Vampire Power | greenUPGRADER

New AT&T Cell Phone Charger Eliminates Vampire Power

by Becky Striepe on March 19th, 2010

Even after we unplug our phones and other small electronics, the charger still takes a bit of power from the wall as long as it’s plugged in. The phenomenon is called vampire power, and it’s responsible for billions of dollars per year in wasted energy. In fact, if we cut out vampire power all together, we could save enough energy to shut down 26 coal-fired plants. For smaller devices, AT&T is close to releasing a solution for fighting that energy suck.

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Posted in Gear+Gadgets, Innovation 2 Comments

Fighting Energy Vampires with ‘Leeches’

by Becky Striepe on February 19th, 2010

There are all manner of fancy gadgets out there to help folks reduce their vampire power consumption, but the simplest solution for plug-in chargers is to just unplug them from the wall -- but even that can be a bit of a pain.

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Posted in Concept+Design, Innovation 1 Comment

Video Game Vampires: Which Gaming Console Is Draining Your Power?

by Beth Buczynski on February 17th, 2010

With the ability to create online gaming experiences shared by thousands of people at once, and graphics that make you think you're watching a live action movie, it's important to question just what kind of an impact these video game systems are having on your carbon footprint.

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Posted in Gear+Gadgets 4 Comments

DIY Energy Saving Phone Charging Dock

by Matt Embrey on July 15th, 2009

Here’s a great DIY to make your own power saving charging dock. As most of you now know, when you plug your cell phone, or mp3 player (most things that have an AC adapter box built into the charger), that charger continues to draw electricity even when your device isn’t attached or charging. This wastes [...]

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Posted in DIY, Home+Decor 3 Comments

Save the Economy, Save for Your Future and Save the Planet

by Doug Gunzelmann on February 13th, 2009

The “thrift paradox” describes the problem of spending money to stimulate the economy without continuing down the path of consumerism that led us into our current economic state. The phrase was coined by John Maynard Keynes, yet there is a way to both spend and save at the same time…and you can be green about [...]

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Posted in Money+Finance 0 Comments

5 Ways to Green Your Computer

by Matt Embrey on April 21st, 2008

Upgrade If you are reading this I don’t have to tell you that computers have become a huge part of everyday life. They enrich our lives allowing us to stay up to date on current events, share ideas, stay in touch with loved ones… for some they have become indispensable. So since they are [...]

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Posted in DIY, Gear+Gadgets 2 Comments

Philips Eco TV - a Greenafied 42″ 1080p HD LCD

by Matt Embrey on April 13th, 2008

Upgrade: $1400 Generally speaking large flat panel TVs, with their high energy consumption, toxic components, and overly abundant packaging are not very eco-friendly, however, some are friendlier than others. If you want a killer picture without killing the environment, you should take a look at the Philips Eco TV. This 42″ full 1080p HD LCD [...]

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Posted in Gear+Gadgets 1 Comment

GreenSwitch - Reduce Home Energy Consumption

by Matt Embrey on March 6th, 2008

Upgrade: $1125+ The most complete solution to the Standby Power or "Vampire Power" problem that we have seen yet. "Vampire Power" refers to the energy that is used by electronics even when they are off. Your TV, Computer, Printer… are all using energy even when they are switched off. This amounts to unnecessary use of [...]

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Posted in Fixtures 0 Comments

Belkin Conserve, the Planet Saving Surge Protector

by Matt Embrey on March 1st, 2008

Upgrade: $50 When Gadgets like TV’s, Printers, Cell Phone chargers are left plugged in, they are using power, even when they are not on. The California Energy Commission estimates that this wasted power accounts for 15% of household electricity use. So 15% of you bill is money wasted. Now I’d like to save some [...]

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Posted in Gear+Gadgets 0 Comments