By Terry Currier
CES 2010 - Video of many exhibitors Audio Computer-to-TV Medical Networking Printers Projectors Power
One of the big pushes at CES this year was “green.” There were a number of vendors showing devices to monitor the electricity usage. There were also companies marketing hand driven, and solar chargers. Chargers that could charge more than just one device at a time. Even TV manufactures had signs up saying how much less electricity the new units used compared to their older models.
For the prices listed I rounded up to the nearest dollar. I figure with tax it will be over that anyway.
Case-mate www.case-mate.com
Announced the Hug – a new protective case and charging pad
for the Apple® iPhone 3G and Apple iPhone 3GS that showcases the evolution of
wireless power. Created to give iPhone users a more convenient way to charge,
the design-forward Hug delivers power without cumbersome cords or adaptors –
users simply slip their iPhone into the sleek Hug case and then place the phone
onto the Hug charging pad. The portable Hug charging pad transfers power
wirelessly through a magnetic field to the iPhone enclosed in the Hug case. The
Hug charges just as fast as traditional chargers, but without the hassle of
cords and wires.
The case-mate Hug is one of the first charging pads designed
for future compatibility with the Qi standard – creating the platform for
wireless charging – as specified by the Wireless Power Consortium (the
Consortium). It will retail for $90. New versions will be available for
additional mobile devices, including BlackBerry and Motorola Droid products in
early 2010. Additionally in 2010, case-mate will offer a Hug that supports the
charging of multiple devices simultaneously.
Digipower www.digipowersolutions.com
Digipower Universal Auto/Air Adaptor/Charger. Allows you to power any electronic device in your car or on
any airplane.
Features:
D-Link www.dlink.com
The D-Link Home Energy Monitoring Starter Kit allows consumers
to measure energy consumption of all electrical appliances in the home, turning
the Home Monitor into the ultimate smart energy “Green Machine”. It also
provides practical tools for power management. Consumers can use the mydlink portal to program devices to
power-down when the home is empty, helping reduce carbon emissions and reduce
utility bills by saving electricity.
The kit is equipped with two power-usage sensor adapters (additional sensors may be purchased separately) that plug into the home’s wall sockets near where the electrical appliances are located. By plugging the appliances directly into the kit’s sensor adapters, users can automatically download energy consumption data to their personal mydlink.com webpage where they have access to real-time power usage levels; daily, weekly and monthly breakdowns; cost conversions and graphical analysis. In addition, the product allows utility companies to offer users incentives on fee schedules based on their history of energy conservation.
Griffin Technology www.griffintechnology.com
TuneJuice Universal
Sooner or later you'll need a charge someplace where there
are no electrical outlets around, and you'll wish you could take the juice with
you. With TuneJuice Universal, you can. Just pop 3 AA batteries in, slip it in
a pocket for later, and take off. The built-in USB connector allows charging of
a wide range of devices, ensuring power is always available when needed.
PowerJolt Plus
The perfect car charging solution for users with multiple
devices. A 12V DC charger with coiled dock cable connects to iPod or iPhone for
simple charging on the go. PowerJolt Plus then pops open, revealing a
pass-through socket that allows connection of an additional 12V device.
Pricing and Availability
HiSAVER www.hisaver.com
Electricity guzzlers like computers, monitors, home
entertainment systems, televisions or even just coffee machines use electricity
quietly and stealthily even when they are supposedly switched off. This is why
it’s called “Vampire” or standby power. 
HiSAVER is smart multi outlet strip connector with an external motion sensor and artificial intelligence that automatically powers down your PC peripherals and electric appliances in your absence and turns them back on when you come back.
It comes in both a PC Version and a TV version. The PC version has a master/slave relationship to maximize energy saving of your peripherals after 10 minutes absence and the TV version gives you the choice of powering down your home entertainment appliances after 1, 2 or 3 hours. Both offer Zero (0.2W) Standby Power when switched off by the user. Initial “real life” tests conducted by "HiSAVER" have shown that the savings potential – based on a total price, monthly fee included, of $0.13 per kilowatt hour – is between $65 and $100 a year.
