Brazilian company develops eco-smart app that saves energy during quick breaks at work

Most of us spend most of our days on computers, which require no small amount of electricity to run for hours. That being the case, you'd think we would be diligent about shutting off our monitors or putting our computers in sleep mode when we take a break. But we're all guilty of leaving them on from time to time. Enter GreenCam, a free PC app that automatically turns off the user's monitor when he or she walks away from it.

Developed by a Brazilian company called Ecobeneficios, GreenCam transforms your computer's webcam into a sensor that detects whether or not you're sitting in front of it. If you're on a bathroom break or out grabbing a coffee, it automatically turns off the screen. Pretty smart.

If you want to know just how much energy your computer uses, you can download Microsoft’s Joulemeter software, which estimates the power consumption of the computer and tracks the usage of resources such as CPU utilization and screen brightness. 

GreenCam is available for free download from the Ecobeneficios site.

(via Gizmag)