Smartphone energy management – at last there is an app for that!
The World Bank issued a report yesterday showing that the number of mobile phone subscriptions in use worldwide, both pre-paid and post-paid, has now reached over 6 billion. The report went on to reveal that more than 30 billion mobile applications, or “apps,” were downloaded in 2011 alone – these apps extend the capabilities of [...]
Use open source platforms to find cloud computing’s energy and emissions footprint
Regular GreenMonk readers will be very aware that I am deeply skeptical about claims that Cloud Computing is Green (or even energy efficient). And that I talk about the significant carbon, water and biodiversity effects cloud computing can have. One of the biggest issues with any claims of Cloud Computing being energy efficient, or [...]
SAP’s 2011 Sustainability Report
SAP launched its 2011 Sustainability Report this week and in terms of aesthetics and social sharing, this is one of the best Sustainability Reports I have seen to-date. The site contains many videos with SAP staff – including one from co-CEO’s Jim Hagemann Snabe & Bill McDermott which is featured prominently on the home page. [...]
Smartphone energy management – when will there be an app for that?
I wrote a post last week about mobile endpoint management applications and their potential to extend smartphone battery life. It seems it was a prescient piece given the emergence this week of a study from Purdue University and Microsoft Research showing how energy is used by some smartphone applications [PDF]. The study indicates that many [...]
Coming in 2012 or Not, Predictions for the New Year
There was an interesting article in the January 2012 edition of Vanity Fair a magazine I’ve come to enjoy though for many years regarded as another of those things my wife would like more than me. But VF carries an interesting blend of current events and politics as well as the glossy pictures and stories [...]
Facebook hires Google’s former Green Energy Czar Bill Weihl, and increases its commitment to renewables
Google has had an impressive record in renewable energy. They invested over $850m dollars in renewable energy projects to do with geothermal, solar and wind energy. They entered into 20 year power purchase agreements with wind farm producers guaranteeing to buy their energy at an agreed price for twenty years giving the wind farms an [...]
Carbon Disclosure Project’s emissions reduction claims for cloud computing are flawed
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is a not-for-profit organisation which takes in greenhouse gas emissions, water use and climate change strategy data from thousands of organisations globally. This data is voluntarily disclosed by these organisations and is CDP’s lifeblood. Yesterday the CDP launched a new study Cloud Computing – The IT Solution for the 21st [...]
Reconsidering the front office suite
I hate to sound like Dr. Doom and Gloom but have you paid attention to the cost of gasoline lately? Of course you have. It’s sickening to watch as prices resume their inexorable climb. The last time we saw prices spike was the last time the economy was in decent shape — right before the [...]
SAP announces two new energy management products
I attended the International SAP for Utilities event in Mannheim recently and was surprised when in his opening keynote, Klaus Heimann introduced two new SAP energy management products. The first is a customer portal for Utility companies which helps utility companies roll out online self-service sites for their customers. This is being made available for [...]
U.S. Job Growth Continues; I Have New Worries
World Oil Demand, Source: IEA The U.S. economy is back on track. The Labor Department released March numbers that included adding 216,000 jobs beating the forecast of 193,000 jobs and reducing the unemployment rate to 8.8% from February’s 8.9% level. We all want greater declines but that doesn’t happen over night. Having shown job growth [...]
