 | |
Type of site | Search engine |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | Heap Media Australia |
| Created by | Toby Heap[1] |
| URL | www |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | No |
| Launched | January 2007; 18 years ago (2007-01) |
| Current status | Active |
Blackle is aninternet search engine powered byGoogle Programmable Search Engine. It was created by Tony Heap of Heap Media Australia with the goal of saving energy by displaying a black background with grayish-white text color on search results.[2] As of July 2023, Blackle claims to have saved over 10.07MWh of electrical energy.[3]
The concept behind Blackle is thatcomputer monitors can use less energy by displaying darker colors. Blackle's design is based on a study that tested a variety ofCRT andLCD monitors. However, the energy-saving claims, especially for users of LCD screens with a constant backlight, are disputed.[4][5][6]
This concept was brought to the attention of Heap Media by ablog post, estimating thatGoogle could save 750megawatt hours a year by using it forCRT screens.[1][7] The homepage of Blackle provides a count of the number of watt hours claimed to have been saved by enabling this concept.
Blackle launched in January 2007, gaining popularity and being featured in multiplemainstream media outlets during that time.[citation needed]
Blackle International, which translated Blackle intoPortuguese,French,Czech,Italian, andDutch, was retired in 2019. TheInternational page still exists, but every link listed has experiencedlink rot. As of 2021, the site is only available inEnglish.[8]