A Thermostat That Learns

Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers two former Apple executives who led iPod and iPhone developments are its creators. Taking their cue for the simplicity of the iPhone, the Nest thermostat is an easy to install  compatible replacement for your old-school thermostat. Think of it as efficiency through a smarter design that learns every time you adjust a heat or cooling setting. In about a week, it begins making the changes for you, and over time learns your needs for better energy efficiency, without you having to program it which has been the large drawback leading to the lack of installation of other “smart” thermostats.

The Nest Labs DYI  kit even includes a screwdriver for self installation however if you if you’re not handy, just contact your local HVAC company to the quick install.

The circular screen lets you how long it will take for the zone to reach the desired temperature, so you don’t have to overcompensate in order to get warm or cool quicker.

Nest has two unique proximity sensors. One activates the screen as you approach, so it won’t run down the internal battery when you’re not in front of it while second one detects your occasional passes through the room. This determines whether you’re home or away. If you’re away, it will automatically adjust settings to save energy.

It comes with built-in Wi-Fi, so it can link in to your home network, giving you the power to log into it from an iPhone, iPad or Android phone, and do it from anywhere in the world. The learning happens the whole time, so if you’re regularly adjusting the temperature on your way home from work, it will figure that out and start doing it for you.

The Nest’s initial price is $250 but we expect that price to come down over time. It can be bought online at their site NEST Labs or soon at Best Buy.

A New Greener Cleaner for your Wash

method ultra Concentrated Laundry Detergent is now available at Amazon.com and many supermarkets and home centers. The 20 ounce bottle is good for 50 loads of laundry. Smaller bottle = less cost = less fuel burned in shipment. They claim a 35% smaller carbon footprint than conventional 2x concentrated detergent. It is also Dye-free, hypo-allergenic, and its plant-based formula is made using 95% natural and renewable ingredients. It’s readily biodegradable and non-toxic in use, for skin-friendly clean clothes. They are so sure you will like it they are also completely transparent about our ingredients for you to check out.

Their ultra concentrated formula, allows a teeny package design that requires less energy to produce and creates less waste as the bottle is also recyclable. Their bottle uses over 36% less plastic compared to traditional 2x detergents and 50% of that comes from recycled plastics. They claim to be the world’s first Cradle to Cradle certified laundry detergent, thanks to its comprehensive green design. And like other method products, it’s recognized by the US EPA’s DfE program for its safer chemistry

Employment Job Listing Trends

The following is information recently reported by one of the top job listing sites. It is very clear from below that job recovery has started in many sectors. Especially encouraging are the increases in job ADs for hospitality and retail as these are good indicators that consumer confidence is increasing – a sure sign that people are spending more money than on the basic necessities. See our JOBS tab or use our JOBS SEARCH to find a job listing that is right for you.

March 2010*

Industry Job Postings Annual Change Accounting 124,153 12% Construction 87,492 0% Education 93,224 11% Financial Services & Banking 205,227 15% Healthcare 593,545 -4% Hospitality 78,805 33% Information Technology 256,866 17% Manufacturing 80,575 22% Media and Newspaper 34,930 30% Real Estate 29,868 29% Retail 301,849 42% Transportation 60,579 16% *Statistical approximations have been used to compute these results.

*Data supplied by Indeed Jobs

It is Back to school Time

Millions of people flood the stores to buy new clothes, backpacks, binders, computers, etc.  Below are some tips to save money and to be a little more green.

Stick with the same clothes. Buying a new wardrobe just to wear something new is wasteful.   Also try hand me downs from friends and Kids used clothes  shops.

Reuse school supplies by trading with others for things you may need.  Look through your junk drawer and dig up those old pens, markers, backpacks, binders, etc that can be reused or traded.  Donate unwanted items so others can reuse them.  If you need a new backpack buy one with natural fibers and skip PVC based ones.

Buy or use a re-usable lunch bag/box.  Also pack items in washable plastic containers, reusable utensils, not throwaway plastic bags. Thermos work great for drinks. Forget about juice boxes, use refillable BPA free beverage bottles. Avoid lunch boxes with lead paint, PVC, BPA, or antimicrobial chemicals.

Upgrade rather than replace your computer by adding RAM  or a bigger hard drive.  Clean off junk files from the disk drive that are not necessary. Defragment your hard drive or better yet have it reformatted and its performance will be fast like when you bought it.

Bike, walk or take a bus to school. Even carpool with a friend if it is available. Buy paper goods with a high recycled content. Buy plastic Binders, Binder paper, manila folders, notebooks, etc. with at  least 30% post consumer waste.

See Amazon.com for some other great deals on school supplies.

And Recycle Your Clippings

Grass recycling is about leaving your glass clippings on your lawn, allowing them to decompose which fertilizes your lawn. The benefits are reducing waste that goes into landfill, healthier lawns, less costs due to the elimination of disposal and no fertilizer runoff to pollute rivers and streams!

Best practice for grass mulching is not to cut any more than 1/3 of the length of the grass blade at one time. The grass should be dry when you mow and your mower blades kept sharp.  Adjust your mower to raise cutting height accordingly and remove the collection bag. Another added benefit for keeping your lawn a tad higher between cuts is that it will need less water as well. Many newer mulching mowers are set up for recycling already so all you have to do is not use the grass catching bag.

The most green eco-friendly mower is the classic push mower which also saves energy.  No gas, no fumes to worry about and by also pushing the mower you will get an additional benefit of burning 540 calories an hour using it.  It all adds up to a healthier, eco friendly lawn that saves you time and money!