Wattson to make electricity monitoring elementary?
Power consumption monitoring in the palm of your hand
You might question the green credentials of yet another plastic-constructed, mains-driven gadget, but the Wattson home energy monitor has the potential to make us all play closer attention to our everyday power use.
The Wattson electricity monitor: or an iPod speaker in disguise?
Yes, it looks rather like an add-on iPod speaker set, but the Wattson is made up of two parts: a white, handheld arch-shaped 17 x 10.4 x 5.6cm high display unit and an electricity monitor sensor/broadcaster.
The sensor is clipped onto the two wires running between your electricity meter and fuse box. This then sends information back to the main unit, which has a display on top to show your current electricity use or cost in pounds.
All this information is collated on the handheld unit and can be transferred to your Mac or PC via USB, so that you can monitor exactly how much electricity you are gobbling up over time.
Power consumption monitoring in the palm of your hand
The developer, DIY Kyoto, also claims that Wattson has a use as an educational device, helping to teach children about just how much electricity their PS3, Nintendo DS, LCD TV and PC are all collectively consuming.
The Wattson is available for pre-order here, priced at £125. When the product ships on 30 September, the price goes up to £150 while a more eco-friendly limited edition bamboo-clad Wattson is also available for £350.
COMMENTS
For the Brits...
...and rather cheaper, if less iPoddockesque:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=38343&TabID=1&source=1&doy=24m7
Power Angle is 115V only
Nice device Jesse, but wont work for us Brits or most of the rest of Europe iirc
Chris
For something a lot cheaper...
It don't got no fancy USB, but the "power angel" by seasonic <http://www.seasonicusa.com/power_angel.htm> is great for this. I have my desktop plus two 21" lcd monitors plus desk lamps and electronics lab gear all plugged into it; very illuminating to see what takes how much power. The monitors together equal the whole computer; a large stereo also plugged in takes hardly anything even at loud volumes; and you can even clearly see how a computationally intensive screen saver burns 30W !
Recommended.
Jesse
