energy savers
Fix
AllOff Shuts Down Your Computer When It’s Inactive
11:00AM Adam Pash | Windows only: Ever wish you could save energy by not just sleeping, but automatically shutting down your PC when you’re not using it and it’s not doing anything? With free utility AllOff, you can. AllOff monitors your mouse and keyboard usage in addition to CPU load. If you haven’t used your mouse or keyboard and the CPU load is below a user-specified threshold for a certain amount of time, AllOff automatically initiates a system shutdown. The CPU monitoring functionality is perfect for those times you want to keep your computer on to finishing ripping or burning a DVD, for example, but don’t want to keep your PC running all night once the process completes. Granted, this app does mirror some features already built into Windows, but if you’d like more control over automated shut down, it does the job nicely. AllOff is a free download for non-commercial use, Windows only, requires a free registration. If you like the idea but you’d like a few more options for how the shut down handled or scheduled, check out previously mentioned WinOFF. AllOff [via gHacks] More »
See the Cost of Your Energy Vampires
9:00PM Kevin Purdy | Good magazine has an interesting chart in their latest issue that details how much energy your vampire devices use, and how much it costs you to keep them plugged in. The guide differentiates between devices that are in “active” (ready to leap to life) and “passive” (just plugged in) standby modes, and some items are real shockers. A plasma TV, for instance, can cost about $160 per year just to keep plugged in. That Wii you got your hands on? $25 before you even hit one virtual tennis ball. The takeaway for me, at least, is thinking about putting some devices on power strips and turning them off if I know I won’t be using them for a day or more. Vampire Energy [Good Magazine via CNET News] More »
