It took me years to learn to leave my computer on at night when I stopped working. But at some point I realized that I was wasting too much time watching Windows XP boot itself up, followed by the dozens of minion applications and services that load automatically for my future ease and convenience. So I learned how to use Windows power schemes to put my machine into sleep mode. But I never touched the attachments hanging off my machine — the printer, the scanner, the external hard drive backup unit. Those sat patiently awaiting my return.

Then Al Gore started giving his PowerPoint presentation. And suddenly I realized that I was wasting kilowatt hours needlessly.

Now APC, the company known for its uninterruptible power supplies, has come up with a product that will make my work habits greener without my changing a thing. The APC Back-UPS ES 750 automatically shuts down power to unused peripherals when the computer goes into sleep mode. The magic is this: The master outlet is designed to sense current drawn by connected equipment, typically a computer. When the computer is powered down or goes into sleep mode, the master outlet will automatically shut-down the controlled outlets, which consume power even when the computer is off.

The device has 10 outlets, five of which provide battery backup for up to 70 minutes in the event of a power outage.

The company said its new design uses less copper and other raw materials during the manufacturing process and its packaging is made from recycled material. It retails for $99.99.

Posted on December 6th, 2007 by dian