The PC connects to the master socket. This is not powered down automatically by the motion sensor after ten minutes of inactivity, as the risk of serious loss of your data would be too great. When you switch off your computer "HiSAVER" will put all the devices into the cost-saving Zero (0.2W) Standby power mode. In addition, one of the four slave energy saving outlets can be configured to an "Always On" state, enabling devices that have to be in operation round the clock to be constantly supplied with electricity.
HiSAVER is also a surge protector to ensure that your expensive multi-media equipment survives the next storm. The entire system is protected up to 3,044 joules of voltage peaks and lightning strikes. The product contents include an integrated insurance policy against surge damages as well as a 1,875 watt power overload protector fuse.
You can buy HiSAVER from retailers at a recommended sale price of $99 and comes with one-year guarantee.
Innergine www.myinnergie.com
They say the mCube90 is the world's smallest universal
adapter. With a detachable Auto/Air adapter feature, which is just 2/3 the size
of a business card, you can charge your devices anywhere you go.
The mCube90 not only charges your laptops, but also your USB portable devices, making sure that nothing is left behind when it comes to your power needs. Charge most popular brands of laptops with power requirement between 18-21 Volts, 70 Watt continuous, and up to 17" in display dimension: Acer, ASUS, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba, and more...
Their retractable USB charging cable comes with tips to allow you to charge your phone through your computer (or their USB charger). Prices start at $7.50 for an LG phone.
Ultra Slim Universal Power Adapter with USB Power Port
Radically slim profile laptop power adapter that provides up to 65 watts of output power at 19.5 volts for your laptops, as well as an USB output to power up your portable devices. With thickness of just 16mm and a weight of 200 gram, the mCube Lite is the most portable power solution.
With special design USB power port, it gives you the capability of charging all your standard USB devices. With extremely high power efficiency, you can reduce your energy costs and reduce your CO2 emission. It is credited by the RTCA aviation certification, safe usage within airplanes is guaranteed.
The mCube Plus supplies up to 95 watts of continuous power along with 2 USB ports. Use it at home or in office to support your power consuming applications.
Charge most popular brands of notebooks between 18-21 volts, up to 17" in LCD size, and 95 watts consumption. Including Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba, and more. Free tip support to ensure Innergie offers the widest laptop compatibility coverage.
Jasco www.jascoproducts.com
From
their GE division comes the GE Z-Wave Energy Monitoring Module. A simple-to-use
and easy-to-understand solution for energy-efficiency that seamlessly
integrates with already existing Z-Wave enabled products. It (MSRP $75)
precisely measures power used by devices like computers or TVs, and transmits
the data via the Z-Wave protocol to a device that interprets the information
for the consumer. This module can measure voltage, frequency, kilowatts and
kilowatt-hours as well as power factor. The device not only tracks energy
usage, but helps consumers to make adjustments to reduce their carbon footprint
and save money. The module plugs into any outlet to provide one Z-Wave operated
outlet. The Z-Wave outlet then allows users to turn on/off small appliances and
lights, while the horizontal contoured design leaves other outlets safe and
available for use. This product is expected to be available April 2010. For
more information on the entire GE Z-Wave family, visit www.easyzwave.com.
Kinesis Industries www.kinesisindustries.com
$100
Package Includes:
K3 Wind and Solar Charger
iGo Charge Cable and Adapter Tips: mini-USB (A32) and micro-USB (A97)
AC Wall Plug
Draw String Bag
Quick Start Guide
Miniwiz Sustainable
Energy Development www.hymini.com or www.miniwiz.com 
You can convert your plastic bottles into a unique
light/outdoor garden lamp. Just screw the Solarbulb onto any 28mm bottleneck.
The Solarbulb automatically turns on its light. Position the Solarbulb in an
environment where it gets 3-4 hours of direct sunlight to capture 5 hours of
night lighting.
The HYmini is a handheld universal charger/adapter. It can collect power with its built-in wind powered generator, solar panel, minHANDCRANK, Bicycle Hub Power Converter, USB, or charge from an AC outlet. It can hold enough power to charge practically all 5 volt devices, such as your cell phone, iPhone/iPod, Blackberry etc.
