Cutting down your electricity bills April 2, 2008

Speaking of energy saving…

[Press Release] New Belkin Conserve features a “one-touch” wireless remote control that allows for easy managing the power usage for your electronic devices, driving down both energy waste and electrical bills. There are two sets of outlets on the surge protector: 2 are the “Always On” outlets, and 6 are the “Wireless Switched” outlets. According to the California Energy Commission, standby power (aka phantom power) losses, attributed from plugged-in electrical appliances in standby or switched off mode, can be as high as 15% of total electricity usage in an average household. Devices plugged into the Wireless Switched outlets can be turned completely off, using the remote control, to save power when not in use.

Belkin Conserve

Even better, Smart Strip Power Strip can automatically detect when your computer is switched off or on sleep mode and turn off the outlets on your peripherals to save standby power loss. The Smart Strip Power Strip consists of a “Control” outlet, 6 “Switched” outlets, and 3 “Constant Hot” outlets. Constant Hot outlets function the same way as Always On outlets on a Belkin Conserve. Devices plugged into these outlets remain powered at all times. Switched outlets are similar to Wireless Switched outlets, except that power is not controlled by a remote control but automatically determined by the strip according to the status of the Control outlet. For example, a CPU plugged into the Control outlet can have a monitor, a set of speakers, a printer and an external hard drive plugged into the Switched outlets. When the computer shuts down (i.e. CPU switched off), peripherals in the Switched outlets will automatically get switched off as well.

Smart Strip Power Strip

As companies are moving forward with an energy efficiency and management vision, new products not only have built-in energy saving features but also monitoring abilities to track when exactly energy is consumed and how much energy is consumed so as to better manage the use of electricity and cost control. P3’s Kill A Watt PS not only displays different power usage indicators (such as voltage, line frequency, amperage, KWH/leakage) but it also calculates (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) electrical expenses and forecasts. Understanding the operating costs and efficiency of electronics can help you manage your bills in the long run.

Kill A Watt PS

Owning information is the door to success. That’s what makes the Internet (and Google etc.) powerful tool in the modern age. However, actual success comes only with analytical and managing skills. Modern products should be able to help users collect, analyze, and convert data into useful information. Perhaps a downloadable, real-time tracking of energy use for an entire household? Remotely stored database/network to monitor energy use at home while you’re at work or on travel? What’s more?

modularity. March 25, 2008

Two years of Architecture has taught me a lot about design principles. In particular, I discovered the power and beauty of simple and modular structural systems. Modularity does not mean boring. On the contrary, it is to take a simple unit and multiply it systematically – applying certain principles and conceptual rules – to form flexible and dynamic systems.

Take a look at the pine cone. What do you see?

My first assignment was to study pine cones. Pretty random and complex structure it seems?

No kidding, pine cones actually display the Fibonacci sequence in their structures! (This might help you understand the structure more clearly.) Every system you see is composed of a simpler system or a series of simpler systems. The degree of complexity is build up through different grouping combinations of many such simple systems, even the pine cones. And there is no limit to the size of the system. It can keep growing infinitely, without losing its aesthetic and functional values. That is the power of modularity.

How can modularity be applied to product design?

Taking a simple surge protector as an example. Two months ago, I found out about Powramid, a UFO-looking surge protector that not only resolved the issue of clustered plugs on traditional surge protectors but also redefined the aesthetic standards of what surge protectors could look like. The product design is clearly innovative, but only temporal. A Powramid can take up to 6 plugs. What happens when you have to power more than 6 appliances? You’ll need an extension strip that you plug into the Powramid and it goes on when your work station grows larger. Rather nasty in terms of the looks and all the cables crossing over each other and entangling. I use about 9-10 sockets at home at all times: Monitor, CPU, 2 external hard-drives, external DVD-burner, speakers, USB-ports hub, cellphone/digital camera charger, desk lamp.

