power saving
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Microsoft patent outlines smart power-saving system that reads your diary, leaves a tip
Always leave your PC on while you watch the latest Game of Thrones? Someone at Microsoft evidently does. A granted patent outlines a model that uses historical usage data to predict when it might be able to tweak power needs of the processor in the future, and for how long. So, perhaps you leave your machine on overnight, and jump on at 8am every day? It'd know this and make frugal use of resources accordingly. This, of course, could help fill your pockets and maybe cover that upgrade.
Motorola MOTOACTV firmware bump gives you marathon-battery life (video)
Fitness people love to make us feel guilty as they jog past the car, sneering as they watch us eat six double downs in one go. It's those people who will be happy that Motorola's MOTOACTV is getting a firmware update promising better battery life and power-saving settings -- including a marathon mode that'll give you eight hours of accompanied running. You'll also find additional clock faces and the ability to measure your heart rate even when stationary. You know, with their clear skin and no body fat, maybe they've got the right idea and we should give some serious consideration to changing our ways -- you know, in January.
Daily Mac App: gfxCardStatus
Some newer MacBook Pros have been packing dual graphics cards for a while now, with the ability to dynamically switch between them -- integrated for battery life and discrete for performance. It's often tricky to know which card is currently in use as the switch between the two is seamless. That's where gfxCardStatus comes to the rescue. Sitting up in your menu bar, gfxCardStatus shows you at a glance which card is currently active, but more than that, it actually allows you to manually switch between the GPUs. A drop down menu provides you with three options: Integrated Only; Discrete Only; and Dynamic Switching, which is the system default that lets OS X decide which graphics card is required. If you want to save as much battery power as possible, leaving it on integrated only will ensure that the power hungry discrete GPU doesn't fire up. On the other hand if you want maximum performance all the time, then discrete only will make sure the most powerful GPU is fired up. For most situations OS X does a decent job of managing power considerations, but if you want a little more control, gfxCardStatus will let you set up GPU power schemes to define which chip is used depending on power source. gfxCardStatus is one of those little apps that's both useful and doesn't get in your way. You won't need it a lot, but if you're on battery power and you want to keep working for as long as possible, the little menu bar app can be a life saver. It's freely available (donations accepted) to download from the developer's site and is Lion-ready.
Toshiba Regza 32BC3 HDTV features power saving button, destined for Japanese shores
The latest member of Toshiba Regza family of HDTVs, the 32BC3, just had it's pretty little IPS face revealed in Japan. Unlike most sets you see these days, this 32-incher sports only a 1,366 × 768 panel. But what makes the BC3 special isn't its resolution, its the ability to conserve power by dramatically dropping the brightness (supposedly with out sacrificing image quality) with just the push of a button. Pressing the power save button on the remote drops the brightness by 50-percent, press it again and it dips down 75-percent. The Regza 32BC3 will land on shelves in Japan this September for around ¥ 65,000 (about $830). And, as usual with these slightly odd sets out of the land of the rising sun, there's no word of when (if ever) this will make it state-side.
EnerJ power-saving system prioritizes CPU voltage, may reduce energy consumption by 90 percent
It takes a lot of energy for computing systems or data centers to patch up critical errors, but what if we devoted less power to fixing less urgent issues? That's the basic idea behind EnerJ -- a new power-saving system that could cut a chip's energy consumption by 90 percent, simply by prioritizing critical problems over those that are less threatening. Unlike, say, liquid cooling techniques, the University of Washington's framework focuses exclusively on the programming side of the equation and revolves around two interlocking pieces of code: one that handles crucial, precision-based tasks (e.g., password encryption), and another designed to deal with processes that can continue to function, even when facing small errors. The system's software would separate the two codes, meaning that energy from one section of the chip would never be used to fix a major problem that the other should address, while allowing engineers to more efficiently allocate voltage to each region. The system has already cut energy usage by up to 50 percent in lab simulations, but researchers think the 90 percent threshold is well within their reach, with computer engineering professor Luis Ceze (pictured above) predicting that the system may even be able to increase battery life by a factor of ten. The team is hoping to release EnerJ as an open-source tool this summer, but for now, you can find more information in the PR after the break.
