Green Computing

Joulemeter is a software-based Microsoft Research project designed to measure the energy usage of virtual machines (VMs), servers, desktops, laptops, and even individual software programs running on a computer. Joulemeter estimates the energy usage of a VM, computer, or software by…

  ESRI, a Global ISV partner, is pushing the envelope on technology adoption and environmental issues.  In this interview, I talk with Senior Product Managers Rob Elkins and John Baleja about technology advancements, development needs and what the Microsoft  partnership…

I couldn’t help but think about the old Kermit the frog tune while chatting with Jennifer Pollard (Product Manager) and Neil Huizenga (Software Developer) last week about the new Environmental Sustainability Dashboard for Dynamics AX.  While many organizations are doing everything…

In a corporate network, most desktop machines always are left on, even when they are not in use for extended periods, such as at night. This is wasteful, bad for the environment, and bad for the corporate treasury. While Win7 provides aggressive sleep functionality, most users override it because…

Ensuring that applications work well with Windows Power Management is a vital step in providing a solid end user experience and reducing IT energy costs. Developers need to ensure their applications are Energy Smart.Here, we visit Mark Aggar, a Director in the  Environmental…

New surge protectors, laptop chargers, and electrical outlets from a company called iGo were unveiled at this week’s CES. These “green” products are designed to help you save energy, which of course means that you can save money too. For any heavy duty computer and gadget users, these devices will…

A recent Ars Technica article points to a recent study from Mindteck which analyzed the “greenness” of Windows 7 as compared to Windows XP. The company looked at power consumption in various scenarios (sleep, idle, low and high use, etc.) to determine how much better Windows 7 did (or did not) fare…

At long last, the new “green” PCs that have been under development at Dell have finally arrived. The Dell Studio Hybrid PC is 80% smaller than the conventional desktop mini-tower while also using 70% less power than typical desktop PCs. Their small form factor lets them fit almost anywhere and the…

Edison is a new download that helps you with PC Power Management. The app comes from a company called Verdiem, which offers similar technology for large enterprises for a fee. With Edison, though, you’ll get those same power-saving tools for free. After you download and register the program, you can…

Granola is a new software application that helps you reduce the energy waste that coming from using a computer and leaving it on all the time. The program, smaller than a single MP3, is a “set it and forget it” type of application that automatically optimizes system settings without compromising…