The HYmini Biscuit is a handheld universal charger/adapter.
It collects renewable energy from its built-in wind power generator and
built-in PV module. It’s rechargeable standard AA dock allows the user to be flexible
and environmental all at the same time. It can hold enough power to charge
practically all 5 volt devices, such as your cell phone, iPhone/iPod,
Blackberry etc. 
Recycled Polymer Structural Block
Integrated with solar powered LED lighting. POLLI-Brick™ technology is translucent/transparent, strong, lightweight, naturally insulated, self-structuring, durable, and made from 100% recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Polymer. The modular 3-D honeycomb interlock cells system makes it strong while weighing 1/5 that of standard wall systems: with much less cost than that of standard wall constructions.
EcoARK will be the first building in the world constructed
with Polli-Bricks.
The construction of EcoARK is already underway.
Completion date: March 2010
2010 TAIPEI INT’L FLORA EXPO
Monster www.monsterpower.com
Announced the availability of two new High Definition
PowerCenters™ with Monster GreenPower™ technology designed to stop energy waste.
They include models HDP 1850G (SRP: $400) and HDP 1400G (SRP: $300). Both are
designed to save energy by turning off power to home theater components when
not in use, reducing wasted stand-by mode energy. Both also feature exclusive
T2™ power protection against surges, and Monster CleanPower™ that rejects noise
and interference to maximize performance and reduce wear to delicate digital
equipment. 
You may not be aware that even when your home theater components are turned "off," their equipment may still be consuming energy in stand-by or sleep mode. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that stand-by power can account for as much as 20% of home energy use. Monster GreenPower provides the solution to this problem by letting customers easily turn off selected outlets to eliminate wasted "vampire" power consumption.
Users simply plug their HDTV into the main “Green Power
Control Outlet” which then controls three other outlets for connection of
additional entertainment components. When the HDTV is turned off, the other
GreenPower outlets automatically shut down. When the HDTV is turned back on,
the GreenPower outlets automatically power up again. Additionally it includes
two outlets controlled by an included RF remote control. Both PowerCenters feature Monster's patented HD Clean Power®
to reject interference and maximize performance. Connected Equipment Warranties
are $350,000 for the HDP 1850G and $500,000 for the HDP 1400G).
Oregon Scientific
www.oregonscientific.com
Individual Appliance Manager: Simply plug the device into any outlet and
the Individual Appliance Manager will
track energy current, line voltage, and corresponding costs for any one
electrical appliance. The LCD screen also displays the time, making it a convenient gadget to have in any room in the
house. MSRP: $29
Advanced Wireless Appliance Manager: monitors power consumption, carbon emissions, and real-time costs for up to eight appliances, in addition to long-term trend information. Also, an alarm will alert the user if consumption goals are exceeded. MSRP: $99
PureEnergy www.pureenergy.com
They changed their name from WildCharge to PureEnergy with
much the same products. The WildCharger™ Pad and its companions – WildCharge™
Skins – form a perfect wire-free power solution. Easy to install, carry and
enable, they allow you to go “wire-free”
out of the box. Once you equip your mobile device with a WildCharge Skin, you
will be able to charge it by placing it on any WildCharger Pad that is
connected to a power source. The pad can simultaneously charge multiple
devices, such as cell phones, MP3 music players or other mobile devices - as
long as they are WildCharge-enabled. They have added rechargeable batteries and
chargers to their product list.
PowerGenix www.powergenix.com
PowerGenix batteries have more power (1.6 volts) than all
other rechargeable batteries (1.2 volts). Get a Free C or D adapter with the
purchase of PowerGenix batteries and a charger. When the batteries do drain
out, they can be fully recharged in under two hours. Available in AA and AAA
sizes.
