CES - Green tech

LAS VEGAS--A look at Solar Power International's FreeLoader Pro solar charger shows how these can function as multipurpose chargers that happen to have solar panels.

The Freeloader Pro, which will be available in the U.S. starting next week, is a handheld charger made up of two small solar panels and integrated lithium ion battery.

Like the dozens of solar chargers on the market, the Freeloader Pro can charge up cell phones, GPS devices, and other small gadgets. What makes it versatile is the accompanying CamCaddy, an adjustable device for charging different sized block batteries for digital cameras, camcorders, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Tenrehte Technologies has a grassroots vision for the smart grid.

Instead of relying on a utility-installed smart meter to help consumers ratchet down their electricity bills, the Rochester, N.Y.-based start-up is building Wi-Fi-enabled smart plugs.

A few strategically placed smart plugs, called a Picowatt, will provide many of the benefits promised to consumers by the smart grid, including a real-time read-out of electricity usage and the ability to control appliances from a central point. By having data on electricity usage and the ability to take advantage of off-peak rates, people can make a significant reduction to consumption, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--True dual-band routers are not news anymore; but TrendNet, a networking vendor with many innovative solutions, introduced one at CES 2010 that offers some original features.

The company announced Thursday its brand-new true dual-band router, the TEW-673GRU. According to TrendNet, this new router uses up to 70 percent less energy than other routers with the same features.

The router achieves this by using TrendNet's power saving GreenNet technology that reduces port-based power consumption. It also uses an Energy Star Certified power adapter that reduces energy consumption by 30 percent compared with noncertified adapters.

The TEW-673GRU uses Atheros' XSpan … Read more

Update:The new Sony Vaio W has been nominated for the Best of CES awards in the Computers and Hardware category.

LAS VEGAS--Making a move on the growing "green" market, one of Sony's new additions is an updated version of the Vaio W Netbook. This time around the upscale 10-inch system is being touted as made from a, "reprocessed plastic chassis comprised of approximately 23 percent recycled CDs. It also comes in a stylish reusable carrying-case made from recycled PET bottles."

We liked the first version of the Vaio W Netbook we saw in 2009, … Read more

If ever there was a business that needed a dash of flash from the world of consumer electronics, it's energy.

At the 2010 International CES this week, companies from different corners of industry will be showing off gadgets and services they hope will make home energy management more attractive. The idea is that providing consumers and small businesses with detailed usage information and easy-to-use tools, they will be able to reduce energy consumption on the order of 10 percent to 20 percent.

Among the companies introducing home energy management systems are Whirlpool and energy retailer Direct Energy, which will … Read more

It's been just half a year since the first plug computer, the SheevaPlug, or the Plug Computer 1.0, was introduced, but Marvell is now ready to release the third generation of the product.

The company announced Tuesday at CES 2010 the Plug Computer 3.0, which it believes to be such an upgrade over the first one that it decided to designate it as the third (3.0) generation of the product, even though it's really the second.

The naming aside, the Plug Computer 3.0 seems indeed impressive. Sleek-looking and smaller than a deck of playing … Read more

Klipsch has come up with an intriguing concept: Marry a wireless speaker with a LED light bulb. The product's called the LightSpeaker and a bundle of two, complete with a transmitter, radio frequency remote, mini jack to RCA plug cable, lenses and trim, is set to go on sale in late January for $599. Single units will cost $250.

"Today's consumers are overloaded with complex technologies, and the LightSpeaker is designed to enrich their lives without complication," said Klipsch president Paul Jacobs. "It offers brilliant light, reduces energy costs and creates a multiroom ambient music … Read more

A group of companies at the Consumer Electronics Show plan to show off a networked home energy management system for reducing consumer energy bills.

The demonstration will include network-aware appliances from Whirlpool, a two-way thermostat from Lennox, and a touch-screen central control point made by OpenPeak.

Energy retailer Direct Energy plans to test out the combination with about 40 homes in the Houston area in an effort to entice consumers to use tools to ratchet down their home energy use. Best Buy's Geek Squad will do installation of the home network system.

Adjusting how appliances are run can save $… Read more

There are dozens of companies making in-home displays designed to help consumers shave energy use at home. But SilverPac is packing many of those features into a high-tech thermostat.

SilverPac, which makes digital picture frames and other media electronics, on Monday introduced the SilverStat 7, a sleek device that combines the heating and cooling controls of a programmable thermostat with a real-time energy display.

The company plans to show the energy management system at the Consumer Electronics Show, which starts later this week, then release it in June.

The thermostat is built around a 7-inch touch-screen display that runs Windows … Read more