On the edge

A new computer designed to be environmentally friendly is available from Tangent Inc.The Evergreen 17 is an ultra-slim, all-in-one touch-screen PC that is environmentally friendly and has extremely low power requirements. The computer is designed to help schools and government entities achieve Green Energy Reduction Initiatives, the company said.The PC has a touch-screen LCD in a space-saving form factor. Its power efficiency at 24 watts is 72 percent less energy usage than Energy Star 4.0 limits. The Evergreen 17 comes with the Via Eden 1.0 GHz (no fan) processor or the ViaC7 1.50 GHz (low-noise fan). The operating system is either Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Embedded for server and Web-based computing. A Linux version is also available. It has a 10/100/1000 Ethernet on board and optional wireless local-area network.The PC can be ordered with an optional solid-state drive to provide a 100 percent solid-state system with no moving parts that could fail. Solid-state drives with as much as 64G of disk space are available as options. Spindle drives in capacities from 60G to 250G are also available. Each Evergreen PC is equipped with a high brightness TFT panel and resistive touch. It weighs 15.8 lbs. and is 2.25 inches deep. Privaris, a provider of biometric identity verification solutions, has introduced new software for administering and enrolling biometric tokens. The new technology works for physical and IT access, which means employees no longer must memorize a Windows password. The company's plusID Manager Version 2.0 supports the company's plusID family of personal identity verification tokens for secure physical and IT access. The plusID Manager Professional Edition simplifies the issuance process for large organizations by offering multiclient support, import and export functionality, more extensive reporting features, and a key server for a more convenient method of securing plusID tokens.The plusID biometric tokens work out-of-the-box with existing card readers at doorways and Microsoft Certificate Services, allowing users to forget about their Windows passwords. Certificate Services is a standard feature of the enterprise version of Windows.Send new product announcements to and type "On the Edge" in the subject line.