Google Goes Black, Goes Back

Remember Blackle? The site, designed by Australian Web design company, Heap Media, was created as a "more energy efficient" alternative to Google, after reports claimed that a switch to a black background by the search giant would save 750 megawatts a year, worldwide.

Last Saturday, the city of San Francisco celebrated Lights Out San Francisco, which urged that everyone in the city turn off their lights for one hour--8-9:00 PM. Google, who has been making their own strides toward increasing energy efficiency, adopted a black background on Saturday, visible to all bay area users.

The move was more out of solidarity than anything else. Google reverted back to their old white background at the end of the day, reiterating their position that a move to a black homepage would in fact have little effects on global energy consumption.