I thought the green gadget realm was immune to KIRF-ocity, but boy was I wrong. Yesterday I spotlighted a review on the efo’s ECO Button, a little device and software combo that helps Windows users cut energy costs and do their part to reduce CO2 emissions. Except, well, this is the original. I thought it […]
Archives for September 2010
IT rivalries spill onto the smart grid
Silly Cisco, you didn’t expect to own smart grid networking did you? GigaOM’s Katie Fehrenbacher has a great post today on how IT rivalries, particularly the one between Cisco and Juniper, are spilling into the smart grid space. Already, Google and Microsoft are tackling the home energy management market with PowerMeter and Hohm, respectively. Now, […]
An eco-button for PC efficiency
Update: IP shenanigans?! Catch the drama over at techETA. If you’re a savvy computer user, you’ve probably already tweaked your power settings. But some folks still need some help, and there’s no shortage of PC power management solutions that caters to them. One such product is efo’s ECO Button. Pictured above, the USB device doubles […]
Nexant banks $43M
Nexant announced today that it added $43 million to its coffers, and that Intel Capital isn’t the only VC that has taken an interest in the smart energy software firm. In addition to Intel, Oak Investment Partners has joined existing investors TeleSoft and Beacon in funding the new round. According to Nexant’s Executive Chairman, Arjun […]
Yahoo’s “chicken coop” data center finally opens
Yahoo’s chicken coop inspired data center in Lockport, NY near Buffalo is finally open for business. A departure from the “big box” look of most corporate data centers, Yahoo’s design allows for free-cooling, or the use of ambient temperatures to keep IT equipment cool for most of the year and save a bundle on energy […]
Microsoft passes on not-so-green site for massive data center in Virginia
No green energy, no dice. That’s Microsoft’s stance on siting new data centers, according to a story in the Roanoke Times. The company passed on building a nearly half-billion dollar facility in Montgomery County, Virginia. Instead, it settled on Boydton County. The reason: A dearth of renewable energy options. Oh, yeah, and sinkholes. The sinkholes […]
Citi data center earns Energy Star label
Looks like Energy Star for data centers just might take off. Citi today announced that its 304,275 square-foot Midwest Data Center facility outside of Columbus, Ohio has just earned from the Energy Star certification from the EPA by earning 84 out of a possible 100 points. How did it earn the blue label? By focusing […]
Nokia proves green smartphones can be sexy
Nokia is showing the industry how green cell phones are done. The crew at Engadget got a pleasant surprise when it handled Nokia’s C6-01, its new budget smartphone (apart from a high-quality energy-sipping AMOLED display) unveiled today at the Nokia World event in London. What appeared to be a plastic rear casing to the eye […]
Intel funds Nexant, Adaptive Computing, Ciranova and Joyent
Intel Capital, the chipmaker’s venture capital arm, has invested $30 millions among four startups: Adaptive Computing, Nexant, Ciranova and Joyent. Of the four firms, three echo Intel’s pursuit of efficient data centers and cloud infrastructures. (Ciranova is pioneering “mixed analog-digital” chips. Interesting? Yes. Green? Potentially yes.) Joyent develops the technological underpinnings for platform-as-a-service (PaaS) clouds […]
Can we turn the corner on smart meter gloom and doom?
Poor smart meters. Over the past year or so, some high-profile debacles have made them gadgets non grata in some communities, most notably in Bakersfield, California and parts of Texas. Worse, this dark cloud is endangering smart grid roll-outs in other areas. The cause: confusing rate changes, human error and/or meters that were too accurate […]
