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How To Cut Your Electric Bill

By RD Bentley on August 31, 2011 in

Monitor Your Electric Usage
There are certain variables such as location, that determine what the price of electricity will cost cost per month. Some of these variables we can not control.

However, we can monitor our electric usage and conclude what our utility company is charging us.

You can monitor your electric costs with an inexpensive gadget. The results will surprise you.

Measure Kilowatt Hours
After the guy reads the meter here’s what I do. I’ll go outside and write the numbers down. Then, I’ll subtract last months’ usage from the numbers I just read. This will give me a good indication how much wattage that we used. This method is very accurate if you keep thorough records.

What is a kilowatt hour?

A Gadget That Monitors Your Electric Usage

  • Great little gadget for checking wattage levels — Do something about it. Monitor your own electric usage!
  • P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor

    • Residential Electric Rates By State JAN 2011

    Most Expensive Electric Prices [Cents per kilowatthour] [Deregulated, yes or no]
    1. Hawaii – 30.13 (no)
    2. Connecticut – 18.03 (yes)
    3. New York – 17.40 (yes)
    4. Alaska – 16.61 (no)
    5. New Hampshire – 16.34 (yes)
    6. Rhode Island – 16.21 (yes)
    7. New Jersey – 16.14 (yes)
    8. Vermont – 15.79 (no)
    9. Maine – 15.78 (yes)
    10. California – 15.30 (yes)

    Most Cheapest Electric Prices [Cents per kilowatthour] [Deregulated, yes or no]
    1. North Dakota – 6.92 (no)
    2. Nebraska – 7.72 (no)
    3. Arkansas – 7.77 (yes)
    4. Idaho – 7.83 (no)
    5. Louisiana – 7.94 (no)
    6. Washington – 8.02 (no)
    7. Oklahoma – 8.06 (yes)
    8. Missouri – 8.16 (no)
    9. Utah – 8.17 (no)
    10. South Dakota – 8.24 (no)

    Electricity costs weigh heavily on the budget of many families, and many consumers are just wanting to get the most bang for the buck. The more one understands how the process works, the better a customer can manage utility costs. Monitoring utility costs by state is a good way to track increases or decreases. What a consumer should be aware of is the price of electric per kilowatt hours. That price varies by location. Obviously, some states have higher rates than others.

    Is there a website to track electricity prices per kilowatt hours? You bet! The U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes a Electric Power Monthly, which gives Average Retail Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers. Not only does this page list residential rates, it also lists commercial rates, along with other valuable information.

    Have electricity prices changed within the last several years? The answer is yes. For the most part the changes have not been that dramatic.

    However, keep in mind that deregulation has played a major role in states that have been hit really hard with skyrocketing utility bills. This list does not attempt to cover what has happened concerning deregulation. Nor does this list cover the thousands of utility shutoffs rising in states like Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and California.

    I quickly glanced at the rates between 2008 and 2011. It appeared to me that the more expensive rates had actually gone down somewhat. For example, Hawaii went from 36.94 to 30.13 cents per kilowatt hours. This varied from state by state.

    Some, if not many states with cheaper rates showed an increase. For example, Kentucky and West Virginia showed an increase. They are no longer in the top ten least expensive category.

    Overall, there was not a huge difference in rates. But I do believe it’s time to consider putting together other alternative energy systems. Solar panels, wind turbines, and other energy saving devices are starting to look more attractive as time passes by. Not to mention the inconveniences brought about by numerous power outages.
    Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

    Note: Estimates are calculated by the EIA. Prices may vary accordingly.

    Image Credit:

    Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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    Mouse Highlights Everything When I Click

    By RD Bentley on August 30, 2011 in

    The mouse highlights everything I click. My computer is acting strange. Is there something wrong with my mouse? Is this a virus on my computer? What do I do? Yikes!

    One Click Highlights Everything: The Three Main Symptoms

    1. One click highlights everything. I cannot unhighlight text. When I click on any text, some strange phenomenon occurs. An alien of some sorts keeps highlighting the text, and the text simply refuses to become unhighlighted. The whole page is inundated with highlighted text. The Sticky Key Monster has taken over!
    2. My Favorites Menu remains on the screen after clicking on a bookmark or favorite link. The favorites menu will not go away, unless I manually click it off myself. This is not standard procedure.
    3. Everytime I click on a hyperlink, the page opens up in a new window. Again, this is not standard, and should not be happening.

    SOLUTION – Permanently disable sticky keys
    1. Click start button on the bottom of desktop page.
    2. Go to Control Panel.
    3. Go to Accessibility Options. (top left of page)
    4. Top section reads StickyKeys. Click Settings next to StickyKeys.
    5. Then you see Keyboard Shortcut.
    6. Uncheck “use shortcut”. That’s it.

    StickyKeys is a feature created by Microsoft to help users with physical disabilities. StickyKeys allows a user to press a modifier key (Shift, Alt, Ctrl) or the Windows key, and and have it remain active until another key is pressed. To turn this feature off, simply press both shift keys at the same time.

