Posts in Green Tech

Connect your monitors via USB and save the planet?

Eric Franklin | Sep 18, 2008

According to DisplayLink, a Microsoft Research study says that using two or more displays can increase productivity by as much as 50 percent. The company also notes that University of Utah researchers have shown that users of multiple displays make up to 33 percent fewer mistakes than those working on a single monitor.

DisplayLink's message: get more done and save on energy, all through the magic of USB. (Credit: DisplayLink)

Now, in its own study released Wednesday, DisplayLink says that using multiple monitors simultaneously via USB consumes less power than using them via DVI. To plug multiple monitors into one system traditionally requires that you use a discrete graphics card solution with dual DVI ports. Right away that's theoretically more power, since discrete solutions take more energy to run than integrated solutions. With DisplayLink, you'd simply be using the USB port to connect, so there would be no need for a dual DVI card and the integrated graphics would suffice.

At Interop, an IT conference and Exposition in New York this week, DisplayLink is leaning on its study results to push the energy efficiency of using DisplayLink to connect multiple monitors via USB.

In its study, DisplayLink measured the power needed for a desktop PC to run one to four LCD monitors. Two identically configured systems were used--one equipped with DisplayLink-enabled USB-to-DVI adapters and software, and another with dual-DVI discrete graphics cards (the most common type of dedicated multidisplay board). Power consumption was measured at the entry of the computer power supply to gauge total system power usage under different system loads.
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Filed under: Green Tech, PC & Peripherals
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Spark Lamp that's energy aware

Juniper Foo | Sep 10, 2008

Here's a lamp with a conscience, in case you're lacking in that area. The Spark Lamp by designer Beverly Ng is an LED lamp that can recharge itself by lying on its head. Which supposes that the solar panels are below and rather oddly placed since, in her place, I would have sited the panels on the frame and stand for maximum exposure. But since I'm not Beverley, that's moot.

Here's the twist. The lamp is also Wi-Fi-capable and can tap the wireless to access your home's power usage information. When you hit the On switch, the lamp will flicker in different colors to signal what your power consumption is at the time, a cool way to constantly keep aware of your energy usage. This is still just a spark of an idea, but it's one bright spark in Mother Gaia's favor.

Via Designzen | Picture source: Beverly Ng

Filed under: Future Tech, Green Tech
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