More begets Onzo

More Associates has worked with the UK Design Council on energy use visualizations, and done some damn cool stuff. They have recently spun off Onzo, which is about to commercialize a home appliance for the same purpose. 

We should give them a second look. And a call. They might have some hardware for us to play with.

VisualWattch from the Interactive Institute

The Interactive Institute in Sweden is developing (as a concept or in practice is not clear to me) interfaces that promote energy-as-a-service. The brief description claims that the Wattch project

will "allow [users] to see, understand, monitor and control their domestic consumption." They have a short video (in Swedish, but easily understood) showing an energy monitor as a sort of EKG on an iPhone. These guys are hip, and they have been into this stuff for a while. I'm not sure how well it motivates users, but it looks good. They have a bunch of cool designs as part of their Static! project, and some of the designs--like the power-aware cord--look like they might actually go into production. Other work in a similar vein is happening through their Aware project, such as a light switch that looks more aesthetically pleasing in the "off" position.