it

Cisco to manage energy of tech gear and buildings

Cisco Systems on Tuesday introduced software for controlling energy use in networked computing equipment as well as building heating and cooling systems.

Called EnergyWise, the software is a free upgrade to Cisco Catalyst switches that can monitor and manage how energy is used on IP-connected devices, including phones and wireless routers. This summer Cisco will release a version, based on Verdiem's Surveyor PC management software, that reduces energy levels of PCs.

With EnergyWise, a company can set policies on energy use, allowing PCs or networking equipment to go into sleep mode after work hours, for example.

Cisco's longer-term … Read more

Daily Tidbits:TripIt debuts API for travel itineraries

Online travel itinerary and trip-planning service TripIt announced Monday that it has launched a new application programming interface for developers who want to integrate the company's travel itineraries into their respective service. The API will allow developers to share itinerary information between sites and travel agents. The first iteration of the TripIt API, which is available now, will only allow users to read, add, or delete trip plans.

ChaCha, a human-powered answers service, wants to raise $30 million in a Series C round of funding, reports PEHub. So far, the company has been able to raise approximately $11 million, … Read more

Live blogging platform CoverItLive gets business model

CoverItLive, which makes a free hosted live blogging platform I like a great deal (see previous coverage), is launching a new "always on" feature called CoverItLive Enterprise, that it will sell to major online news outlets.

The idea is that instead of (or in addition to) running story pages that embed individual CoverItLive live blogs, a site can maintain one blog page with a perpetual live blog window. It will come alive with content when writers are participating in a live blog. A big advantage, for writers, is that they don't have to get an embed code … Read more

Why wireless Internet matters to small wind

If you ask Andy Kruse, the CEO of wind turbine maker Southwest Windpower, about technology, he's more likely to talk about software and WiMax than turbine blades or inverters.

Kruse is in Washington this week lobbying to improve the subsidies for installing small wind turbines, one of the fastest growing segments in wind energy. Southwest Windpower makes a line of small wind turbines including the Skystream, which is sized for individual homes.

Changes in the stimulus package will lift the $4,000 cap on the federal tax credit for small wind purchases and other forms of clean-energy generation, according … Read more

A twisted idea: Origami Sticky Notes

Not quite your heavyweight CES showpiece, but the Origami Sticky Notes ($4 at Think Geek) are just the thing for post-holiday work blues. Banish those moments of boredom or take a break from deadlines by turning on your creative juices and recycling your office notes into 3D models.

There are 10 different origami shapes for you to fold into patterns--including pig, penguin, boat, crane, and butterfly--with instructions printed on each Post-It sheet. It's not as if you're skiving, of course, since you'll be scribbling down those to-dos that your boss gave you this morning.

(Via Crave Asia)… Read more

World's best (sounding) home theater in a box

Expecting great sound from a home theater in a box (HTIB) is almost always an exercise in frustration.

Even the top-of-the-line HTIBs, such as Sony's ES BDV-IT1000ES ($2,000 MSRP) don't hold a candle to an equivalently priced separates-based system. It's not even close.

Sound, schmound. Given that HTIBs are sold as lifestyle products, it's more important for them to look good than sound good. Product designers are compelled to make speakers that look slick hugging the wall next to a flat-screen display. That's why we're so jazzed by Onkyo's HT-S9100THX HTIB ($1,099 MSRP). Sleek, it ain't, but it sure sounds like a separates-grade home theater system.

The HT-S9100THX's largish shipping box hints at the reasons why. It weighs a hefty 144 pounds. Inside, you'll find seven bookshelf two-way speakers, a full-size subwoofer, and a 7x 130-watt-per-channel receiver with 1080p-capable HDMI v.1.3 connectivity, and complete decoding for the latest lossless, high-resolution Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio surround formats. You get four--count 'em, four--HDMI inputs, same as Onkyo's TX-SR706 receiver ($899 MSRP).

The HT-S9100THX's receiver also features Audyssey's 2EQ automatic calibration to tailor the sound of the speakers and the 290-watt, 12-inch powered subwoofer, and compensate for your room's acoustic anomalies. The front three speakers feature a 1-inch soft-dome tweeter matched with dual 5-inch woofers; the four surround speakers use the same tweeter and a slightly smaller woofer. The 17.5 by 14.9 by 16.8 inch subwoofer weighs 34 pounds. Compared to the 6-inch plastic poser subs that come with so many HTIBs it's the 800-pound gorilla. You'll feel the difference.… Read more

Corporate America still green-lighting green IT

Companies are bringing in fewer greenbacks these days, but that has yet to slow their plans on green IT initiatives, according to a Forrester Research report released Tuesday.

In a survey of over 1,000 global companies, taken in October when the markets were in a deep spiral, the survey found that greener policies and practices for IT organizations actually were on the rise.

Nearly half of survey respondents said they planned to accelerate or maintain their current green IT projects.

According to the report:

With a macroeconomic slowdown rippling through most industries and geographies in the last months of … Read more

Flexible measuring cups aim for precise pouring

I am a big fan of time-saving steps in the kitchen. I look for ways to avoid messing up yet another utensil, bowl, or what have you. Other times I simply combine steps into one: If a recipe calls for one cup of that, and half cup of another thing, I measure them at the same time. If I need a beaten egg, that gets thrown in on top. One measuring cup, one fork, and that's that.

I appreciate utensils and kitchen tools that can help me out. The Flex-It Measuring Cups certainly can. Created from silicon, the sturdy, … Read more

BestBuy has its Internet-Connected GPS for $199.99

Tired of getting lost and always ending up late? BestBuy is here to the rescue with its own Insignia branded GPS. It connects to Google for live traffic updates and creates routes to avoid that slowdown on the freeway. Not only will you be on time, saving face in the eyes of those who are waiting for you, but you'll also save BIG from BestBuy. With $200 off the MSRP of $399, it's a steal at $199.99. Never blame traffic for being late again.