Ubiquitous iRemoTap puts your powerstrip in the cloud, turns lights off remotely (video)
It probably won't help you if you leave your oven on, but if you let lights linger after leaving home, Ubiquitous' iRemotTap may help you save a few Kilowatts. This seemingly vanilla powerstip is anything but, boasting the odd addition of a tiny OS embedded in a wireless LAN chip -- all the better to turn your lights off. Users can control the internet-enabled socket stick remotely via a mobile or desktop web browser, allowing them to switch off gadgets and lights after leaving the house. Can't be bothered to log in to switch off? No worries, this plug powers devices down automatically after they reach a pre-defined power consumption limit. If you're forgetful enough to need a light switch in the cloud, Ubiquitous is hoping to sell you peace of mind for less than ¥10,000 ($122) -- whenever these taps get out of R&D, that is. Vid's after the break, if you need convincing.
Nintendo 3DS 'power save mode' illuminated
The 3DS is a power-hungry device, a fact that Nintendo isn't hiding in the latest issue of Iwata Asks. Nintendo's Ryuji Umezu noted that the 3D display mode not only requires the device to render each image twice, but requires brighter brightness than a flat image. "In order to make it look just as bright as usual, you have to increase the brightness of the backlight, which increases the power used by even more," Umezu pointed out. Thankfully, there are still some steps users can take to increase the longevity of the 3DS battery, such as turning off the wireless functionality (when it's not needed). Perhaps the most important of the power-saving options, though, is the system's "power save mode." Employing a technology called "active backlight," this feature "precisely controls the brightness of the backlight according to the brightness of the screen being displayed," Umezu explained. "When the screen as a whole is dark, the backlight itself gets darker, which saves power." The energy savings offered by the power save mode should make it a requisite for every 3DS player. "With the backlight set to the brightest level and the power save mode turned off, battery duration was about three hours," Umezu said. "But if you use the power save mode under the same conditions, it gets about 10–20 percent longer." That's almost an extra half hour you could spend grooming your Nintendog ... or cat!
Sanwa rolls out wattage-watching power strip
Devices that keep watch on the amount of electricity you're using are hardly anything new, but Sanwa has managed to refine the idea somewhat with its new 700-TP1052DW power strip, which is considerably more compact and a tad less unsightly than some other similar options. Nothing too complicated here -- just plug in your devices, switch on each outlet as needed, and keep watch on the total wattage being used on the handy built-in LCD (it'll even alert you if you reach a critical level). No word on pricing or availability just yet, but you can check out an enthralling 21 second video of the power strip after the break.
SmartSynch intros GridRouter for smart meters and the electric companies that love them
The last time we heard from SmartSynch it had inked a deal with AT&T to provide communications between its smart energy products and power companies. Now the company's back with a little something called the GridRouter, an IP-based device based that connects appliances, smart grids, and utilities -- no matter which communication protocol is used. The device is built on an open platform since the current grid is a mish-mash (or a hodge-podge, if you will) of proprietary hardware and software, and includes WiMax and Wi-Fi capabilities. Sounds like it just might be the thing for utilities struggling to catch up to the 21st century smarter energy revolution -- and those of you who are really, really into Google's PowerMeter beta. Want to give it a spin? Hit the source link to get in touch with the company. PR after the break.
Integrated circuits with no standby power could be in use by year's end
There's certainly no shortage of companies working to make electronics of all sorts more energy efficient, but NEC and Rohm Co now say that they're on the verge of a breakthrough that could change things in a big way, and we could possibly see it in "practical use" by the end of this year. As Tech-On! reports, both companies are hard at work on integrated circuits that consume no power at all when they're in standby mode, and turn themselves on only when power is needed. That's apparently possible by making the entire chip nonvolatile, as opposed to many current chips that only use nonvolatile merged memory. According to NEC, that'll let them "cut dissipation for digital consumer electronics in the standby mode to just a few percent of what it is now," and at no expense of convenience. While NEC isn't making any promises for the near future just yet, Rohm says that it'll begin shipping its first custom ICs in the second half of this year, and that the first products using them could start showing up by the end of 2009.
TV TrickleSaver cuts off power to rogue game consoles
It's no secret that some game consoles consume a whole lot more power than others, and it looks like that fact hasn't escaped the folks at TrickleStar, who've now rolled out their TV TrickleSaver device aimed at cutting down on some of that rogue power consumption. As you can probably guess from the looks of it, you simply plug both your TV and game console into the device (it'll also work just fine with a power bar, thankfully), and then the device itself works its magic to completely cut off power to the game console or consoles whenever your shut off your TV. Of course, it'll also work just fine with devices other than game consoles, but TrickleStar goes out of its way to single out the PlayStation 3 as its primary target, followed closely by the Xbox 360 -- each of which should consume more than enough power to eventually cover the $34.95 price tag for the TrickleSaver.[Via OhGizmo!]
