energy-saving

Nest raises $80 million for thermostat business -- report

Nest, the next-generation thermostat company focused on saving energy, has closed a major round of funding, according to a new report.

Nest has raised $80 million on a valuation of $800 million, GigaOm is reporting today, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the deal. Google Ventures led the funding round. Venrock, another venture-capital firm, also participated in the round, according to GigaOm.

The Nest Learning Thermostat has proven to be a huge hit. In October, CNET Reviews Editor-in-Chief Lindsey Turrentine reviewed the Nest and gave it a full five stars out of five, or "spectacular," rating. … Read more

Philips ErgoSensor monitor keeps you on your toes

As is the case with an increasing number of health- and fitness-related gadgetry, Philips' new monitor that aims to improve posture will be a welcome advance to some and a niggling reminder to others.

The 24-inch desktop LCD ErgoSensor monitor employs a built-in CMOS sensor that tracks the distance between one's pupils and the monitor, as well as the angle of one's neck to the screen, and alerts the user via a Webcam-like display when either measurement indicates bad posture.… Read more

Energy-efficient windows are melting my Prius, woman says

Everyone with a live mind who happens not to work for an oil company knows that we must harness our energy.

The possibilities are vast. Consider, for example, Heather Patron of Studio City, Calif., and her Prius. Everything plastic on it began to melt. The side-view mirrors, for example.

This seemed a little odd. She took it to Toyota. The company said there was nothing wrong with the car.

And then she noticed her neighbor's energy-efficient windows that seemed to be directing a concentrated beam of energy-efficient light towards her energy-efficient vehicle.

Patron told CBS Los Angeles: "I'… Read more

Four ways to reduce your PC's carbon footprint

Roughly speaking, powering a desktop PC with a 17-inch LCD 8 hours a day, 20 days a month costs about $35 a year. That's according to the energy-use calculator on Michael Bluejay's Saving Electricity site.

The same site indicates that computers and electronics represent less than 10 percent of the average energy bill in the U.S. That's about the same amount we spend to power our refrigerators and a third of what the typical home pays for heating.

But if you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint along with your electric bill, minimizing your computer'… Read more

St. Patrick's Day downloads: Another kind of green

We can't keep you from getting pinched if you've neglected to deck yourself in verdant hues this St. Patrick's Day, but we can help keep you in the spirit of green with these energy-saving apps. Of course, we'd never tease you so mercilessly with a collection of "green apps" without also pointing out our jolly supply of leprechaun and other St. Patrick's Day screensavers. Without further ado, make merry with these eco-minded downloads.

Edison for XP and Windows Vista is the newest one-stop app for monitoring how much energy and money you save … Read more

Sharp LCD beats bands, belittles electricity bill

It's been awhile since we reviewed a Sharp TV. The last big-screen model was the company's LC-52D64U from more than a year ago. At the time we liked most aspects of the TV's performance, but there was one big problem we noticed in that TV and in models we reviewed in previous years:

The bad: Uneven uniformity manifests as irregular bands across screen.

Judging from the new 52-inch LC-52D65U we reviewed, Sharp has finally beaten the bands. We noticed no untoward uniformity issues with our review sample, and its picture quality was all-around decent given its entry-level place in the big-screen LCD totem pole. This Energy Star 3.0-compliant set is also one of the most efficient we've tested, thanks in part to a new power saving mode.

Read the full review of the Sharp LC-52D65U.

Just in time for summer, an air-conditioned bed

Do you want your air-conditioner but are too eco-minded to turn it on? The Japanese may have the perfect solution: the Air-Conditioned Bed, or Kuchofuku. This really is just a soft bed covering with two dual fans at the foot of the bed that pull and circulate air through the membrane. Japan Trend Shop sells it for $399, which is a lot pricier than the Bed Fan. But it's a whole lot kinder to your electricity bill since the low-power fans apparently guzzle just a mere 24 cents a month, based on 8-hour days. Not to mention that you'… Read more