E-rope Modular Power Strip

The E-rope is an IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards) Bronze winner in 2006. Although it is only a design project, the concept of taking a power socket module and multiplying it to grow into a power strip really creates a flexible solution to fit different power needs. Whether it’s 4 sockets or 12 sockets, big plugs or small plugs, E-rope is completely customizable. Imagine each little unit is a surge protector itself…

A lot still needs to be refined when taking this design concept into actuality. Such as considering the amount of space required when more than a dozen modules wriggle out from the wall socket. And how realistic it is for cables to be coming in from different directions? What about the space in between when the strip makes a corner? By connecting the modules in series, it means that when one plug is switched off, the rest in line would be off too. What if I want to switch off some, but keep others powered? Can the modules be modified so that they can be connected in parallel?

Eubiq Power Outlet System

Perhaps it’s not too difficult to realize a modularize and practical power strip design. The Eubiq Power Outlet System is an example and can be an architectural solution for modern homes, where you can have sockets anywhere you want and exactly where you wanted it. Just watch the demo. Really cool. Seriously, turn this into a Power Protection Outlet System and future homes could automatically enjoy the benefits of reliable power usage. Might be a bit costly to re-install it throughout the house when it’s time to change the protector, but c’mon.. everything needs to be built-in nowadays! Houses are no exceptions.

Building a new and better power grid… March 11, 2008

Did you ever know that the power grid we are functioning on every day (that is powering any latest, most modern technological devices) is in fact still a 1950s technology? That sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it. But it’s true. Check out this ad.

Find out how you can participate in this initiative at www.galvinpower.org/blog.

P.S.: They mentioned “squirrels” in the ad. *wink*

What are the possibilities of innovation? February 7, 2008

Infinite.

Recall Powramid.
Here’s another way of reinventing old fashioned surge protectors to allow for more spatial flexibility.

Doesn’t look as stylish as Powramid, but still an innovative attempt to make our everyday lives easier.
$39.99 from Ideative.

Green is our favorite color. January 29, 2008

What is green?

Green is the color of nature, of growth. In color therapy, green affects the heart chakra. It calms and balances the nervous system, hence is good for people suffering from depression, anxiety, and nervousness. *Ever heard that green is good for our eyes? Do you know why? Tell me if you do, ’cause I simply don’t. lol* But I do know that green is good for our health, our society, and our planet, Earth. Green is our favorite color.

If now isn’t the time to talk green, when is? Global warming, air pollution, land wastes are only few of the long list of existing human-caused environmental issues. It affects not just our personal well-being, but on a much larger scale, the whole planet. This affects every single one of us. And it takes the effort of every single individual to fix it.

How can we act and live green?
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Plenty of ways to achieve that. The most basic is by changing the little details in our lifestyle. Reduce the use of plastic bags when we checkout at Wal-Mart. Reuse plastic utensils when we order chinese food to-go. Recycle papers, cans, bottles, magazines, print cartridges by packing them separately and bringing them to designated collection venues. (ref. Eco Tips for Individuals)

Zooming out from individuals, we have companies and organizations that are evolving towards eco-friendly products and operations. Check out the Green Plug™:

Green Plug is a highly efficient power adapter hub that is able to simultaneously power multiple devices, each with its own energy demand. Billions of devices including laptops, printers, speakers, routers, modems, cell phones, entertainment devices, power tools, cameras and many other portable electronic devices require a power source that converts between 90V and 254V wall power to device-specific DC power. This translates to the fact that most devices require unique power converters – a very costly, extremely inconvenient, and principal contributor to wasted resources not to mention electronics landfill pile-up. Green Plug technology maximizes resources, minimizes solid waste from obsolete chargers, and eliminates wasted energy. When devices collaborate with power supplies, an unprecedented amount of monitoring, control, and optimization becomes possible. (via Inhabitat)

The Green Plug™ was also featured at CES 2008. If now isn’t the time to talk green, when is?

Paint the world with our favorite color. Paint it green.