America’s First Wave-Power Farm Could Power 400 Homes

Construction of the first wave-power farm in America has recently begun off the coast of Oregon. New Jersey-based Ocean Power Technologies is in the process of installing ten wave-power harnessing buoys that they say will be able to power 400 homes.

Wave power is still a very young technology, and is therefore much more expensive at this point than more established renewable energy options such as wind and solar. Costs can be up to six times greater than wind, and this one project is expected to cost around sixty million dollars. However, as time goes on and wave-power projects become more common and costs fall, there is potential for the technology to produce an almost unlimited stream of clean energy. Just think, while weather changes often, waves are much more consistent.

So, how exactly does a wave-power farm work? A series of large buoys are placed in an area of ocean with lots of wave activity. Each buoy has a float that rises and falls along with the water surface, driving a plunger up and down. That plunger’s vertical energy is then converted into rotary motion and produces electricity by spinning a generator. The resulting electricity is then sent on shore through an underwater cable.

Wave-power has always fascinated me and it’s great to see it finally becoming a reality. I love how diverse the green energy industry is, with power coming from wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and now waves. What will be next?

Image Via OPT

Do You Use a Lawn Service?

As recent apartment-renters-turned-homeowners, my wife and myself are having to become accustomed to maintaining a yard. While we don't have the most gigantic of lots, it definitely adds a whole new side of homeownership that I wasn't quite expecting. You see, I haven't had to mow a yard since high school, really, so this prospect was foreign and surprising. Suddenly, we have to worry about freezing pipes, flower beds that get affected by freezes, a banana tree, and pecans.

After the first few weeks of taking care of the lawn, it became apparent that we just didn't quite have the time to do it justice. It was frustrating to see our grass growing higher while all of our neighbors' yards were perfectly trimmed. So, for the first time in both of our lives, we actually hired a lawn service to come out and take care of it for us. To be honest, we couldn't be happier, and the time and stress we save is more than worth the money.

So what about you guys? Do you hire a lawn service to take care of your yard work? Or do you do it yourself?

How to Pick an Electricity Plan

While everyone needs to power their home, electricity plans are far from one-size-fits-all. There are many options out there on the market, and just a little research can ensure that you end up with the right one. To find that plan that best meets your needs, here’s what you’ll need to know:

• Price per kilowatt-hour – What you’ll actually be paying for the electricity delivered to your home. For reference, a one room apartment will typically use around 500 Kw/h per month, while a two bedroom house will use about 1,000 Kw/h.

• Plan type – There are two basic types of electricity plans out there: fixed and month-to-month. Fixed plans have a steady price for a specified timeframe, offering great security. Month-to-month plans have no specified timeframe and can vary in price each month, which allows you to take advantage of changing electricity rates. Month-to-month plans come in two flavors: variable and indexed. Variable plans change with energy costs based purely on the discretion of the provider, while indexed plans change based on a published formula that uses an energy index (such as the natural gas index).

• Renewable energy options – Many electricity providers now offer plans with a percentage of their energy generated from clean sources such as wind, water and solar. If being environmentally friendly is important to you, keep an eye out for these green energy plans.

• Cancelation fees – What you will pay for terminating your contract before the term you signed up for. This applies only to fixed rate plans.

• Promotions – Any specials a provider is offering, such as a rebate or gift card.

Here’s an example of a plan here on WhiteFence. This particular plan has costs 12.9 cents per Kw/h, is month-to-month, features 100 percent renewable energy, has no cancellation fee (these don't apply to month-to-month plans) and comes with a $50 gift card.

Ready to start comparing your options? Enter your address at WhiteFence to get all of the information listed above for plans available at your location, pick the best plan and order your new service all on one website!

Where to Watch the Olympic Events You Missed

Ah, it's Winter Olympics time. It's interesting to me how sports that people typically don't care about become the most fascinating things in the world whenever the Olympics come crashing down on us. Who ever thought we'd find out so much about curling, the biathlon (AKA best Bond villain competition) and funny Olympic pants?

While the games have been going on for a little over a week now, there's still about a week left to watch some of your favorite events. However, for those poor blessed souls that still don't have a DVR with their TV service, or if you're like me and you simply don't feel like recording huge 6 hour blocks of programming to catch one event, it sometimes seems like there is so much to miss. Fear not! Lifehacker has posted some cool tips and links about where to watch the Olympics online. Lots of the events are available to stream, as long as you have a fairly decent high-speed connection.

Now you know who to thank when you're up until two in the morning watching figure skating. You're welcome.

Which HDTV is Right for You?

If you’re in the market for a new HDTV the sheer volume of choice on the market can be a little overwhelming. Many people simply don’t take the time to learn enough about their options and end up with a TV that doesn’t suit their needs.

Instead of just wandering around your local big box store like a kid in a very expensive candy store and relying on the high-school students/sales assistants for advice, go in prepared like a pro and you’ll be sure to find the right TV. Here are the decisions you should make before heading to the store to buy:

• Screen Size – This comes down to two main concerns: money and space. It’s no fun to come home with a new TV that won’t fit in your room, so measure where you’re planning on setting up the TV to set your maximum screen size. And while everyone wants a huge screen, you may have to compromise to fit your budget—work out the minimum screen size that will make you happy. Now you have a range of screen sizes that will work for your needs.

