This week's edutainment is a short clip about electronic devices that keep on consuming power while they are on standby.

There is some controversy about this, as there are those who are of the opinion that switching devices totally on and off actually reduces the lifespan of those appliances. And the environmental cost of replacing those devices would add up to more than the vampire energy consumed over the lifetime of the devices' use.

I'm not sure about all this. Singaporeans are so obsessed with new things and gadgets that most of our stuff never reaches their maximum lifespan. We replace things long before they are worn out. So, the lifespan reduction argument only works if most people in the country use their stuff until they absolutely cannot work any more. Look around at all our handphones. Anyone still carrying a monochrome screen non-camera mobile phone which were still common in 2003? (Military personnel excepted. Then again, their non-camera phones probably have a colour screen at very least.)

One thing I am sure of: we should switch off devices when not in use. Fans, lights, air-con, water heaters etc.

Whoops... I seem to have strayed away from edtech.