    Image Credit:

    Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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    Apple TV In 2012?

    By RD Bentley on August 30, 2011 in

    The Apple label is as ubiquitous as apple pie these days. With iPhone, iPod, iTunes, and iPad revolutionizing the consumer electronics industry, one wonders what Apple, Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL)  is up to next. Will the company go for the TV industry? It’s certainly starting to look that way.

    There are secrets floating around that the Apple TV is in the making. No, we’re not talking the little set top box that is offered at the moment. We are talking about a real Apple TV.

    An Apple TV model could possibly hit the shelves late in the year of 2012. The target could be reached early in 2013. Apple has already signed a five-year contract with LG and has made an initial investment of $500 million. That means Apple is more than likely going to be in the television business in some fashion or form. This has to be a blessing for LG Electronics (LSE: LGLD).

    Apple probably waited until the price of TV’s dropped, and that day has finally arrived. The price of LG televisions have dropped for the most part. Market prices keep dropping.

    As of now, the Apple TV is only rumor. Other sources are predicting that an Apple HDTV could could surface in March of 2012. We’ll have to wait on that note.

    In other related news, Apple has canceled iTunes TV Rentals program.

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    The Streaker Invades The Weather Channel

    By RD Bentley on August 29, 2011 in

     

    Once again, your action news reporter. Here we are on the scene at the beach covering Hurricane Irene. Pardon me sir. Did you see what happened?

    Yeah I did. I was just standin’ there on the corner of the street and here he come, right outta the blue with nothin’ on but his red shorts.

    Well in a heartbeat he just pulled down his red shorts, revealing himself front and back. He flashed her right there on Main Street.

    And I hollered t’ Ethel, I said “don’t look Ethel!”

    But it was too late she’d already seen a tropical moon.

    Warning: This video contains nudity. “Don’t look Ethel!”

    News Update
    Weather Channel reporter Eric Fisher was just trying to get his day in and wouldn’t you know it! Five young men dashed across the screen. One of them just couldn’t help himself.

    Ray Stevens
    Check out his CD’s, DVD’s, and other releases:
    The Ray Stevens Collection

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    Tablets Will Get Cheaper

    By RD Bentley on August 28, 2011 in

    It looks like the HP TouchPad sweetheart deals are almost over. Are there any other alternatives? The Velocity Tablets at Amazon are priced fairly reasonable. They may not be the same quality as the iPad, but the price isn’t $500 either. It just depends on what you are looking for.

    The HP Tablets are just above the $200 mark and to be honest, this is a pretty good bargain. There’s probably not many left though. That’s the problem. HP will probably sell more of them for $99, but supplies may be limited.

    I personally agree with the New York Post piece, which argues that consumers want a cheap tablet. The evidence speaks for itself. There is a big demand for the tablet computer, it’s just that buyer’s can’t see paying higher prices for them.

    And if the New York Post gets this one right, Amazon may offer an Android tablet in late September or October, which will be much, much cheaper than the iPad. Cheap enough to open wallets?

    It’s inevitable that tablet prices drop in the near future. The HP TouchPad Tablet episode has launched a buying frenzy and may have possibly provoked buyers into posturing for a cheaper product. This is bound to affect retail prices, especially when computer sales have not been so keen in the past several months. Computer tablets do not necessarily have to get cheaper, but there sure are a lot of geeks that are predicting that they will.

    Tablet Options

    1. Samsung Galaxy Tab (10.1-Inch, 16GB, Wi-Fi)

    2. ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101-A1 10.1-Inch Tablet Computer (Tablet Only)

    3. Toshiba Thrive 10.1-Inch 16 GB Android Tablet AT105-T1016

    4. HP TouchPad Wi-Fi 16 GB 9.7-Inch Tablet Computer

    5. Apple iPad 2 MC769LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, Black) NEWEST MODEL

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    TechCrunch iPad Giveaway: Ends Aug 28

    By RD Bentley on August 27, 2011 in

    TechCrunch is giving an iPad 2 away for one lucky winner. The contest ends August 28th at 7:30pm PST. The rules are posted below from the TechCrunch page.

    1) Become a fan of the TechCrunch Facebook Page:

    2) Then do one of the following:

  • Retweet the post on TechCrunch (making sure to include the #TechCrunch hashtag)
  • Leave a comment on TechCrunch telling them why you want the iPad 2

    • TechCrunch says to only tweet the message once or you will be disqualified. TechCrunch will choose at random and contact the winner this weekend with more details. Anyone in the world is eligible, as long as you can receive delivered packages.

    Update: Congratulations to Sheila Bednar-Prososki!

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    Games On Facebook Not Working

    By RD Bentley on August 27, 2011 in ,

    You are using Google Chrome browser and your Facebook page isn’t working properly. Here are the specific details:

    Problems
    1. Games on Facebook are not working.
    2. Facebook home page is freezing — can’t scroll down.
    3. Gmail is not working.

