering more services like iPod battery disposal and reducing their ecological footprint, but without showing off.  It’s the “Meh” approach to green marketing, and it sure seems to beat wrapping everything in bamboo.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• The Public Cloud Will Dominate Enterprise IT — One Day
• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era