Philips debuts PowerSensor-equipped Brilliance monitor
Energy-saving monitors are hardly anything new, but Philips has taken things a bit farther than most with its new 22-inch Brilliance LCD, which packs a built-in infrared "PowerSensor" that can detect when someone's sitting in front of it. If it finds that it's been left by its lonesome, it'll dial down the brightness and cut power consumption by 50% -- all of which operates independently from the PC, so there's no compatibility issues to worry about. As a monitor, however, things are a bit less exciting, with it boasting a 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, a 5ms response time, and the usual VGA and DVI inputs. No word on a release 'round here just yet, but it looks like folks in the UK will be able to pick this one up next month for £170, or about $280. [Via Pocket-lint]
Microsoft unveils Hohm beta for overanalyzing your home energy usage
Since Google can't be the only multibillion-dollar technology company having all the home energy monitoring fun, Microsoft's jumping in with "Hohm" -- like a portmanteau of "Home" and "Ohm," get it? We're not entirely sure just how it works yet, but according to the company, using both user input / feedback and analytics licensed from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the US Department of Energy, the program provides suggestions for energy conservation. However, it's the future uses we're more excited about -- eventually, you'll be able to upload energy usage data into the system automatically, provided you're getting voltage from one of the partner companies. First West Coast utilities to join up include Puget Sound Energy, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Seattle City Light, and Xcel Energy, and nope, none of those overlap with PowerMeter's first enlistees. The sign-up page for the beta is now live, so hit up the read link if you want a chance to participate.[Via Yahoo! Tech]
Google announces first PowerMeter partners, we beg for more
At last, we have the first partners in Google's quest to make your personal power consumption visible on your home computer. As the thinking goes, if you can't measure it, you can't improve it. So Google wants to give consumers near real-time visibility to their consumption and usage patterns via Google's PowerMeter software and utility-supplied "smart meters." The hope here, is that those aware of their energy consumption habits will change them to save money, and in turn, the planet. The initial list of partner utilities represent millions of homes spread across cities and country-sides in the US, Canada, and India: San Diego Gas & Electric® (California) TXU Energy (Texas) JEA (Florida) Reliance Energy (India) Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (Wisconsin) White River Valley Electric Cooperative (Missouri) Toronto Hydro–Electric System Limited (Canada) Glasgow EPB (Kentucky) Google has also partnered with Itron to embed its PowerMeter software into Itron smart meters. While we applaud the effort, seeing energy consumption for the entire house, only, is far too macro (though a good first step). What we're waiting for is the marriage of this with home automation and monitoring solutions based on Z-Wave and ZigbBee, for example, so we can gain visibility and control down to the device level. Imagine a single software view that lets you drill all the way down to see how much energy your computer, lights, or home theater projector is consuming and then shut 'em down when not in use or to avoid vampire drain. Hey Nokia, you're working on a Home Control Center... you reading this? Google's looking for partners.
Eizo's FlexScan EV2023W / EV2303W LCD monitors turn off when humans are away
Not that we haven't seen LCD monitors get less demanding when it comes to energy, but we've yet to see a company take eco-friendliness this far. Professional LCD maker Eizo has just announced a new pair of panels (the 20-inch FlexScan EV2023W-H and the 23-inch EV2303W-T) that boast a "human presence sensor." As the phrase implies, these displays are designed to shift to power saving mode when it realizes that its master has vacated the area, and when they return, it automatically flips back on in order to keep from being bashed by one of many USB-connected peripherals. Unfortunately, it seems the human detection timer can't be changed from 40 seconds, and no, there are no current plans to implement a robot presence sensor once the Apocalypse is realized.[Via FarEastGizmos]
Power-sipping Funai Dynamic ECD display don't need no backlight
Got OLED on the brain? What about FED? Holograms suit your fancy? Regardless of how you feel about the world's latest and greatest up-and-coming display technologies, we've got one more that you should probably keep an eye on. Funai has just announced the development of a swank new panel that consumes just 0.16-milliwatts of electricity per square centimeter, or around 1% as much as traditional LCDs. The Dynamic ECD is made of a reflective display that uses color-changing dyes that light up and morph as electricity flows through. In other words, there's no need for a backlight, and it even boasts 80% reflectivity (compared with 50% on reflective LCDs) for easier viewing in broad daylight. The real kicker? It should cost around one-third as much as an LCD to manufacture. Expectations are to have 7- and 14-inch units out in 2009, though ultimately it hopes to completely dominate the mobile phone and e-book market.[Via SlashGear]
