*By Max Godnick*
The Internet of Things now extends to your front lawn.
Rachio has developed a WiFi-enabled control for outdoor sprinklers that lets homeowners control with a smartphone app how much water their irrigation system uses.
"Most homeowners don't actually know how much they're supposed to water and when they're supposed to water," said Chris Klein, the company's co-founder and CEO.
He said Wednesday in an interview with Cheddar that the system, launched in 2014, "provides an interface for consumers to achieve sustainable water use in an effortless way."
"We've saved about 28 billion gallons to date," Klein said about the company's customer network.
In March, Rachio raised around $10 million in a Series B round of funding. Klein said the company wants to move out of the yard and indoors.
"You will see us expand into the home," he said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-internet-of-things-comes-to-the-front-lawn).
U.S. states could face some hurdles as they experiment with road usage charging programs aimed at one day replacing motor fuel taxes, which are generating less each year, in part due to fuel efficiency and the rise of electric cars.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding almost $1.7 billion in grants for buying zero- and low-emission buses, with the money going to transit projects in 46 states and territories.
With household expenses rising, going green can save you thousands. Cheddar News spoke with Sara Morrow from Consumer Reports about ways to help people slash their bills with climate-friendly home improvements.
About 61% of people who use the internet are addicted to it, according to research. Cheddar News dove in at a recent meeting for a 12-step program as part of a group called ITAA (Internet Technology Addicts Anonymous). The group ( https://internetaddictsanonymous.org/ ) was formed to help the growing number of tech addicts, with more than 6% of the globe's population now addicted, according to the University of Hong Kong.
