To help with that, a system called the Venue Energy Tracker has been devised to monitor how much electricity is being used to provide heat, light and power to the Olympic Village and main venues.

The results are pretty impressive, too. In the first three days of the Games, a 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption has been marked thanks to sustainable practices.

In total that’s around 66,000 kw/h saved so far, with a target of 18 gigawatt hours of electricity saved by the end of the Games — enough to power 1,600 homes for a year.

With London also hoping to host a more environmentally-friendly event in two years’ time, it certainly sets a high standard.

It sure beats those little electricity consumption meters you might have sitting at home.

Oh, and if you like graphs (albeit not particularly clear ones), here’s one of the energy saved so far.

At the LA Auto Show, Porsche has confirmed that the previously-announced planned hybrid version of the Panamera is in the works. Porsche is likely to use the same technology from the hybrid Cayenne currently being developed. While the turbo version of the current Panamera runs on a 4WD drivetrain, the hybrid might have to drop the 4WD to save on costs and to be able to support the Cayenne’s hybrid system.

The hybrid version of the Porsche Cayenne is expected to be out in the market by 2011. We can probably expect the same release year for the hybrid Panamera.

The Zoe ZE is certainly a looker. And Renault doesn’t scrimp on performance, either. It should accelerate from zero to 62 MPH in about 6.7 seconds. With a 100 mile range from a full charge, you surely could go places. But with all the great things attributed to being green and packing a punch at the same time, you wouldn’t think people would complain about the simplest of things. French parents are complaining because of the use of the name Zoe, which seems to be among the most popular names for female children in France recently.

Personally, I don’t think this should be a concern. People are giving boy or girl names to their cars, anyway (I named my old car Lightning McQueen and the new one Sally). However, historical precedence says that such a commercialized use of a name would eventually contribute to the decline in its popularity with parents. Take Mercedes, for instance. While still a popular Spanish name (with its religious roots), the motorsport and automotive connotation can be polarizing, though–most parents would shun it, but some would think it cool.

According to a recent study (for Microsoft, no less) downloaded software is eight times more carbon efficient than its boxed equivalent.

Some interesting UK-based statistics suggest that if the 16 million units of software sold last year had been downloaded instead, there’d be enough electricity saved to power 12,000 households for a year. Imagine what the stats in the US would be.

Quite apart from any environmental savings, downloading software leads to instant gratification, and we don’t even have to go out to the store or get up to answer the door when the delivery guy calls!

Have credit card, will download — that’s my motto.

Sadly, major software titles tend not to be available as downloads, even though updates are usually available via the Internet, despite the fact that it could save companies a lot of money, as well as getting more contact details at the time of purchase.

DownloadBuyer.com is one site hoping to provide a central repository of legally downloadable software, though there are plenty of other sites offering similar services.

Would you download software packages if they were available, or do you like having the box and DVD as backup?

How about those old mouse pads that you tend to have a lot lying around? I know for sure that I have at least five of those things at home. A thought just occurred to me earlier – you can use them for other things and reduce your waste. Here are my top three uses for old mouse pads.

Coasters
I recently moved to a new condo and I have been shopping a bit for furniture and other odds and ends. I just realized that I do not even have to buy coasters as I can use my old mouse pads for them! How to convert a mouse pad to a coaster? Get a circular ashtray (or any other similar object), trace its edges on the mouse pad, and cut. Voila! You got yourself a coaster.

Padding for wobbly chairs
Now this might not look so cool but if you find yourself sitting on an uneven chair, and you start to frantically look for something to even the legs up, why not just cut up an old mouse pad and use it?

Padding for other heavy furniture
One thing that I hate when I move to a new place which is freshly painted is that the walls tend to get scratched easily. That is why I take great care in NOT putting tables, sofas, and cabinets up against the wall. To avoid scratching, I have discovered that cut up mouse pads can serve as a buffer between the walls and the furniture. Just use good old double sided tape and place the pads in strategic locations.

Here at the Forever Geek HQ we certainly like our green and eco gadgets. Recently we reported about the Timeless Garden and the water powered shower light, now Taylor Gifts has released a Grass Charge Valet.

Instead of having your desk full of gadgets and with complete cable mess, making it hard to find that CD which serves you as cup holder, you can now put all your gadgets in the Grass Charge Valet, making your desk a nicer and less cluttered place.

“Grass” hides your cell charger and other small electronics while hiding your unsightly charging cords. “Go Green” and recharge devices in this original and playful patch of faux grass. Use for cell phones, cameras, media players and more. Great look in the home or office. Plastic, 11 x 7 x 4 1/2″.

The Grass Charge Valet retails for $29.98.

Rumors are circulating in your division that there would be cuts, some have to be let go while some would probably need to punch-in a little less than the usual 8-hour day. You’re not alone, it’s happening worldwide.

If you see your cashflow in the possible decline in the next few months, it IS wise to start monitoring money going out. A big chunk of your budget goes to home energy, and you’ve got to begin monitoring that area right now.

The Efergy eLite Wireless Energy Monitor attaches easily to your power meter AND is able to wirelessly send data to a portable receiver (200 ft away) telling you how much the cost of electricity per hour you are currently using.

You can check it out right here. Available only for the UK but hopefully will hit the US and other markets soon.