2009 March | Sunrise Packaging Blog

Archive for March, 2009

Flash Memory Cards: Which Are Right For You?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Flash memory cards are used for a wide variety of electronic devices, including digital cameras, camcorders, PDA’s, organizers, cell phones, mp3 players, and digital picture frames. There is also a wide selection of flash memory card formats, so how do you know which card will work best for you?

Flash memory cards range in different sizes for different devices, as well as in memory capacity that can be stored. Here are some of the types available:

Secure Digital (SD) Memory Cards. These cards come in three different physical sizes: SD, miniSD, and microSD. The SD cards are typically used in most digital cameras, video cameras, mp3 players, and digital picture frames. The miniSD and microSD are used in smaller devices, such as cell phones. They can be used with an adapter to fit in an SD slot. These are available in three different storage capacities:Standard SD (up to 2GB), High-Capacity SDHC (4GB or higher), or the new eXtended Capacity (32GB-2TB).
CompactFlash (CF) Memory Cards. These cards are used with high-end digital cameras and digital SLR cameras. They are available in capacities up to 48GB.
Memory Sticks. These cards can only be used with Sony digital cameras and other compatible Sony electronic devices. They are available in capacities up to 16GB.
xD Picture Cards. These cards are used in newer Olympus and Fuji digital cameras, Olympus digital voice recorders, and Fuji mp3 players. They are available in capacities up to 2GB.

You need to make sure that the card that you choose is compatible with your electronic device. Another major thing to take into consideration is how much storage space you need. The number of megapixels the camera has, the resolution of pictures being taken, and the amount of pictures you want to be able to take will determine the memory storage capacity that you will need. If you are recording videos, you will definitely need a memory card with a higher capacity to be able to store longer, high-quality videos.

Whichever flash memory card you use, Sunrise can create for you custom packaging or stock flash memory cases that will store and protect your cards. Not only will high-quality packaging help display and increase the perceived value of your flash memory devices, but it could also prevent loss or damage.

Tags:CF cards, CompactFlash, custom packaging, digital cameras, digital videos, Flash Memory, flash memory cards, flash memory cases, flash memory packaging, memory cards, Memory Stick, SD Cards, SD memory cards, Secure Digital, Sony Memory Stick, usb packaging, xD cards
Posted in Custom Packaging Products, Media Packaging, New Products | No Comments »

Happy Birthday CD!

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Yesterday marked the 30th birthday of the Compact Disc. On March 8th, 1979, Royal Philips Electronics exhibited a prototype of what we now know as the CD. Since then, over 240 billion CDs have been sold. The introduction of the CD also paved the way for videogame discs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs.

To celebrate this historic landmark, IEEE, the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology, presented Philips with the IEEE Milestone Award for their role in the development of the CD.

The CD was truly a revolutionary idea. Not only are CDs much smaller than their predecessor, the cassette tape, they are more convenient and have a much higher quality playback. They completely transformed the way audio, video, and computing was done.

Although some believe that CDs are being pushed out of the way for digital files and mp3s, CDs have brought us a long way and aren’t disappearing yet. Many prefer having a physical disc, rather than storing everything on the computer. And don’t forget about videogames, DVDs, and the new Blu-Ray format. The world is not letting go of discs anytime soon. So to this we say, “Happy Birthday CD!”

Tags:audio disc, birthday, Blu-Ray, CD, CD cases, CD packaging, compact disc, DVD, DVD cases, IEEE Milestone Award, mp3s, Philips, video disc
Posted in Product Information | No Comments »

Earthcycle Biodegradable Packaging Alternative

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Even though many forms of plastic packaging are now recyclable, hardly any are actually being recycled. According to a study by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in 2003, out of the 11.9 million tons of plastic packaging in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream, only 1.06 million tons were actually recycled. That comes to about 8.9 percent that is recycled.

