Good To Know
Friday, June 19, 2009
Google PowerMeter
Google PowerMeter
"If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it." — Lord Kelvin
"How much does it cost to leave your TV on all day? What about turning your air conditioning 1 degree cooler? Which uses more power every month — your dishwasher or your washing machine? Is your household more or less energy efficient than similar homes in your neighborhood?"
Not live yet, but get the background about this tool that "shows consumers their electricity consumption in a secure Google gadget." As of summer 2009, Google is "testing the product with utility partners in the US, India and Canada" and has plans for expansion. Find videos, links to articles and reports, policy statements and testimony, a FAQ, listing of partners, and energy saving tips.
¶ 6/19/2009 0 comments 
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Data.gov
Great article by Laura Gordon-Murnane, Posted On June 4, 2009
http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/Datagov-Opening-the-Doors-to-Government-Data-54337.asp
"So what can you find at Data.gov?
Data.gov features two searchable catalogs: a "raw" data catalog and a tools catalog. The raw data catalog consists of downloadable files in multiple formats-XML, Text/CSV, KML/KMZ, Feeds, XLS, or ESRI Shapefile. The tools catalog offers widgets, data mining and extraction tools, applications, and other services.
The extraction tools enable users to create maps, tables, or charts of subsets of data (www.data.gov/faq). Each data set includes a link to a metadata page that offers a summary of the data set, user ratings, data set information, data set coverage, information from the contributing agency, a data set description, and additional technical documentation. Both catalogs are searchable by category, agency, keyword, and or data format.
Every data set can be rated, Digg-style, for its value and usefulness.A handy tutorial (www.data.gov/howtouse) has been created to help walk you through the site."
¶ 6/17/2009 0 comments
