powermonitor
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MeterPlug Bluetooth power monitor tracks usage, sends stats to your smartphone (hands-on video)
If there's one constant in this world, it's that the cost of energy continues to climb, be it household electric or good ole petrol. We can't help you with the latter today, but we have found a pretty slick tool for keeping tabs on electricity consumption. Now, before you head down to the comments section or send your angry emails letting us know, we're fully aware that power monitoring solutions have been around for some time now. MeterPlug isn't your run-of-the-mill device, though. This solution is relatively inexpensive (it'll retail for about $60), very compact (it plays nicely with other plugs in your power strip), and with the included Android and iOS apps, it's quite powerful as well. The device will be available with US, UK or European plugs, and slips between your existing cord and an ordinary socket. Then, you pair it with your smartphone and you're good to go. Once connected, MeterPlug uses your handset's GPS to find electricity rates for your location, then displays your current usage in watts and cost -- during our hands-on in NYC, a connected MacBook Pro pulled about 60 watts of power at a cost of $0.01 per hour. Connect a TV or household appliance though and you might just be surprised about how much you're spending on each gadget. Naturally, there's also a few tools to conserve energy. A simple (and responsive) power toggle lets you turn your device on and off using a smartphone, a proximity sensor cuts off power when you leave the room (and pops it back on when you arrive), and a feature called Vampire Power Shield keeps track of your gadget's typical consumption, then pulls the plug when you flip your television or Xbox to standby mode, potentially saving you a fair amount of money each year. The plug module and app worked very well during our test, as you'll see in the video after the break. Then, head over to the source link to submit your pre-order on Indiegogo.
Microsoft partners with Blue Line Innovation for Hohm-compatible monitoring device, we go hands-on
Microsoft's Hohm service has been going wild on the internets for just over a year, letting people who have signed on with partner utility companies to track their usage straight from the source. But, if you didn't find yourself in one of the 4.5 million homes currently covered by one of those utilities you were stuck counting electrons on your own. No more. Blue Line Innovations has launched its $249 Power Cost Monitor WiFi Edition with the ability to feed directly to Hohm, and we have all the details, plus some early impressions, after the break. %Gallery-98265%
QuickerTek iPad charge monitor tests your USB port's output potential
Oh, Apple. Just a few short months ago, a USB port was (largely) a USB port, charging pretty much any gizmo we could find without so much as a fuss. Now, loads of USB ports are throwing temper tantrums when faced with the energy-hungry iPad, with most simply refusing to charge the thing. Apple contends that a 10W USB port is needed to effectively rejuvenate its first tablet, though some sockets will do the trick so long as you have the display switched off. If you're looking to quickly evaluate the strength of every USB port in your home or office, QuickerTek's aptly-titled iPad Charge Monitor ain't a half bad option. You simply plug this LED-infused dongle into a suspicious port, then connect the product you wish to charge to the other end; the device then glows to tell you how much power is flowing out, though there's nothing included to deal with all-but-guaranteed bouts of frustration from seeing too few LEDs light up. It's up for order right now at $29.95, and while you're over there, you can pick up an iPad solar panel and an iPad external battery pack for $250 each. What a bargain. [Thanks, Lan]
Fujitsu's power strip graphs your electrical gluttony
We have a long wait before the world becomes solar powered, so between now and then we need to get a lot smarter about how much of the good stuff our gadgets are sucking down. Fujitsu's prototype power strip does just that -- with a little bit of help from a PC. Unlike other strips we've seen in the past, this one has a USB port on the side through which it feeds consumption data about each of its four outlets. From there users can graph the draw of each one and see which of their little vampires has the sharpest teeth. No price or availability was provided for this smart strip, so don't be too demeaning to your current dumb ones just yet.