Earthcycle wanted to come up with a form of packaging that did not require recycling, but was biodegradable. They made their packaging alternative from a renewable resource called palm fiber, which is a waste product that is disposed of when the palm fruit is harvested throughout the year for its oil. Palm fiber used to be incinerated or landfilled, which brought negative impacts. Now Earthcycle’s natural packaging alternative can biodegrade into a healthy addition for the soil in a compost pile.

Earthcycle came up with a line of sturdy packages for fresh produce to protect your fruits and vegetables. The packaging is biodegradable, but you do not have to worry about it falling apart on you. The packaging is strong and water resistant. Among some of the cover options are a compostable NatureFlex film, recyclable plastic lid, or a reusable netting.

There are many options available for green packaging. Whether using recyclable paper/plastics or biodegradable materials, you can know that you are doing your part for the environment with sustainable living.

Tags:biodegradable, Earthcycle, eco packaging, Eco-Friendly, environmentally-friendly, green packaging, natural packaging, palm fiber, renewable resource, reusable
Posted in Eco-Friendly | 1 Comment »

Fun With Thumb Drives

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

USB drives, jump drives, flash memory devices, etc. are becoming more and more popular. And we all love their portability and ever-increasing memory capacities.

Jump drives are typically rectangular in shape. Their average size is around 2.75” x .75” x .25”. They typically come in, black, white, red, or blue. They range in memory capacity from very small (64Mb) to very large 64 Gb and growing every day.

As we have mentioned before, there are almost unlimited uses for external memory, and jump drives are used by almost everyone. So with the proliferation of USB drives, some creative folks have had some fun with designing flash memory. One site, USB Geek, offers some really creative jump drives:

We do call them thumb drives, right?

Do you know a doctor, nurse or health care worker… How about a capsule shaped drive:

And for foodies, there are is a smorgasbord of choices:

And yes, they offer standard stick style drives in a variety of colors:

Here’s a blog that shows more creative USB drives and another blog with even more styles.

And when you need to package SD Cards or USB Drives, don’t forget to call Sunrise to hear about the variety of options available to you. We can help you make creative packaging to go with your creative flash memory devices.

Tags:creative packaging, flash memory packaging, Jump Drive Packaging, SD Card Packaging, USB Drive Packaging
Posted in Custom Packaging Products, New Products, Product Information | No Comments »

2009 DUMP & KEEP Awards for Packaging

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Environment Victoria in Australia announced their National DUMP Awards (Damaging and Useless Materials in Packaging) to draw public and business attention to the negative environmental impact caused by unnecessary packaging. Along with that, they presented their National KEEP Awards (Kerbing the Environmental Effect of Packaging) to spotlight environmentally friendly packaging.

According to their studies, 44 percent of packaging in Australia gets thrown in a landfill, and packaging materials make up 58 percent of litter. The awards were started to acknowledge those doing packaging right and to pressure companies with wasteful packaging to change their ways.

Topping off the DUMP list was the 5 pack of lemons by Coles Supermarkets. Not only is packaging unnecessary for lemons, but they are also using materials that are not environmentally friendly. The lemons were placed in a flexible tray and then surrounded in a flexible wrap. Neither form of packaging was labeled recyclable.

Not all companies were being criticized. Jarrah instant coffee by Associated British Foods ranked high on the KEEP list. Instant coffee used to typically be placed in glass jars, which weighed much more than the product itself. Instead of using a non-recyclable multi-material jar, they switched to a recyclable, single plastic container. They have clearly visible recycling symbols and a perforated line for effortless removal of the label before recycling.

By showcasing the winners of both the DUMP Awards and the KEEP Awards, Environment Victoria is able to both inform consumers about recycling and encourage businesses to use sustainable packaging.

Tags:Coles lemons, DUMP & KEEP Awards, Eco-Friendly, eco-friendly packaging, environmentally-friendly, excessive packaging, Jarrah coffee, packaging, recyclable packaging, recycle, recycling, sustainable packaging
Posted in Eco-Friendly | No Comments »

Tell Us What You Think – March’s Opinion Poll

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

[poll id="11"]

Tags:Sunrise Packaging
Posted in Poll | No Comments »