PecoBoo: Energy saving Software

A fundamental tenant of invention is to find something that people are already doing and make it easier. That’s what VeryPC is trying to accomplish with their presence-monitoring software PecoBoo. The premise is a simple one; you want your PC to be conserving energy whenever it’s not in use. But if you add up the time when you just duck out of the room or go grab a snack, there’s actually quite a bit of energy being expended that your standard power saving settings might not be sophisticated enough to conserve. PecoBoo attempts to make up for that lost energy and it does so effectively and efficiently. But not without a few snags along the way.

With the inclusion of webcams in most laptops these days, software developers have access to a unique means of detecting whether you are using your computer. A basic implementation would assume that no movement indicated that no one was present and to initiate power-saving features. And if that was the case, PecoBoo would not be a fraction of its useful self. Instead, developer VeryPC has taken this concept one step further by adding facial recognition features. After all, users spend a great deal of time motionless while reading a document or webpage. PecoBoo taps into your webcam and detects your presence, whether you're reading a pdf or watching a clip. In this respect, the software functions quite well, once properly configured.

The PecoBoo menu is relatively simple and straightforward and can be easily accessed by right-clicking the icon in the taskbar. Upon doing so two windows appear. One is for settings, while the other is a live-feed displaying your mug, accompanied by a red box that affirms that the software has recognized your facial features. The first setting that you’re going to want to tune is the range slider. This calibrates the software in regards to your distance from the camera, enabling a more accurate detection. Make no mistake, this calibration is an important part of the success of the software. During testing, setting the detection distance too far had background items such as posters, and even plants, being mapped as facial features. Setting the detection for too close and despite sitting right in front of the camera, the laptop would switch into sleep or hibernate mode, both of which you can choose from in the settings. (For a in-depth look at the pros and cons of these modes, consult Steve Graham’s article on the subject).

Another important setting is the Idle Time. This number, measured in seconds, represents how much time is spent between no detection and sleep/hibernate. Ideally, this number should be quite low, for even if you’re just slipping out for a bathroom break, the savings will invariably pay dividends. Once you’re back in your chair, PecoBoo intelligently detects your return and wakens the PC for you. It’s a nice feature, adding a modern, almost sci-fi, appeal. However, this also means that the camera is left running the entire time with background processes consistently looking for your return. This has a small, however present, impact on power usage and there is no option to enable or disable this feature.

Once you’ve calibrated all the settings you can quickly try them out via the Test option. Once you’re satisfied click Save and close the window. PecoBoo operates in the background and has a modest impact on memory.

The software does, however, have several drawbacks, some more significant than the other. Firstly, the settings cover just the basics and since the company recommends disabling Windows' built-in energy saving settings to avoid interference, you're left with a rather limited range of options. One additional feature that would have been nice is a progressive system where the longer you are away the computer, the more progressive the energy saving measures, such as a sleep-to-hibernate option. The second issue I am hesitant to report, for I haven’t tested the software on multiple rigs, but to leave out mention of two ‘blue screens of death’ and a complete system restore would be remiss. Whether an unfortunate experience or a chronic problem I cannot say, but I would recommend a backup before installing the software. Also, be sure to check out of the 30-day full-featured free trial prior to purchase.

Outside of the crashes, the software truly excels at saving energy and it represents an intuitive background approach to doing so. The lean price tag of $17 USD is palatable for software that is only going to save you money in the future. My recommendation: if you have a webcam, give the free trial a test run. You may be surprised at just how natural PecoBoo functions.