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February 18, 2008- Cincinnati, OH – Current State is a real-time energy use monitoring system and timer for powered devices. The Current State system is made up of two parts: a mobile application for your cell phone, which allows you to control and monitor electricity use from anywhere, and a series of Plug-Ends that give you control over the products around your house.
Current State is just one of the concepts developed as part of The Greener Grass, an online platform whose mission is to connect people, and share new ideas that lead to positive change for the world. The project is online at http://thegreenergrass.org .
The Greener Grass began in 2007 as a part of Kaleidoscope, a design strategy and product development firm with headquarters in Cincinnati, OH and offices in Detroit, MI and New York, NY. Their clients include giants like Ford, Procter & Gamble, Motorola, and Johnson & Johnson, but The Greener Grass has much less corporate aims. 
“Our goal is to connect people that are doing and thinking interesting, progressive things and figure out how our skills can mesh with theirs to create a better future for all of us. Life is changing faster every day. This is a way for us to learn more about how and why it’s changing,” says Finn McKenty, Brand Manager at Kaleidoscope.
Over the course of a year, The Greener Grass will examine seven key topics: health & wellness, globalization, energy, family & community, leisure & entertainment, travel & transportation. Each topic starts with series of interviews with industry experts and thought leaders. Next, the team builds on what they hear in the interviews by creating concepts for products and services that make a positive contribution toward a better future.
The Greener Grass’ most recent focus was energy.
Current State was inspired by a collection of Greener Grass interviews conducted with energy experts including Maersk Sealand, the world’s largest shipping company; photographer/activist Chris Jordan; and surf pioneers Reef, among others. Through creative analysis, The Greener Grass’ designers, engineers and strategists not only develop ideas for these amazing new products, but share their findings with the world in hopes of making a positive impact. 
“Our goal is to help make fundamental changes in the way people live and view the world. We are meeting with leaders who make significant contributions to the world through their ideas and businesses. Most importantly, we’re sharing this information and developing valuable product ideas and designs in the process,” says McKenty.
About Kaleidoscope:
Kaleidoscope is an Innovation-Driven Product Development consultancy. They work with some of the worlds most respected brands, including Ford, Procter & Gamble, Black & Decker, Evenflo, Motorola and more. Kaleidoscope provides services which include strategy, design and engineering. Strategists, industrial designers, multi-functional engineers, graphic designers, and developers, led by seasoned project management professionals, come together to create meaningful products that resonate with the new generation consumer. Kaleidoscope has earned more than 70 patents and offers nearly 350 collective years of design and engineering experience. For more information, visit: http://www.kascope.com .
About The Greener Grass
The Greener Grass combines interviews with experts and our analysis to uncover the common themes and trends within the seven topics we’ve decided to cover. From there, we draw on our experience as designers, engineers and strategists to create ideas for products and services that could make a positive impact. For more information, visit: www.thegreenergrass.org .
Contact:
Finn McKenty
Brand Manager
513-766-1060
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www.thegreenergrass.org
www.kascope.com
Editor’s Note: Hi-res images, interviews with designers available.
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