Environment

Energy-saving Greencam app is a real turn-off

Energy-saving Greencam app is a real turn-off
Ecobeneficios' GreenCam app uses the computer cam to sense when the user walks away and turn off the monitor
Ecobeneficios' GreenCam app uses the computer cam to sense when the user walks away and turn off the monitor
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Ecobeneficios' GreenCam app uses the computer cam to sense when the user walks away and turn off the monitor
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Ecobeneficios' GreenCam app uses the computer cam to sense when the user walks away and turn off the monitor

Computing guzzles a great deal of electricity and striving for greater energy efficiency both saves money and decreases greenhouse gas emissions. Although computers already come with energy-saving mechanisms, such as sleep mode and other power saving features set by users, there's always room for improvement. This is the idea behind Ecobeneficios’s Greencam. The Brazilian company has launched a PC app that automatically turns off the user’s monitor when he or she walks away from it.

Basically what the app does is to turn the computer’s webcam into a presence sensor. When it detects that the user has moved away from the machine, it automatically turns off the screen. This way, if you take too long at the cooler, fret not. Your computer monitor will be taking a break as well.

As the energy demands of the digital age escalate, simple ideas like the GreenCam and more sophisticated power-regulating systems like EnerJ can make a real difference.

If you’re curious about how much power your computer uses, you can download Microsoft’s Joulemeter. This software estimates the power consumption of the computer, tracking the usage of resources such as CPU utilization and screen brightness. For a more accurate reading, hardware solutions like Watt's up? are also available.

GreenCam can be downloaded for free at the Ecobeneficios site. The company's promo video is below.

Source: Ecobeneficios

GreenCam - Ecobenefícios (English Version)

5 comments
5 comments
Pikeman
Does it automatically turn the screen back on when you get back?
jaqen
how much extra power is used by having the camera activated?
It might even out with the power saved by turning off the monitor, but one has to do the whole equation :-)
Sean-Anthony Sutherland
Or you could use the Smartpower app, which automatically shuts the P.C. down or puts it in sleep or hibernate mode depending on current C.P.U. and network usage.
http://ignatu.co.uk/SmartPower.aspx
I'm surprised they haven't been bought out because it is the single most brilliant energy saving innovation i have ever seen.
ivan4
And what use is it if you don't use windows?
eskenig
My motherboard (Gigaybte brand) has a feature in the bios where it will sense the bluetooth availability of my phone, and if I step out of range it'll downclock the cpu thus saving power. I don't use it because I'm usually pretty good about putting my computer to sleep. The monitor shutting off would be a welcomed feature though.