Each one of these helpful features is displayed in Count's colorful and handsome interface, which makes monitoring data consumption even better.

ENGADGET: Data hungry apps revealed with Onavo Count, free usage tracker for iOS

It minimizes the active power of the SRAM in certain conditions by monitoring the current consumption of the SRAM rest circuits.

ENGADGET: Toshiba mobile RAM uses prediction, adaptation to cut power use by up to 85 percent

Also on the chopping block is PowerMeter, a free energy monitoring tool that pairs with smart power meters and other energy monitoring devices to help users better understand consumption habits and ultimately reduce costs.

ENGADGET: Google 'retires' Health and PowerMeter, lets you save your vitals through 2012

Broadly speaking, this means carbon footprint reporting and building energy efficiency and monitoring, analyzing, reporting and reducing energy consumption.

FORBES: Is carbon a loss leader to energy?

Among its proposed powers will be the responsibility for monitoring the safety and standards of all food for human consumption.

BBC: 'GM safe' says food agency boss

In July, according a report in The Energy Daily, hackers broke into the system monitoring smart meters at a Puerto Rico utility and rolled back consumption readings.

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Receiving the most buzz however seemed to be the GE Nucleus, a home energy monitoring system that uses Brillion Technology to work with smart meters and help homeowners manage electricity consumption (and eventually water, natural gas, and renewable energy consumption after software upgrades).

FORBES: Get yourself connected: GE at CES 2011