ge

Best digital cameras for under $150 (roundup)

With cameras, as with many things in life, you get what you pay for. In the world of point-and-shoots, that generally means you get few features, poorer-quality lenses, slower performance, and more than likely mediocre photo quality. However, there are a few exceptions.

These models were selected because they offer more than you'd typically get for the money. In some cases that means extra shooting options or an optical viewfinder, in others it's a longer lens or good low-light photos. So, whether you're just looking for an inexpensive camera for the occasional snapshot, something with the optical zoom that your smartphone camera doesn't have, or want an ultracompact with a little wow factor, these are worth checking out.… Read more

GE to charge up the Coda EV

The GE WattStation EV charger has become the recommended charger for Coda's upcoming all-electric vehicles.

Coda has signed an agreement with GE Energy Industrial Solutions to sell the Level 2 charging stations for recharging EV batteries alongside its Coda sedans and to market them together.

GE WattStation's is a 240-volt Level 2 charger that is compatible with any standard EV. Currently, its competitors include the Ecotality Blink station and the Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint station.

Santa Monica, Calif.-based Coda is a fairly new automotive company that has set the ambitious goal to sell 50,000 EVs by 2015. … Read more

GE aims to build 'industrial Internet'

General Electric is stepping up its software efforts as is aims to take advantage of machine-to-machine connections and build what it calls the "industrial Internet."

The effort highlights how companies from multiple industries are trying to build more intelligent systems. GE said today it acquired a railroad software company, for example. Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE, has said that information technology will become one of the company's key growth markets.

Meanwhile, IBM is branching out into industrial areas with its software and services. Wireless carriers see machine-to-machine connections as future growth markets. Simply put, companies are in … Read more

GE: Solar panels will be as easy to install as new roof

Cutting the cost of solar power isn't all about a better solar cell.

General Electric today announced two research projects to make installation of solar panels easier by standardizing the components, such as racking systems for solar panels. The $5.9 million in research is part of the Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative to dramatically cut the cost of solar photovoltaics.

The price of solar electric panels has steadily gone down and is poised to fall more in the face of a global price war in solar. But as much as half of the cost of solar is … Read more

GE to build thin-film solar factory in Colorado

General Electric announced yesterday it will spend $600 million to build a solar factory in Colorado, giving it the means to re-enter the solar business in force.

The company said the factory in Aurora will have the capacity to produce at an annual rate of 400 megawatts, or enough to power 80,000 U.S. homes. It will create 355 jobs in Colorado after completion and another 100 solar-related jobs at GE's research facility in upstate New York.

Production will start early next year of solar panels with cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells, the same thin-film material used by … Read more

GE, Nissan explore EVs for home energy storage

General Electric and Nissan, keen on advancing plug-in vehicles, are looking for ways to make electric cars part of a home energy system.

The two companies on Friday signed a two-year research collaboration to speed up deployment of electric vehicles, an extension to an agreement announced last year.

One project focuses on tying electric cars' batteries into GE's energy management system. Nissan is already developing a Nissan Leaf battery charge point, which can provide backup power to homes.

The research will look at whether stored energy can automatically supply a house during peak times, when electricity rates are higher. … Read more

Best Buy to sell home energy management gear

WASHINGTON D.C.--Best Buy plans to start selling home energy management products in stores later this year, creating a channel to introduce consumers to emerging grid technologies.

The consumer electronics retailer in late October will start a trial in which three stores will have dedicated areas to demonstrate and explain a range of home energy technologies, said Kris Bowring, senior director and platform lead for home energy at Best Buy, at the GridWeek conference here yesterday.

The choice of products has not yet been finalized but there will be a variety, ranging from simple whole-house energy monitors to a … Read more

This Day in Tech: Police looking into case of missing iPhone; Popular Sushi photo shot with an iPhone 5?

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Wednesday, September 7.

Police are looking into the case of the missing iPhone. The news of this keeps unfolding.

HTC sues Apple for using Google patents. "HTC will continue to protect its patented inventions against infringement from Apple until such infringement stops. We believe that we have an obligation to protect our business, our industry partners and our customers, who love using our products," Grace Lei, HTC's general counsel, said in an e-mailed statement to CNET.

Even … Read more

GE invests in high-tech green building outfit

General Electric is making a foray into green buildings by investing in Project Frog, which uses various technologies to speed up new building design and construction.

GE Energy Financial Services will be one of four companies to invest $22 million in Project Frog, GE said today. The other three are venture capital companies: Claremont Creek Ventures, Greener Capital Partners, and RockPort Capital Partners.

The money will be used to expand Project Frog's sales, and GE will install one of the company's prefabricated buildings at the GE Learning Center in Ossining, N.Y.

Project Frog uses software and construction … Read more

Australia to get its first utility-scale solar plant

First Solar, GE Energy Financial Services, and Verve Energy announced today a partnership to build Australia's first utility-scale solar plant.

At 10 megawatts, Greenough River Solar Farm will be the largest operating solar plant in the country, and the solar energy it generates will be put to a very specific use.

All of its energy will go toward supporting a seawater desalination plant in Western Australia currently under expansion.

The Southern Seawater Desalination Plant in Binningup, Australia, which is run by the WA Water Corporation, has signed a 15-year contract to purchase all of the solar energy generated from … Read more