There is a dearth of tech products that can also double as accessories for fictional serial killers. If Hannibal Lecter was as into jogging as he was into human consumption, he would have definitely been sporting the Aire mask to power his iPod.
The idea behind the mask it that your breath charges your small electronics. The mask contains small wind turbines that convert your huffing and puffing into renewable power.… Read more
Sony is looking to revolutionize the inefficient way in which we consume power.
A new concept video from the electronics giant shows how we could use power more efficiently in the year 2030 by switching to smart outlets with authentication and wireless charging on a broad scale, assuming we survive the zombie Mayan apocalypse.
The prototype power outlet, integrated with a short-range wireless FeliCa transmitter (and a new RFID over power line technology), allows the user to swipe a pay card across the faceplate and pay for energy on the spot. What makes it truly interesting is if humankind keeps progressing towards alternative energies (such as wind, solar, and biomass), then our outlets could give us options as to what source from which we obtain our power. The video description notes that with this outlet, "the user can actively control and manage power consumption on a user basis as well as on a device basis." … Read more
Nest Labs today said it will "vigorously defend" itself from a patent infringement lawsuit filed by thermostat giant Honeywell.
The startup issued a statement two days after it got hit with the suit along with Best Buy, which sells its smart thermostat. The lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction to halt the sales of Nest's Learning Thermostat.
Nest Labs' statement from today is:
"We at Nest are proud of creating products that bring true innovation to home efficiency and we are continuing to innovate and bring products to market. The Nest Learning Thermostat is already making … Read moreAs I'm writing this post, I'm desperately trying to find a way to warm up my feet and hands. I suppose ditching the ice-cold soda would be a good place to start, but I need some caffeine on this post-Super Bowl Monday. If only I had Hagent, the heat-spewing robot, by my side.
Hagent is a portable heating concept by German designers Andreas Meinhardt and Daniel Abendroth. Though it looks like a simple black box on the outside, the mobile bot is capable of searching out heat, absorbing it, and then re-releasing the heat in cold places. … Read more
Honeywell today filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nest Labs and is seeking to stop sales of Nest Labs' high-profile thermostat.
The lawsuit claims that Nest Labs infringes seven Honeywell patents. The longtime thermostat maker is seeking damages and is trying to prevent Nest Labs and Best Buy, which is also named in the suit, from selling Nest Labs' Learning Thermostat.
Honeywell said Nest infringed patents dealing with user interface control and other advanced features. "We are focused on upholding the integrity of the hard work and development our company has put into its home comfort and residential control … Read more
Think factory-built homes, and you might immediately imagine design that is wholly uninspired. But Simpatico Homes builds prefabricated homes that were inspired by Joseph Eichler, known for bringing mid-century modern architecture to California communities.
The modular homes are not only stylish, but sustainable and energy-wise too. And because they're prefabricated, they don't take as long to put together. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das takes a tour of a prototype home in Emeryville, Calif. Watch the video to see just how fast they can "set" (install) a house.
This video originally appeared on SmartPlanet with the headline "… Read more
You may think you know how much electricity you're using, but there's a whole lot more you could--and should--know.
Despite living in the information age, most of us are basically in the dark when it comes to electricity bills, with just a rough idea of how much we consume every month and what it will cost.
Over the last few weeks, I've been testing a whole-house energy monitor from startup Wattvision, which actually answers basic questions, such as how much and when you consume electricity and how it trends over time. I also hooked up my home's real-time electricity feed to another startup's analytics Web service called PlotWatt to get more detail on what's consuming energy.
A couple of hardware gadgets made it all possible, but using the services showed me that a lot of the action in home energy is moving to software and up into the cloud. In the case of energy monitors, back-end analytics can provide insights and recommendations a simple metering device can't. And if you have a smart thermostat or home automation system, you can remotely control your heating, cooling, lights, and appliances from a smart phone or PC.
But before getting into the gadgetry, one has to ask: why bother with energy monitoring? Is it green? Does it help me lower my bills? Is there a good payback? … Read more
For many, the ballyhooed smart home of connected devices will start with the lowly thermostat.
Startup EnergyHub today is releasing data from a study of customers who bought a Wi-Fi enabled thermostats tied to EnergyHub's Web service. It found that letting consumers operate the thermostat from a familiar PC or smartphone application, rather than on the thermostat itself, makes a dramatic difference in how often the programmable features are used.
An Internet-connected thermostat also allows people to remotely control home heating and cooling. Being able to adjust home temperature from the office or commute, for example, appears to be … Read more
LED lightbulbs have a lot of things going for them: energy efficiency and longevity being the biggest selling points.
Then there are the things that make people think twice. Chiefly, the sticker price. Want to switch to LED bulbs but can't stand the infamously harsh light quality? SmartPlanet's Sumi Das rounds up some bulbs that might make you see things differently.
This video originally appeared on SmartPlanet with the headline "LED light bulbs, just how efficient are they?"
More SmartPlanet links:
Two ways to make lunchtime less wasteful Artisans turn tree roots into objects of beauty … Read moreThe average consumer isn't likely to spend much effort managing home energy. Big power users in businesses, on the other hand, will go out of their way cut down on waste.
Start-up company Tenrehte, based near Rochester, New York, launched its PicoWatt smart outlet at CES two years ago, aiming to appeal to green-minded consumers. The idea is that a sub-$100 Wi-Fi-enabled smart outlet would transmit energy data to an online app which would let consumers save money by scheduling things to run at off-peak times.
Now two years later, Tenrehte has changed its focus to industrial and … Read more
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Christina Milian and the gadgets she loves
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