Thanks to the dedication of our growing base of customers, we are expanding YouRenew’s footprint and looking for new hires to help us grow our capacity to support the sustainable practices of our customers.

Candidates will have the opportunity to work in an innovative and rapidly changing field, gain experience in electronics handling, and work in an entrepreneurial environment.

The role consists of receiving, testing, and repurposing used electronic devices. Tasks include function testing, data erasing, and cosmetic condition assessing devices, as well as other operations related responsibilities. The position will be based in New Haven, Connecticut.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a resume and cover letter via email to jobs@YouRenew.com.

YouRenew.com believes the highest form of recycling is reuse. It would seem a Japanese artist, Yuma Fujimaki, is of the same philosophy. Mr. Fujimaki has found an original solution to the growing problem of what to do with end of life electronics by starting a business in which he uses old electronics to craft jewelry. The eclectic pieces use every part of old electronic motherboards and peripherals to create some striking pieces of art. He has made rings, necklaces, brooches, and pendants – all out of what would otherwise become e-waste.

Its refreshing to see individuals around the globe attempting to find ways to reduce the millions of tons of used electronics that end up in landfills every year. Please keep in mind before you smash your old iPod to make some new cuff links: Mr. Fujimaki’s venture is relevant only for electronics that no longer work. For those devices that still have life, we unabashedly recommend that You Renew them!

It was recently announced that Walter Isaacson, who has written biographies on Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, will be releasing a biography on Steve Jobs in early 2012. The biography will be based upon three years of interviews with family, colleagues, competitors and, most notably, Jobs himself.

The title: “iSteve: The Book of Jobs”

I could not think of a more appropriate title. Like a Randian protagonist, Jobs’ phenomenal success in business has inspired a cult-like following. He has revolutionized the markets for personal computers, mobile devices, music consumption, animated movies and brought to life a new category of consumer electronics with the iPad (a category that Apple now dominates beyond question). Apple, which he co-founded when he was 21 years old, is now the third largest company in the world.

And his personal hills and valleys should also add a fascinating element to the biography. For instance, his inability to graduate from college, his controversial termination from Apple and his more recent health issues. For a fascinating glimpse into his life I would recommend watching his legendary 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech (I personally like the famous calligraphy story).

There are a lot of Jobs fans at YouRenew so I can assure you that many of us will be reading this biography next year – on iPads.

Yesterday, HTC surpassed Nokia in market valuation. This result is indicative of the exploding smartphone market in which HTC has become a leader.

Part of HTC’s success has stemmed from its ability to produce cool phones that move at lightning speeds and have user friendly touch screens. But what may be even more critical to its growth is its successful adoption of the Google Android operating system.

Fred Wilson, a NYC-based venture capitalist, writes a daily blog that has become popular within the YouRenew office.  This year he has dedicated several posts to explaining why he thinks Android will become the dominant mobile operating system. To his credit, he had predicted Android’s rise back in October, and has so far been right.  (If you have not read his blog, it is insightful and a pleasure to read. I would suggest checking it out.)

But HTC’s success has also been a result of worldwide growth in the smartphone market. While Nokia was making cheap durable phones that were, until recently, popular in the developing world, HTC was producing high-end smartphones like the HTC Incredible. Global shipments of smartphones have grown at more than double the pace of the greater mobile device market according to Gartner (72% and 32% growth, respectively), creating opportunities for HTC as a leader in the smartphone space.

In a previous post, I wrote about the developing world’s current transition to smartphones from cheap phones with no internet access. This has largely been because these countries have an insignificant PC legacy and people in these markets have begun using mobiles as the primary means of accessing the internet. At YouRenew we have seen the growing international demand for used smartphones and do not expect this growth to recede anytime soon.

Nokia has been struggling to compete in the smartphone market, which should make their future uncertain as the rest of the world follows the developed countries in adopting the use of high end devices. The company has noted this weakness and has recently partnered with Microsoft in an attempt to improve their smartphone products.

The Marine Corps is a group known for its resourcefulness and it has once again demonstrated how it has earned the right to boast that ‘Marines make do’.

The Marines have recently re-purposed an inactive landfill to serve as the site for a 1.4 megawatt solar panel installation that will power Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego, CA. It will produce 2,400 megawatt hours each year, or enough energy to power 400 US homes.

The total cost of the project was $9.4 million and is expected to reduce annual energy costs by $336,000 (savings will offset construction costs after 28 years of use).