lowes

Do-it-yourself retailer Lowe's later this year will sell three home automation kits designed to plug thermostats and home security gear into a home network.

The company today announced a deal with U.K.-based AlertMe which will provide the equipment and a cloud-based service, called Iris, for home energy management, automation, and monitoring.

The products will be available mid year and be priced for the "mass market," said Kevin Meagher, the vice president and general manager for smart home at Lowe's. All three kits will be self-installable and can be accessed from Internet-connected devices, such as … Read more

The California agency responsible for protecting air quality says it will appeal a decision by a court that blocks enforcement of rules designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage alternative fuel technologies.

The Air Resources Board, part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, adopted the landmark Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCSF) last year. The regulation gives producers and refiners until 2020 to reduce the carbon footprint of their fuel by 10 percent.

Ethanol producers complained that the rules favor in-state producers and refiners because they take into consideration the carbon footprint impact of the transportation of, as well as … Read more

Less than three months on the market and the Fisker Karma is already getting high praise for being "green" and luxurious. Just last month, the near $100,000 plug-in hybrid was named "Luxury Car of the Year" by BBC Top Gear magazine.

Part of what makes the Karma so luxurious is the used interior material from Bridge of Weir. The EcoStandard and EcoSport models' seat, steering wheel, dash, door casings and center console trim are all wrapped in the Scottish company's locally produced "low carbon leather," Bridge of Weir said in a press … Read more

Jeff: I first got the idea for a comic like this when I was in a GameStop store and saw a kid who couldn't have been older than 10 begging his mother for Modern Warfare 3. It got me thinking about the games I was desperate to have when I was that age, and I immediately remembered the 3-hour wild goose chase I sent my parents on in search of Super Mario Bros. 3. … Read more

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels!

Allow me to introduce you to Blake Stevenson, Crave's new cartoonist. Blake is an extremely talented artist who hails from our great northern neighbor, Canada, where he works as a graphic designer and illustrator.

A regular CNET reader for years, Blake got introduced to the site through The 404 Podcast.

Blake has lent his unique artistic style and vision to a number of 404-inspired pieces, including movie parodies and posters. Most importantly, he directly inspired the show's current logo.

I'll be working with Blake to bring you CNET's first-ever tech-inspired cartoon, Low Latency, every Thursday. Check out our debut panel below!

… Read more

Every time I see a time-lapse film, I think one thing: "They're about to sell me a car."

Yet this particular piece of footage, taken from the International Space Station between August and October this year, is curiously mesmerizing.

Taken with a special low-light 4K camera, it manages to show the world as, well, other-worldly.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space | Fly Over | Nasa, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Posted to Vimeo by the film's editor, Michael Koenig, it melds the passing of time over various continents and timezones into a quite stunning … Read more

You don't have to have a pair of Marty McFly sneakers to wear your geek cred on your feet. Google co-founder Larry Page is the subject of an unusual tribute, the Google x Nike Dunk Low. This variation on the Nike Dunk Low shoe incorporates Google colors, the Google logo, and Page's signature.

To keep you on your toes, the sneakers also feature Page's face on each tongue. Two Larry Pages smiling from just under your pant legs should be a great way to freak people out.

The Google x Nike Dunk Low was designed by Evan Steinberg, Google community manager for Android and mobile. He refers to it as the "Shoegler" edition.… Read more

You can use an iPhone to check electronic mail, stream videos over the Internet, play dazzlingly rendered computer games, video-chat with distant relatives, and myriad other new-millennium activities. And now you can use one to drive a nail or flush your toilet.

Well, not exactly. But close. Bloomberg reports that do-it-yourself chain Lowe's is issuing 42,000 of the beloved gadgets to employees to make it easier for staff to help customers find and buy the right hammer, plumbing fixture, color of house paint, or any number of other items.

The phones will be part of a system much … Read more