Green is definitely the big word these days. Recently, I wrote about energy-efficient chips. And looks like the companies that make drivers for backlights are focused on energy conservation as well.

While, screen image quality is a consideration when purchasing any PC, whether it's for business or consumer use, one such company is also focused on keeping the LED backlights energy efficient.

O2Micro International (NASDAQ: OIIM), based in George Town, Grand Cayman, sells the drivers for LED backlights found in notebook PCs. The company says its drivers offer energy efficiency and strong color saturation while still offering long life for the LEDs.

Perhaps we have another Silicon Valley for innovation in the Caribbean!

Researchers at Georgia State Institute of Technology have developed a way for small devices to be powered by electric signals built into clothing.

Using nanotechnology, zinc oxide nanowires would cover textile fibers and generate electrical current via the piezoelectric effect. As the body moves, portable electronic devices -- say an iPhone or BlackBerry -- would get their power.

"The fiber-based nanogenerator would be a simple and economical way to harvest energy from physical movement," said Zhong Lin Wang (left), a Regents professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, in a statement.

He added, "If we can combine many of these fibers in double or triple layers in clothing, we could provide a flexible, foldable and wearable power source that, for example, would allow people to generate their own electrical current while walking."

Yesterday Cypress Semiconductor (NYSE: CY) unveiled a new version of its CapSense Express technology to replace touch-sensitive buttons and sliders on mobile devices.

The company says its buttons and controls are more durable than competing mechanical devices and have proven resistant to temperature and environmental elements.

Hadn't thought about having to change the buttons on a keypad, but nice to know the technology exists! The company sells the replacement parts in Programmable System-on-Chip (PSoC) kits.

When a major innovator in our society tells Congress that the United States is behind other countries in technological innovation, this must raise a red flag.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates did just that when addressing the House Committee on Science and Technology in Washington on Wednesday.

Here's an excerpt from his speech:

I know we all want the U.S. to continue to be the world's center for innovation. But our position is at risk. There are many reasons for this, but two stand out. First, U.S. companies face a severe shortfall of scientists and engineers with expertise to develop the next generation of breakthroughs. Second, we don't invest enough as a nation in the basic research needed to drive long-term innovation. If we don't reverse these trends, our competitive advantage will erode. Our ability to create new high-paying jobs will suffer.

Let's hope we can get the funding needed for innovation, so the United States can better compete in the world, as Gates suggests.

And you thought scanning your ID card to access your office was high-tech. Well, looks like the future will involve scanning our faces instead.

A company called FaceBase has applied for a patent on biometric face-screening technology, which it will offer at the Ocean Tomo Spring 2008 Live IP Auction next month in San Francisco.

In a statement, FaceBase's CEO John Payne foresees the technology used for drivers' licenses, mortgage applications and passports.

You'd think plenty of opportunities exist for face scanning in IT -- from building access and benefits applications to an alternative for keying in passwords.

A precious metals vendor in San Juan, Puerto Rico, plans to take the "e" out of "e-mail."

A company called Woomail has introduced what it calls a new form of online communication that operates in a closed Web-based environment, free of spam and viruses.

John Halloran, president of the Certified Gold Exchange, was inspired to form Woomail after his teenage daughter received a plethora of pornographic spam.

The company reported that humans will control the flow of mail (not e-mail) messages rather than servers. I'd be interested in learning what that means.

"Woomail is the universal answer to a universal problem," the company stated.

Now it's not clear from Woomail's site if the service involves sending messages from a traditional e-mail account or just from Woomail's site. And there are plenty of closed e-mail Web services out there.

So how is this one innovative? We'll give it a try and find out.

As we take a look at innovation in this space, we may discover that technology and the wild is a growing phenomenon.

We already have the Apple Leopard OS.

And that's where Corning (NYSE:GLW) is going, too, with its scratch-free, thin Gorilla glass, a touch-screen technology announced last month.

Of course, it's impressive to be able to touch any screen without scratching it. But with Corning's proprietary fusion-technology platform, this glass is built to withstand extended abuse, according to the company.

In a statement, Corning said the Gorilla glass technology "addresses the challenge of providing an ultra-durable screen for handheld devices without compromising image quality."

The Gorilla glass is now commercially available for mobile devices, the company says.

"Corning's investment in research and development over the past three years has resulted in an exceptional period of innovation productivity," said Dr. Joseph A. Miller, Corning's chief technology officer, in the statement.