"People know more about their iPhone than they do their own health," points out Travis Bogard, Jawbone's VP of product development. "So how do we make them consumers of their own wellness?" Today Jawbone is finally unwrapping their attempt to solve the problem: The UP, a $100 wristband, smartphone app, and web app trio that work together to monitor your exercise habits, sleep cycles, and eating decisions. It's already on sale on Jawbone's website; on November 6th, it'll be available at Apple, Target, AT&T stores, and Best Buy.

What's the potential here? A device like this would probably have done me more good earlier in life, but I like the idea of getting people more engaged with, more aware of their overall wellness.

Homes account for more than 10 percent of the total energy consumption in America, including transportation. About half of the residential energy consumed is for heating and cooling, with the rest going for lighting, heating water, appliances, televisions and computers.

Each degree cooler a house is kept in a heating season (winter), or warmer in a cooling season (summer), translates to a 5 percent energy saving. So shifting consumption patterns, say, four degrees on average can mean energy savings of 20 percent, experts say.

Since the average home spends $1,000 to $1,500 a year on heating and cooling, that would translate to $200 to $300 in lower energy bills. It would also mean fewer power plants built and lower carbon emissions.

From an article about the soon-to-be-introduced Nest thermostat. It comes from former Apple employees, so I'm inclined to believe their trust in design and purpose. I'll look into the device when it's available.

His effort is part of a broad technological effort to make “smart textiles”: wearable fabrics with embedded electronics that can collect, store, send and receive information. His lab is focusing on the sending-and-receiving part, trying to transform military apparel, hospital gowns, even everyday T-shirts into antennas.

From a New York Times article about the work John Volakis is conducting at Ohio State. Some of this seems a little over the top, but I'd welcome apparel that eased the hookup and use of medical monitoring equipment,