One of the energy efficient features installed during 2012 at the Marriott La Jolla in La Jolla, Calif., was a programmable thermostat for each room. When a guest leaves the room, a magnetic door sensor tells the thermostat to reduce heating or cooling and when the guest comes back, it returns temperatures to the selected degree.(Photo: Courtesy of HEI Resorts , Hotels)Story HighlightsHotels use in-room devices to alter a room's temperature when guests leaveCompanies boost insulation and use more efficient lighting, appliancesSome tie employee performance reviews and pay increases to energy savingsWhen hotel guests leave their room during the day, a magnetic door sensor tells the thermostat to reduce the heating or cooling. When they come back, it has the temperature return to their selected degree.The programmable thermostat is one of several energy-efficiency features installed last year at the Marriott La Jolla in La Jolla, Calif. The hotel also uses motion sensors on stairwells and vending machines to keep lighting dim when not in use. In 2012, the Marriott La Jolla in La Jolla, Calif., installed energy-efficient features including vending machines with motion sensors that keep the lighting dim until a hotel guest wants to buy something.(Photo: Courtesy of HEI Hotels , Resorts)"We save $5 million per year" on utility bills company-wide with such retrofits, says Bob Holesko, vice president of facilities at HEI Hotel & Resorts, which owns the La Jolla property and 40 others in 16 states. He says basic steps such as programmable thermostats pay for themselves, by lowering energy use, within three years. His company is one of three dozen -- including Best Buy, General Electric, Macy's and Staples -- that have pledged not only to cut energy use 20% by 2020 but also to share their secrets for success as part of a new federal…

The Nasdaq display in Times Square on May 18, 2012, when Facebook's stock went public.(Photo: Spencer Platt, Getty Images)Story HighlightsFacebook's recent reversal of fortunes is helping tech IPO market, some saySlew of potential IPOs %u2014 Twitter, Square, Dropbox %u2014 could mark turnaroundMobile advertising has fueled Facebook renaissanceSAN JOSE — A year ago, Facebook was being blamed for eviscerating the tech IPO market.This year, it could help resuscitate it.Some stock watchers suggest Facebook's recent reversal of fortune reflects a rejuvenated tech market, and the company would have fared much better had it gone public this year. "It's both Facebook performing well, and (a stronger) tech (market) helping any high-profile tech stock," says Bill Tai, a general partner at Charles River Ventures. FACEBOOK FUTURE: Stock struggles to shake off malaise[1]"What happened last year is ancient history," says John Fitzgibbon, founder of market researcher IPOScoop.com. "Facebook was a spectacular pop and flop. Market conditions were bad then."But Facebook's strides in mobile advertising and healthier financial standing since underscore an improved tech sector, Fitzgibbon says."This market is stronger than people realize, with some promising IPOs," Fitzgibbon says. "Apple's stock drop is masking the true strength of (the tech-heavy) Nasdaq composite."Two business-software companies are expected to go public Friday: Marketo, which makes marketing software, and data-visualization company Tableau Software, which recently raised its price range to $28 to $30 per share, from $23 to $26.There could be more, with strong rumblings of potential IPOs over the next year from consumer tech players such as Twitter, Square, Dropbox and Box, among others.Last year, the ripple of Facebook's flop extended to the market, with an absence of consumer-related Web offerings late last year and early this year. Since Facebook stumbled out of the IPO gate, however, it has rebounded nicely.Despite the rap against Internet companies as being…

In many places the top identity theft complaint revolves around government documents and benefits.(Photo: Thinkstock)Story HighlightsIn many places the top identity theft complaint revolves around government documents and benefitsThe top state for identity theft is FloridaKeep your personal information secure online and offlineNot all that long ago, many of us thought we only had to watch our credit cards to avoid identity theft. If the crooks didn't get the numbers on our plastic, we thought, they couldn't live it up and go on a wild shopping spree like the one in the movie Identity Thief. But ID theft scams are all over the map, both in terms of geography and kinds of fraud, according to Federal Trade Commission data.In many states — including Michigan, Kentucky, California, Texas and elsewhere — the largest area for ID theft complaints involves fraud relating to government documents or benefits.Maybe, someone steals your identity so they can use your health care insurance, said Peter Schoenrock, senior vice president for management at Equifax. Or an ID thief can steal information to falsely apply for jobless claims, he said. Or fake IDs are used to create fake tax returns that are packed with lucrative tax breaks, such as education credits or the Earned Income Tax Credit, to create generous tax refunds for criminals. PROTECT YOURSELF: How to keep your personal information secure[1]WHAT TO DO: Immediate steps to take to prevent identity theft damage[2]No, you don't want to leave your credit cards easily in view. But pay attention to your other paperwork, too. You'd be shocked where you'd spot a Social Security number just casually tossed around in your own home. Digging through a stack of old papers in the attic, I found my Social Security number just casually written on an old economics test from back in…