energy consumption

In-Hohm Advertising: Microsoft's Banking on Ad Revenue From its PowerMeter Competitor

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:48:38 -0400

Hohm may be Microsoft's answer to Google PowerMeter, but unlike PowerMeter, the Microsoft energy management application is a money-making venture. PowerMeter is under the philanthropic Google.org umbrella, while Hohm is part of Microsoft's quest to make advertising revenue an ever-growing part of its business. But will consumers find Hohm compelling enough to use?

How Will Microsoft's Hohm Measure Up to Google's PowerMeter?

Clay Dillow — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:13:13 -0400

Set to launch next week, Microsoft's Hohm, is a Web site designed to help users monitor, and hopefully reduce, their energy consumption.

Tricklestar's Trickleswitch Combats PC Vampire Power

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:02:18 -0400

The Tricklestar PC Standby Power Saver, released in January, promises to reduce household energy use by 12% by automatically cutting off electricity to PC peripherals when your computer is off. Today Tricklestar announced an add-on device to the Power Saver--just in case a 12% slash in energy use isn't enough.

NEC Turns Your Power Consumption into an Online Game

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:50:54 -0400

If the idea of tracking and analyzing your power consumption via a chart makes you want to curl up and die, consider NEC's online energy games. The electronics company's program, currently undergoing a three-month trial in employees' homes, uses a WiFi-enabled device attached to your circuit breaker to keep track of power consumption.

Energy Consumption Gets Social with Tweet-a-Watt

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:37:28 -0400

Energy consumption habits are a private thing--sometimes you just don't want everyone knowing that you have a cell phone charger, computer, external hard drive, and iPod charger all draining energy at the same time you're also playing Xbox on your big-screen TV. But for those of you who are energy voyeurs, there's the Tweet-a-Watt.

WattzOn Labels Try to Constipate Your Consumption

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:58:20 -0400

After washing my hands in the bathroom earlier today at Green:Net, I hesitated and eventually decided against using a paper towel. The reason? A company called WattzOn posted energy consumption facts above the towel dispenser.

Some EU Plasma TVs to Go the Way of the Dodo Bird

Kit Eaton — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:24:11 -0500

Speaking to a newspaper this weekend, government ministers in Britain intend to ban giant flatscreen plasma TVs that don't meet stringent energy efficiency requirements. It sounds draconian, but apparently it's all with the goal of protecting the environment.