    Clear Browsing Data
    1. Click on the wrench —located at top right side of page.
    2. Go to Options.
    3. Go to Under the Hood.
    4. Click on clear browsing data button. The box of checkmarked items will pop up. Checkmark the items you want cleared. The ones I clear are:

  • clear browsing history
  • clear download history
  • empty the cache
  • delete cookies and other site plug-in data

    • 5. Hit clear browsing data button again.
    6. You are finished!
    7. If still having difficulties turn computer off and turn back on.
    8. It’s always a good idea to run a disk cleanup.
    9. Please don’t forget to bookmark this page if it’s been of some help to you. Thank you!

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    Nucor: Unconventional Success

    By RD Bentley on August 27, 2011 in

    Nucor (NYSE:NUE) is ranked number 14 among the top producers of steel in the world. This is taken from a list (2010) of the largest steel-producing companies in the world.

    Nucor is said to be North America’s largest recycler of any material, recycling one ton of steel every two seconds.

    What is different about Nucor? It is among the largest of the “mini-mill” operators. These are the type that use electric arc furnaces to melt the scrap steel.

    In addition to its mini-mill, Nucor was a pioneer of another technology — called thin-strip casting. This reduced the need for manpower and energy.

    Traditionally, steel was using integrated steel works, with blast furnaces to make the steel. Many of the established steel plants ignored new technology, because of a comfortable high profit they enjoyed. This opened the door for companies willing to take the lower road and those that incorporated disruptive technology.

    While many of America’s steel manufacturers hung on to traditional steel making methods, Nucor embraced new technologies. The risk paid off.

    The company used innovative methods that were very unconventional for the time. Nucor stripped the managerial layers that weigh down most corporations. The unconventional results were spectacular. The company claims it never had a layoff for lack of work. Now this is truly remarkable.

    Another feat for the unconventional company — over five years running, the company prides itself on a 371% return to shareholders. That’s pretty impressive. And Nucor pays its employees well above the industry standards. You won’t find that in today’s standard model of corporate downsizing.

    Nucor’s motto:

    Employees — not managers — drive our success.

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    Fujio Masuoka: Inventor of Flash Memory

    By RD Bentley on August 26, 2011 in

    Flash memory is a term that applies to two types of chips — the NAND and the NOR. The NAND is used in: memory cards, USB flash drives, solid-state drives, and more. Both NOR and NAND types were invented by Dr. Fujio Masuoka around 1980.

    Examples of both types of flash memory include: personal computers, PDAs, digital audio players, digital cameras, mobile phones, synthesizers, video games, scientific instrumentation, industrial robotics, and medical electronics.

    Flash memory turned out to be one of the greatest inventions of the 1980′s. According to a Forbes report, approximately $76 billion of these chips were sold in 2001 alone. According to BusinessWeek, flash memory sales hit around $25 billion in 2006 alone. While these figures may not be totally accurate, it gives us a good idea how important this invention was.

    Toshiba and Samsung have been two of the world’s top flash memory producers.

    At the time Fujio Masuoka had discovered flash memory, he was working for Toshiba. However, because he lived in Japan and worked for a powerful company, he didn’t get the full credit that was due.

    In fact,  company members were so embarrassed about the deal, they told Forbes Global that Toshiba was not the inventor of flash memory. The PR staff at Toshiba claimed Intel invented flash memory. Of course, this would later prove to be a false assertion.

    While the engineers at Toshiba failed to understand the foresight of Masuoka’s invention, the team at Intel did recognize its potential. Intel immediately acted upon that potential. Intel introduced the NOR chip in 1988; Toshiba introduced the NAND type chip in 1989.

    Masuoka had been working on DRAM when he came across his discovery in the early 1980′s. It was the year of 1984 when he would announce his invention, during an IEEE meeting in San Francisco, California.

    Dr. Masuoka eventually got promoted to the head of a department, but he would leave Toshiba in 1994. Masuoka later became a professor at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.

    You can see the profile of Dr. Fujio Masuoka at Unisantis Electronics.

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    Cash For Broken iPhone?

    By RD Bentley on August 25, 2011 in

    Have a broken iPhone? Don’t know what to do with it? Don’t throw it away just yet.

    Most people think their old phones are worthless, but in fact, they can be reused and recycled. This means that you can make a little money and help keep potentially hazardous materials out of the landfills.

    So, iPhonesIntoCash puts a little more green into your pocket, and keeps our environment just a little bit greener, too! Send them your used or broken iPhone and they’ll send you cash!

    iPhonesIntoCash also supports the efforts of the Kids in Need Foundation, which works to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies to students most in need.

    How to wipe data on your iPhone:

    1. Press the Home Button to return to the home screen
    2. Tap the “Settings” icon
    3. Select “General”
    4. Select “Reset”
    5. Tap “Erase All Content and Settings”

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