One Plug to Rule Them All

One of the best conversations I had at CES this year was with the VP of sales and marketing for a company called Green Plug. Now granted, meeting with Graeme Finlayson was also the first chance I’d had to sit down in many hours, but even so, the GreenPlug story is one I’ve wanted to tell since coming back from Vegas.

GreenPlug was founded in 2006 with the goal of fixing the “broken” power model. You know how there are a bazillion different adapters for a bazillion different gadgets? Well, it would be nice to standardize them all and be assured that when your lovely little laptop power cord breaks, there’s another nearby that can be switched out from a different device. Unfortunately, as anyone in the industry knows, there is huge resistance from manufacturers around standardizing power accessories. According to Finlayson, the technical challenges of creating one power adapter for all major devices is essentially solved, though there would likely need to be different versions for different power needs – like a 15-50 watt version, a 50-150 watt version, etc. Trying to get manufacturers on board is the major nightmare. Apparently the IEEE is attempting to standardize power adapters for laptops, but when we’ll get any concrete solutions from that initiative remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Green Plug has extended its efforts beyond just creating a universal power adapter. In order to make powering devices more efficient, the company is proposing to add a little CPU, and a new communication wire into the cord that goes between your device and the outlet on the wall. The purpose is to create a feedback loop that communicates battery status, enabling functions like rapid charge and power shut-off when a battery is powered to capacity.

This is a fundamental shift in the way we think about power. Instead of dumb power cords, we’re suddenly looking at intelligent power networks. The Green Plug concept also provides another way to connect devices into the smart grid, which has its own set of implications. That new communication wire makes it potentially possible to connect with a larger grid even when a device, for all other intents and purposes, is turned off.

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The Best iPad Stand?

I’ve had a loaner iPad on hand the last month or so, and one of my first goals was to track down a case and stand (on my dime). As innovative as Apple’s 10″ tablet may be, it’s been awkward to comfortably hold and transport safely… without at least one accessory of some sort. As … Read more

Three Powermat Competitors Coming to Market

Powermat has ruled the retail consumer market for more than a year now with its wireless charging solutions. However, as evidenced by multiple CES exhibits, other brands are jumping into the fray. That’s a really good thing because Powermat products have always felt just a tad on the pricey side, and a little competition should … Read more

Photo Round-Up from CES Unveiled

The CES Unveiled event last night was a mob scene with only a few truly worthwhile displays. That said, a round-up of photos never hurt anyone. Check out some of the buzzed-about (and not-so-buzzed-about) products below. Captions free of charge. Dexim wasn’t only showing off its Visible Charger, it also had a really cool iPad … Read more

Test Driving MyFord Touch

Let me preface this post by saying I’ve never been big into cars. Give me something that’s reliable, preferably with a stick shift, and I’m good to go. However, the advent of GPS, mobile broadband, and digital radio systems have had an effect. I may never care a great deal about horsepower, but I am … Read more

Dave’s Travel Tech (Fall ’10 Edition)

I’m heading overseas for a short getaway, giving thanks to airline deregulation and inexpensive Skype calling from abroad. When traveling Internationally, and/or for vacation, I prefer to go laptopless. However, I found a decent-enough Incase tote ($60) to house my new MacBook Air and replace my colorful-yet-ratty old bag with no-longer-functional zipper. So it’s coming along on this trip to protect my Kindle and a variety of paper magazines, courtesy of a small amount of soon-to-expire frequent flier miles.

Also, I made the very difficult decision to return the new Canon S95 (~$370). I totally waffled on this purchase, feeling both guilt and regret. The Canon’s still picture capabilities are unmatched in a cam this small. But after shooting the quickie Hulu Veebeam video, I had to let it go. I was aware that you couldn’t zoom in/out while filming. However, the S95 will not adjust focus at all as you shoot. Meaning that initial focal length remains even as you attempt to capture objects or people at different distances.

So I raced to the Sony store Sunday night (thank you, holiday hours) and picked up the WX5 (~$270). It doesn’t have the ability to natively handle complex or low lighting situations like the Canon, but through trial, error, and trickery decent shots can be obtained. This Apple TV one is a good example. The Sony also has the benefit of being slimmer than the Canon, with a 5x zoom lens, and ability to shoot (with continual focus) 1080p video. And, unlike previous Sony gear, this camera accepts SD cards (!) in addition to the more limited Memory Stick. Hopefully the S95 will see a firmware update and I’ll return to the fold, as it’s truly a special piece of hardware. But I’m unwilling to travel with both a still and video camera.

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Hands on the Veebeam PC-to-TV Streamer

Like so many products we cover these days, the new Veebeam ($100 – $130) attempts to facilitate the piping of web video and local media to our televisions. However, unlike Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi) technology, Veebeam is mostly agnostic – in terms of both hardware and operating system. The Veebeam solution consists of two components: a … Read more

Will Gadgets & Apps Take Energy Management Mainstream?

The Kill A Watt is a green-geek favorite, but it’s also one of the few gadgets over the years to make it off the stumbling block in home energy management. Despite general support for greener living, the consumer market for energy management tools hasn’t taken off. High costs and difficulties in accessing utility data have … Read more