consumption

More than three years after it first came on the market, Apple's iPhone is still one of the hottest smartphones out there. But new hardware designs and the unending software upgrades to the iPhone's operating system, have left some iPhone subscribers scratching their heads.

In this week's Ask Maggie column I help explain to one reader why his data usage has doubled since upgrading from his iPhone 3G to the iPhone 4. I also answer questions about iPhone reception issues. Is the SIM card to blame? What about a software update?

To find out the answers, read … Read more

IBM is hoping its new smart metering system can help homeowners learn to use energy more wisely.

Working with energy consultant Hildebrand, Big Blue has embarked on a new project designed to let people view their energy consumption in the home. Hildebrand's monitoring technology analyzes real-time electricity usage, even for individual appliances, to show folks just how much juice they're grabbing.

In a 30-month research project geared specifically for the U.K. and Bulgaria, Hildebrand installed small energy monitors at different homes in five European cities--Birmingham, Bristol, and Manchester in the U.K., and Plovdiv and Ivanovo in … Read more

If you've recently purchased a new Blu-ray player, there's a decent chance it has a "Quick Start" mode promising faster boot-up speeds, as low as 5 seconds. The only problem is that quick-start modes always mean increased power consumption, and without an accurate power meter, it's tough to tell whether or not faster start-up speeds are worth the extra juice. We've had a chance to test a couple 2010 models with quick-start modes (and several without), and we have a good sense of exactly how much quick start will cost you.

The short answer … Read more

Surprisingly few people get to see what goes on inside the glass-walled CNET New York Labs, which is where our editors and Labs team test desktop and laptop computers.

To help keep you in the loop about how systems are benchmarked, field-tested, and reviewed, we've decided to throw the Labs' doors open for a rare tour, and allow a CNET TV crew to get a behind-the-scenes peek at what we do every day.

For the PC review process, we start with new systems getting shipped to the Labs, look at the setup and benchmarking requirements for desktops and laptops, … Read more

Got a case of information overload? You're not alone.

A study released Wednesday from the University of California, San Diego, reports that the average American consumes a whopping 34GB of data and 100,000 words of information per day.

Over the course of 2008, Americans as a group gobbled up 3.6 zettabytes of data. (In case you missed the definition of "zettabyte" in your daily data binging, that's a million million gigabytes.) For all you visual learners out there, the researchers helpfully point out that 3.6 zettabytes is equal to the "information in … Read more

Many companies are investing in the green market by creating energy efficient appliances, but those new devices tend to be pricey. Besides, why replace something that still works? Tenrehte Technologies, a start-up located in Rochester, NY and Austin, TX, would like to help people reduce the power consumption of products they already own.

PICOwatt, Tenrehte's first product, allows consumers to turn off any appliance with just a few clicks. Appliances plugged into the device are controlled by the consumer via Wi-Fi. Energy usage, timers, and power are all controlled with a smartphone or computer. For example, instead of using … Read more

The auto industry should stop selling its most gas-guzzling vans and minibuses in the European Union by 2016 or face fines, the EU's executive arm said on Wednesday.

The deadline would be four years later than first envisaged after powerful automakers pushed hard for a delay until the EU's 27 member states have recovered from the economic crisis.

Average carbon emissions for each van would have to be cut by 14 percent between 2014 and 2016 to 175 grams for every kilometer driven, compared to an EU average of 203 grams today, the European Commission said.

By 2020, … Read more

Smart WorkTime Tracker provides a unique twist on the traditional billable hours tracking software. Its simplicity and accuracy make this a great tool for those who need to track the time spent on a project.

The program's interface was surprisingly simple to operate. We were able to easily navigate through its few intuitive commands without having to divert to the Help file's tutorial. This kept our interaction with the program to a minimum so we could focus on work. The program really set itself apart from other time-tracking software because it could be set to automatically track time … Read more

The University of Mississippi is letting the world in to observe its power consumption in real time.

As part of a green initiative guided by its Office of Campus Sustainability, the university is installing SmartSynch's SmartMeters to monitor and transmit data on the power consumption of lights, appliances, computers, and climate control systems in its buildings.

The SmartMeters contain software and hardware that give electrical meters their own Internet Protocol (IP) address and communicate data via the types of wireless networks used for cell phones back to a centralized virtual dashboard that can be accessed by utilities or customers.… Read more