Abstract: A heating system and method for heating by means of at least one processing unit having at least one processor for performing computational tasks. A container unit is arranged for holding a medium, wherein the at least one processing unit is thermally coupled with at least a portion of the container unit for transferring thermal energy produced by the at least one processing unit to the at least one portion of the container unit for heating medium inside the container unit.

Abstract: It is described an apparatus for determining trends in picture taking activity. The apparatus comprises a meta information accessing unit for accessing a set of meta information, each meta information in the set of meta information being associated with a picture having been taken with a camera device at a respective geographic location and at a respective time. The apparatus further comprises a processing unit for determining trends in picture taking activity based on the set of meta information accessible by the meta information accessing unit.

Abstract: A method of controlling power to a device which consumes energy from an energy network. The network has a renewable energy generator and a mains supply connected thereto to supply energy to the network. The method includes determining energy requirements of the device, and determining a renewable energy component of the supplied energy generated by the renewable energy generator. The method compares the energy requirements of the device with the renewable energy component of the supplied energy, and controls the energy to the device in accordance with the comparison between the energy requirements of the device with the renewable energy component of the supplied energy.

Abstract: A method of controlling access to an electrical power network, comprising: receiving a power network access rule from a power network, the power network access rule defining an access condition which permits a device to access the power network; receiving a device usage rule, the device usage rule being a condition when the device is permitted use of the power network; comparing the device usage rule with the received power network access rule; and permitting the transfer of energy between the power network and the device upon a positive comparison between the device usage rule and the power network access rule.

Abstract: It is described a method determining context information of at least one media file stored in a media storage, and matching reference context information with the context information to determine at least one context-matching media file.

Abstract: It is described an apparatus for determining trends in picture taking activity. The apparatus comprises a meta information accessing unit for accessing a set of meta information, each meta information in the set of meta information being associated with a picture having been taken with a camera device at a respective geographic location and at a respective time. The apparatus further comprises a processing unit for determining trends in picture taking activity based on the set of meta information accessible by the meta information accessing unit.

Abstract: A control device and a corresponding control method for controlling one or more electrical devices, each having a device profile including energy usage-related information of the device. The control device includes a profile input that obtains device profiles of electrical devices to be controlled from a device-specific storage location identified by a device-specific location identifier, an identifier input that receives device-specific location identifiers and/or device identifiers usable for generating respective device-specific location identifiers, a control unit that processes obtained device profiles and generates control commands for controlling the one or more electrical devices based on the obtained device profile, and a control output that provides the control commands.

Abstract: A method of controlling power to a plurality of devices on an energy network, wherein each device has an identifier which uniquely identifies the device on the network, the method comprising: forming a group of devices from said plurality of devices; and controlling the power of other devices in said group in accordance with the state of the power supplied to a first device in said group.

Abstract: A control apparatus comprises a user control for setting one or more parameters determining the resource consumption and/or production of future resource-consuming and/or producing events by a specific resource consuming and/or production device, the one or more parameters including a time period, longer than the length of each resource-consuming and/or producing event itself, during which the user allows that resource-consuming and/or producing event to take place, the future resource-consuming and/or producing events being associated with a user reward; and a display for displaying, to the user, (i) performance data indicating the predicted effect of setting the parameters on the performance of the resource consuming and/or producing device relative to one or more predetermined user requirements, so that the displayed performance data varies with variations in the one or more parameters set by the user control, and (ii) the user reward associated with at least currently selected parameters.

Abstract: A method of controlling power to a device which consumes energy from an energy network. The network has a renewable energy generator and a mains supply connected thereto to supply energy to the network. The method includes determining energy requirements of the device, and determining a renewable energy component of the supplied energy generated by the renewable energy generator. The method compares the energy requirements of the device with the renewable energy component of the supplied energy, and controls the energy to the device in accordance with the comparison between the energy requirements of the device with the renewable energy component of the supplied energy.

Abstract: A method of controlling access to an electrical power network, comprising: receiving a power network access rule from a power network, the power network access rule defining an access condition which permits a device to access the power network; receiving a device usage rule, the device usage rule being a condition when the device is permitted use of the power network; comparing the device usage rule with the received power network access rule; and permitting the transfer of energy between the power network and the device upon a positive comparison between the device usage rule and the power network access rule.

Abstract: A method of controlling power to a plurality of devices on an energy network, wherein each device has an identifier which uniquely identifies the device on the network, the method comprising: generating a profile of the power associated with each device over a given time frame; and controlling the power to each device in accordance with the profile at a corresponding time frame on a different occasion.

Abstract: A method of controlling power to a plurality of devices on an energy network, wherein each device has an identifier which uniquely identifies the device on the network, the method comprising: forming a group of devices from said plurality of devices; and controlling the power of other devices in said group in accordance with the state of the power supplied to a first device in said group.