building

IBM buys Tririga software in 'smart building' play

IBM already manages computers with software. Now it wants to manage buildings.

The computing giant today said it intends to acquire Las Vegas-based Tririga for an undisclosed amount, giving IBM software for managing a portfolio of buildings, including projects to improve building efficiency and lower carbon emissions.

IBM said it is part of its strategy to give corporations better ways to manage their facilities and equipment. Tririga's applications will be part of IBM's Tivoli division of management software.

"Having one view of building operations worldwide will be a powerful tool to help organizations control and optimize their … Read more

What's up? Docks.

What's up with docks? For starters, they're handy little apps that launch other applications via shortcuts, typically from a centralized, customizable desktop menu. You "dock" your favorite programs, Web sites, documents, or anything that can be opened with a shortcut to the app, and launch them quickly from it. Appetizer is a neat little dock from Pogopixels, a developer that specializes in widgets and desktop gadgets. We looked at the installed version, but it's also available in a totally portable version that automatically detects apps even when run from a USB drive.

Appetizer's fully … Read more

Where's your stuff?

WhereIsIt Portable is a simple database tool for cataloging, searching, and accessing your computer media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, audio CDs, disk drives, floppies, network drives, or any media that Windows recognizes as a drive, even those not currently attached to your system. So if you have CD-ROMs full of archived data or a terabyte's worth of movies on a removable hard drive, you can find what you need quickly with WhereIsIt instead of accessing and searching each archived disk separately. Since it's completely portable, it will run from thumbdrives and other removable storage devices on any Windows … Read more

Private eye

Scheming teenagers, wayward spouses, and other sneaky computer users sometimes inspire someone to keep an eye on them. BlackBox Security Monitor Express can do this task for you, keeping track of the Web sites, keywords, and text that are entered by each computer user. Whether or not you should be snooping is something we'll refrain from weighing in on; all we'll say is that this program works.

The program's interface is plain and pretty easy to figure out. A wizard walks you through the process of selecting which users or computers are to be monitored; these can … Read more

'Eco-monastery' opening at Siddhartha's birthplace

Lumbini, the UNESCO World Heritage Site so marked for being the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, will soon also be home to an "eco-monastery."

The Lumbini Udyana Mahachaitya World Center for Peace and Unity (LUM), which began construction in 2006, opens this April in Nepal. It will be the largest Buddhist temple and meditation hall in Lumbini, but aims to leave the smallest carbon footprint.

The lighting system for the 48,600-square-foot structure will rely entirely on solar panels to generate electricity for its lighting, as well as incorporating the use of natural light in … Read more

Retroficiency app sizes up building energy

Start-up Retroficiency today officially launched its service for streamlining efficiency projects in commercial buildings and said it has raised a seed round of funding.

The Boston-based company said it has raised $800,000 from local angel investors and World Energy, which operates online auctions for bidding on energy supply contracts.

Retroficiency's Web-based application is designed to quickly create a picture of a commercial building's energy profile and potential efficiency upgrades. It can be used by energy auditors to speed up creation of their reports or by buildings' facility managers to prioritize projects.

Many building owners or occupants are … Read more

Empire State Building's eco windows available

Serious Materials announced today that its proprietary system for retrofitting windows for thermal efficiency--a system that attracted attention during the Empire State Building's recent makeover--is now available for commercial buildings.

The company gained recognition for developing a system to overhaul and improve the efficiency of the Empire State Building's 6,514 windows as part of the iconic skyscraper's $20 million refresh. The window retrofit was done with no visual change whatsoever to the exterior of the building. Most of the original 26,000 panes of glass were reused, and the changes to each window casement were done … Read more

Entrepreneurs get hands-on with ideas at TechShop

Apple, Google, and HP are just a few of the companies hatched in small garages--innovators surrounded by tools and machines, bringing ideas to life. San Francisco's TechShop, which had its grand opening Saturday, is a community that wants to offer anyone the chance to be a big thinker, by providing a start-up environment equipped with just about any tool you can think of, along with training, expertise, and other resources. The massive DIY workshop occupies a 15,000-square-foot space in San Francisco's South of Market neighboorhood, and it's already a thriving community oozing with ideas. With staff … Read more

Recyclable school building makes the grade

Could prefab structures be a quick and cost-saving way to get U.S. students out of dilapidated and energy-sucking schools?

A recent award to a Gen7 school building, made by American Modular Systems, seems to signal that modular classrooms have moved beyond being ad hoc building solutions for developing nations.

For the first time in California, a prefab building has been awarded national Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) certification for new school construction. CHPS certification is awarded to those schools that meet specific health, comfort, maintenance, and environmental sustainability standards.

"The Gen7 classroom proves that a prefab structure … Read more