Simplicity Key to Video
Conferencing Success
By Jason Meserve

Videoconferencing technology is gaining popularity for specific applications such as distance learning, corporate communications and group meetings. But there are challenges. For Berkeley Lab's Energy Sciences Network (ESNet), planning and working with vendors on integration are big keys to success for managing a network with more than 1,000 registered endpoints and supported by one full-time employee and a part-timer. "While the network has plenty of bandwidth - it has OC-192 and OC-48 links making up its backbone - figuring out an easy way to manage every registered user is a challenge, says Berkeley Lab's Mike Pihlman. Full story.

Energy Use Soars Despite Efficient Gadgets
By Della de LaFuente and Robert Benincasa/Gannett News Service

Compared with the November 1965 night when a blackout hit much of the northeastern United States, today's American household uses twice as much electricity. In 1965, homes had fewer electric appliances and gadgets, according to Lee Schipper, co-director of Embarq transportation and environment center at the World Resources Institute. At the same time, those devices were power guzzlers compared with today's. However, Alan Meier, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in northern California who studies energy efficiency, says, "We've changed the way we use electricity in our homes, often bypassing our energy-efficient stoves with our less efficient microwaves, which we use more frequently." Full story.