In January 2007 a blog post titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine. Since then there has been skepticism about the significance of the energy savings that can be achieved and the cost in terms of readability of black web pages.
Ask2Me has been made black to reduce the energy of your computer screen by making a black background. It will consume less energy then a white screen. In addition its better for your eyes.
Ask2Me saves energy because the screen is predominantly black. "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002
Ask2me was created to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy. Ask2Me searches are powered by Google Custom Search.
We believe that there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up. Secondly we feel that seeing Ask2Me every time we load our web browser reminds us that we need to keep taking small steps to save energy.
How can you help?
We encourage you to set Ask2Me as your home page. This way every time you load your Internet browser you will save a little bit of energy. Remember every bit counts! You will also be reminded about the need to save energy each time you see the Ask2Me page load.
Help us spread the word about Ask2Me by telling your friends and family to set it as their home page.
There are a lot of great web sites about saving energy and being more environmentally friendly. They are full of great tips covering the little things that we can all do to make a difference today.
Ask2Me has been made black to reduce the energy of your computer screen by making a black background. It will consume less energy then a white screen. In addition its better for your eyes