Solio www.solio.com
The Solio Rocsta™ ($50) hybrid solar charger is your perfect
companion when your lifestyle takes you to far-off horizons. With a rugged
shell and built-in carabiner the Rocsta can even power your gadgets while being
attached to a backpack, belt loop, or bicycle. Features
Tech-specs
A fully charged Solio will recharge the average phone up to two times, or give you up to 15 hours of MP3 music. Solio's intelligent internal circuitry and Adapter Tip System lets you charge devices at about the same rate as their dedicated wall chargers. Product warranty is one year (unless otherwise required by law). Solar panels are covered for 15 years.
Targus www.targus.com
Ideal for travel, their new light weight chargers can charge
multiple devices simultaneously. With the Tips from Targus program, the
chargers can be upgraded to work with other mobile devices in the household, or
new laptops purchased in the future at no charge (shipping and handling fees
apply). In addition, the product has been designed with next generation
technology to dramatically reduce the size and provide a flexible, modular
platform for different types of usage modes and charging needs. The elimination
of the AC cord, for example, not only reduces bulk when traveling, but also
allows the power adapter to be out of the way when being used at home or the
office.
Targus Premium Laptop Charger (AC/DC) – APM69US
Half the size and weight of typical AC/DC charger it comes
with nine laptop tips, one mini-USB tip and one iPhone/iPod/iTouch tip. Included
with the AC charger is a separate DC charger that plugs directly into a
cigarette lighter and also charges two devices simultaneously. The AC charger
features an integrated rotating plug, which allows the charger to sit
vertically into a power strip without blocking other outlets. Available for an
MSRP of $150.
Targus Compact Laptop Charger (AC) - APA6911US and APA6922US
The Compact Laptop Chargers are half the size and weight of
typical AC chargers and provide simultaneous charging of most laptop brands and
a low-power device. The APA6911US is compatible with most HP, Compaq, Acer,
Asus, Gateway and Fujitsu laptops. The APA6922US is compatible with most Dell,
Toshiba, Sony, Lenovo, IBM and Panasonic laptops. Both chargers include a
mini-USB charger for low-power devices like a BlackBerry with an
iPhone/iTouch/iPod connector available for shipping and handling fees. The
Compact Laptop Chargers measure 2.73 x 0.78 x 4.5 inches, weigh 11.6 ounces and
available for an MSRP of $90.
Targus Netbook Charger (AC) - APA70US
The versatile netbook charger supports a wide array of
leading netbook brands plus charges one additional low power device at the same
time. The AC charger is compatible with netbooks by leading manufacturers such
as Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, HP, IBM, Lenovo, MSI and Samsung. It measures 2.73
x 0.78 x 4.5 inches, weighs 11.5 ounces and is available for an MSRP of $90.
Targus Mobile Laptop Charger (DC) - APD80US
The new Mobile Laptop Charger is the lightest and most
compact DC charger on the market today. The charger can be used as an
additional charger when you’re working in the car or on an extended flight or
train ride. The DC charger includes eight laptop tips and one mini-USB tip. It
measures just 3 ½ inches long, weighs 6.9 ounces and is available at an MSRP of
$80.
The new Targus chargers are backed with a two-year limited warranty.
Tenrehte Technologies www.tenrehte.com
Created a wireless
product to enable connectivity in smart grid devices. the PICOwatt is a smart
plug the uses Wi-Fi connectivity to provide remote energy monitoring, remote
power control, time of use pricing and demand scheduling.
YoGen www.easyenergyinc.com
Features the capacity to recharge any small-to-mid-sized
personal electronics device by offering the industry’s leading ratio of energy
output to input. Through repeated pulls on an attached ripcord, similar to the
motion of a Yo-Yo, YoGen’s internal alternator generates power in sufficient
levels to charge everything from cell phones, iPods, PDAs and MP3s to Gameboys,
GPS units, cameras and other devices. The alternator interfaces with an
energy-efficient electronic stabilizer and transmission to transfer linear
kinetic energy through a patch cord from the compact, ergonomically-designed
unit to the electronic device.
 |
Winners is a member of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG) is an international, platform-independent, nonprofit corporation (incorporated in Washington, DC) devoted to helping user groups throughout the world. Almost 400 user groups are members of APCUG. http://www.apcug.net/ |