Landline or Cell Phone?

In the times we live in, it seems that less and less consumers are keeping the landlines they have in their homes and apartments. Recently, my mother got rid of hers, and it was a number I've known by heart since childhood. When my wife and I moved into our home, she was convinced that we needed a landline after years of not having one. I guess it made things feel more official for her.

While there are many out there who would say that it's time to ditch landlines once and for all, there are actually many practical reasons that exist to keep using them. For one, 9-1-1 emergency calls are much easier for emergency services to track via landlines as opposed to cell phones. Likewise, if you want home security service, you will probably need a landline connection. There are also a few DSL providers that require phone lines in order to connect high-speed Internet as well.

So what are your preferences? Do you see the need to keep a landline, or do you stick with just the cell phone? If you are interested in home phone service, WhiteFence can get you connected.

Slash Printing Wastes with the Paperless PrePeat Printer

At this point, we all know we should be moving towards a paperless office for the sake of both our wallets and our planet. While printer paper is relatively cheap, printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids on the market. And even when you recycle your used paper like we do here at WhiteFence, printing is still far from an eco-friendly activity.

Yet, despite the environmental and financial impacts, there are times where you simply have to print something out. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a budget-friendly green solution for those occasions?

Japanese firm Sanwa Newtec think they have just that solution. Their PrePeat printer uses not paper, but heat-sensitive PET plastic sheets. These sheets can be used up to 1,000 times according to the manufacturer and totally cut out the need for both paper and ink. Think of it as the paper version of the CD-RW, those rewriteable CDs you could burn files to over and over again.

Of course, this is very early in the life of paperless printing market and costs are still pretty prohibitive for the average consumer.­ The PrePeat itself will currently set you back over five grand, not to mention the ream of 1,000 PET sheets you’d have to buy for over three thousand more dollars. But hey, even at those prices you’d be able to get one million prints for less than $10,000, which works out to less than one penny per print—not bad for an environmentally friendly printer.

As much as I’m looking forward to this, I do have one question: will people be able to see the “history” of your sheets?

Image Via Sanwa Newtec

DIRECTV 2 Go 3D

DIRECTV recently announced it is entering in to a strategic relationship that will bring 3D TV nationwide. Beginning in June 2010, DIRECTV HD customers will receive a free software upgrade enabling them to have access to three dedicated 3D channels if they have 3D television sets.

Panasonic will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of DIRECTV's new high definition 3D channels, leveraging their current relationships with programming partners and movie studios to obtain new and existing 3D content. DIRECTV says that it is currently working with AEG/AEG Digital Media, CBS, Fox Sports/FSN, Golden Boy Promotions, HDNet, MTV, NBC Universal and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., to develop additional 3D programming that will debut in 2010-2011.

"We led the way with HD and we are excited to do the same with 3D," said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. "Adding the most HD channels to our lineup gave customers a viewing experience that was incredibly lifelike; adding 3D to the mix will take that one step further allowing them to become part of the cast as the picture comes to life in their living rooms."

Get DIRECTV satellite television service for your home today! And to learn more about Panasonic's new 3D televisions, visit www.panasonic.com/3D.

Have a Green Valentine's Day

Typically Valentine's Day is associated with the color red – red roses, red boxes of chocolate and red heart-shaped jewelry. I say be different this year and go green – enjoy an energy conscience celebration with the one you love.

Here’s how to be an environmentally friendly Cupid.

• Cook a Romantic Dinner – Make your Valentine’s a feast-for-two in the microwave, or prepare cheese or chocolate in a fondue pot, two low energy ways of preparing small meals. Also by not driving to a restaurant you will have lowered your carbon footprint for you and your sweetie.

• Homemade Gifts – Using recycled items to make Valentine's cards and gifts is the way to go. Also the gift is more memorable to your sweetheart.

• Take a Moonlight Walk – Taking a walk with your sweetie is not only special, it's environmentally friendly.

• Snuggle Up – Turn down the thermostat and curl up with your loved one.

• Go Organic –  Purchasing organic flowers and chocolates is a pesticide free way of showing you care.

Google Wants to Offer Super Fast Broadband

Some day in the near future, you might be adding Google's name to the list of potential high-speed Internet providers. In addition to providing apps that allow for word processing, Voice, social media and whatever it is that Wave does, the search engine giant is looking to deliver ultra fast high speeds to up to 500,000 homes.

How fast are we talking? So far, the number bandied about has been 1Gbps (gigabit per second). In layman's terms? That's about 100 times faster than most people's high-speed connections. This is possible through Google's wide fiber network, which the company uses to connect its data centers to speed up its search processes and allow for faster YouTube streaming. They basically want to take that network and start connecting it to homes.

Right now, Google is putting some feelers out to find interested parties/city governments to take them up on the offer. Personally, I'd be curious to see just how fast this broadband really is. What do you guys think?

To read more about Google's broadband ambitions, visit BBC News.