The next great bugaboo: Sleep mode

Next time you put your computer into sleep mode while you mow the lawn, know that the State of California ain't happy about it:

The Vampire Slayer Act of 2006 has been approved by the California Assembly. AB1970, a bill proposed by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, would force companies to put labels on devices that tell consumers how much energy is being used while the device is in standby mode. AB1970 supporters claim that the average household will pay an additional $200 per year due to electronics on standby.

Of course, the thing about standby or sleep modes is that it saves energy during times when users would normally keep the device on full power. But hey, it's California. You can't buy squat anymore without some sort of California warning label on it. In fact, just think of how many trees die each year because of California warning labels. I want a warning on that: It is known to the State of California that the warning label under this warning label...